Homelite Chainsaws

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I've heard of a guy (I think it was Leon Crouch out in Oregon) who has used Brasso with good success.If toothpaste works,then go with it.I've just used alcohol soaked cloth on the end of a Q tip with the cotton swabbing removed.It dissolves any built up varnish & removes it.
 
Hey,hey,hey,the XL-12 is a runner! I got the new ignition module in the mail today,installed it,fueled it up & about 12 pulls later it popped.Another couple pulls later & it was running like a champ.I didn't even have to make any carb adjustments.I put the bar on that came with it & found a good used chain for it.Here are a couple of pics.
 

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I have another SEZ on bench, I'm thinking I will clean this one up and put it in the display. This one, and the one I am trying to get running again were both leaking at the cylinder gasket, it that a common issue?

Any idea what this glue/sealer/melted plastic is about?

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Has anyone come up with a good replacement or work around for these screws that hold the fuel tank on?

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I'm thinking I will have to cut or grind slots in two of them in order to tighten them when I put this one back together.

Mark
 
I have another SEZ on bench, I'm thinking I will clean this one up and put it in the display. This one, and the one I am trying to get running again were both leaking at the cylinder gasket, it that a common issue?

Any idea what this glue/sealer/melted plastic is about?

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Has anyone come up with a good replacement or work around for these screws that hold the fuel tank on?

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I'm thinking I will have to cut or grind slots in two of them in order to tighten them when I put this one back together.

Mark
Those Phillips are #2 posidriv screws that require a special bit. A regular Phillips bit will walk out. They are a SOB even with heat from a soldering pencil. Impact can help, but you have to literally stand on it to get them to let go with a regular bit and minimal stripping.

It is very common to have a leak from the cylinder gasket. I always reassemble with additional Motoseal or such. As well, the clearance between the carb impulse and edge of intake block is thin on the HDC. The gasket will barely seal in some cases. A bit of sealant around that area and externally after assembly can help.

Not sure about that clear/plastic (sealant?). I have never seen it on the many that have come through here.
 
I have another SEZ on bench, I'm thinking I will clean this one up and put it in the display. This one, and the one I am trying to get running again were both leaking at the cylinder gasket, it that a common issue?

Any idea what this glue/sealer/melted plastic is about?

View attachment 1151951

Has anyone come up with a good replacement or work around for these screws that hold the fuel tank on?

View attachment 1151952

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I'm thinking I will have to cut or grind slots in two of them in order to tighten them when I put this one back together.

Mark
I have a never-been-fueled Super 1050 Automatic that evidently hung around the dealership long enough that they started liberating parts from it (looking for a NOS clutch cover and a muffler cover). Anyway, it has a gob of that sealant on the case too. Can't see why it's there, but I'm probably not going to remove it.
 

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Thank you Cory, the Pozidrive bits are now on the way...last one came apart using Phillips bits in the impact driver but this one was pretty stubborn.

On the one I hope to make into a runner, I used Dirko on the crankcase/cylinder gasket and was able to get it to seal. You are certainly right about the carburetor/gasket, not a lot of material around the impulse hole on those.

I don't know if you saw it but on the previous page I posted about the fuel and oil caps, I was able to remove those inserts and install new duckbill valves. I also had to replace the gasket on the fuel cap, someone had tried to use an o-ring in the past but the McCulloch 10 Series fuel cap gasket was a good substitute. No more leaks.

Jay - what mix are you going to run in that 1050, factory probably called for 16:1 with 30W motor oil...

Mark
 
Thank you Cory, the Pozidrive bits are now on the way...last one came apart using Phillips bits in the impact driver but this one was pretty stubborn.

On the one I hope to make into a runner, I used Dirko on the crankcase/cylinder gasket and was able to get it to seal. You are certainly right about the carburetor/gasket, not a lot of material around the impulse hole on those.

I don't know if you saw it but on the previous page I posted about the fuel and oil caps, I was able to remove those inserts and install new duckbill valves. I also had to replace the gasket on the fuel cap, someone had tried to use an o-ring in the past but the McCulloch 10 Series fuel cap gasket was a good substitute. No more leaks.

Jay - what mix are you going to run in that 1050, factory probably called for 16:1 with 30W motor oil...

Mark
If I decide to run it at all I'll use 32:1 with a good modern two stroke oil.
 
I bought an XL-850 that "just needed a little TLC".Obviously the seller didn't go through the saw at all other than to put some fuel in the carb to see if it'd fire.I went through the saw & found this wrong: missing a muffler bolt,upon taking the cover off I found the nut was missing in the muffler body where the bolt screws in.The result is a new muffler body was needed.The fuel elbow that screws into the tank was broken off when I tried unscrewing it (after much heat was applied).The fuel tank was so corroded that I doubt it'd hold fuel,& the divider between the tanks I questioned it's integrity.A portion of the crankcase on the lower right side where the recoil attaches was broken off,& finally the sawdust screen was partially missing (I've never seen this before).The saw was missing the bar plates & bar stud nuts.Needless to say,the saw is going back.
 
I bought an XL-850 that "just needed a little TLC".Obviously the seller didn't go through the saw at all other than to put some fuel in the carb to see if it'd fire.I went through the saw & found this wrong: missing a muffler bolt,upon taking the cover off I found the nut was missing in the muffler body where the bolt screws in.The result is a new muffler body was needed.The fuel elbow that screws into the tank was broken off when I tried unscrewing it (after much heat was applied).The fuel tank was so corroded that I doubt it'd hold fuel,& the divider between the tanks I questioned it's integrity.A portion of the crankcase on the lower right side where the recoil attaches was broken off,& finally the sawdust screen was partially missing (I've never seen this before).The saw was missing the bar plates & bar stud nuts.Needless to say,the saw is going back.
Was that Ebay?
 
On another note,I picked up another XL-12,circa 1976, fairly cheap.It should arrive either tomorrow,or early next week.This saw should be a points & condenser saw.I don't think the electronic ignitions came out till a couple yrs.later.
 
I picked up my first Homelite a few weeks ago, a poorly running ~1990 SXLA. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of it when I picked it up but it was very clean, and most of the paint intact.

It would start and run, but I couldn't get the clutch from spinning at idle, and when I fiddled with the idle and L screws, eventually would die. So I did a pressure vacuum check and found a pretty gnarly cylinder leak.

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So I took it apart following one of Leon's videos as a guide. Had a hell of a time getting the cylinder off, had to secure it in a vice and give it some real good whacks with a mallet, and eventually it popped off. Leon mentioned that the gaskets on these were reusable. Well not this one, it totally disintegrated and was well stuck on the cylinder and case. Much to my dismay I also found the cylinder plating was coming off. This was surprising considering how good of shape the cylinder and piston were overall.
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Leon has been very forthcoming and helpful corresponding with me via email questions, and he recommended I replace the cylinder. I picked up an aftermarket P+C kit from Traverse Creek for a reasonable cost. Does anyone have any experience with these? Any tips or advice putting it back together?
 
I picked up my first Homelite a few weeks ago, a poorly running ~1990 SXLA. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of it when I picked it up but it was very clean, and most of the paint intact.

It would start and run, but I couldn't get the clutch from spinning at idle, and when I fiddled with the idle and L screws, eventually would die. So I did a pressure vacuum check and found a pretty gnarly cylinder leak.

View attachment 1154409

So I took it apart following one of Leon's videos as a guide. Had a hell of a time getting the cylinder off, had to secure it in a vice and give it some real good whacks with a mallet, and eventually it popped off. Leon mentioned that the gaskets on these were reusable. Well not this one, it totally disintegrated and was well stuck on the cylinder and case. Much to my dismay I also found the cylinder plating was coming off. This was surprising considering how good of shape the cylinder and piston were overall.
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Leon has been very forthcoming and helpful corresponding with me via email questions, and he recommended I replace the cylinder. I picked up an aftermarket P+C kit from Traverse Creek for a reasonable cost. Does anyone have any experience with these? Any tips or advice putting it back together?
If I didn't know better, I'd think that the gasket and piston that was on that saw were already aftermarket? The gasket especially, they are usually a tan color?
That piston still has machine marks on the rings and skirts, personally I think someone has been in that saw before.
 
If I didn't know better, I'd think that the gasket and piston that was on that saw were already aftermarket? The gasket especially, they are usually a tan color?
That piston still has machine marks on the rings and skirts, personally I think someone has been in that saw before.
That was my thought. The guy I purchased from said he picked it up from a local closed down dealer and only replaced the fuel line, duck bill and fuel cap. Anyways, what's done is done. I'm going to put in an NOS gasket on it, get it running, and run it.
 
That was my thought. The guy I purchased from said he picked it up from a local closed down dealer and only replaced the fuel line, duck bill and fuel cap. Anyways, what's done is done. I'm going to put in an NOS gasket on it, get it running, and run it.
Seals,gaskets, and a good carb it should mean you'll never have to take it apart again in your life time.
 
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