dissecting an earthquake chainsaw

[fastLeo151]

You know someone is going to ask for a video....

Hey man how about a video!

 

[Chris-PA]

Got my Xmas present in the mail today; a 3814. I didn't even bother trying to fire it up. Removed the muffler and went to work.
No piston scoring. Hmm, single ring. The 4518 is double ring.

So I drilled two holes in the front. and squashed one of the original ports closed.

I closed the port because I wanted to open the other side of the cover.

Another view.

I forgot to take a final assembly pic. I did put the shield and spark arrestor screen back on. They do cover the holes I drilled. Only fired it up for a minute in the garage. Had to open up the L screw as it wouldn't accelerate with the gutted muffler. Maybe I'll cut some wood with it tomorrow.

I like that you you didn't go straight out - it should have some sound muffling capability left and still flow well. The fact that you needed to enrich the L indicates it is more open now and should have better throttle response. The L must provide the extra fuel for acceleration, so with the less restrictive muffler it accelerates quicker and then it needs more fuel for that.

I think you could go larger with the outlets - maybe merge those two holes together. Since I don't take mine apart I have to drill through the end of that final baffle/tube (I use a 3/8" bit), and then I use a die grinder to enlarge it. This is a Ryobi muffler but it is constructed the same (other than having no cat) - it is a little hard to see but it is fed by both sides of that outlet baffle/tube now:

 

[B440]

I could probably merge the two holes like you said. Just need to know hows it performs first. I haven't been able to cut with it yet. Working up the courage to get outside with temps hovering around 4 degrees.

I noticed most muffler modifications on here don't go straight out, which makes sense since the exhaust port can suck in air and anything else like wood chips or dirt, while baffling some of the noise.


Can anyone recommend an expansion pipe that might bolt on to one of these saws? Maybe I can make one into a Chinese hotsaw.... and call it a Chitsaw.

 

[gottagetsawz]

The ported saw will now keep up with a modified Homelite Super XL Auto 57cc. It also kept up with a ported Stihl 032AV.

If anyone sees the 58cc complete shortblock anywhere reasonable- please let me know. I'd like to get one and port it. The assemblies I've seen though do not come with a crank. If I can get a whole shortblock for $75 or so, I'm on it like white on rice and I will give porting a 58cc a try.

This is on ebay for
$61shipped

 

[clemsonfor]

That's the guy that sells the mufflers I bought I believe?

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[Pallet Pete]

Hey guy's always a good read what you guys are up to!...Thats what its all about having a go and a tinker its how we all work stuff out..Dont mind that **** the kid and all his put downs they are only reflections of how bad he feels about himself ,he must of been taken off the t_i_t way to early or some ****! Do we care? ok true that would be a NO haha..A lot of guys on AS need a pat on the back for making the poor little bugger feel better about himself!.....

TMI

 

[bigv]

This is on ebay for
$61shippedView attachment 325915

You just caused me to do a very bad thing. Shame on you, you dirty enabler, you.

Gotta find the damn degree wheel again.

 

[bigv]

Someone asked me earlier- when I said I had run a 20" and 24" bar on an Earthquake 45cc- both bars came off a yellow Poulan from the 90's(maybe). These are not real big wide bars, they are about the width of the bars that came on my 4518. I think the Earthquake uses a common bar to the Poulans

 

[psjwi]

Simple MM on the 4518...
Ground off the crimp - removed everything - including the cat - but left the center baffle plate in. Then just a simple hole through both the muffler and heat shield with screen sandwiched in between. Had a friend TIG weld it back together.

Pretty straight forward... Not all that loud really...at least not compared to my Husky 345 (also MM)... but I will say that the Husky is noticeably stronger in the cut. We'll see how it does after it gets a few more tanks run through it.

 

[clemsonfor]

Here is my stock 4518



And after I put on the eBay dual port. Muffler with 2 sides of the baffle removed.


Still a bit fat and néed to richen up my L as it no longer starts easy but my single D tool does not fit on the screw????


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[B440]

Yup, that's exactly how my stock 4518 ran; any leaning on the bar would cause it to bog and stop the chain.

It was harder for me to adjust the carb on the 3814 using the single D tool, but I think it was because of extra casting material left on around the edges of the adjustment screws. Check to see if your 4518 is like that clemsonfor

 

[Chris-PA]

There has been a bit of confusion regarding the smaller Earthquake airbox inlet, some of it posted by me before I figured it out. It turns out that they use a centrifugal system not too different from Husqvarna's Turbo Clean, pulling air from the side of the flywheel fan. I assume the G3800 original did too.

There is an inlet under the carb screws behind the recoil cover, which connects to a passage formed between the recoil cover and the inner fan shield.





Interestingly, the GZ4000 and the Ryobi 10532 have the same features, but the passage is blocked by an additional divider rib, and there is an opening added to bypass it:

 

[naturelover]

Hmm, remember seeing that when I had my recoil off checking the starter but didn't look into it. Someone cut a hole in the airbox on the test mule. Lets a lot of dirt in there, but the filter seems to do well in keeping it out the carb.

Speaking of, the x-27 got a workout today, but felt like making some noodles, so left a couple of uglies for the test mule.

 

[Lark-o]

Between battling the plague and the arctic pole weather I haven't left the house in over a week. Getting itchy to work on the el quake-o again.

 

[clemsonfor]

After a tank of 32:1 semi syn husky oil (added to a tank with about a pint of 50:1 baileys syn oil) . Tested compression cold. No scratches in my piston. Done on a cold saw. Only a little more than one tank thru saw. Saw was not run in wood when I got it, no dust anywhere. And the chain brake was right on the drum and would not let the chain turn without a bit of work, I'm sure the reason it was returned.
I got 145 psi.

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[jteam]

My Quake experience:
Been lurking in and out around here for awhile. This thread has been addictive. I read 60-70% of the posts of the 140+ pages, over the last three weeks. Couple weeks ago I ordered myself a 3814 and a 4518 Quake from TC-Store on Ebay. I won them at auction and got them at a fair deal since shipping was included. Have not checked out the 4518 yet, but decided to get the 38 out today and get it going for some limbing. My oldest boy and I dropped some trees in the yard over the weekend and thought the 38 would be perfect for clean up duty. The 38 had been gassed and oiled at some point but the chain and bar looked like it hadn't been used much if any. The saw was oil covered along with the interior of the box. I decided to check the compression before anything else so I would have a base line. OH NO! only 40 psi dry and 50psi wet! I triple checked the readings. Pulled the muffler and looked into the port. Seems my piston has a rather deep score in it, so I pulled the cylinder head. I see some small scratches in the cylinder also that are mostly horizontal rather than vertical. I did go ahead and mod the muffler and the carb jets since I had everything apart. I must say these things are pretty easy to tear down. I took a similar, yet different route on the muffler mod by cutting it open in the rear, removing the cat material and folding the flap down and buttoning it up with the flux core welder. On the carb, someone recommending a couple times using the butt connector to remove the jets. That technique worked perfect! The blue one (can't remember the wire gauge size) fits just right. I realize these post are less interesting without pics so Ill add the ones of my mods for reference.

 

[jteam]

As I mentioned in the above post, my 38cc Quake has some issues. I only have 40psi dry and 50psi with oil added to the cylinder. I could see a scored piston through the exhaust port so I tore it down. The groove in the piston is pretty substantial but it does not extend above the ring groove. I see some marks in the cylinder as well but they are more shallow and mostly horizontal. Anyone else had one show up with this issue? Any thought on a cheap repair. I hate to spend $35-40 on a Chinese rebuild kit when I paid $42 for the saw shipped. I'll post some pics below of the piston and cylinder. Don't everyone jump me at once but I'm going to ask....anyone ever try to fill scoring with JB Weld and hone the cylinder? any other suggestions?View attachment 329202

 

[Chris-PA]

I had a scratch almost that bad in my piston, but it doesn't effect much. The ring on yours appears to be fine at the point of the scratch, but it looks a little funny in terms of light/dark spots over by the port. Is that carbon?

Does the ring move freely in the groove?

The ring should not get down to that area you've circled, so it should not be creating a seal issue either.

I think the piston scratch on mine came from casting/machining flash at the exhaust port.

Basically, I don't see anything in those pictures that looks that horrible. How does it feel when you pull it over? I am assuming it didn't run?

 

[Ozhoo]

Welcome to AS. Are you sure that your gauge is reliable? Your cylinder would need to be completely shot to read that low and from your pictures, I wouldn't hesitate to put it back together and run it.

 

[jteam]

Chris and Oz, I checked the compression twice with a screw in adapter on my gauge and then a third time with one with an adapter that has a rubber cone on it that goes against the spark plug hole, but, you both have me now questioning the seal between the gauge and the adapter. The two connect with a coupling like an air compressor quick connect. I will have to investigate that further. I hope to get some time to mess with it tomorrow, but our high temp forecast is for 26 degrees. We are not accustomed to many days like that here.

Chris and Stephen, i saw the ring in the pic also and had to go look again in person. It does not look that way in person. it still had oil residue on it from my wet test when I took that pic. The ring does move freely in the groove and ill have to check the gap. any idea what it should be?

Sadly, I never even tried to start it after checking the compression. It seemed ok when pulling on the rope but I wouldn't say it was overly strong feeling.

I may clean it and piece back together and see what happens.

Two questions:

1. anyone know the initial setting they started with after their jets were reinstalled? I forgot to count the turns.

2. Has anyone found a cheap and reliable parts source for these machines?

thanks for the help guys. I will post when I know more info.