Husky 455 Rancher...RIP?

[bozzchem]

I went to fire it up and no dice. Pulled no less than 10 times with the choke on and not even a burp. It ran beautifully when I dropped a huge red oak that was blocking the sight picture of my garden which seems to be the local rabbit hangout.

I let my fiances college aged son use it to make some extra coin to help him out with his expenses since the tranny went in his car, he needs cash, and apparently he was an old salt with chainsaw use...so I was told. I let him use my chainsaw rather than his since mine is more powerful and would make much shorter work of limbing/bucking the huge red oak I dropped.

Anyway, I checked the bar oil and gas. Bar oil was a little low so no biggie. When I looked at the gas I got a knot in my stomach. I didn't see that "tinge" that indicates there was oil in the gas.

I emptied the tank and put in a fresh mix but got the same response from the Husky - nothing. The piston moves fine and the plug didn't even seem to look like it had been run lean...but she won't start for nothing.

What can I expect in the way of repair costs if indeed this was what happened? The motor isn't seized so can it be sleeved and a new piston assembly put in or does it just end up as a paper weight?

My brand new rule is nobody touches my power tools but me. I'll be dropping it off tomorrow and expect to get the bad news by the end of the day. I'd at least like to have an idea of how to proceed if they quote a price that sounds ridiculous so any ideas on what to expect would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[NuConcepts]

since the saw was most likely straight gassed, step one pull the exhaust and see what your piston looks like. most likely it will need one with new rings. as for the cylinder i don't think they make aftermarket ones. no boring or sleeving options either unless you want to pay more than what the saws worth. you might be able to clean up the cylinder to reuse. pistons aren't that cheap either. anyways use the search function and type in top end rebuild or husqvarna 455. im sure your'll find a wealth of info to help you make a decision

 

[dingeryote]

Check for spark first, and from there pull the muffler.

If it's fried, check E-bay for a parts saw that got run over or otherwise mangled.

A new refurbed 455 is 300 bucks, so there is little reason to rebuild with a new P&C.

I have my fingers crossed it's just a glob of carbon on the spark plug though.

Best of luck to ya!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[bozzchem]

since the saw was most likely straight gassed, step one pull the exhaust and see what your piston looks like. most likely it will need one with new rings. as for the cylinder i don't think they make aftermarket ones. no boring or sleeving options either unless you want to pay more than what the saws worth. you might be able to clean up the cylinder to reuse. pistons aren't that cheap either. anyways use the search function and type in top end rebuild or husqvarna 455. im sure your'll find a wealth of info to help you make a decision

Sorry I didn't use the search but didn't really know what to enter. It's my first saw and I've only had it a short while...(check my post history) I'll remember "straight gassed" and "top end rebuild" and will search accordingly.

Thanks!

 

[bozzchem]

Check for spark first, and from there pull the muffler.

If it's fried, check E-bay for a parts saw that got run over or otherwise mangled.

A new refurbed 455 is 300 bucks, so there is little reason to rebuild with a new P&C.

I have my fingers crossed it's just a glob of carbon on the spark plug though.

Best of luck to ya!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

I pulled the plug and it looks fine. Maybe it's just an expensive lesson I was destined to learn? I will say that if the saw is trashed, I'm going to get a Stihl. I know it wasn't the saw's fault that it was trashed but did think my buddy's MS 390 was a better saw. I'll see what the dealer has to say and will go from there. Either way, I am going to keep the Husky to tear it apart and learn more about how these small engines operate. Who knows, I may end up fixing the thing myself just to say I've done so?

Thanks so much for your responses!

 

[bozzchem]

I pulled the plug and it looks fine. Maybe it's just an expensive lesson I was destined to learn? I will say that if the saw is trashed, I'm going to get a Stihl. I know it wasn't the saw's fault that it was trashed but did think my buddy's MS 390 was a better saw. I'll see what the dealer has to say and will go from there. Either way, I am going to keep the Husky to tear it apart and learn more about how these small engines operate. Who knows, I may end up fixing the thing myself just to say I've done so?

Thanks so much for your responses!

Did a quick spark check the old fashioned way and my hand assured me spark was present. I didn't pull the muffler since I couldn't readily see the means to do so and probably wouldn't know what I was looking at if I did.

I went out and checked "his" chainsaw and saw it had the same fuel in it. I put the new mix in and his wouldn't start either. I'm guessing I'm out a saw, he/his mom is out a saw, as well as a leaf blower that croaked on Sunday running that fuel.

Like I said, the new rule is nobody touches my stuff and there will be a long talk about gas/oil mix and how to determine if there is oil in the gas. Hell, even if it was rich or lean I'm guessing the items would be alive. As it stands, it looks like a $1 container of oil not being added will eventually cost me $700 or so when it comes to replacing the two chainsaws and the blower. I haven't even checked the weedeaters yet so the death toll has the potential of getting worse.

Life is most certainly a beyotch.

Thanks for letting me vent.....

 

[dragrcr]

some oils dont have a color, stihl ultra for example is a very good oil, and when mixed there is almost NO color change at all, if the saw was gassed you would likely notice a drastic loss of resistance to the pull rope, I would pull the muffler off before you bring it to the shop, the guys here can walk you through any repair it might need, at a fraction of the cost. even if it was gassed you might be able to save the cyl and get away with a new piston and rings if you do it yourself, the shop will likely not deal with cleaning the cyl up and just tell you to get a new P+C or saw.... pull the muffler and take a picture...

 

[dingeryote]

Did a quick spark check the old fashioned way and my hand assured me spark was present. I didn't pull the muffler since I couldn't readily see the means to do so and probably wouldn't know what I was looking at if I did.

I went out and checked "his" chainsaw and saw it had the same fuel in it. I put the new mix in and his wouldn't start either. I'm guessing I'm out a saw, he/his mom is out a saw, as well as a leaf blower that croaked on Sunday running that fuel.

Like I said, the new rule is nobody touches my stuff and there will be a long talk about gas/oil mix and how to determine if there is oil in the gas. Hell, even if it was rich or lean I'm guessing the items would be alive. As it stands, it looks like a $1 container of oil not being added will eventually cost me $700 or so when it comes to replacing the two chainsaws and the blower. I haven't even checked the weedeaters yet so the death toll has the potential of getting worse.

Life is most certainly a beyotch.

Thanks for letting me vent.....

Boz,

Pulling the muffler is easy on a 455 and ya just need an allen wrench.
Nothing to it!
Pull the top cover off the saw, and start taking off the allen screws that are obviously holding the muffler on. Ya can't screw it up, and even if ya could it wouldn't matter on a dead saw...right?

Look through the exhaust port with a flashlight and bingo!

Either you'll have a piston with brown gunk on it, or one with brown gunk and a bunch of scoring.

If needed, I'll take mine off and post some pics...muffler that is.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[injun joe]

I pulled the plug and it looks fine. Maybe it's just an expensive lesson I was destined to learn? I will say that if the saw is trashed, I'm going to get a Stihl. I know it wasn't the saw's fault that it was trashed but did think my buddy's MS 390 was a better saw. I'll see what the dealer has to say and will go from there. Either way, I am going to keep the Husky to tear it apart and learn more about how these small engines operate. Who knows, I may end up fixing the thing myself just to say I've done so?

Thanks so much for your responses!

if you do get the 390 muffler mod it really wakes the saw up.

 

[GASoline71]

Once you get the muffler off... you will easily be able to spot the damage on a straight gassed saw... with out a doubt... trust me.

Gary

 

[Cliff R]

I'm pretty sure the 455 is a "clamshell" design, so freeing up a ring with a small amount of aluminum smeared over it, isn't going to be easy. That's the biggest down-side of those models, the case has to be split for P/C repairs, piston replacment, ring(s), etc.

Just about as easy and cost effective to get another saw, unless you can do all the work yourself, and don't have to buy another short-block.....Cliff

 

[mountainlake]

The clamshell engines I've had apart were not bad to work on at all, if you had to replace bearings, sure makes that a LOT easier, with just a P@C change a little more time consuming . Steve

 

[cjcocn]

Check your PMs before you take that saw in to the shop.

As has been stated previously, there are a lot of members here who can help you out with repairs.

 

[bitzer]

Like mentioned above, clamshell design repairs are easier for bearings and seals and such because effectivly their is no crankcase to split. The bottom of the clam with the top end completes the assembly. You can also take a flashlight and look through the spark plug hole at the exhaust port, but pulling the muffler off by unscrewing the three allen bolts is the easiest. The last time I checked an AS site sponsor Chainsawr.com has a used 455 topend for like $65. He also has the piston. Both look good and if that P & C is shot that would be a steal. Like the others said we can walk you through the process. I have a 455 and have taken it apart several times and I know others here have too. Save some money and DIY!

Here's the link: http://store.chainsawr.com/search?q=husqvarna+455+cylinder

 

[bozzchem]

I'm gonna give it a shot! I figure I can't make it worse than dead.

When I get home tonight I'll pull the muffler and post pics and/or a description of what I see.

I've always wanted to learn how to work on 2 cycle engines so it seems high time to do so. Hell, if I learn how to do this right I can probably fix the other chainsaw and the blower too!

Thanks all!

 

[Cliff R]

Turning over freely is a good sign. We have salvaged scores of "dead" saws without spending any money on them at all, after getting leaned out or straight gassed. It a high percentage of cases, just enough aluminum is "smeared" over the ring/rings so that they will not expand and seal against the cylinder wall.

A pocket knife, a few hand tools, some fine autobody sandpaper and a half hour or so labor is often all that is needed to get them back in perfect running order.

(Triple that labor time for clam-shell designs)......Cliff

 

[bozzchem]

(Triple that labor time for clam-shell designs)......Cliff

Lucky me. My first go at it and I've got a clam-shell design...

 

[dragrcr]

you will be fine, and no matter what, you will still be ahead compared to the shop...

 

[bitzer]

Lucky me. My first go at it and I've got a clam-shell design...

Actually this is about as easy a clamshell as they get. Much easier than some Stihls. The flywheel and clutch do not need to be removed. For the teardown: Their are three bolts on the handle that need to come off first. The handle splits and then you can remove the trigger and throttle lock. Take pics if you need to for reassembly. Then with the top cover off unsnap the plastic blue piece that holds the throtle linkage to the carb. You can then unhook the linkage. Snap the blue piece back in so the top, shorter strato linkage does not fall out. Next there are three bolts you need to unscrew where the av springs connect the handle housing to the engine housing. One of them is above the fuel cap, the next on the right side of the cylinder, and the last on the chain catcher. The handle should now be free and if you pull it back and to the right it will come away from the rest of the saw. Next the carb is held in the saw by two rubber pieces at the back and four bolts. Unscrew the bolts and then with a screwdriver slip the rubber pieces off. One of the primer hoses has to come off and the fuel line (make sure there is no fuel in the tank when you pull the line or you will have fuel everywhere). The carb should now be free and you can pull it. Also take the muffler off. Nearly everything on this saw uses 4mm and 5mm hex wrench, you are going to need a T handle type for the cylinder bolts for sure. You can get them at Menards or most hardware stores for pretty cheap. On the underside of the saw you should now be able to see all four mounting bolts. Undo those and they like to sound like they are breaking when they come out (kind of disturbing at first), but they won't. The cylinder should be free. Turn the crank until the piston is BDC and then hold the clutch with one hand and pull the cylinder gently up with the other. If you need to change cylinders you may need to remove the intake flange. The piston has a small circlip on the side and this needs to be removed to get the wrist pin out that holds the piston to the connecting rod. You can use a larger hex wrench or something similar as a drift to push the pin out. When re-assembling lubricate the piston and cylinder with a thin film of oil. You do not need a piston ring clamp for this one. They made it so you can slide the cylinder over it and it feeds the ring in on its own, just take it easy and check for smooth movement once the cylinder is bolted down. As clamshells go this one is easy. Also before re-installing the cylinder oil the flange seals where the cylinder base meets the bottom of the clam and the oil seals. They did not use a sealant with this clamshell design so it is a quick and clean re-assembly.


Oh yeah one more thing. When you re-install the four bolts that hold the carb assembly on, make sure not to overtighten. They are spinning into a plastic flange material and the material is very easily stripped.

 

[bozzchem]

Holy damn. I pulled the muffler and the front of the piston looks like someone took a carbide tipped screwdriver and had their way with it. I cycled the piston so I could get a look at the back of the chamber and it looked scored as well. Nowhere near as bad as the piston but the scoring was plainly visible.

I'm guessing I'll need a new piston and head? A quick search showed them to be in the neighborhood of $290. I'd rather get a new saw than drop that much on trying to fix this one considering the amount of time it'll probably take me to fix it. I think I paid $399 for the saw.

Based on my description, what are my options? If this were a car, I'd have the cylinder bored out and use an oversized piston since the walls are scored and I'd be leery of it keeping compression with a stock sized piston.

It looks like the 455 uses a 47mm piston and the 460 uses a 49mm piston. Would it be feasible to have the cylinder bored to 49mm and then use a 460 piston assembly? Even if that were possible, what kind of coin would we be talking about to have the cylinder bored?

Thanks!

(and I thought parts for my Harley were expensive!)