Advice on my Stihl 041Av

[jackel440]

Ok I had asked about a saw I was going to look at ,but with the good advice here I decided to pass on it.
I am looking to get an 044 or ms440 to use for bucking up logs.
Well in the meantime my wifes uncle gave me this Stihl 041 Av.
I got it home ,and it is missing the starter guts and the screws are gone holding the starter hosing on.I have no bar for it.I didn't have a good way to crank it over to check the compression.The piston looks a little scored.
I wanted to know if this saw is worth trying to fix or use for parts if I could find another good deal on one?
Or would I be better off just selling it as a parts saw?
So what do you guys think?

 

[funky sawman]

that looks like a good builder saw, but check the main bearings first for any play. You might be able to hone the cylinder and put a new piston in with new seals and a cark kit. Great project, have fun

 

[stihlboy]

fix it up, that is a nice clean 041, they run well and are built like tanks.

the 044 046 is a great saw and is alot more efficient.

the 041 imho is worth fixing

 

[SpaayDawg]

With alittle searching you can find the parts. Instead of nickel-and-diming yourself though you might want to find a complete fuel tank. Try a compression test after you get the recoil figured out, maybe there's some more life left in that piston. The first 041 my father had you never thought would blow 100psi there was so much Al transfer onto the rings and plating missing above the exhaust port. That thing had so much torque you couldn't bog it dawged in pulling up on the rear handle with two hands. Fix 'her up, it's a rather straight-forward project saw that doesn't have many quirks.

 

[jackel440]

I figure if I could find a new starter housing with all the guts for a good price maybe there would be hope.
If I was to fix this saw can anyone tell me how big of a bar it will pull?Are parts hard to come by on these older saws?
I can tell this might be the start of the cad for me.I just can't decide if I should try to fix it or let it go ,and keep waiting on a good deal to come my way on a bigger stihl that I can afford.

 

[SpaayDawg]

It's a good firewood saw, pulls a 16" really good a 20" fine and a 25" not so good at all. It feels the best balanced with a 20" IMO. It's no hotsaw but it has good grunt to it. Parts are a little bit harder to find, but you might find a parts saw for cheap or some NIB parts at your dealer hiding in the back room. They were such a popular saw in the late 70's and early 80's my dealer in town still has a shelf full of replacement parts.

 

[spike60]

I have a good P&C that I'll probably never use. $10 to cover the shipping and handling and it's your's. Merry Christmas!

 

[SpaayDawg]

Wow, now that's an awesome Christmas gift. Rep sent!

(I'm hoarding two NIB p/c downstairs for myself)

 

[MadMax5578]

I would keep it and fix er' up.

Don't know what you have in the line of Stihl dealers your way, but if there are any in your neighborhood that have been in business for a while, they most likely still have some original parts. If not, EBay has lot's of parts, and some of our sponsors here still have a bunch. I picked on up from a buddy of mine, and it was a fun project (and I'm a Husky guy!).

 

[jackel440]

I brought it home having hopes for it.I then found out it was missing all the starter guts ,and part of the shroud over the flywheel was broke off and missing.I think there was a bolt missing out of the muffler ,and looks like they might have run it loose.
I just need to get something that will take the work load off my 025 for cutting up logs.My nieghbor and I are clearing 8 acres of woods,and are hauling all the logs back home for our own use.
I have to admit it is a good looking saw.Maybe there is some hope for it.Maybe I should make it my first saw build.
I do have a big old Homelite that was my grandpas.I would like to restore it in the future sometime.
I am concerned about the starter parts.I tried to find some before and I think I found out there was 2 different styles.How do I figure out which style I need to find?Or am I wrong and there is only one?
thanks for the good advice everyone.

 

[jackel440]

I have a good P&C that I'll probably never use. $10 to cover the shipping and handling and it's your's. Merry Christmas!

Spike60,
I sent you a pm.

 

[jrjuday]

Hey, Jackel, I've got a starter cover I bought off Ebay that didn't fit my saw. If you can find out which one you need maybe I can help.Good saws. By the way, do you know Ted Kitchel?

 

[Trigger-Time]

With the starter, not all 041 starters will work with your 041.

Some had the friction starter setup.

Looking at your fly wheel you need the pawl type starter or parts.
The type you have was also used on 038, 380, MS381 and few other Stihls.
All 041AV's (and thats what you have) may have had the pawl type starters.


I haven't bought any new 041 starter parts, but I did just buy new rope
rotor for 064, it was $8, pawls about $1 each




TT

 

[jackel440]

Hey, Jackel, I've got a starter cover I bought off Ebay that didn't fit my saw. If you can find out which one you need maybe I can help.Good saws. By the way, do you know Ted Kitchel?

If I can figure out which one I will let you know.Do you have any pics of the one you have I can look at?
Yeah the Kitchels live just down the road about a half mile from me.

 

[Trigger-Time]

With the starter, not all 041 starters will work with your 041.

Some had the friction starter setup.

Looking at your fly wheel you need the pawl type starter or parts.
The type you have was also used on 038, 380, MS381 and few other Stihls.
All 041AV's (and thats what you have) may have had the pawl type starters.

TT

What I said about fly wheel is really wrong, it's really just the fan.
And is removable by 3 screws, so if you find a parts saw with
other type of starter you can change fan on the fly wheel.

These are the other type of fans

This is the type of rope rotor you need for the fan you have
IMO you have the best type to have. Pictures are from ebay auctions.
This rotor is like $15 with shipping I also seen a new spring for about
same money.

TT

 

[jackel440]

What I said about fly wheel is really wrong, it's really just the fan.
And is removable by 3 screws, so if you find a parts saw with
other type of starter you can change fan on the fly wheel.

These are the other type of fans

This is the type of rope rotor you need for the fan you have
IMO you have the best type to have. Pictures are from ebay auctions.
This rotor is like $15 with shipping I also seen a new spring for about
same money.

TT

Thanks Trigger-Time,
Thanks for the time on finding that information.What other parts are also needed to go with the rotor?I know you said the paws,and the recoil spring.But how many other little parts is it missing?springs,washers and other stuff I would need to pick up?I need to find an manual to know what I need too.
Thanks for the pics and that interesting to know I can swap the fans if I can't locate the right starter.

 

[Trigger-Time]

Looks like 5 thur 11, with 8 being the starter rope.

Not sure if clip #11 will hold 2 pawls or not, by pic it looks
as if it does. It only calls for one pawl but I would get two
as rotor can hold two pawls. If clip isn't made for two pawls
then you will have a spare.

TT

 

[jackel440]

Nice exploded view.Now I know what I need to find.That's awesome.Now I will have to try and hunt some stuff down I guess.
I need to find that fan housing part #14 as mine is broke.The fan is all open where the piece is broke away.

 

[Trigger-Time]

OK, I went out and dug around in my 041 stuff.

Pawl type and friction type, both will work on your saw
if you have the correct fan. I would go try to find a 041 parts
saw. But if you know it's a good saw and are going to keep
it. Then I mite buy new parts also.

I have picked up more than one 041 for $10 or $20
This 041AVS was $10 with bad PC from my dealer.
I got lucky and found OEM NOS PC kit on ebay.

Just havn't put it on but have a new clutch cover for it also.

TT

 

[jackel440]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Stihl-041-av-su...&otn=3&po=LVI&ps=63&clkid=5414303016182086759

This ad lists a starter assembly for a "super" This should be a compatible housing correct?Too bad it didn't have the the flywheel shroud part that bolts to the inside of that cover.:bang:
That would fix two problems at once if it had both halves.