359 to 357xp

[Hornetboy]

Hey fella’s. If someone wanted to convert their Husky 359 to a 357xp, would they just swap the cylinder, or should they put crank-stuffers in as well? How much would an oem 357xp cylinder cost, and if the 359 is running well, is it worth doing?

 

[mogulmasher]

With the 359 the transfers don't match up very well with the case. Use the gasket to mark what needs to be removed. In the pic you can see how much needs to go for it to blend well with the case. I also remove the ridge in the transfer covers on the side of the cylinder. This combined with a dual port muffler and base gasket delete and I dare say mine could run with any stock 357.

 

[redunshee]

Not worth the effort. Performance is very close

 

[Ronaldo]

Some of the 359's had catalytic mufflers that are too restrictive. You can replace it with a non-cat muffler or drill some of the cat plate out with a 1/2'' drill bit and open up the original port or add an extra port to get that exhaust out.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Hey fella’s. If someone wanted to convert their Husky 359 to a 357xp, would they just swap the cylinder, or should they put crank-stuffers in as well? How much would an oem 357xp cylinder cost, and if the 359 is running well, is it worth doing?

You cannot just swap the cylinder- you need the piston/ring as well. 359 are 47mm bore, 357 are 46mm in OEM guise. You will see advertisements for 357 "Big Bore"kits @ 47mm- but are they just cheap copies of a 359 cylinder?
To turn a 359 into a 357 proper- then yes you will need to add crank stuffers- otherwise you just have a slightly tricked out 359.
No idea of the cost of a good 357 OEM cylinder in your neck of the woods.
If the 359 is running well and not fried- no, it is not worth doing. For the average user, the cost will outweigh the gains.

Meteor make both 359 and 357 top end kits.

In my opinion, if you want to play around with your 359 (which is a pretty good stock 60cc powerhead), do as mentioned above by @mogulmasher -deleted base gasket (check the squish), matched cylinder transfers to case and a muffler mod will put a smile on your face for a loss less outlay then an OEM 357 cylinder.
Make sure you check the intake boot clamp and replace it if it is the plastic clip.

 

[lbrbaba]

I have 2 359's with the Meteor top end and they are really strong saws. The Meteor top end and a ported muffler really made a big difference. The guy who did the swap did 2 for himself, he has a 357xp with crank stuffers and he says he can't tell any difference between the 359 and the 357xp. I have 4 very strong 266's and the 359 is now just as strong <and a lot smoother> than the 266's. They all have 20" bars, but I think the 359 would pull a 24" bar ok

 

[mogulmasher]

Bob, good point about plastic intake clamp. I put a metal one on mine. If you don't and plastic one breaks it won't last long.

On my saw it needed a topend anyways, so I ordered a OEM piston and cylinder and broke out the Dremel.

I honestly think these mods make for a saw every bit as strong, if not a little stronger than a 357. At the time I had mine I also had a Makita 6401.....the 359 was just a touch behind the power of that saw.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Bob, good point about plastic intake clamp. I put a metal one on mine. If you don't and plastic one breaks it won't last long.

On my saw it needed a topend anyways, so I ordered a OEM piston and cylinder and broke out the Dremel.

I honestly think these mods make for a saw every bit as strong, if not a little stronger than a 357. At the time I had mine I also had a Makita 6401.....the 359 was just a touch behind the power of that saw.

Type of timber I usually work with, for below say 24" stuff- I will reach for the 2159 before the MS460- just SO much nicer to use.
I am not as much worried about a second or two to be gained in the cut, more about comfort whilst cutting and the 2159 is a comfortable saw to use.
My own saw has been to the moon and back in hours- I did have a Meteor 357 top end on it for a while as it wore the original piston skirt pretty thin and I could not find an OEM piston in a hurry (nor a meteor at the time), so I swapped out the top end complete.
Have since found a new 47mm piston and it is back in '59 guise.

I have never run alongside a true 357XP or 2156- so cannot compare, but have done pretty much all the mods you have done and it is a pretty neat power to weight saw- if a little noisier with the modded muffler. Only difference is how the muffler was modded- I went for an opening in front- through the support bracket.

 

[mogulmasher]

Your right Bob it is a nice slim good handling saw to run. I even prefer the feel of a modded 359 over a 562 personally.

 

[Swogg]

I second that ibrbaba. The 47mm Meteor top copied from the OEM 46mm 357XP. Tight squish band, ported open can, 6° ignition timing advance, and funnel the lower transfers. Makes a strong 59cc saw that's three times smother than my MS 361's 59cc with the same mods. Thumbs up to Husky and Meteor. Mine pulls a 20" in green oak or hickory with ease, and will pull a 24" if I want one to in order to gain some reach. Really a great set up. 359XP I'll call it V MS 361 on cookies? Close, with the edge to Husky.

 

[Huskybill]

I purchased a 359 because I wanted the lightest saw closest to a 60 cc saw I could get. I have a 353, 350, 346, 257 already,

 

[Huskybill]

Not worth the effort. Performance is very close

Your right for stock saws running around 13,000 rpm there pretty much close. With a slightly longer bar the bigger bore may shine a little better but not much.

14 k rpm 357 Xp http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...391f2d7f48544d6788257c97002050a7?OpenDocument

13.5 k rpm 359
http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...c2c428241cff182088257c970020763b?OpenDocument
The biggest jump in performance we could make is to modify the 359 by porting it. Or picking up a 262xp, 13.5 k rpm.
http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...63f53b18ca40a69888256d5a00166956?OpenDocument

 

[Hornetboy]

Thanks, folks. There has been some great information provided here. Don’t let me stop you, though!

 

[Huskybill]

To me the difference in the stock saws is the way I sharpen the chains. I can bump up the rim size by one pin.

 

[mogulmasher]

Darn it....after all this good 359 talk I wanna go find another one now!

 

[Hornetboy]

Do it! Every home should have one! After all this excitement, I’ve just ordered a new aftermarket side-port muffler for mine

 

[Hornetboy]

The 359 was the first saw I ever owned, and I still reckon it’s about as smooth as a butter-knife. It’s just....special.

 

[Hornetboy]

Where is Sunfish? He has a wealth of experience with these saws.

 

[Hornetboy]

How much gain do you fellows reckon I’ll get from the muffler I just ordered, above? I don’t have a cat muffler now.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

How much gain do you fellows reckon I’ll get from the muffler I just ordered, above? I don’t have a cat muffler now.

Well..... it will be louder.