1970's Stihl shop guy

[bobt]

"Inky" and "Crabber"

Our little town in the middle of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan sure had it's share of real characters when I was growing up as a kid.

Two of the most celebrated of our "Old Timers" were "Inky" and "Crabber". I don't even know their right names, as everyone in those days had nicknames.

They were quite a couple. They lived in two one room tarpaper shacks that were next to each other on mining company property. They didn't own the property, but simply put up their little camps where they pleased. Of course back in those days it was common practice, so they lived there tax and rent free.

They shared everything; a well, outhouse, big garden, chickens, a cow, and woodpile that they made together.

You would think that they were best friends, but to hear from them, they hated each other. As kids, we would ride our bikes out to see them, and maybe go trout fishing in the creek behind their shacks. Whenever we went out there you could hear them cussing and swearing, and hollering at each other. One couldn't work the well correctly according to the other, or the other pulled up the radish seedlings with the pigweed when tending the garden. It was a constant bantering between them.

"Inky, you stupid Finlander, you can't even split the wood right. It's always too big to fit in my stove!" says Crabber. Then Inky counters with "At least I am splitting it, you lazy Swede!" Well, it was always like that.

They would play cribbage for matches, as they rarely had any money, and the games would go on for days, before they called it a draw!

Yes, they were buddies in the best and worst sense of the term!

The best story I ever heard about them happened when they were younger. They were out cutting pine logs on the Republic flats with a two man crosscut saw, when Crabber shouted at Inky,,,,,,,"Gawd Damn, I don't mind that you're riding the saw, but QUIT DRAGGING YOUR FEET!" Inky threw down his end of the saw and said "THAT'S IT"!!!! And he walked the 9 miles back to town. And Crabber was driving the old Model-A behind him all the way trying to get Inky to talk to him, and ride!!!!!

Bull headed was Inky's middle name!

Bob

 

[Under_Pressure]

Bob, where did you grow up in the UP? I'm across the river from Menominee, and went to school in Houghton.

 

[bobt]

Bob, where did you grow up in the UP? I'm across the river from Menominee, and went to school in Houghton.

Hey there, you live in the "banana belt". Haha I'm from the central UP North of Iron Mountain and South of Marquette.

Spent a year at MTU myself living in Wadsworth Hall. There were 5 steps up to the doors and it snowed so much that we were walking downhill to enter the building by spring time!

Bob

 

[weimedog]

Hey thanks guys,,,,,I have seen threads about 041 saws with chain oil in the crankcase or combustion chamber. This is almost a certain quick fix with a new o ring for the oil pump. I never saw a bad crankcase seal. If you take the oil pump out, you have to watch for a few things. 1,,,,don't tip the saw up and lose the small ballbearing that drives the oil pump,,,,,very bad show! I don't know if you can replace it anymore. 2,,,,the pump seal may come out with the pump, so be careful that you don't lose the little steel grommets that go in the inlet and outlet holes,,,,again it may be hard to find replacements for them.

By the way the oil pumps on the 040's failed much more than the o41's. The usual fix for the 041's were simply the o ring.

This happened to my farm boss a few years ago, and the Stihl dealer around here had no I dea what I was asking for when i asked for an o ring for the 041 oil pump,,,,,geeeeeeewhizzzzzzzz. I finally found an approximate replacement at tractor Supply Company,,,,,,,,,It wasn't right, but it is still working.

Bob

How do you get the oil pump out of the saw...out the front? Are there any pics around? I have one that leaked bar oil into the crankcase....seeped down and filled the combustion chamber. The guy was certain the saw locked up from corrosion...pull the pull and pushed out the oil..and it runs. BUT I can tell its still sucking bar oil.

 

[bobt]

How do you get the oil pump out of the saw...out the front? Are there any pics around? I have one that leaked bar oil into the crankcase....seeped down and filled the combustion chamber. The guy was certain the saw locked up from corrosion...pull the pull and pushed out the oil..and it runs. BUT I can tell its still sucking bar oil.

I am sure I am too late with this reply, but yes the oil pump comes out the front of the saw. You have to remove the round clip that holds it in place first. Then screw a screw from the starter in the small top hole on the end of the oiler. Now you can pry it out with a screw driver. The "O" ring is between the housing and the plunger. Good luck finding a replacement ring. It has to fit the outside of the plunger snugly as well fit the inside of the housing snugly. There is a rubber seal around the housing as well that may be leaking. This seal doesn't fail as often as the "O" ring though. I don't think it is available from Stihl anymore.

I can't recall if there are any pictures here. I remember a thread by Brmorgan about the oiler on his 041G that the lucky bas turd found in the dump. He may have posted some pics, as he is good about posting pics of his milling and saws. Maybe he will offer to post some pics about the oiler on 041's. There are a few questions about them here lately.

Bob

 

[weimedog]

Thankyou..I still have to pull it apart. Maybe an O ring from Napa or another source?

 

[weimedog]

The "O" ring is between the housing and the plunger. Good luck finding a replacement ring. It has to fit the outside of the plunger snugly as well fit the inside of the housing snugly. There is a rubber seal around the housing as well that may be leaking. This seal doesn't fail as often as the "O" ring though. I don't think it is available from Stihl anymore.


Bob

When you say "Housing, are talking about the cylindrical oil pump housing? Hoe does the plunger come out, justy yank it out? I did as you posted and pulled out the oil pump. I see a really thin seal about an inch inside the case. I doubt thats where the leak is....so i guessing its between the pump housing & plunger.

 

[bobt]

Yes, the plunger just fits inside the housing or pump body. Pull the plunger out. There is a spring and thin washer on the plunger. The o ring should be inside a recess in the housing, but it may come off with the plunger. Hope that helps.

Bob

 

[weimedog]

Thankyou! And for any one who has interest I found an old Stilh shop that had those o-rings..so I bought 5.

 

[bobt]

Thankyou! And for any one who has interest I found an old Stilh shop that had those o-rings..so I bought 5.

Good for you!

Did you get it back together and see if it works yet? Just run the saw with the bar removed and see if oil runs from the oiler hole. It should come out in a nice oozing stream when the saw is revved. Of course it will stop when the saw is idling and the sprocket is not turning. You may have to adjust the volume with the red knob that is on top of the crankcase. Good luck!!

Gee, now that you have extras, maybe you would sell me one??? Cause I need one and there are no old Stihl dealers around me at all. The one near here looked at me like I was talking a foreign language when I asked for one a few years ago. Haha!

Bob

 

[weimedog]

Its running..oiler doesn't pump as good as I would like but does function.

I can drop one in the mail...PM me.

 

[bobt]

It could be that the large black rubber seal that the whole oiler assembly slides into is all soft and lets air leak. I bet your old Stihl dealer may have one in stock. If you do pull that seal out, don't lose the two tiny steel bushings that go in holes in the sides of the seal.

Also,,,,,PM sent.

Bob

 

[bobt]

Hi Everyone!

I know that some here frown on ressurecting an old thread, but I am the original poster, and thought this the best place to say something new. If you haven't read this thread before I was recounting my experience in the saw shop many years ago, and told some "stories" about some of the characters who were regulars at the shop in those days. You may find them humerous.

I read regularly here on AS, but don't post much unless there is a thread about the saws that I have some knowlege about, and those would be older saws like Stihl 041 and Homelite xl12's, etc. I have learned soo much from everyone here about newer saws. I am eternally grateful to you all.

I will be heading to my Father's in the U.P. of Michigan tomorrow, and will return back about Labor Day.

My Dad is an 88 year old WWII Navy Veteran who is in remarkably good health mentally, but his body is getting tired. He is losing eyesight rapidly, and has a big decision to make regarding "experimental" injections of a type of cancer drug into his eyeballs. He has had it done twice before, but his opthamologist would like to send him to a specialist in Green Bay, WI for a much more aggressive and risky treatment. Please offer a prayer for him.

Dad still burns wood as his primary source of heat with LP Gas as backup. He can't cut and split anymore, but I do it for him and stack the winter wood in his ample basement in front of his wood furnace. He feeds the furnace by himself.

I love cutting his wood, and will run 4 saws this year to give them a little workout. They are an 041 Farm Boss, an 041AV, a Husky 61 Rancher, and a MS260. This is the only time I get the fun of running saws, so I make the most of it.

I split by hand with a maul made from a railroad spike maul. It works good, but I may just try a Fiskars this year for the heck of it!

So, have a good summer, stay safe, and I will be back in a couple of months!

Bob

 

[nmurph]

Bob, best wishes and God Bless you and your father. My dad was member of the greatest generation and a WWII Army guy who enlisted a few months bf Pearl Harbor and fought the Japs in the south Pacific. He, like your dad, was very active until a couple of light strokes took that away from him. Go, spend time with your dad, he's a gift from GOD, on temporary loan, and subject to recall at any time. My eyes still water when I think about the good times we had together. He and my mom raised four good kids on a power company and teacher's salary. We never wanted for anything we needed, including all the love in the world. Both parents are gone, but both live on in my life. Enjoy you summer; I'll be praying for ya'll.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Bob

Thank you for all of your stories! I just read the whole thread. (I think I read some of it before.) Take care.

Dan