Building a 42cc Poulan

[Chris-PA]

Warrior,

I may have failed to mention one little tidbit about those saws. I sent them to you to play with and work on - but expected I would get them back when you were finished with all the mods! :msp_w00t:

Seriously now - it looks like you have spent a LOT of time and effort figuring out all the idiosyncrasies of the little Poulans. I like those saws for some of the same reasons you do. They are inexpensive to pick up used, so if your mods don't work you haven't really lost much. They are easy to work on, even with the clamshell design. Most importantly - they are FUN to run when you get everything right and will absolutely amaze folks who are expecting "box store" saw performance.

Great write up and excellent pics.

dd

:msp_ohmy: Hey, you want the PP262 back? It's ugly, it's loud, and it'll numb your hands in a couple of cuts - but it goes like stink! It's truly an uncivilized little saw. But it's fun!:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[zogger]

:msp_ohmy: Hey, you want the PP262 back? It's ugly, it's loud, and it'll numb your hands in a couple of cuts - but it goes like stink! It's truly an uncivilized little saw. But it's fun!:hmm3grin2orange:

You know theres a mod I have never seen a reference to around here, taking cheap small non AV saws and somehow making them have at least some AV. Something like cut/add some plates and bolts and rubber bushing from the hardware store, little JB weld and sanding and painting action to make it look purty. Something like that, somehow... Wild things/2150s, etc..thats really all they lack. My little s25cva is just *so* much better to run for a small saw from that minimal countervibe or AV setup. Talking 30 to 40 CC class, above 40 it is real easy to find saws with AV, but...the non AV ones are out there in such huge numbers and free or ten bucks maybe cheap, plus much lighter and less bulky.

 

[Chris-PA]

You know theres a mod I have never seen a reference to around here, taking cheap small non AV saws and somehow making them have at least some AV. Something like cut/add some plates and bolts and rubber bushing from the hardware store, little JB weld and sanding and painting action to make it look purty. Something like that, somehow... Wild things/2150s, etc..thats really all they lack. My little s25cva is just *so* much better to run for a small saw from that minimal countervibe or AV setup. Talking 30 to 40 CC class, above 40 it is real easy to find saws with AV, but...the non AV ones are out there in such huge numbers and free or ten bucks maybe cheap, plus much lighter and less bulky.

I don't doubt you could do something like that, but they made A/V versions of the "Wild Thing", such as the saw I was working on in this thread. They have a very good A/V system, there's a lot of them and it's just easier to use one of them. The difference between the two is really pretty striking - I do like the direct feel but I will never spend a lot of time using a non-A/V saw now.

 

[diggers_dad]

:msp_ohmy: Hey, you want the PP262 back? It's ugly, it's loud, and it'll numb your hands in a couple of cuts - but it goes like stink! It's truly an uncivilized little saw. But it's fun!:hmm3grin2orange:

Uh, NO!:censored:

 

[Modifiedmark]

I have not been able to get any of these engines to run the way my Poulan 2775 does, and that engine certainly feels like it has higher compression than the 42cc engines do.?

The 2775 is a 46cc engine right? Maybe it has something to do with those missing 4cc's? :msp_rolleyes:

Really though I enjoy your threads on these, I have never really messed much with most of them that deep. Just fixed em, made em run and maybe modded some mufflers and retuned them.

I surely get the model numbers confused. .

 

[Chris-PA]

The 2775 is a 46cc engine right? Maybe it has something to do with those missing 4cc's? :msp_rolleyes:

Really though I enjoy your threads on these, I have never really messed much with most of them that deep. Just fixed em, made em run and maybe modded some mufflers and retuned them.

I surely get the model numbers confused. .

Thanks Mark! Yes, the 2775 is 46cc, so I expect it to make more power, and it runs a 20" bar with 20BPX 0.325 chain rather than an 18" bar with Lo Pro. But really it's not about absolute power, rather the feel of it. The 2775 is mildly ported - just widened with no real change in timing - the timing is advanced maybe 3[SUP]o[/SUP] and the muffler opened up. But that thing sounds edgy, revs quick and pulls like crazy. This is very similar engine design (they come with the same steel insert in the exhaust port), but it doesn't feel that way. I need to measure the port timing now that I have degree wheel, but I suspect it is probably compression. You can feel the difference when you pull it. These 42cc engines just have lot of squish.

 

[zogger]

I don't doubt you could do something like that, but they made A/V versions of the "Wild Thing", such as the saw I was working on in this thread. They have a very good A/V system, there's a lot of them and it's just easier to use one of them. The difference between the two is really pretty striking - I do like the direct feel but I will never spend a lot of time using a non-A/V saw now.

Ya, but that theres cheatin...I was talking about the sub 40 cc saws...

Im with you on the AV though, my 2150 runs great, man it hurts the hands after awhile, you get spoiled...

 

[Chris-PA]

G'day I found the model number its a mcculloch m3414 so 34cc and it had a few mcculloch stickers stuck on..I dont know who or where it was made?....Im curious also to how it run's with mods as it run ok as is for a nothing saw... I also have a stock one to run this one next to, should be going soon....View attachment 287170View attachment 287171

Here in the states, at some point Poulan started to stick 42cc engines in all of them, regardless of the model number or stickers on the side. You should measure the bore - it kinda looked like it might be a 42cc from the pictures, but hard to tell.

That saw is interesting to me - what year is it?. It's obviously the same family of saw as I'm working on, but in addition to the different connecting rod it has the on/off and choke controls used here on the non-A/V models. Then again, I hear they sell cars in some places that are otherwise the same but have the steering wheel on the other side!

 

[Chris-PA]

Ok well its done I gave the little so called nothing saw a run today...and wow how does it go? ,well put it this way the only thing holding it back is the on it's last stock safety chain that came on the saw when new ,the chain is well past its prime now day's but I did give it a rub with a file before the vid..with a good chain I think this thing would rip!... It goes hard for 34cc here is a vid ,and yep that's aussie hard wood Cheers.....

Nice job! They go pretty darn well, don't they? If that is Oregon 91PX, I find it is actually not bad chain at all.

 

[leecopland]

rebuilding a 2550t

Re posted from the poulan thread - they are more interested in older saws

Hi guys, Happy Easter

I'm replacing the motor in my 2550t with a complete motor from a pp220. I had a wrist pin come loose on a new piston which took out the piston and the cylinder on the 2550. This rescue is getting expensive. Opps that going to leave a mark!

1. The crankcase cap on the 220 doesn't have the groove in the mating surface that the 2550 had so I'm wondering about the liquid gasket (permartex motoseal) whether it will still work OK. Or should I use the 2550 cap that does have the gasket groove. They have the same part # but are slightly different internally. It may not have the right clearance when everything gets buttoned up.

2. Also what would you clean the mating surfaces with before applying the sealer?

I've decided to just ask one question at a time, Opps I slipped in a second question, me bad! That way I can try to keep my head straight.

many thanks for opinions and help. Love this site, and a couple of others too.

Lee

 

[brokenbudget]

Re posted from the poulan thread - they are more interested in older saws

Hi guys, Happy Easter

I'm replacing the motor in my 2550t with a complete motor from a pp220. I had a wrist pin come loose on a new piston which took out the piston and the cylinder on the 2550. This rescue is getting expensive. Opps that going to leave a mark!

1. The crankcase cap on the 220 doesn't have the groove in the mating surface that the 2550 had so I'm wondering about the liquid gasket (permartex motoseal) whether it will still work OK. Or should I use the 2550 cap that does have the gasket groove. They have the same part # but are slightly different internally. It may not have the right clearance when everything gets buttoned up.

2. Also what would you clean the mating surfaces with before applying the sealer?

I've decided to just ask one question at a time, Opps I slipped in a second question, me bad! That way I can try to keep my head straight.

many thanks for opinions and help. Love this site, and a couple of others too.

Lee

lee, i use NON-CHLORINATED brake cleaner. i don't use any of the carb cleaners as they contain a small amount of lubricant and will prevent the sealer from doing it's job. you'll be suprised at what comes off that you didn't see.
i also use a very rough '3m' style scrubby pad and put some extra roughness on the 2 surfaces to help hold the stuff in place.
you'll notice the cap that does not have the groove has a fairly rough machined surface compared to the newer one. this is where the 'thinner' sealants are better than the thicker viscosity ones. poualn used the silicone based sealers for a very long time without any issues until either the bolts loosened or somebody was fooling with them.

 

[leecopland]

Thanks Steve

lee, i use NON-CHLORINATED brake cleaner. i don't use any of the carb cleaners as they contain a small amount of lubricant and will prevent the sealer from doing it's job. you'll be suprised at what comes off that you didn't see.
i also use a very rough '3m' style scrubby pad and put some extra roughness on the 2 surfaces to help hold the stuff in place.
you'll notice the cap that does not have the groove has a fairly rough machined surface compared to the newer one. this is where the 'thinner' sealants are better than the thicker viscosity ones. poualn used the silicone based sealers for a very long time without any issues until either the bolts loosened or somebody was fooling with them.

Thanks,

I'm guessing that the motor switch will be OK as you didn't comment on the part of the thread. I'll pick up some non-chlor brake cleaner. Do you think crappy tire would have it?

Did you ever find those mac titan 57 seals that you thought you might have.

Got to put down a hardwood floor over the holiday so not much time for saws.

Thanks again,

Lee

 

[brokenbudget]

Thanks,

I'm guessing that the motor switch will be OK as you didn't comment on the part of the thread. I'll pick up some non-chlor brake cleaner. Do you think crappy tire would have it?

Did you ever find those mac titan 57 seals that you thought you might have.

Got to put down a hardwood floor over the holiday so not much time for saws.

Thanks again,

Lee

lee, it should fit together, they're based on the same chassis. just the internals of the engine were slightly different.

i'll be digging into that part of muh stuff where them seals are "supposed" to be on monday i'm pretty sure they are there, and should have a bunch. gots me another 2 57's to get running, so i do need them found:rolleyes2:

 

[Chris-PA]

You can use the cap with the groove - I just did that on the old 1999 engine in this saw. Actually I used the whole newer cap, crank, rod & seals.

I'm going to run that saw and the almost identical one with a stock PP260 engine today, but I have to stack 40 bales of hay and fix a manure spreader before I'm allowed to play with saws....

 

[leecopland]

You can use the cap with the groove - I just did that on the old 1999 engine in this saw. Actually I used the whole newer cap, crank, rod & seals.

I'm going to run that saw and the almost identical one with a stock PP260 engine today, but I have to stack 40 bales of hay and fix a manure spreader before I'm allowed to play with saws....

Thanks Steve and woodheatwarrior.

Do these poulans have trouble with the crank case seals? They look pretty robust. I too like these saws. With a muff mod they howl pretty good, specially as you can often pick them up for $20.00

Regards,

Lee

 

[rmh3481]

Great thread WHW. Nice job on those cylinders.

Concerning the squish band and combustion chamber design, this relates to air pollution mandates. End gasses, near the cylinder wall, just dont burn. Therefore, the idea was to bring the combustion chamber out closer to the cylinder wall in an effort to burn the end gasses to reduce unburned hydrocarbon emissions.

 

[Chris-PA]

Thanks Steve and woodheatwarrior.

Do these poulans have trouble with the crank case seals? They look pretty robust. I too like these saws. With a muff mod they howl pretty good, specially as you can often pick them up for $20.00

Regards,

Lee

I haven't found the crank seals to be weak - they're pretty typical I think.

Great thread WHW. Nice job on those cylinders.

Concerning the squish band and combustion chamber design, this relates to air pollution mandates. End gasses, near the cylinder wall, just dont burn. Therefore, the idea was to bring the combustion chamber out closer to the cylinder wall in an effort to burn the end gasses to reduce unburned hydrocarbon emissions.

Thanks! I realize fuel can get stuck in the crevices and not burn. On the other hand the engine in the cutaway is from 1999, and I didn't think the regulations were too stringent then.

 

[cobey]

thanks great thread!!

 

[brokenbudget]

Hi all, here is a vid of my little saw cutting soft wood (Black Cypress Pine) still the same crapy chain...It's a feisty little thing now, I will have to measure the bore to see if it's 34cc or 42cc..It will be interesting how it holds up so far im very happy with it...Cheers [video=youtube_share;tB18iKyHpHM]http://youtu.be/tB18iKyHpHM[/video]

your still to rich.

 

[Chris-PA]

Well, sad to say the engine in the pictures at the beginning of this thread is no more. I mentioned that I had swapped that engine into the non-A/V chassis, and the more radically ported bare aluminum cylinder engine into the saw pictured here (which still works fine). It was running well and I had run maybe half a tank through it but stopped using it due to the vibrations. I took the plug out later to see how it was doing, and it was ruined - major scoring. I was bummed, but did not have time until tonight to pull it apart for an autopsy.

I got it all apart and it was a mess, but I just could not figure out what I did wrong. The ports were all smooth and beveled, the crank and bearings looked fine - I was standing there looking at the very shiny piston ........ Doh! Chrome piston, chrome bore - doesn't work. :bang: I built it from a pile of parts, and thought these bits were a set because they all had the same year code cast into the parts, and didn't look at them properly after I made that assumption. The P&C just tore each other up. Oh well, live and learn.

The saw pictured here is running well with the older engine in it. On my crappy old gauge I get a reading of 130psi on it, due to having raised the exhaust port higher than was probably useful. Nonetheless, it's got some power, and I was noodling with the full 18" bar tonight and it had no problem with that. It did seem to use a lot of fuel though - I may try it with the smaller carb to see how that works. So far the cylinder is looking very nice and it's staying very clean in there.