Husky 268 Piston Confusion

[Taylornic]

Hi Everyone

I need an aftermarket piston kit for a 268. I'm thinking it is an 89 model.

All the kits I have seen seem to list a one size fits all kit. The IPL shows 2 different pistons for the 268, pre and post 91 models.

What is the difference in the pistons, and will the aftermarket kits fit?
I would appreciate some input on this before I buy a kit.

Thanks,
Taylor

 

[SawTroll]

Hi Everyone

I need an aftermarket piston kit for a 268. I'm thinking it is an 89 model.

All the kits I have seen seem to list a one size fits all kit. The IPL shows 2 different pistons for the 268, pre and post 91 models.

What is the difference in the pistons, and will the aftermarket kits fit?
I would appreciate some input on this before I buy a kit.

Thanks,
Taylor

If it is a '89, it should be a 268xp, with closed ports.

Sorry to say, the later 268s were not xps, and were open ported, with less power. I thought the change happened a bit later than 1991 though, but could be wrong.....

Somewhere I read about that the new replacements for that saw is standardized as 70cc open port, but I don't remember were

 

[stevethekiwi]

I think steve100 must work for autoectech....

 

[SawTroll]

I think steve100 must work for autoectech....

:angry2: :angry2: Looks like a spammer, acting against the rules, to me....
...unless he/they are a sponsor, which I doubt.

I have reported his posts, so now it is up to the mods......

 

[PES+]

The plain 268 piston does not work well in the XP

Ask any supplier that you are thinking of purchasing from whether the piston has open sides (next to the pin boss)
The open port plain 268 uses a closed side piston.

The plain 268 was re introduced after the 272 had replaced the 268XP and used the 268K cylinder and piston.

The plain 268 piston and cylinder was not bad at all power wise though not equal to the 268XP which in proper tune ran better and the power was equal to the 272xp.

The 272 had many small problems which forced an early release of the 371 to replace it.

 

[SawTroll]

.... The 272 had many small problems which forced an early release of the 371 to replace it.

Hmmmmmm - There are strong indications that the 272 actually was made until year 2000 or so, after the 371 had been replaced by the 372...

Anyway, a "demoted" version of the 272 has been introduced lately in South America, to replace the open port 268 there.....

Brazilian 272xp

It is demoted by .2kW/.3hp compared to the original.

 

[PES+]

This was the chronology here in the states

The 272 earned itself such a lackluster reputation that people demanded a return of the 268XP.

At the time the cutoff saw and stump grinder were only 268 based.

Those 268K units had their own problems with their intended use so then the 272K appeared with other "improvements"

The 268 did reappear but using the 268K piston and cylinder
(gee history likes to repeat itself 372XPW)


The 371 was released a bit early and was the reason the 372 replaced it in quite short order.

The biggest problem with the 272XPs was the carburetors.

I just recently replaced one of the poor running from new carbs on a like new 272 for a guy up here which had never run right since new.

It was still like new because he hated the way it ran so much he went right from his 268XPs to the 372s and the 272 got put into back up status and hardly ever run.

 

[PES+]

I should add

This was around the same time that Husky went direct on the East Coast and things may very well have been different in other parts of the USA

 

[taplinhill]

So, are these new aftermarket p/c kits for the 268/272 open or closed port?

 

[MAG58]

272 S

Here is some pic of one 272 S

 

[Jacob J.]

On the west coast, the 272xp was a popular saw among pro timber fallers, many of whom actually went around buying up remaining new units when it was announced the 371xp was replacing it. Several timber cutters I knew who ran the 371 against the 272 said the 371 was a poor replacement.

To answer the question at hand, I have seen the Tecomec and Woodsman Pro replacement 268xp cylinder and piston kits, and they are both 50mm closed port cylinders with windowed, single ring non full circle pistons. The Tecomec replacement 266xp piston stand alone product was a single ring, full circle piston with windows. It was a great piston to use in the 371/372 as a replacement.

 

[taplinhill]

On the west coast, the 272xp was a popular saw among pro timber fallers, many of whom actually went around buying up remaining new units when it was announced the 371xp was replacing it. Several timber cutters I knew who ran the 371 against the 272 said the 371 was a poor replacement.

To answer the question at hand, I have seen the Tecomec and Woodsman Pro replacement 268xp cylinder and piston kits, and they are both 50mm closed port cylinders with windowed, single ring non full circle pistons. The Tecomec replacement 266xp piston stand alone product was a single ring, full circle piston with windows. It was a great piston to use in the 371/372 as a replacement.

So, the kits are for 268XP, not 268 (although they could be used). Right?

 

[SawTroll]

On the west coast, the 272xp was a popular saw among pro timber fallers, many of whom actually went around buying up remaining new units when it was announced the 371xp was replacing it. Several timber cutters I knew who ran the 371 against the 272 said the 371 was a poor replacement.

To answer the question at hand, I have seen the Tecomec and Woodsman Pro replacement 268xp cylinder and piston kits, and they are both 50mm closed port cylinders with windowed, single ring non full circle pistons. The Tecomec replacement 266xp piston stand alone product was a single ring, full circle piston with windows. It was a great piston to use in the 371/372 as a replacement.

Finally, some real info - I am not surpriced that it was you who came up with it....

 

[PES+]

I knew what you meant.....I think

I wonder how you can put that 266 piston in the 371/372 but.....anyways

I had heard the same about west coast 272s.....it was the exact opposite here in the NE for the reasons I stated.

To answer the original question more simply for the poster
IF you have closed ports (XP) you need to use a windowed piston.

I wonder if Grand Dog can tell us where the Woodsman Pro 268XP Piston and cylinder kits are made.

 

[PES+]

A question Jacob

Do you use the 266XP in the 371/372s with no other changes?

I can see it for ported cylinders but never considered trying it as is


hmmmm got a project now

 

[Grande Dog]

All of our cylinders are coming from Taiwan.

 

[PES+]

Thank You Grand Dog

Thanks....I have not yet tried one but I may soon

Is the 268 piston you list separate a plain 268 piston Grande Dog?

It looks like it is the 268K piston from the pic

I think this may be part of the original poster's confusion.

 

[SawTroll]

Thanks....I have not yet tried one but I may soon

Is the 268 piston you list separate a plain 268 piston Grande Dog?

It looks like it is the 268K piston from the pic

I think this may be part of the original poster's confusion.

Yes, the big question is if it really is a xp one, or just one of the later ones, that makes less power (well that may be about the cylinder, and not just the piston, or both).....

 

[Grande Dog]

Our kit is the closed piston w/ open cylinder. I noticed our picture is of the 288 kit. I'll get it changed. Thanks for the heads up, it's always welcomed.
Gregg

 

[Taylornic]

I guess I'm making this more hard than it needs to be.

Let me start out slow and hopefully, you guys can get me up to speed here. You guys know far more than me, so you are kinda talking over my head.

My serial starts with a 9 so I thought that made it an 89? It's marked as a XP on the plastic, but I have no clue how to actually identify it as such.

According to the IPL, the correct piston for an '89 is 501 65 9403. Starting in '91 the piston changed to 503 44 8371.

Since I don't know the difference in XP and non XP pistions or cylinders, this should be easy. All I need is to get the correct piston, regardless of what it is.

Here is why I posted here for help, maybe this will explain my confusion.....

Some ebay sellers will have a cylinder kit listed, most just list it for a 268, period. A few actually list as being for pre or post '91.

Piston kits are another story! They are listed as 268. So I email and ask does it fit pre 91 or post 91? The sellers respond that they are all the same. So I email back and say there are 2 different piston numbers for the 268. I get answered back that they never have any complaints with the kits they sell.

So, I email once again and ask for the OEM part number that your kit replaces. At that time I either get no further responses, OR, from one seller, I get a OEM number for a post 91 piston ring!

Sorry for the babbling! Basically, if I do have an 89, all I need is a piston made for an 89. Seems there should be an aftermarket kit some where that is actually made for the 89 model saw. Just seems like the "one size fits all" doesn't really cut it.