Homeowners special 358 series Craftsman, Poulan parts / worth messing with?

[Boru]

A neighbor gave me an older Craftsman that is in essentially new condition. It doesn't have vibration dampening and does not have a chain break.
The top sticker says 33 cc, yet the sticker on the handle (the model number sticker) says 36 cc. Either way, it's a little fella.

Craftsman model 358.351340
Sears Parts link to the saw:
http://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-part/358351340/0247/1503220/p8080154/00001.html

I was wondering if you new what outside mounted clutch break might fit this saw, presumably a Poulan part.

Or if it is not worth messing with I am also considering just taking the 14 inch bar and chain and putting it on my Poulan pp4218. The 18 inch bar on the Poulan is optimistic and I think it would be better served with a 14.

Thanks!

 

[Boru]

And I just realized I put this in the wrong area. There's a sticky at the top specifically linking to the proper location for these questions. Oops.

 

[canadian175]

Whay do you have i n mind for the saw?

 

[Boru]

I was going to use it as a spare for clearing and processing dead standing trees. Nothing major. I decided not to mess with it and moved it along.

 

[jrs_diesel]

Many of the older Craftsman saws, were simply red and grey versions of various Poulan saws. That part diagram you linked looks exactly like the diagram for a Poulan Wild Thing.

You should be able to put a brake on it. The brake is built into the clutch cover and held in place by the bar nuts, and replaces your current clutch cover. You'll have to remove the handguard that is screwed to the front handle first. There are two versions of that brake, one with a bar tensioner, and one without. Just depends on if you have a bar with a built in tensioner (which I don't personally care for), or not.

If you order a brake, it may be a color that does not match your saw. I have a Poulan Wild Thing (neon green and purple), that didn't come with a brake, like yours. I ordered one, but color was not specified. I ended up with a purple one.

One note on these saws. Be ready to replace the fuel lines on them. They used cheap fuel lines at the factory that only last a few years at best. If you question your fuel lines at all, replace all of them with good Tygon, and you won't have a issue there.

These saws also have a reputation as cheap throw away saws. However, given some care they run well. The one I have was given to me free. Needed a lot of work but the piston and cylinder was in good shape. What I paid in parts would have bought me a new saw (~$200), but I gained a quite a bit of knowledge, and now have a saw that will outcut my unmodified Echo CS-400. Not bad for a 21 year old saw.