Damage to 372xp

[jr27236]

Sold this real nice 372xpw to a guy the other day before he left I insisted in showing him the compression, which read 145 psi. Saw started, ran, idled and throttled up flawlessly. Today I get a text to call him. He says he used the saw for 20 minutes and it shut off and would not restart, so he let it sit and tried again and it was locked up. He then says he proceeded to take off the muffler and sees metal bits. But the piston on the exhaust side is fine. He then pulled the cylinder and sees more metal and a piece jamming the crank (which he says he removed with a magnet) and scoring on the intake side. The pictures below are what he sent me. Also the lower part of the case on the clutch side looks clean to me as if it were straight gassed? What do you guys think of this at this point with the little info I know provided. He is now away on work and I will get more info when he returns. He has to send me more of the cylinder and exhaust side of the piston.

 

[alexcagle]

Check the crank bearings carefully. Cages too.

 

[avason]

Did you mention straight gassing it when you were on the phone? If you didn’t, I would check it out and see if he left the gas in it.

 

[jr27236]

Did you mention straight gassing it when you were on the phone? If you didn’t, I would check it out and see if he left the gas in it.

I did unfortunately and his reply was "I didnt put gas in it, I was running on what was in the tank."
Problem with that is I didn't have a lot of gas in it when he left in the first place and certainly not enough for 20 minutes of cutting and idling.

 

[jr27236]

Looking at the crankcase the one side is clean the other typical oiled up? I think it started cleaning itself up with straight gassing?

 

[Ozhoo]

That intake side looks old, like it was used to cut ice. As mentioned, I'd be focused on bearings.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

The one weird comment was a piece of metal had the crank jammed but he removed it with a magnet. Dang strong magnet.

 

[jr27236]

The one weird comment was a piece of metal had the crank jammed but he removed it with a magnet. Dang strong magnet.

Yeah seriously. I think I'm gonna get the typical answers and story from someone who straight gassed it. But I will see. I'm not gonna **** the guy over (no I'm not giving his money back though). I may offer to repair it but he is definitely paying for parts.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Bet you will find lower rod bearing is kapootski from straight fuel. In my mind, I can see the lower rod bearing being the first to fail from lack of oil because it doesn't "hold" as much oil to itself like the crank bearings can and it seems that it takes more of the up and down stress of the piston stroke along with rotational force. Being just a caged needle bearing doing all that work, my money says that will be the first thing to fail in a straight gas situation. A lean burn down will smoke the exhaust side of the piston first, every time. Bits and pieces that stick to a magnet will be bearing material.

All but guaranteed it was straight gassed.

It's great that you don't want to screw the guy over... But don't let him screw YOU either.

I'd sure like to see a good pic of the very bottom of that case... But be careful if you ask, he might know what you are looking for and dribble a little oil in there to cover his ass.

 

[jr27236]

Bet you will find lower rod bearing is kapootski from straight fuel. In my mind, I can see the lower rod bearing being the first to fail from lack of oil because it doesn't "hold" as much oil to itself like the crank bearings can and it seems that it takes more of the up and down stress of the piston stroke along with rotational force. Being just a caged needle bearing doing all that work, my money says that will be the first thing to fail in a straight gas situation. A lean burn down will smoke the exhaust side of the piston first, every time. Bits and pieces that stick to a magnet will be bearing material.

All but guaranteed it was straight gassed.

It's great that you don't want to screw the guy over... But don't let him screw YOU either.

I'd sure like to see a good pic of the very bottom of that case... But be careful if you ask, he might know what you are looking for and dribble a little oil in there to cover his ass.

That thing was mechanically mint when I gave it to him. Clean and solid. He just had to use gas from a bad can/mix. The more I look at his pictures the more I notice how it was beginning to clean up even on the crank lob on the clutch side. why on one side would it be cleaner otherwise?

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

More heat on the clutch side due to that being the side that is loaded and with heat from the clutch. Not to mention I would expect the flywheel side to stay a little cooler due to the fan helping a bit too.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Intake scored, bottom end dry. Sure looks like gassed.

 

[Trent Curtis]

One pic of the exhaust side of the P/C will solve this riddle. If it were straight gassed that exhaust side of the piston will be toast.

 

[jr27236]

One pic of the exhaust side of the P/C will solve this riddle. If it were straight gassed that exhaust side of the piston will be toast.

I asked him for more pictures. He said he will be back Tuesday and provide them.

 

[Trent Curtis]

If that exhaust side looks like it tried to weld to the cylinder I wouldn’t give him a plugged nickel.

After all- buying a used anything comes with some inherent risk as well. And that risk is elevated when you straight gas the sucker-

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Straight gassing does not typically toast the exhaust side of the piston...that is a lean condition.

 

[gary courtney]

When I sell a saw local I have the buyer run it in wood ,let it idle,kill and restart, turn sideways cut some more. If he chooses to buy he signs a bill of sale "as-is ,no warranty when it leaves you own it".

 

[stevetheboatguy]

Just my 2c. But with all the metal in the bottom end. My money is on the clutch side bearing being toast. Not enough scoring on the piston to be straight gassed. Possibly a little cold scoring but doesn't look like straight gassing to me. Never seen a piston outlive bearings in a straight gas situation.


Steven

 

[Knobby57]

Bad fuel .. no oil in the mix or very little . Old fuel will separate . The piston is only toasted on the bottom half that will see the direst stream of fuel from the intake port . Washed the oil from the lower half . I’ll bet my dogs left toanail those pieces are bearing. Me thinks the buyer did a big no no . Pull the carb when you get it and see what the fuel is like inside it . I’ll bet if the buyer was smart enough to at least change the fuel in the tank to good mix he missed the carb if it wouldn’t crank new mix wouldn’t make it to the carb . If there is no oil the internals on the carb will dry up fast and have no residue. Had this happen to me over a 50$ crappy snowblower . This dude ran unmixed fuel blew it up . Came back to my house 3 months later when it snowed and wanted his 50$ back . I pulled the carb bowl and it was regular gas no mix . That guy was not happy . Said his wife must have down it yadda yadda . Anyway the piston looked exactly like that . And the rod bearing was toast .

 

[jr27236]

Here's a couple of more pictures as he was removing the jug . Does the clutch side crank bearing looks dry as hell or is it just me?