McCulloch Chain Saws

[PogoInTheWoods]

I like the jellybeans in the background.

 

[Marvin Booysen]

Here's a few of the little guys, pretty cheap lookin' aren't they?

Definitely familiar faces in the online classifieds over here

I like the jellybeans in the background.

I’m also curious about the ninja turtles in the background!

 

[Woodslasher]

I like the jellybeans in the background.

Guy wants $50 for all three, it looks like a green Poulan Micro and another one in orange that someone mixed and matched a few covers on.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

it looks like a green Poulan Micro and another one in orange that someone mixed and matched a few covers on.

Actually pretty cool little saws. I have a few from back when I was clearly nuts and was trying to collect most of the variations. They rival the 10 series Macs next to em in the sheer number of different versions that were produced. (See how I did that?) I must confess to having a few more than what are pictured. Yeah. Silly me.

Sorry for the diversion, folks. As you were.​

 

[Yokosukadweller]

I now finally got in my hands the saw I thought was a CP70 based on the airfilter cover. It isn't. Based on the serial, it is a CP55. It has AV mounts, like a CP would but its a left hand starter. The only info on CP55 I can find online is a RH model. So this seems a bit strange. Guess I have to dig a bit deeper, or maybe this is a Frankensaw as @Jethro 2t sniffer said...

It has taken a good amount of beating, the flywheel cover has a crack in it, and the bucking spike is missing the lower spike. Once weather here clears up I will take a closer look at her.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

I now finally got in my hands the saw I thought was a CP70 based on the airfilter cover. It isn't. Based on the serial, it is a CP55. It has AV mounts, like a CP would but its a left hand starter. The only info on CP55 I can find online is a RH model. So this seems a bit strange. Guess I have to dig a bit deeper, or maybe this is a Frankensaw as @Jethro 2t sniffer said...

It has taken a good amount of beating, the flywheel cover has a crack in it, and the bucking spike is missing the lower spike. Once weather here clears up I will take a closer look at her.

View attachment 904071View attachment 904070

The AV mounts and bar pad will probably be a better judge for misuse (beating).

 

[vinnywv]

I now finally got in my hands the saw I thought was a CP70 based on the airfilter cover. It isn't. Based on the serial, it is a CP55. It has AV mounts, like a CP would but its a left hand starter. The only info on CP55 I can find online is a RH model. So this seems a bit strange. Guess I have to dig a bit deeper, or maybe this is a Frankensaw as @Jethro 2t sniffer said...

It has taken a good amount of beating, the flywheel cover has a crack in it, and the bucking spike is missing the lower spike. Once weather here clears up I will take a closer look at her.

View attachment 904071View attachment 904070

That lower av bar mount/clamp suggests something else also. The cp saws did not use that. Also the cp handle bar is flat if you were to take it off the sawand lay it down. The lower brace is also rather unique on cp saws. Hmm, i say frankensaw also until you dig into it further.

Pictures of my cp55 on post #40, 328.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

I'm with Vinny. A few more pics should be interesting. The rear handle grip/cushion, foot brace, muffler, a/v type and decomp strongly suggest it possibly being an early SP60. The bore will measure somewhere in the vicinity of 1.87 for a 60cc cylinder (that hasn't been bored over).

 

[djones]

I bought this one for 25 USD, thinking it was as the cover says- a rare CP70. Meanwhile I think that I was fooled, or I bought what I THOUGHT was a CP70. Looking at the compression release, I realise it doesn't have the lever, but the 'normal' red compression release button. I guess that makes it at least a 70CC saw? Another give-away that the air filter cover wasn't original is that it is a left hand starter, but the CP as LH was the CPL I think....oh well.

You may also see that it has a pretty rough seal-job to fix a leaking tank. If the saw has compression and spark, I will try to fix the tank and otherwise try to restore this old gal here.

View attachment 903665

Any idea what it might be? I will be checking the serial number as soon as I get it.

At least the "Price is right"

 

[heimannm]

600430 is correct for the CP55 but that saw has features that a CP55 would not. Here is what the lower brace for the CP55/70 should look like.



While the 70cc version is a lot of fun to operate, the CP55 is a nice saw as well. Fairly light weight but still has a lot of torque and good ant-vibe features. If you can make that saw a runner and the cylinder and piston are O.K. you will still be quite happy with it.

Mark

 

[heimannm]

I came back from the PNW GTG in 2018 with a load of small McCulloch saws, most of which had been used at Ormark/Oregon for testing the antikickback features of saw chain. Notice how the front handles on a few of them have the foam removed; we surmised they had them clamped in some sort of test fixture. At least one had the rear handle broken as well, perhaps that one failed the kick back test.





I have only been through a couple of them so far to put into the display but I do intend to get the rest cleaned up and put out at some point. I don't consider these to be true, vintage McCulloch saws but they do represent the later history of the company.

Mark

 

[Yokosukadweller]

Thank you @djones , @vinnywv , @PogoInTheWoods ; @Maintenance supervisor , and @heimannm for your comments and insights as to what model saw this is. To be sure, someone must have maintained and kept her going for a long time using all sorts of parts. I started taking the saw apart this morning - needed to get the clutch off to disassemble the AV arrangement. As for the clutch/crank I was sure this is a LH (not the normal) thread given it's a LH starter. But it isn't! Its a RH (normal tread) - how is that even possible, would the clutch not unscrew itself during operation?? Am I drunk? So I tightened it instead of loosening and broke the clutch. Now, I also see the crank is key'ed. So that part must be from an an early model, whatever it is. To proceed I have a few questions:

How do I get the clutch drum off with this key? <--- EDIT - figured it out, just pull the half moon.
How difficult is it to find key-version clutch for replacement? I guess I cannot just use a keyless clutch, or I'd also have to replace the crankshaft isn't it? That's another can of worms, and this project gets more complex/expensive than I had anticipated.

There is an old junk 7-10 for sale now, if I can get it cheap I might be able to get the clutch off of that one, but if it happens to be a keyless version I need to replace the entire engine, and then...what's the point!

Lots of other things with the saw. Definitely was no shelf queen: cooling fins behind chain sprocket are partly cut off/filed down (by taking chain off and on many many times?); bucking spikes partly broken off, flywheel missing half a wing (not critical I think). This is all in addition to the botched repair of the tank, which I haven't even gotten to yet.

Attaching photos of McCulloch carb and the broken clutch.

 

[heimannm]

All of the RH start 10 Series saws used a keyed clutch and crankshaft with RH threads for the clutch nut. Some of the early LH start 10 Series saws also had a keyed clutch and use RH thread for the clutch nut. Some folks will tell you that you can get by lapping clutch to the crankshaft and using a RH threaded nut without a key but I have not had long term success with that approach. If your 7-10 parts saw is an early one (Serial number prefix 10-) it will have a keyed crankshaft and keyed clutch.

To remove the woodruff key from the crankshaft, use a screwdriver or dull chisel and knock it out. Sometimes you will damage the key in the process of removing it but they are fairly soft and can be reshaped easily with a file.

I recently worked over an early 7-10 that had a badly chipped crankshaft (nut was loose and the loose clutch and key damaged the crankshaft) and replaced the crankshaft with one from a later LH start saw that had the LH threaded clutch so I could use a clutch without the keyway. Certainly it is more work to replace the crankshaft but if you do you could use the key-less clutches which are more readily available.

Mark

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Thank you @djones , @vinnywv , @PogoInTheWoods ; @Maintenance supervisor , and @heimannm for your comments and insights as to what model saw this is. To be sure, someone must have maintained and kept her going for a long time using all sorts of parts. I started taking the saw apart this morning - needed to get the clutch off to disassemble the AV arrangement. As for the clutch/crank I was sure this is a LH (not the normal) thread given it's a LH starter. But it isn't! Its a RH (normal tread) - how is that even possible, would the clutch not unscrew itself during operation?? Am I drunk? So I tightened it instead of loosening and broke the clutch. Now, I also see the crank is key'ed. So that part must be from an an early model, whatever it is. To proceed I have a few questions:

How do I get the clutch drum off with this key? <--- EDIT - figured it out, just pull the half moon.
How difficult is it to find key-version clutch for replacement? I guess I cannot just use a keyless clutch, or I'd also have to replace the crankshaft isn't it? That's another can of worms, and this project gets more complex/expensive than I had anticipated.

There is an old junk 7-10 for sale now, if I can get it cheap I might be able to get the clutch off of that one, but if it happens to be a keyless version I need to replace the entire engine, and then...what's the point!

Lots of other things with the saw. Definitely was no shelf queen: cooling fins behind chain sprocket are partly cut off/filed down (by taking chain off and on many many times?); bucking spikes partly broken off, flywheel missing half a wing (not critical I think). This is all in addition to the botched repair of the tank, which I haven't even gotten to yet.

Attaching photos of McCulloch carb and the broken clutch.

View attachment 904181View attachment 904182

For future reference (because I've broken these) the 2 holes in the clutch arms are there for starter pawls with RHS , might help you identify any potential donors.

 

[Yokosukadweller]

For future reference (because I've broken these) the 2 holes in the clutch arms are there for starter pawls with RHS , might help you identify any potential donors.

Thanks MS...so that gets weirder then doesn't it? It means this was a clutch for RH, but it is now a LH? Okay, funny...

And @heimannm thank you very much for the additional inputs. I really appreciate it, I am asking for the serial of the old 7-10 to see...but it has the little metal 'roller' in the starter assy, where the recoil rope comes out, so maybe this is the old version...

Meanwhile, the original issue was that I wanted to split and fix the fuel tank. This has become a bit of a rabbit hole, because I do not have a gasket that would fit. And while I managed to separate tank from engine with little trouble (except for breaking the clutch lol) I've only been able to get one screw/bolt out - out of the 4 screws that keep the tank together. But I have quite nearly stripped/destroyed the heads of the other remaining screws in the process of trying to get them out. I've also destroyed two bits, which I thought was hardened chrome vanadium steel. So a BIT miffed for now. I will just clean the gunky parts and put into a box, for now, while reflecting on what to do to open the tank and...get a replacement clutch...oh well, nobody said this was a half day project...

PS: Is it difficult to replace the crank shaft to get to a keyless crank? <-- Edit.. I'm a beginner and have stayed outside the engine for now, just because I think I'd ruin something. So maybe I rather should ask: how difficult is it to replace crank shaft, which model can I use? Can I use any 10-series and what tools do I need to do it? I'm still looking for a keyed clutch but want to explore the options,. Seems there are not many keyed clutches around, one on Ebay for nearly 100 bucks, no thank you...

Cheers,

Simon

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

This is why its important to read your daily dose of McCulloch thread , Mark and I just posted about the magic of "Red kote" fuel tank sealer and not splitting the tanks of this particular style.

 

[Syncop8r]

This is why its important to read your daily dose of McCulloch thread , Mark and I just posted about the magic of "Red kote" fuel tank sealer and not splitting the tanks of this particular style.

There's so much good stuff in here that I know I won't be able to find again when I need it.
We need all this information sorted in an easy to find format!

 

[Yokosukadweller]

This is why its important to read your daily dose of McCulloch thread , Mark and I just posted about the magic of "Red kote" fuel tank sealer and not splitting the tanks of this particular style.

Thanks Mr. Maintenance supervisor. In fact when I was a greenhorn I worked in maintenance in a big school. Great job it was, better than my current desk jockey stuff.

And yep on your comment, I have to say I didn't see trees for the forest. I cannot get Red Kote around here, but I have a can of POR15, which I believe is the same type of stuff. So maybe you are right, I shouldn't try to ruin tank, tools and screws getting that tank halved, but rather clean it (vinegar, baking soda, anti rust) and then coat it with this sealer. I would also have to remove botched JB weld on the outside of the tank and then maybe repaint it.

 

[Yokosukadweller]

There's so much good stuff in here that I know I won't be able to find again when I need it.
We need all this information sorted in an easy to find format!

I agree with you. I tried to search for the reference to not splitting certain types of fuel tanks, but I wasn't able to find it.

Meanwhile this frankensaw is getting unpacked to the engine...showing that this was used heavily. I looked into the bore and it looked really clean, but yeah it definitely has a story to tell...

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Since so many parts of the 10 series saws are interchangeable, keep your eye out for cheap donor saws. That 7-10 would certainly be worth picking up if it isn't too expensive or inconvenient. And it may even turn out to be an easier saw to resurrect than the frankensaw!

And on a slightly off topic side note...

There's so much good stuff in here that I know I won't be able to find again when I need it.
We need all this information sorted in an easy to find format!

Use the 'Bookmark' feature circled in the image below. Bookmark a post at the beginning of a thread to bookmark a whole thread, or just bookmark individual posts for their content or to index a discussion of particular interest within a thread. Granted, the 'Watched Thread' feature is great for whole threads -- provided you've subscribed to the thread. Bookmarks don't require thread subscriptions in order to be used.

Bookmarks are stored and accessed through your preferences as also shown below. They can be labeled with notations and shared as links in posts. The particular version here on AS is a little klunky, (there are better versions on other forums), but still serves a very convenient and useful purpose once you become familiar with how it works.

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