288 XP...... let the adventures begin.

[Woodslasher]

I’d go for a 281 to start with, as it is almost a 288 and probably cheaper. As you can still buy 288 top ends, buy a 281 run it, love it and leave it or hate it, refresh it, and convert it to a 288.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Haha they are messy trees the old macro's but it's good wood and every farm has a heap of them and luckily just leave all the brush there for the 20t digger to pile it up and burnView attachment 779601

20 tonne digger, log grapple, splash of diesel and a match........ all gone!

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I'm also from NZ @Bob Hedgecutter and hear exactly what you're saying. I'm way more of a Stihl guy (with lots of saws) but do have a soft spot for the 2 series Huskys. Heres a 288 I built earlier in the year and sold to a friend. What an awesome old saw with a very distinctive Ping....Ping,ping...ping sound when idling. You'll love yours. I've also just obtained enough parts to build another 3 or 4!
View attachment 779543 View attachment 779544

That is one sweet looking build- doubt mine will ever be that clean!
So did you drop the decomp and plug the cylinder- or is it rebuilt with a non decomp cylinder?

 

[Daserlon]

The 281/288 is a great muscle saw. They're old now but are still a very desirable saw. I have a few myself and use them for big wood cuz they eat wood like hippies eat granola.

 

[pioneer saws]

I had this basket case 281 given to by a co worker, engine was locked up and missing parts. I put many hrs into fixing this saw and it was so worth it.
It has become one of my favourite saws to run.

 

[raumati01]

I've got some 181/281/288 parts , let me know what you need.

Thats three kiwis on one thread is there any more still here?

 

[raumati01]

Is most certainly a low top, high tops were not readily available here until the 3 series saws came out.
We are not big on saw modification here, if you need more power or better filtration- you just buy a bigger saw or one with better filtration...... like those red Swedish saws I like.

My 288 has a high top. I got it off a dealer after the owner decided not to fix it.

I'm supposed to sell it so I can put money into other projects.....but I don't want to.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

My 288 has a high top. I got it off a dealer after the owner decided not to fix it.

I'm supposed to sell it so I can put money into other projects.....but I don't want to.

Yep, they were "available" but from what I remember, you had to get the agents to order them in and they took an age to get here- it all became a lot easier with the 3 series saws as most of them came out with the high tops as standard in NZ.
Well, if you read back a bit and decide you do want to sell your 288 at some stage of the game, that third Kiwi might be interested.

Will have to wait until the saw gets here (currently somewhere between Hamilton and Invercargill) to do a parts needed inventory- but will certainly keep you in mind- cheers.

 

[henry r]

Raumati, sell a project then... sorted.

 

[markds2]

That is one sweet looking build- doubt mine will ever be that clean!
So did you drop the decomp and plug the cylinder- or is it rebuilt with a non decomp cylinder?

The cylinder was the original early Mahle non decomp cylinder. It's an 1989 300 anniversary edition, so one of the early ones. The top cover was brand new genuine Husky with the decomp hole already drilled (about $60NZD from the dealer). The saw was rebuilt from the ground up with the cases resprayed with colour matched enamel.

 

[raumati01]

Raumati, sell a project then... sorted.

Good call. My old man can't use his 181 anymore so I have that too now though.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

First piece of the puzzle to arrive...........

 

[stilh036prohog]

Still waiting for the saw?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Still waiting for the saw?

Yep, this time of year and shipping the length of our small country- it is a case of hurry up and wait. Hopefully will be here not too long after the weekend.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Well..... Christmas came early........



Seems to be "complete" in all the major parts apart from the obvious brake flag and outer bucking spike (if they had one as original?)
Top cover is cracked in a couple of spots.
Top cover missing a screw, muffler bracket missing a screw, bar stud missing a nut, recoil cover missing a couple of screws and no chain adjuster........ that is at a quick glance without opening anything up.
Bodging...... well the top cover has no hole for the decompression knob.... but there is a decompression knob fitted- however the plastic push button is black, not blue? So maybe the top cover is off an earlier model? Black push knob kind of makes me think aftermarket and we all know what those do.......
And what the heck is up with that operator proximity lever? They don't normally sit that high..... do they?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Okay, bit further in now- surprised how clean the saw is under the covers- means I do not need to shout Tim and his cleaning skills a trip over the ditch!
She is low on compression, so with no further ado- bit of mix oil down the spark plug hole to swish around a bit- compression is back- bit of fuel down the carb throat (no air filter yet) and yep, she fired straight up.
So off with the muffler to see what the exhaust side of the piston looks like.......

Looks to me like it may have ingested something- at some stage. That is a pretty big score on the right hand side above the ring in the first photo and some good ones below the ring in the second.
Won't know for sure till the top end comes off.
At least a ring, possibly a piston and maybe a cylinder as well........

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Kind of funny don't you think?
This little black aluminium tag gets all scratched up- but the surrounding area is pretty scratch free?

 

[Sepia]

I hate when people deface those tags, or rip them off completely. Especially when dealers do it! I think some people are so afraid of Big Brother they run and grab their tax receipts every time there is a knock at the door.

 

[Sepia]

Can you tell yet what make of cylinder is on your saw? It does look really clean for an old saw. Maybe someone has already done some work to it before you got it? I recently got a Meteor cylinder kit for my 288 and it looks pretty good. I checked the timing numbers and they are almost identical to the original Mahle cylinder that came on the saw. It also has a desirable .020" squish with no base gasket.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Can you tell yet what make of cylinder is on your saw? It does look really clean for an old saw. Maybe someone has already done some work to it before you got it? I recently got a Meteor cylinder kit for my 288 and it looks pretty good. I checked the timing numbers and they are almost identical to the original Mahle cylinder that came on the saw. It also has a desirable .020" squish with no base gasket.

It is a Mahle cylinder- original I would say.
My guess is it was cleaned and torn down at the shop to diagnose it was an uneconomic repair- as most the fixing bolts are not exactly over tight or corroded in place.