Help from Old Mac Guys

[heimannm]

I recently acquired a few more old McCulloch saws, thought I was getting a 44 Super A and a 44 Super, and a 250.

Turning them over is seems the Super A cover was on the Super, and vice versa.

Does the model number here look like it says 44 A?

Is this normal for the model/serial number on a 44 Super?

My other 44 Super has the more typical model/serial number stamp location (no photo).

May not be all that bad, the one with the 44 Super A cover and S44 model/serial number has 170 PSI compression, should be a good saw to run in the vintage 5.0 In³ and under class.

What do you think?

Mark

 

[Rookie1]

I dont know a thing about those saws but I do know Im gettin jealous of your saw collection.

 

[Tzed250]

I just spied a near mint CP125 in a shop this afternoon....

 

[Madsaw]

Mark,
Have you checked out the pics Scott posted of the show here in Darlington just over a week ago. Take a look at the parts in the back of the truck. For the most part they are all Mac parts.
Bob

 

[Scooterbum]

Mark
Like you need a couple more mac's:jawdrop:


Nice score !! For what it's worth that does look like it says 44A.

 

[alpinecrick]

I dont know a thing about those saws but I do know Im gettin jealous of your saw collection.

Yeah, me too........sheesh.


Casey

 

[crane]

Great looking additions to the collection Mark. Are all three running?

 

[heimannm]

Not running yet.

I am busy finishing up a couple other projects first; added a twin to my 550, (refer to the photo's below) and the 650.

I started checking out the one with the Super 44 A cover on it, model number on the bottom indicate it is really a Super 44. When I checked it out it had 170 PSI compression and good spark, then when I replaced the plug the spark was gone. May be the points or condensor, may be the plug wire like happened to my D44 just before Baraboo.

I still have the 650 in pieces around the shop and in the dishwasher that I should get it put back together first. It's been waiting since the end of July or so.

If past experience is any indication, the 44's will be easy to get going. The 250 and 200 (all from the same e-Bay seller) may become parts saws or may get going and set on the shelf with the others.

Mark

 

[leeha]

Nice saws Mark.

On these 44's have you tried measureing the stroke.
A super 44 is 80cc's as you know with a 1.375 stroke
and the Super 44A is 87cc's with a 1.50 stroke.

Just a thought Lee

 

[heimannm]

Thanks Lee

I will try that when I get to them. They do have removable heads and aluminum head gaskets so it should be pretty easy to accurately measure the stroke.

I might have to try a thinner gasket on one or both just to see what happens.

Mark

 

[crane]

Rookie Question

On the pics of the two 550's the mufflers are different. Why is that?? Is it different years?

 

[leeha]

Mark, you don't have to remove the heads.
Just use a straight piece of coat hanger wire
and go in through to plug hole. You should be
able to get a close measurement. It's a full 1/8
difference between the 2 saws.


Lee

 

[Rookie1]

Wow does that 550 in the front only have a straight pipe on it? That looks like it would be LOUD.:chainsawguy:

 

[Bruce Hopf]

Mark. The one McCulloch I looked at was a 250. I have no idea what the other one was, because I could not find any Markings. The Saw was bigger than the 250. When I get the Pictures, I'll post them, and hopefully somebody can figure out what model it is. Bruce. P.S. Nice looking Saws, that you have added to your collection.

 

[Old Mac Guy]

Mark, looks like Lee has answered your question about distinguishing between the S44 and S44A.
The stamping in the 44A seems clear enough, except I don't think I've ever seen exactly that model stamp (looks like S44AXXA) on one... Can you tell if there are numbers beneath the two X's??
On the saw which apparently doesn't have model and serial stamps, you might check it more closely to see if someone did a re-paint... I've seen cases where stampings were totally filled-in with a re-paint job and had to be scraped down to the original metal to find the stamped numbers...
Sounds like you're in the same situation I am... three disassembled and more waiting...
Good luck with them.
Your photos show a nice looking bunch of Old Mac's...
Ken

 

[heimannm]

OMG, you (right along with Hank Hill) are my idol of course with your collection and knowledge.

The second saw has the numbers clearly stamped, but not in the usual location. Reads S44-6634, look at the unpainted spot below the normal location.

There are no other numbers below the model number on the S44A. It looks to me like they messed up on the stamp, and X'd it out for another try. Either that or I have a factory AXXA experimental...

After looking at them both, I think what happened is they put the S44A cover on the more complete of the two saws to make it more attractive.

I have several saws in the collection where the model number has been altered, one 300 started out as a 650, stamped through the 650 and turned it into a 300 (or vice versa), my 1-71 could have been a 1-81, 380 could have been a 440, etc. The nice feature is there was a lot of interchangability in the old saws, also means there has been a lot of parts swapping on some of these old dogs.

Only three apart at a time?

I currently have a 650 totally dismantled, the S44 and S44A partially dismantled, a 3-25 that just arrived yesterday in pieces laying around, and a couple of 35's in boxes on the shelves.

Oh well, my wife always knows where I am.

Mark

 

[heimannm]

Crane (Post #11)

A lot of the older McCulloch saws use the pipe instead of a muffler, I suppose the original muffler was damaged or failed and the pipe was handy for a replacement. It does sound different that the one with the original muffer.

Lee (#12) I used the wire last night and can verify now the one with the S44A stamp on the bottom has a 1.5" stroke and the one with the S44 stamp has a 1.375" stroke.

Now to get a few other projects cleared out of the way including some wood cutting, and I can get back on these.

Mark

 

[leeha]

Sounds like some nice saws Mark.
Th S44A will have to be on my wish list
like many other saws.
Glad you got them figured with the stroke
method.


Regards Lee

 

[romeo]

Wow does that 550 in the front only have a straight pipe on it? That looks like it would be LOUD.:chainsawguy:

Yea, those were macs excuse for a muffler in the 60's, and they are VERY LOUD.

 

[heimannm]

What??