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I farm for a living with my dad and we have tons of dead ash trees falling into our fields here in Ohio. I also have a small hobbyist sawmill and do some (pretty terrible) woodworking. I bought a new Husqvarna 372XP X-Torq from a local dealer about 2 years ago, my first pro saw. Had some minor annoying issues with it early (kill switch and choke lever both fell/broke off within the first couple weeks? top cover machine screws kept vibrating out). After maybe a year I thought it was starting a little hard and wouldn't hold an idle, so I took it in to the dealer. He gave it to one of his mechanics, who brought it back a few minutes later and told me it was good to go. Asked him what he did and he said he leaned it out a little.

Late last summer I did some cutting, put the saw down, came back a half hour later and it wouldn't start. Checked the obvious stuff, but I am no mechanic and it was still under warranty so I dropped it off at the dealer. Three weeks later told me the cylinder walls were badly pitted, had only 70 pounds compression, he was trying to get it warrantied. Last week he texted me that Husky wouldn't warranty it, he offered to "dispose of it" for me. I picked it up yesterday. He told me they determined it had been run without lubrication at some point. I realize there's no way I can prove otherwise, even though I was mixing high octane gas and Stihl HP Ultra oil for that "fancy new saw", as my dad called it, rather than gas from our farm tank and whatever oil is around like my dad has been doing with his old Farm Boss for a decade. The dealer explained "phase separation" to me and said maybe I did not shake the fuel can, which is generally sloshing around in the bed of my truck but I guess it's possible.

The dealer offered me a new saw at cost which I appreciated, but I am hesitant to give up on this saw since I probably put 75 hours on it tops. Is it worth pursuing the warranty somehow? Otherwise I will put a new cylinder and piston kit on it--recommendations on that? OEM or otherwise? I found this "Hyway Nikasil" kit for $108 online...but I know nothing about them. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

 
Often cylinders just get aluminium transfer on them, which can be cleaned off. You may get away with just a new piston and rings.

Do you have pictures of the state of the piston looking down the exhaust and inlet ports? So that we can see how bad it looks.

The saw is definitely worth repairing.
 
So they leaned it up, and now it’s burned out. This is why I’m shy to let other people touch my stuff.

What you’re talking about could just be fuel line heat soak? Pull that muffler! Look at the piston and bore yourself. I’ve seen dealer tech test compression with the release in and report that exactly.

Yes, definitely worth repairing and continued use. The 372 is arguably one of the best saws ever made, certainly in the top 10 All Time Fan Favorites by anybody’s reckoning.

OEM Cylinder kit. If you’re pinching pennies, Hyway or meteor, some reports of timing strangeness with those though.
 
Somehow leaning it out doesn't make sense since they seem to run lean to start with and pitting in the cylinder IMO would be a factory plating screwup , scoring is another thing probably due to running your saw with the carb not adjusted right, myself I generally remove the carb plastic adjustment stops to be able to fatten up the H if need be., sounds like the mechanic screwed up unless there was another issue to begin with. - if you can salvage your cylinder meteor with caber ring are good pistons.
 
I farm for a living with my dad and we have tons of dead ash trees falling into our fields here in Ohio. I also have a small hobbyist sawmill and do some (pretty terrible) woodworking. I bought a new Husqvarna 372XP X-Torq from a local dealer about 2 years ago, my first pro saw. Had some minor annoying issues with it early (kill switch and choke lever both fell/broke off within the first couple weeks? top cover machine screws kept vibrating out). After maybe a year I thought it was starting a little hard and wouldn't hold an idle, so I took it in to the dealer. He gave it to one of his mechanics, who brought it back a few minutes later and told me it was good to go. Asked him what he did and he said he leaned it out a little.

Late last summer I did some cutting, put the saw down, came back a half hour later and it wouldn't start. Checked the obvious stuff, but I am no mechanic and it was still under warranty so I dropped it off at the dealer. Three weeks later told me the cylinder walls were badly pitted, had only 70 pounds compression, he was trying to get it warrantied. Last week he texted me that Husky wouldn't warranty it, he offered to "dispose of it" for me. I picked it up yesterday. He told me they determined it had been run without lubrication at some point. I realize there's no way I can prove otherwise, even though I was mixing high octane gas and Stihl HP Ultra oil for that "fancy new saw", as my dad called it, rather than gas from our farm tank and whatever oil is around like my dad has been doing with his old Farm Boss for a decade. The dealer explained "phase separation" to me and said maybe I did not shake the fuel can, which is generally sloshing around in the bed of my truck but I guess it's possible.

The dealer offered me a new saw at cost which I appreciated, but I am hesitant to give up on this saw since I probably put 75 hours on it tops. Is it worth pursuing the warranty somehow? Otherwise I will put a new cylinder and piston kit on it--recommendations on that? OEM or otherwise? I found this "Hyway Nikasil" kit for $108 online...but I know nothing about them. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

I agree with @Gord404 the pitted plating is Husky's fault. As for a new top end, here's a genuine Husky piston and cylinder kit for $150 if you can't clean up your old cylinder. https://www.ebay.com/itm/144005430178?epid=28015608385&hash=item2187647ba2:g:sRUAAOSwsaFgc8qx
 
Thanks for all the input--much appreciated. I'll take it apart hopefully in the next couple days and see what it looks like in there.
 
$108 for AM vs $150 for OEM, it's a no brainer. Pay the extra $40 and get an OEM if a PC kit is needed and yes I use AM kits on my kit saws. I agree with the others if there is pitting it was the manufacturers fault but I will say this is the first time I have heard of a modern cylinder getting pitting. I would put my money on it run lean after the "adjustment" but without actually seeing the saw or having ran the saw there is no way I could prove it.
If you decide to put a new kit on or just replace the piston take the time to at the very least do a pressure test on the saw, learn what it is and why. The X-torque isn't as easy to do it on but if you don't test you could take out a new P/C in no time.
Also learn how to tune a saw and learn how to trim the limiters on the carb. As far as fuel goes I run ethanol free 85 octane and use a quality air cooled two stroke oil.
 
Thanks for all the input--much appreciated. I'll take it apart hopefully in the next couple days and see what it looks like in there.
You'll need 4mm and 5mm long reach Allen or t handles you have 6 4mm and 2 5mm to take off iirc
The carb and intake come off as a assembly attached to the cylinder.
I use a hemostat to remove fuel and pulse line's.
While it's apart I do a carb rebuild and fuel and impulse line's
They are very easy to do
Since it's that far disassembled.
Extremely simple saws to work on.
I have 8 or so
And if your cylinder will clean up
A oem Husqvarna or meteor piston kit and a base gasket if you want to reinstall it.
 
Do a few searches on YouTube.com and you will find step-by-step instructions on how to do a cylinder/piston replacement. It really is very simple. I just completed a cylinder/piston replacement on a 562XP. There are also some great videos on saw tuning. I like the one from Madsen's. http://www.madsens1.com/saw_carb_tune.htm

Assuming your 372XP is similar to the 562XP I just did, a "T" handle #27 Torx is very helpful. Take a few pictures before you start and along the way. It helps things going back in. Don't forget to lube up the wrist pin needle bearing with some 2-stroke oil when you reinstall.

Good luck. Hopefully, you'll enjoy the rebuild.

JQ
 
I wouldn't trust anything the dealer said
Pull the topend off it's easy
And I'm sure there's vids on YouTube.
And take good pics and post them
So we can see if you can clean up the transfer it's not difficult
And just put a new piston kit in.
This guys not looking out for your best interest,these people really wonder why their business fails or drys up?I bet he will dispose of it for you.Creepy.
 



he offered to "dispose of it" for me.

Ya, I bet he did. Heck I would dispose of it for you as well and just to be a really superduper nice guy I will pay for the shipping to me so I can "dispose of it" for you. Your money and your business to do what you want but I would be walking away from that "dealer".
Like what was said above, these saws are fairly easy to work on and just take your time and fix it, they are great saws plus it will teach you about 2 stroke engines and you will know how to adjust them and keep it running right.
One weak point of the 372 is the bearings, make sure while you have it torn down that you check them.
 
First I would look around for a second dealer since its under warranty, if it is pitted it should be covered as a manufacturers defect, carb limiters are still in place? you can not tune it out of control lean but the dealer could have. If you had seporation the inside of your gas tank would have nasty greasy slop coating it or stuck in the corners. sadly i keep reading husqvarna saws fail and the dealer is a queen of excuses to never warranty but comes out the good guy trying to upsell a saw. Contact husqvarna usa armed to the teeth with knoldge and beat them into submission using it...that dealer may have never even filed for warranty or filed it wrong.
 
Do a few searches on YouTube.com and you will find step-by-step instructions on how to do a cylinder/piston replacement. It really is very simple. I just completed a cylinder/piston replacement on a 562XP. There are also some great videos on saw tuning. I like the one from Madsen's. http://www.madsens1.com/saw_carb_tune.htm

Assuming your 372XP is similar to the 562XP I just did, a "T" handle #27 Torx is very helpful. Take a few pictures before you start and along the way. It helps things going back in. Don't forget to lube up the wrist pin needle bearing with some 2-stroke oil when you reinstall.

Good luck. Hopefully, you'll enjoy the rebuild.

JQ
Actually, I find the 372 much easier to replace the top end on than the 562, and I've done both. Those 562 saws seem like they made everything cramped together compared to a 372.
 
First one is through the spark plug hole, the rest are through the exhaust port at different positions. I'll finish taking it apart tomorrow but I'm guessing I should go ahead and order the piston/cylinder kit...
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