Ms440 recoil cover

[hosocat]

I bought an ms440 magnum last week. It's not pristine, but starts easy and seems to run ok. It was used by a hunting club to keep roads cleared. These guys did what any rational person would do when they lost the screws holding the recoil cover on, they got wrong sized screws and forced them into the body, bunging up and stripping all the original threads. Anyone seen this happen before, and any suggestions on best way to proceed to try to correct their ham fisted repairs?

 

[Ozhoo]

Work on saws much and you'll see just about every screw/bolt hole stripped and see every combination of screw used. Recoil screws are M5x20 along with your choice of helicoil or threadsert. Pick up both M5 & M6 while you're at it to cover muffler bolts.

 

[hosocat]

Guess i better learn how to install a helicoil! Thanks.

 

[drf255]

Timeserts are the best repair. Much pricier, but if you’ll be playing with saws often they are very much worth it.

 

[hosocat]

Has anyone tried the loctite thread repair, where you coat the bolt with an epoxy, insert it into the hole, and it hardens into threads?

 

[TheTone]

With the relatively low amount of torque on recoil starter bolts, you can clean the holes really well, then put JB Weld on a toothpick and coat all sides of the hole leaving a hole in the center. Let it harden, then drill and tap the hole for the original bolt size. it works well enough for this particular application, and you don't have different bolt sizes to deal with.

 

[hosocat]

Thanks tone. I may try that approach. I've never gotten into tapping before, but I guess it's time I learned.