A Tale of 2 MS200T's

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sloch24

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I acquired 2 200t's within the last month, and before I used either of them, decided to tear them down and check the cylinders. Here's what I found:

Saw #1:

I noticed play in the bearings before I tore it down.
Compression check yielded ~140 PSI.
Saw hesitated when given gas.


Saw #2:

Bearings TIGHT! :)
Compression check yielded 150 PSI.
Fuel line is cracked (can't tell if it's all the way through, but...)
Runs okay, didn't really try it out.


After the tear down, saw #1 has NO scoring on the piston or cylinder. There's a little carbon on the bottom of the piston (just the bottom edge).

Saw #2 had (I already cleaned it up) a little scoring on the cylinder, and the piston is scored across the entire exhaust side. The rings are still free, not stuck in the slots.

Here's what I'm thinking about doing. I got both of these for a decent price, so I'm thinking about putting the good piston in the saw with good bearings. Here's where I'm a little confused though... Why would the saw with the scored piston have higher compression than the saw with a cosmetically good p&c? I'm thinking about replacing the rings when I put it back together just for good measure. Could the rings be worn to the point where they don't produce as much compression?

One more question... The fuel tanks are a little bit different between the two.. Saw #1's fuel line and vent go through the tank at the same point, and look to share a grommet. Saw #2's fuel line goes through the center of the tank, and the vent is on the edge (near the fill cap). Which style is newer, and/or which style should I use on the saw that I'm going to keep? Cosmetically, they're about the same.

Thanks for the info! :)
 
#1 is later... hesitation - if not normal L adjustment, almost always bad carb - accelerator pump failure.

Scored piston has no effect on compression -just cylinder surface quality and rings. If it's bad - put a new piston in the saw and run it for another 2500 hours.

Be careful with bearings play.. all 020/200T will have end-float, and most some small amount of radial. They are needle rollers, not deep groove.
 
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Be careful with bearings play.. all 020/200T will have end-float, and most some small amount of radial. They are needle rollers, not deep groove.

Okay.. basically you're saying that a little end play is normal. Are you also saying that that a little bit of side play is okay on these saws? Saw #2 seems to have NO noticeable side play in the bearings. Saw #1 does. I'm not TOO worried about saw #1, I'll probably just sell it for parts later on down the road... I'm more concerned about getting #2 in top shape for myself.

If I'm bored at a later date, I may fix up #1.

Thanks for the info!

BTW: What is there to go bad in the carb? Is the accelerator pump not serviceable? I didn't try to adjust anything with either of them, I wanted to make sure they were mechanically sound before I did any further damage.

I also now know why people say that they're a PITA to work on.. :)
 
They are dead easy to work on on after you've done a few dozen:greenchainsaw:


Side play isn't great, but for small amounts I've stopped replacing bearings in these... seems to have little to no effect on running. End play is normally 0.5mm, but can be more...

You can buy an accelerator pump kit, BUT, the failure is usually the worn body. A new kit will last long enough to sell it on ebay, but..
 
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Good to know....

How about the different fuel tank / fuel line configurations?

Also, any idea where I can find an aftermarket set of rings for it? I'm guessing the Stihl rings are priced pretty high.. maybe I'm wrong. I'll have to call the dealer in the morning and get a price for the rings and a fuel line, and it looks like I'll have a decent saw! (As long as the carb will adjust out.. :) )
 
The doubled fuel/vent line is the later version.

Buy the stihl rings. The 200T is a pro saw you want to last, and deserves decent quality. The aftermarket rings cost less than $1 is most cases, no matter what they get resold for, and they are low lifetime junk.

Measure your piston skirt. The 200T needs a very stable idle (hanging on your belt..) and is very sensitive to a worn piston .

Carb? good luck...
 
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I can't really agree with Lake on this bearing play issue for a 200. If there is any movement at all in the bearings they are most likely on there way out and best to change them. I have been down this same road with these 200's the tighter the bearings the better the saw runs if all else checks out on the saw.

I know this isn't a very technical answer to your question but a little side to side and I mean a little side to side play is ok. Any up down or back and forth movement of the crank is not. There will be some play if you really are pushing down hard on the crank. If the play is noticable by just moving the crank then the bearings are pretty much shot.

Bad bearings in a saw are usually the culprit for air leaks either large or small in saws more so than just the seals themselves.

Concerning your vent question you probaly got ahold of some of the older model 200's. There is a difference between the older models and the newer 200's.

Larry
 
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As for the gas tanks, they both have the new style caps, so I'm assuming that they're both 200t's.

For the bearing play, if I hold the saw down with one hand, and grab the center of the clutch in the other, I can wiggle (ever so slightly) the clutch up, down, and side to side (I didn't try in and out).

The other saw (the one I'm keeping) is tight, I can't feel any play whatsoever when doing the same thing.

Thanks for the info
 
The gas caps are the same. I know I just went went through this myself. Bought some used parts from some donor saws from a dealer so I could make at least one more 200. The tanks were from older models.

Hopefully I can get another 200 top handle up and running but the pickings for a good bottom end are getting slim without having to start splitting a case.

Larry
 
Sorry, I just re-read your post, I thought you were saying that I had a 020t, and not a 200t.. As far as I know, the 200t's had the new caps, and the 020t's had the old, right?

The saw with the older style tank also had a 020t style recoil on it... it has the rectangular stihl badge with no model on it... I just assumed that it was replaced somewhere along the line.
 
I did edit my post a little. I am not sure exactly when the change in caps came along for the 200's.

The 020T's and the MS 200's are basically the same saw engine wise. The carbs on the 020T's only had one adjustable screw. The MS 200's have both screws that are adjustable.

Any other parts on the outside of the engine will probaly interchange between models.

I had an 020T but it was a very shortlived relationship. It was a POS to say the least. I honestly can't remember how those caps were fitted into the tank. I think they screwed in, but not sure. It could have had the new style caps. I know when they first came out I wasn't to fond of them like so many other people but have come to like them as you don't need tools to refuel a saw.

Larry
 
020T has both 1 and 2 screw carbs...

The 200T has a quad ported cylinder - the 020 a dual port (transfers).

The MS200t's all had the new style caps. The new combined vent line came in about 18 months or so.


Recoils and tanks get swapped around all the time on the 20T/200T. The oil cap is the best indicator of the model - screw-in - 20T; flippy -200T.
 
Recoils and tanks get swapped around all the time on the 20T/200T. The oil cap is the best indicator of the model - screw-in - 20T; flippy -200T.

That's what I was going by... they both have flippy caps all the way around.
 
For a pretty well used 200t, just new rings and seals and you're good to go, well worn in bearings let the saw rev out easy, also a 200T does rev higher than an 020T. The tiny 200t bakelite seals are difficult to tap in, brittle as, the metal ones are way easier, on the dodgy carb, I'd go for the accel-pump kit if they are available, it'll be just a spring, o-ring and rod, you slide out the throttle shaft, a non accel-pump carb better though. You can tell accel-pump carbs by the hole over the throttle shaft
 
020T has both 1 and 2 screw carbs...

The one 020T I had was one of those with just one screw for the carb. That one saw really turned me off to the new 020 line for a long time. I went back to using my 020 Supers.

My dealer practically begged me to try the new MS 200 when they came out claiming all the problems that plagued the 020T were gone. I was still gunshy because changing the numbers didn't convince me those saws were better than the older 020's. Finally I caved in and have been a MS 200 fan ever since.
 
020T has both 1 and 2 screw carbs...

The one 020T I had was one of those with just one screw for the carb. That one saw really turned me off to the new 020 line for a long time. I went back to using my 020 Supers.

My dealer practically begged me to try the new MS 200 when they came out claiming all the problems that plagued the 020T were gone. I was still gunshy because changing the numbers didn't convince me those saws were better than the older 020's. Finally I caved in and have been a MS 200 fan ever since.


The C1QS32 020T two screw non-accel carb is still available, and works well on the MS200T
 
A NOS 020T single screw carb, I put it on a 200T, from the box the carb was so lean the saw run out of puff at about 2/3rds revs, even with the single screw unscrewed heaps of turns. Bent the fuel tang some, and it's run brilliant since. Idles at just about stalling speed without a hiccup, upsidedown, swinging around, whatever, never stalls. Revs out to full available revs, full horsepower all the way. Wouldn't do really long cuts with it, it won't 4-stroke, with 1/4 chain and 12" bar it's fast cutting
 
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