Typical 394xp compression???

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04titanse

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I picked up a 394xp a few weeks ago from a member here and I am wondering what the typical compression is on these old saws is. I believe mine blew 145psi, runs great has has similar power to my 390xp when wearing 24" bar. I am sure there would be a difference when wearing 30"+ bars.

You guys think its time for a piston and rings or is she still pretty healthy?
 
I think they run higher than 145 because most my smaller saws run about 150psi and I start them without the decomp. There is no way I can start my 394 without the decomp. I haven't checked its compression but I bet is close to 190psi. Its a beast!
 
I think they run higher than 145 because most my smaller saws run about 150psi and I start them without the decomp. There is no way I can start my 394 without the decomp. I haven't checked its compression but I bet is close to 190psi. Its a beast!

Its not easy to pull over, its takes some effort. My 385xp has around 190psi and they feel similar when starting, but there is a big difference on the gauge.
 
I'm interested in this one.
My 394 also blows 145 Psi and I reckon it's low because when you apply the old pick it up by the starter cord test it turns way too freely in my opinion. I am just at the point of opening her up and having a little look see to assess the condition of rings, piston and barrel.
If I need a piston/barrel I am contemplating converting to a 395 set up as the four port barrel combined with the larger jets in the 394 carb should perform well I hope.
Any thoughts?
I wish saw manufacturers would list factory compression specs for saws.
 
mine's crowding 190 PSI and it not quite typical, and you better have your mind made up before you decide to use it and stuff,,,
 
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Just a caution on compression testers...

(Overly detailed to help someone that may not know...)

I recently got a faulty reading on my newly obtained Stihl 046 from a compression tester for the following reason:

For a compression tester to get an accurate reading they typically incorporate a schrader valve in the hose from the spark plug adapter to the gauge. The schrader valve acts as a one way valve and traps successive compressions from several strokes of the piston until the gauge is topped out. Since air is compressible it takes several piston strokes to compress the air in the gauge line for an accurate reading.

Where I initially got fooled was that my original compression gauge has the schrader valve halfway up the hose at the quick disconnect between the lower and upper hoses. That meant that the lower hose was emptying between each pull of the starter cord. The volume of air that was in this lower hose was effectively adding much more volume to my cylinder and causing a low reading.

I bought a new tester (Actron) that has the Schrader valve right down at the spark plug adapter. This will provide a much more accurate reading because all of the air compressed into the hose will be trapped and not add to the effective cylinder volume.

With the new tester my reading went from 100 psi to 170 psi. In all the years that I used the old gauge on automotive applications, the error would have been much less due to the large volume of an automotive cylinder. When applied to a much smaller engine it produced a larger error.

Moral of the story: Only buy/use/rely on a tester with the Schrader valve right down at the spark plug adapter.
 
I picked up a 394xp a few weeks ago from a member here and I am wondering what the typical compression is on these old saws is. I believe mine blew 145psi, runs great has has similar power to my 390xp when wearing 24" bar. I am sure there would be a difference when wearing 30"+ bars.

You guys think its time for a piston and rings or is she still pretty healthy?


I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... its time!
Your compression is low and a top end rebuild is the way to go. I have a bone stock 394 that's fairly young that I'll get a reading on tomorrow. I'll bet its well north of 145psi....
 
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... its time!
Your compression is low and a top end rebuild is the way to go. I have a bone stock 394 that's fairly young that I'll get a reading on tomorrow. I'll bet its well north of 145psi....

That's what I was leaning toward. I will pull the jug off tomorrow night and take a look at it. I assume it needs rings and a piston, but it runs sweet and starts/idles and cuts awesome. So I am hoping the jug is good.

Where do I get the circlips for these...I hear the meteor ones are not the best.
 
since my compression tester walked away I haven't been able to test the compression of my saws :( I can say that my 395 (which should be very similar compression) is almost impossible to start without the decomp. I mean I can start it if I put it passed TDC and yank as hard as I can but I don't like too it has a new oem top end installed just last year so she is fresh :). sorry to say but even though I can't test mine to tell you what the reading is I can tell you that yours is low without a doubt. would be cool if skippy could post up is comp reading tomorrow to give you an idea of where your saw should be :msp_thumbup:
 
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That's what I was leaning toward. I will pull the jug off tomorrow night and take a look at it. I assume it needs rings and a piston, but it runs sweet and starts/idles and cuts awesome. So I am hoping the jug is good.

Where do I get the circlips for these...I hear the meteor ones are not the best.

Yes, most of the Meteor clips aren't the best, but I've heard that some of the newer Meteor inventory has the better clips, but I'll stick with OEM anyway.
:eek: I gotta get some sleep...:msp_sleep:
 
My cheapy compression tester has always read 15-20 psi lower than my Lysle tester. I just tested my 394 and it had 150 psi on the cheap tester, and 30 psi on the Lysle. Yep, looks like my Lysle has gone kaput over the winter (schrader valves are good and air hose is good and clean). My 394 runs great and has noticeably more nuttage than my either of my 288s. I'm not worried about it. I took the muffler off last summer to port the muff and the piston/ring on the exhaust side looked great. Cylinder looks good too from what I can see through the spark plug hole with my good 600 lumen flashlight. If it were my saw, I wouldn't rebuild it just because of a somewhat low compression reading. If it runs good then let it keep running good. The 395 cylinder should give it a bit more power, but from what I've read, that isn't really the case. The difference between a healthy 394 and a healthy 395 isn't noticeable.

Unless the saw has had a lot of use, I doubt the ring is worn to the point of being worn out, assuming the air filter has been doing its job. I've only had two cases of a severely worn OEM ring in my huskies. One a weedwhacker that I used A BUNCH for 10 years, the other a 55 rancher that was used a lot before my dad used it for some years. If you pull the muffler and the piston skirt and ring look good, it's probably ok. If you're just looking for a reason to tear into it, then go for it. I've also found that the carb tune can make a big difference in power output. I've set saws a bit rich where they would 4 stroke a tiny bit in a light cut just to be extra safe right after a new piston/cylinder. If tuned to the point of no 4 stroking in the cut they gain a good bit of power. If I turn the high side screw in about another 1/5 to 1/3 turn beyond that, it'll still slightly 4 stroke at WOT out of the cut but also pick up a very good bit of power over the "just not 4 stroking in the cut" setting. Maybe it's a tiny bit lean that way, but I don't think so. It may not leave much room for error in fuel mix or a crankcase leak, but that's where the engine really wants it set. In short, if it has the power of an 80cc saw, it may be only 1/2 of a high side screw turn away from getting to its full potential. If the power falls flat at WOT in a heavy cut, it's too lean.
 
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(Overly detailed to help someone that may not know...)

I recently got a faulty reading on my newly obtained Stihl 046 from a compression tester for the following reason:

For a compression tester to get an accurate reading they typically incorporate a schrader valve in the hose from the spark plug adapter to the gauge. The schrader valve acts as a one way valve and traps successive compressions from several strokes of the piston until the gauge is topped out. Since air is compressible it takes several piston strokes to compress the air in the gauge line for an accurate reading.

Where I initially got fooled was that my original compression gauge has the schrader valve halfway up the hose at the quick disconnect between the lower and upper hoses. That meant that the lower hose was emptying between each pull of the starter cord. The volume of air that was in this lower hose was effectively adding much more volume to my cylinder and causing a low reading.

I bought a new tester (Actron) that has the Schrader valve right down at the spark plug adapter. This will provide a much more accurate reading because all of the air compressed into the hose will be trapped and not add to the effective cylinder volume.

With the new tester my reading went from 100 psi to 170 psi. In all the years that I used the old gauge on automotive applications, the error would have been much less due to the large volume of an automotive cylinder. When applied to a much smaller engine it produced a larger error.

Moral of the story: Only buy/use/rely on a tester with the Schrader valve right down at the spark plug adapter.

Excellent info. Thanks
 
Every comp tester I can see has a long hose with the valve up by the gauge...even on Baileys...I have one like that too, for my vehicles...
 
Every comp tester I can see has a long hose with the valve up by the gauge...even on Baileys...I have one like that too, for my vehicles...

The relief valve is at the top, the schrader valve is inside the hose, at the end of the hose in the one pictured on Bailey's site.

My compression tester, a Sears kit, made by mityvac has a two piece hose set up, one on a spark plug adapter end and the other end has the relief valve and the gauge. The schrader valve is in the top end of the adapter hoses, roughly in the center of both lines.... I thought it was reading a little low....
 

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