Wright Reciprocating Saw, pics and overhaul inside....

[Rx7man]

Mine is on its way back together.. erratic spark though.. polished/set points, fiddled with trigger handle.. it's got good blue spark when it fires

It's got 70 PSI compression with only 1 ring.. I found a ring from a Briggs that was a 2 5/8th bore.. so I had to cut it down and it's pretty tight.. better than the clapped out one that was in there though.. I'll still keep my eye out for a better fitting ring.. the ring is a 2.5" x .93 height x .120 wall

 

[67L36Driver]

NOS Wright piston #637511. For 2” bore.

Snagged it off evilbay during my search for C-70 parts.

Offering it here for hardly more than shipping. [emoji106]

 

[Huskybill]

Great post I like seeing the history behind logging. How saws developed. I guess this would be one step above handsawing.

 

[Rx7man]

I think in the right application they're still useful.. make a nice narrow kerf cut that's flat, and it's slow enough you don't overshoot.. probably suck like heck trying to make a rip cut though, and of course you can't plunge cut either

 

[Huskybill]

Making a plunge cut and having the tip bind could get shakey not kick back but shake back. Is this direct drive no clutch?

In post #17 they did nice casting work back then.

Some talk today that saws are too heavy. Back then men were different I guess.

 

[heimannm]

I can remember as a very young boy seeing my Dad cut the tails off rafters when they were building an addition on our garage. This was in the days before trusses when you cut the "bird's mouth" in the rafter to set on the top plate of the wall, cut the angle on the top to fit the ridge, then came back later to trim the tails flush.

He also cut a lot of firewood with that saw, it must have made an impression on me as I remember it well enough that I had to have one in my collection as well. There were different types of blades available depending on the task at hand; firewood, carpentry, even a bone saw when used for splitting a carcass (deer, beef, moose, etc.) and the absence of any bar oil was a plus for the butcher activities.

Correction to my earlier post, my saw is actually a GS 5020A as you can see by the squarish top cover.

If you try to make a cut with one, remember that the stroke of the saw blade is rather short and does not remove chips from the kerf, you have to add the "sawing action" to move the chips out or it will cut the depth of the tooth then just stop.

Mark

 

[Rx7man]

Making a plunge cut and having the tip bind could get shakey not kick back but shake back. Is this direct drive no clutch?

In post #17 they did nice casting work back then.

Some talk today that saws are too heavy. Back then men were different I guess.

I just picked up a McCullough Model 47.. JEEBUS that thing is heavy!!.. 26 lbs, PHO and it's only 77 cc

 

[444]

I've been using mine for general cleanup on the yard. it's not as fast as a chainsaw but it puts a smile on my face. Yes if I don't push the saw back and forth while cutting to clear the kerf, cutting speed slows to a crawl. The fun factor is worth it to me but after about an hour of cutting my arms tell me they are feeling it from lugging a 25lb saw. It does make a cleaner, narrower cut than a chainsaw but I can't imagine one practical application in which that would matter.

 

[Rx7man]

If you're doing finishing work I could see a nice cut being a bonus

 

[444]

Perhaps, although I don't think I could do very straight or accurate finishing work while wielding a 25lb direct drive saw.

 

[Rx7man]

I'll be able to say more once I've fired it up and used it a little!

 

[Cabin1]

Thanks for info on spark. I had very weak spark. So I installed new points and condenser gap at .025 now no spark at all With old points had weak spark I know about trigger setting to get spark. I didn't change timing. Any suggestions from any one Cabin1

 

[67L36Driver]

Thanks for info on spark. I had very weak spark. So I installed new points and condenser gap at .025 now no spark at all With old points had weak spark I know about trigger setting to get spark. I didn't change timing. Any suggestions from any one Cabin1

Normal for most is .015”-.018”.

BWTFDIK

 

[Rx7man]

Acres site lists breaker point setting at .020" for the 5020

 

[444]

the ignition settings are all listed in the owners manual I uploaded. are you sure the trigger kill switch isn't grounded out the coil when you're checking for spark?

 

[Rx7man]

it could be that .025" is too much gap and they never close

 

[Wright Saw]

Carter ND carb was pretty simple and in good shape. Surprised it even ran, the original fuel pump diaphragms were brittle and showed physical cracks. A replacement kit from sugar creek supply fit well. Fuel inlet needle is nylon or plastic and showed no wear. High speed fueling is adjusted with a thumbwheel where low speed and idle are by screwdriver.The only thing I don't like about the carb is the choke blade shaft flops around and is tensioned by the air cleaner screws. Since I had to make my own air cleaner housing the choke flapper wasn't tensioned right and would just flop open/closed. I took a hole puncher and punched a hole out of gasket material and shoved it into the threaded hole for the air cleaner screws and reassembled. It gives the choke shaft the proper amount of tension.

There should be a small ball and spring to apply pressure to the choke shaft, they are located in a hole under the fuel pump cover. There is also a flat spot on the choke shaft so it will stay in the open position when the ball and spring are in place.
You did a good job rebuilding the saw, and I enjoyed seeing the pictures of it. The construction of these saws is very interesting. Thank you for sharing the owner's and parts manuals and the gasket scan, it will be very helpful if I rebuild my Wright Saw one day.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Ran across this recently at our annual antique engine show and flea market. Guy wanted $100 for it with original owner's manual and three new additional blades. May have snagged it a few years ago but have way too many other saw projects requiring funds and attention these days. I believe it's a GS-218 and the first model maybe?
Wish I would have taken a couple more pics. Pretty good condition for its age, though it was locked up for who knows what reason.

​

 

[ML12]

I bought another blade saw on the weekend. Its david Bradley branded though. Looks just like my big one that I posted in post#24, but its red and silver and appears to have the smaller top end and different air cleaner. Guy said it ran, but the fuel tank is very badly corroded and has many, many pin holes. its also missing the blade/bar.

on a positive note, it does have very good compression.

 

[Wright Saw]

I bought another blade saw on the weekend. Its david Bradley branded though. Looks just like my big one that I posted in post#24, but its red and silver and appears to have the smaller top end and different air cleaner. Guy said it ran, but the fuel tank is very badly corroded and has many, many pin holes. its also missing the blade/bar.

on a positive note, it does have very good compression.

Does it look like this one? http://vintagechainsawcollection.blogspot.com/2013/09/if-widgetbox-widgetbox.html