266xp and 300th anniv. 61 questions

[kmcinms]

I just picked up a '91 266xp bow saw from a retired pulp wood logger yesterday for a mear $30 bucks. He kept telling me it runs... cause I fired it up for my brother just 6 months ago. then threw it back out in the yard...
Had water in the crankcase and oil tank. It does haz a new chain, clutch drum, and drive sprocket. It's been hit and the muffin's got a dent in it. I went ahead and pulled the muffler and sloshed all the water out of it, sprayed WD-40 through it, blew it out and fired it up with fresh gas in the tank. It runs and revs, if that's what you want to call it :msp_rolleyes:.

The ID tag on this saw only has 266 on it. No xp or se designation. So I figured it was a standard 266. The starter housing and top cover have XP on the decals. I popped the jug off of it and it has a closed port cylinder. Does this verify that it is an XP model?
Cylinder looks good, piston is a bit worn. Has decent compression, but the ring is on it's last leg.
The 266 needs crank bearings and has the right rear top cover hold down hole broken out of the case, so I want to put this top end on my 61 since it is in better shape.
I see a lot of guys on here using Meteor piston kits. Are the rings that come in these kits pretty decent, or do I need to pop for a better ring like Caber or OEM?

I have a couple questions for the 61 Husky pros here. I have two 1989 61 saws. One has the 300 anniv. badge on the top cover and the other doesn't. Both are grey tops.
The serial #s are one week apart.
9230279 and 9240548. The 9240 # is the one with the 300 badge. How did Husky do the 300 anniv. saws? Just wanting to know if they are both limited edition saws.
Preciate it.

 

[huskydude]

There is no standard 266, either xp/se. Xp's were later but mostly the same as the SE save for a larger carb I believe in 1985. The tag only saying 266 doesn't really mean anything.

 

[kmcinms]

10-4. Thanks. Never got anything out of all the 266 threads on here about the ID tag only having 266 on it. Like SawTroll says, these 266 threads can leave just as many questions unanswered as answered.
What about the ring quality supplied with Meteor pistons? Good as Caber, or are they Caber?

 

[REJ2]

10-4. Thanks. Never got anything out of all the 266 threads on here about the ID tag only having 266 on it. Like SawTroll says, these 266 threads can leave just as many questions unanswered as answered.
What about the ring quality supplied with Meteor pistons? Good as Caber, or are they Caber?

I just checked an ongoing thread by Watsonr and he indicates Meteor pistons are supplied with Caber rings. High marks given by him on these products also.

http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/224703.htm

Info i posted found in post #1

 

[SawTroll]

There is no standard 266, either xp/se. Xp's were later but mostly the same as the SE save for a larger carb I believe in 1985. The tag only saying 266 doesn't really mean anything.

Yes, a 266 made in 1991 is a 266xp, regardless if it doesn't say so on the number plate. the only question is if it was made in Sweden, or if production had been moved to Slovenia (TOMOS) at that point (I think not yet)....

The "300 years" label was put on the Husky saws made from late 1988, trough 1989. The missing one either has been lost, or it was not put there by mistake.

A 61 from 1989 likely has the smaller HS-163 carb, so the carb from the 266 should follow the top end over to the 61 (15.9mm cs. 17.5mm venturi).

 

[kmcinms]

Yup 266 was made in Sweden. So this '91 266 top end will turn this thing(61) on pretty good? Can't wait. Going with a new Meteor piston, and yah, will be using the 266 carb. Just wondering how it would run with a 272 carb on it? I have a couple of them.
Thanks for the info on the 300th badge. I was pretty sure they both should have the badge. One of mine is pristine with very few scratches in the paint on the clutch cover. Plastic shines like new. Very minty.

 

[SawTroll]

A 272xp carb isn't any larger, just a little different - as far as I know. I am not a true expert though, just happen to know a few things...

 

[kmcinms]

Need to bring this back up

Yup, 272 has a different throttle shaft and idle screw configuration.

Ahhight, I have aniother 266xp question that I'm not getting answers to. I see some pistons have the full circle skirt and some don't. My 266 doesn't have the full circle skirt.
What are the advantages or disadvantages of using a full circle piston?
What is the difference between the 50mm 266xp piston and the 50mm 268xp piston? Both being non full circle pistons...

 

[Cantdog]

Yup, 272 has a different throttle shaft and idle screw configuration.

Ahhight, I have aniother 266xp question that I'm not getting answers to. I see some pistons have the full circle skirt and some don't. My 266 doesn't have the full circle skirt.
What are the advantages or disadvantages of using a full circle piston?
What is the difference between the 50mm 266xp piston and the 50mm 268xp piston? Both being non full circle pistons...

The reason the 272 carb is different is that it is from the latest version of this family of saw....the carb changed at the same time as the cases and going from the two piece ign to the one piece...also the front left top cover mounting screw is in a different position than the earlier cases.....the later 272 and 268 had the idle adjust screw on the carb.... the earlier cases had the adjustment screww in the case. This doesn't mean you can't use a late carb on an early case...you just have to use the angled carb adjustment tube for the late carb and cut a hole in the top cover for it to fit into or you have remove the cover to adjust the idle......the H& L are in the same position with either..throttle linkage too...

Don't know about the full circle psitons vs the non.....seems to me the full circle might keep the piston a bit more stable in the bore but is perhaps a slight interuption in flow as it passes the lower over transfers and may add a tad more friction. They seem to run great either way..with either piston

 

[kmcinms]

The reason the 272 carb is different is that it is from the latest version of this family of saw....the carb changed at the same time as the cases and going from the two piece ign to the one piece...also the front left top cover mounting screw is in a different position than the earlier cases.....the later 272 and 268 had the idle adjust screw on the carb.... the earlier cases had the adjustment screww in the case. This doesn't mean you can't use a late carb on an early case...you just have to use the angled carb adjustment tube for the late carb and cut a hole in the top cover for it to fit into or you have remove the cover to adjust the idle......the H& L are in the same position with either..throttle linkage too...

Don't know about the full circle psitons vs the non.....seems to me the full circle might keep the piston a bit more stable in the bore but is perhaps a slight interuption in flow as it passes the lower over transfers and may add a tad more friction. They seem to run great either way..with either piston

Cantdog, my 272 has the one piece ignition. What year did they change from 2 pc. to one? That will give me an idea what year my 272 is. It has the idle screw on the carb like I mentioned.

I'm doing the 266xp top end conversion on my 61. I see you have the 268 top end on one of yours. What's the main difference between the two top ends? They're both 50mm, and rated at 66.7ccs. Both use the same stroke crank, but seems, from what I've read so far, that the 268 is taller for some reason. Which screws up using the original top cover

 

[Cantdog]

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Cantdog, my 272 has the one piece ignition. What year did they change from 2 pc. to one? That will give me an idea what year my 272 is. It has the idle screw on the carb like I mentioned.

I'm doing the 266xp top end conversion on my 61. I see you have the 268 top end on one of yours. What's the main difference between the two top ends? They're both 50mm, and rated at 66.7ccs. Both use the same stroke crank, but seems, from what I've read so far, that the 268 is taller for some reason. Which screws up using the original top cover

I don't know exactly when they changed...gonna say mid 90s.....Niko will probably answer that for us....gray top fits fine on the 268XP cyl....no problems at all...there are two 268 cyls.....the Mahle XP closed port and the non XP Gillardoni open port....both fit fine. I am building another in Red and did find that I could not use the Jonsered air filter cover as it also has the spark plug cover made into it.....and the Husky spark plug itself stands up straighter than the 670/630 Jonsered plug...would not fit even using the shortest plug I could find, so I cut a hole in a Husky gray top, painted it black and installed a V-stack and a K&N filter..you can fool most of the people some of the time etc!! LOL!!

As far as I know there is not a lot of difference between the 266XP and the 268XP cyl...port timing #s may be a tiny bit different..not sure though...

 

[SawTroll]

Cantdog, my 272 has the one piece ignition. What year did they change from 2 pc. to one? ....

As far as i know, all the 272xps have the one piece ignition. The transition to one piece started around 1987, as it looks to me.

 

[kmcinms]

Ok. Enough about the 272 for now. What is the difference between the 266xp and 268xp pistons? They're both 50mm. I have read of pin height differences, but still have no solid info on this. Anyone care to open this can of worms again?

 

[kmcinms]

Full circle piston

Why do some pistons listed for the 266xp have a full circle skirt(and two rings ) on them and some don't?

any advantages to the full circle skirt? My saw doesn't have a full circle piston.

 

[Cantdog]

Don't know why the "lil' red barn" piston pic shows two rings....it's a single ring piston??? Two ring pistons transfer heat to the cyl walls better than one ring types...usually used in a heavy duty situation...like running a long bar in big wood. Two rings have more friction/surface area. Single ring spools up faster and generally will run a higher rpm...great for shorter bars/limbing etc. So it depends what you expect from the saw as to what piston type you choose.....still will run good either way....

 

[cowroy]

I have a 266xp with a Meteor kit in it, and it is the first saw I ever rebuilt. If I had to sell every saw I have, it would be the saw I would keep. Put the meteor kit in it and fear no evil