044 damaged by alignment pin getting into clutch area.

[trouts2]

Hole Damage

• trouts2
• Jun 24, 2019

My 044 crashed. A case alignment pin on the left side of the oiler area fell out and smashed around in the oiler area. Black oil started leaking out below the sprocket cover then the piece of clutch broke off inside and the engine stopped.

The original engine was run without gas so I got a Huztl replacement engine mounted in the clam shell case. That was installed. After about ¾ of a tank of running is when the pin came out and damaged the engine.

The loose pin mared up the clutch area, broke the clutch and put a hole in the left side of the case in the clutch area.

My question is how is that pin secured? Is it a press fit or is it put in there with something like loctite or other glue?

The damage is on the left center of the clutch area. The pin came out from the slot on the left side just above the screw. The hole damage is on the wall by the slot area just to the left of the screw.
The first picture is of the old case with the pin in place - left side of clutch area.
The second picture is reversed for some reason. The damage area is on the right.
The third picture shows the hole and damaged wall on the left.

 

[blsnelling]

The pin is a press fit, nothing more.

 

[trouts2]

OK, so the pin coming out had to be a manufacturing defect. I think the pin is, #3 on my IPL, Cylindrical pin 5x18. What are the units of the 5 x 18?

 

[cuinrearview]

China strikes again...

 

[Mad Professor]

I suspect it's the high quality Chinesium metal used.

BTW, where did you find a "clamshell" 044

Running without gas is quite a trick too!

 

[trouts2]

I got the saw out of a repair guys junk pile for $50. The engine was a customers and the guy never bothered to fix it. I got it as a project. The replacement shell and engine were an assembly from Huztl/Farmtec. The shell metal seems fine. It seems like someone flubbed in manufacturing like either an undersized pin or the hole drilled improperly. I’ve gotten many parts from them and never a problem until this happened. I did a MS180C rebuild with their parts. The thing runs fine.

The 044 case and engine assembly was $116 last July. It is currently $56.

 

[cuinrearview]

 

[Mad Professor]

OK, so the pin coming out had to be a manufacturing defect. I think the pin is, #3 on my IPL, Cylindrical pin 5x18. What are the units of the 5 x 18?

Stihl uses the metric system, the Chi-Coms???

 

[trouts2]

[QUOTE="cuinrearview/QUOTE]
It is sort of dicey but I'm doing well against the house. Since I was tied up the 044 sat with occasional starts for 11 months. I've sent their customer service
an email about this. Their return policy is 30 days for unused items and customer pays shipping. For damaged good their warranty is 12 months and they pay shipping. I'll have to wait and see how this works out.

 

[CausticUC]

I am curious.

If you got a random saw out of a junk pile, why would you think this is warranty? Or even that it was not this pin being the reason it was in the pile in the first place?

 

[Mad Professor]

I am curious.

If you got a random saw out of a junk pile, why would you think this is warranty? Or even that it was not this pin being the reason it was in the pile in the first place?

I think he found a 044 stihl in the trash and tried to fix it using Chi-Com Chinesium parts.

 

[Sam R]

I suspect it's the high quality Chinesium metal used.

BTW, where did you find a "clamshell" 044

Running without gas is quite a trick too!

You know that's asking for a lean seizure when you run it so lean there's no gas at all!

 

[pioneerguy600]

I am curious.

If you got a random saw out of a junk pile, why would you think this is warranty? Or even that it was not this pin being the reason it was in the pile in the first place?

The whole engine, cylinder and crankcase is a China Huztl assembly.

 

[CausticUC]

The whole engine, cylinder and crankcase is a China Huztl assembly.

Somehow I missed that part where he replaced the whole engine in the first post!

Not sure it was worth $50 for the plastics.

 

[Sam R]

Somehow I missed that part where he replaced the whole engine in the first post!

Not sure it was worth $50 for the plastics.

Not to mention it being a "clamshell" 044... I think somebody got ripped off.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Phonetics.

 

[drf255]

Known issue with the China 1128 cases. The pins are too loose. One can use an oem pin, knurl the case holes for the pins, or roughen up the Chicom pin with a punch or engraving tool before sending it home.

Again, common issue.

 

[Montana Mik]

I put a dab of RTV over the pin in the clutch area after tightening the case screws.

 

[trouts2]

Huztl service is going to replace the engine case assembly and any other damaged parts. I’m not where the 044 is so will have to go over it closely when I get back and check for any other damage. So far I know the clutch and oiler are damaged.

I goofed in other posts calling this a clam shell. It is a split pro case.

@drf255 @Montana Mik I’ve only done one split case on a Honda snowblower but if I ever open a chainsaw I’ll take the advice given.

Over the years I’ve read a bunch of forum posts and watched a lot of Youtube Hutzl builds most of which are on big saws. The kits seem to be improving as flaws get pointed out to Hutzl. I can’t remember anyone faulting cylindrical pins. The 044 assemblies and kits have been around for a long time. My kit was bought 11 months ago so it would seem that a getting loose pin issue would have been cleared up. Customer service never challenged me or asked any questions so maybe they are aware of this. I’ve dealt with their CS once before and they were great to deal with. There is a 12 hour difference between EST and China. Outside of that causing some delay in communicating with them they are very responsive and easy to deal with.

The pin issue might be going unreported. When I took mine apart I initially thought the clutch broke and one chunk responsible for the damage. On looking at it later I noticed the pin in the clutch area and puzzled by it. It took a while to figure out where it came from. It could have easily happened that I put the saw aside and the pin drop out. I would not know and think the issue a faulty clutch.

 

[Mad Professor]

Happy to hear they are going to cover the damages.