Galled Piston Stihl 044

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Scottnc

ArboristSite Member
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Sep 15, 2019
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Location
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Neighbors saw. Loaned it out, it came home with a galled piston and black deathed cylinder. Indications are he won't spend the money to repair it. Might end up mine. While I am automotive engine fluent, outside of my own, I do not work on chainsaws so don't know the ropes regarding what is and isn't common practice. Or what the OEM and aftermarket parts situation is.

Saw in question is a 12mm 044 w/non-angled finned head w/o compression release. Cylinder wall appears to be nickel silicone coated. Damage to the cylinder isn't terminal - if it is possible to hone it oversize to fit an larger diameter piston. Is this an option? Is there someone (preferably not Perfect Bore) that can diamond hone a hard coated, blind hole cylinder straight and round? What are other options?
 
Since it's a plated cylinder, you won't be able to bore it out unless you send it out to be bored and then re-plated, which is cost prohibitive for an 044.

As Mad Professor posts above, just clean up the cylinder real good and get all the old piston residue off the cylinder walls. Check to see if the plating
has grooves in it that you can catch a fingernail in. A Meteor brand piston kit would be your most cost-effective replacement.
 
Any idea how much taper and out-of-round is acceptable? I'm used to keeping things under .0003" (three tenths of a thou) TIR - but since it's a two-stroke chainsaw...
 
Any idea how much taper and out-of-round is acceptable? I'm used to keeping things under .0003" (three tenths of a thou) TIR - but since it's a two-stroke chainsaw...
Your concern is not the roundness, it is the plating. Any wear through above the top of the exhaust port is a problem. The rings will wear in and make up for an imperfect circle.
 
Looked at Meteor replacement parts. Prices were surprisingly low; piston, rings, cylinder, etc for $99.99. Too cheap, frankly I don't see how they can begin to make the stuff for what it's being sold for. I wonder if the margin is made on freight, the best price site did not appear to have a freight estimate calculator - and filling out the order form to the point of no return still did not provide the shipping cost, so I bailed.

Is there a favored site sponsor parts supplier?
 
Er, Husky dealer? It's a Stihl. I thought a complete top end for $99.99 WAS cheap! But, like I mentioned earlier, I am not fluent in the chainsaw world.
 
First thing I would advise you to do is Start reading A LOT You need to find out what killed it in the first place ,, How to clean the aluminum transfer off the cylinder wall ,, and know the difference between a chainsaw and a V8 and the obvious issue to be aware of is the "CAD" (Chainsaw Addiction Disorder) which you may already have... There is a lot of information here on this site for the reading...and the 044 is a really nice saw to work on.
 
On many 044's, one of the main causes for it is the KAT on the exhaust in Canada and Europe. Make sure that thing has no cat. It will bounce carbon straight back in to the piston and cylinder and increase heat.
 
Not all of them say kat or cat on the muffler. Mine looked like a standard one.
Also, even the non cat one sometimes has a big baffle right in front of the exhaust port - that doesn't help keep the exhaust port very clean either.
 
Pressure/vac test, disassemble, evaluate and order parts, clean everything, re-assemble, pressure/vac test again, go cut wood. I can't stress enough, before you start, pressure and vac test. Unless you have already torn it down. Now you're just throwing parts at it.

Pictures might help. Good score, you suck.
 
It's spread over the workbench. Cylinder/piston and fuel tank were off before first post. All that's left is removing the clutch and flywheel, then a good bath. Does the case gasket also seal the bar oil tank? If that's the case I may split the case. It leaked bar oil sitting on its side, caps up. Know more once the clutch is off.
 
It's spread over the workbench. Cylinder/piston and fuel tank were off before first post. All that's left is removing the clutch and flywheel, then a good bath. Does the case gasket also seal the bar oil tank? If that's the case I may split the case. It leaked bar oil sitting on its side, caps up. Know more once the flywheels off.

Some reading for you.....:reading:........https://www.arboristsite.com/community/search/44432663/?q=044+rebuild&o=relevance&c[node]=9

A more recent thread.....https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/rebuilding-stihl-044.332710/
 
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