Help please, Husky 350 Muffler Mount Problem

Just got my new (used) Husqvarna 350 (3 years old) and fired it up today to try it out. I'm having a bit of a problem - the mounting bolts on the muffler assembly come loose during use and I found that the mounting holes in the head are stripped preventing them from maintaining tension.

I've looked through this site and haven't quite found a match to this problem. Is this common? Can it be fixed? What to do next?

Along some similar lines, I've noticed that his thing runs VERY hot. Some of the plastic surrounding the muffler is melted & singed. Was the plastic damage caused by this exhaust leak and prolonged use by the PO?

Any thoughts/suggestions would be most appreciated.

Peter
Holly, MI.

*****Husqvarna 350
*****Poulan Pro 260 (sucks, retired)

Probably the easiest fix would be going to the next larger diameter bolt, drill & re-tap the holes if there's room. If there's not enough room then you'll have to go the heli-coil route

I think the 350 has that damn POS plastic crankcase, and the muffler bolt problem is quite common. You might be able to get a helicoil into the hole if you drill them out, but you may remove too much of the wall thickness to have it set securely and not crack.

The heat problem is probably caused by a blockage in the muffler, likely your spark arrestor screen is clogged, take the muffler apart and throw it away, then richen up the high side screw just a hair, the saw should run much cooler.

AngelofDarkness said:

I think the 350 has that damn POS plastic crankcase, and the muffler bolt problem is quite common. You might be able to get a helicoil into the hole if you drill them out, but you may remove too much of the wall thickness to have it set securely and not crack.

The heat problem is probably caused by a blockage in the muffler, likely your spark arrestor screen is clogged, take the muffler apart and throw it away, then richen up the high side screw just a hair, the saw should run much cooler.

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But does'nt the muffler bolt to the cylinder? the cylinder is'nt plastic

I'm sending her back to the seller for a refund...

350

I have this exact problem, the entire casing around the muffler has melted, and while working I didn't do my every 5 minute tighten of the muffler bolt, and the muffler must have been vibrating too much, snapped the bolt. My 350 is less than a year old or so, so I bought it back to the dealer, he is supposed to call Husky so we'll see. Love the saw, but this issue is really souring me. I understand Husky considers something here a design flaw so maybe they will do me right.

damn....i just posted the same problem with my junk 350 in the firewood forum.

i wrote to husky a while back and they said bring it to a dealer. so, i did....and the dealer acted like he didn't want to bother and said if he sends it to husky it'll take a long time to get it back and they will probably not do much about it. argh!!!

husky just lost a future customer when the time comes to get rid of this POS and buy another. i'd be better off buying a cheap brand for less than half the cost and running that into the ground and then go buy another....and, i'd still be ahead of the game.

I can tell you my dealer gave me the same pitch, tried to tell me it was my fault and Husky wouldn't do anything..it was a waste of time... I had a "friend" at another dealer who coached me a bit to force them to take the saw and send it to Husky.. so I pushed the issue and ultimately he took it back... sure enough, Husky is replacing the saw with the newer model. I ended up taking a credit and buying a 357xp instead, which a significant upgrade so far. Hope this helps.

schemeroo said:

I can tell you my dealer gave me the same pitch, tried to tell me it was my fault and Husky wouldn't do anything..it was a waste of time... I had a "friend" at another dealer who coached me a bit to force them to take the saw and send it to Husky.. so I pushed the issue and ultimately he took it back... sure enough, Husky is replacing the saw with the newer model. I ended up taking a credit and buying a 357xp instead, which a significant upgrade so far. Hope this helps.

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my saw is a little over 1.5 years old...i believe it's past the warranty.

i found my letter i sent to husky back in february of this year.

i once again forwarded the letter with my newest complaint and i even offered to send the saw back myself if i had to since the dealer wasn't very helpful.

when/if i get a reply back, i'll let you know what they say. man, i'd love it if they offered me credit to trade up like you did. it would re-instill my faith in husky.....lol

my understanding is they are treating it as a safety issue since the melting could effect the chain lock.. I was told to keep harping on safety since its a design flaw...

schemeroo said:

my understanding is they are treating it as a safety issue since the melting could effect the chain lock.. I was told to keep harping on safety since its a design flaw...

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interesting point!

so far, not a problem with the chain lock...and i didn't want to b/s them in case i had to send it back.

by the way....does any one know what thread size the bolts are?

I bought a new 350 last month. Whats the best method to prevent this from happening in the first place? I like really the saw but after hearing this I'm wondering if mine will come loose and strip out too!

hey that is a design flaw it also happens to my 353 striped, then a helecoil put after it lasted about one season, now i am left with the saw sitting in the garage. i will need to get a new jug maybe in the fall since i just got the new 346xp. new saw hopefully the problem has been solved with the manufacturer.

Lawmart

I have a jonsered 2150 which is basically the same saw. I’ve run less than 6 tanks though it and haven’t had any problems yet. If the exhaust bolts do start to loosen I’ll try some lock washers and see if that helps any.

MGA, the thread size on my 2150 is 5x0.8mm.

Occasionally checking the bolts is a good way to avoid damage to the threads in the cylinder. It's really not a problem on most saws, but I do feel that it happens frequently enough that there is an "issue" here.

So, you just have to keep an eye on it. This happens more often on the 340/345/350 which do not have the support bracket that the 346/353 does, due to the plastic case. I'll admit the problem is real, but some guys are so out of it that they run the saw until the muffler falls completely off. Just checking the bolts now and then will prevent this from happening.

A lock washer is not a good idea, if used with the original bolts, which hardly grab enough thread to begin with. There is a longer bolt, part # 503202191 that is about an 1/8" longer, which is the way to go. There is also a small double lock washer, part# 503230402, that can be used with the longer bolt. Adding a little 246 loctite, is also a good idea.

spike60 said:

Occasionally checking the bolts is a good way to avoid damage to the threads in the cylinder. It's really not a problem on most saws, but I do feel that it happens frequently enough that there is an "issue" here.

So, you just have to keep an eye on it. This happens more often on the 340/345/350 which do not have the support bracket that the 346/353 does, due to the plastic case. I'll admit the problem is real, but some guys are so out of it that they run the saw until the muffler falls completely off. Just checking the bolts now and then will prevent this from happening.

A lock washer is not a good idea, if used with the original bolts, which hardly grab enough thread to begin with. There is a longer bolt, part # 503202191 that is about an 1/8" longer, which is the way to go. There is also a small double lock washer, part# 503230402, that can be used with the longer bolt. Adding a little 246 loctite, is also a good idea.

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i've had saws that i used for years and years and never had to check the muffler bolts.

the problem is with the design. the bolts only protrude about 3/8" past the muffler and into the head. this isn't enough to support the muffler. they needed to be an extra inch longer with an additional support because of the vibration. i also tried the loc-tite solution...that didn't work either.

it was a bad design and i lost quite a few bolts while in a tree or in a field and at $2.50 each, i should not have to keep a supply of them on hand "just in case".

husky messed up with this design and they should make good for it.

ronT2 said:

I have a jonsered 2150 which is basically the same saw. I’ve run less than 6 tanks though it and haven’t had any problems yet. If the exhaust bolts do start to loosen I’ll try some lock washers and see if that helps any.

MGA, the thread size on my 2150 is 5x0.8mm.

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thanks!!

now i gotta see if i can find any 110mm long. that should make them about an inch longer than the original.

would you happen to know the thread size?

[/QUOTE]A lock washer is not a good idea, if used with the original bolts, which hardly grab enough thread to begin with. There is a longer bolt, part # 503202191 that is about an 1/8" longer, which is the way to go. There is also a small double lock washer, part# 503230402, that can be used with the longer bolt. Adding a little 246 loctite, is also a good idea.[/QUOTE]



If you are getting a longer bolt anyway, get one long enough to add the tabbed washer so you can bend it up flat against the bolt head. Another idea is to get the bolts that have the holes through the head for lacing wire. Once it is laced properly, they will have to vibrate the threads out for it to come loose. I've used them on military equipment for years.

Hopefully Husky makes good on this but these are just a few more suggestions. Hope something works for you.

A lock washer is not a good idea, if used with the original bolts, which hardly grab enough thread to begin with. There is a longer bolt, part # 503202191 that is about an 1/8" longer, which is the way to go. There is also a small double lock washer, part# 503230402, that can be used with the longer bolt. Adding a little 246 loctite, is also a good idea.[/QUOTE]



If you are getting a longer bolt anyway, get one long enough to add the tabbed washer so you can bend it up flat against the bolt head. Another idea is to get the bolts that have the holes through the head for lacing wire. Once it is laced properly, they will have to vibrate the threads out for it to come loose. I've used them on military equipment for years.

Hopefully Husky makes good on this but these are just a few more suggestions. Hope something works for you.[/QUOTE]

i thought about having a friend EDM some holes in them like you said, but, my problem got worse. the threads are stripped for about 3/8" into the hole.

won't lock washers get too hot and loose their locking ability?