Husqvarna 44 - would like some advice on mods

[SawNahb]

My dad got this little 44 in the late '90s and its been in service every year cutting firewood for a wood/oil furnace. It was getting pretty hot, so I took the muffler off the other day so I could get the airgun to some of the insane amount of sludge, and found that the baffle was still in the muffler and there seemed to be a good performance increase after I removed it. I also noticed the piston and cylinder are in great shape from what I could see through there, which surprises me, especially knowing what its been through in the last 20 years... it hasn't had the easiest life. The hidden sludge I blasted out the other day was pretty much packed in solid everywhere except where the fan kept itself clear.
This little saw is BAD to the bone, and I really want to give it the care it deserves. Now even with the 18" bar it feels like the bar is falling through a decent sized and extremely solid locust log(around 15-16" dia.).

Since it is my favorite saw ever I'm planning to tear it down or at least take the cylinder off, both to inspect it further to make sure nothing is worn enough to warrant replacement, and to check on the possibility of a gasket delete and porting. I don't have any kind of caliper to take the measurements so I guess it would be wise to order one first and measure the squish. Also what should I consider as far far as porting? I want to ncrease the performance a bit more, but not so much that the saw isn't as reliable.

PS. Any idea what year this is? I guessed early-mid '80s by the silver tag and black top, but idk.
**Edit** Are there any cylinders with a bigger bore that fit these saws? I saw the 51 has the same stroke length, and a couple of other saws did too. As long as I can use the current carb/filter or find something that fits without having to modify any of the external parts I'd seriously consider trying something like that.

 

[kentuckyguy]

Following

 

[Karrl]

I have zero experience with the 44 but I know Tinman on YouTube is a fan.

 

[cscltd]

44, and sister 444 are great saws, very well built. other cylinders will not fit from 50 series family.
i would just clean it up, maybe throw a oem carb kit in it and leave stock
made in 38th week of1986
treat it with kid gloves as parts are scarce

 

[computeruser]

I’ve owned them stock and ported. Nice in both forms. But parts are scarce and hard to find anymore. Keep enjoying it, for sureC but I’d find something else that is more modern and you can get parts for to tinker with.

 

[Huskybill]

I rank the older 240se/Sg in with these too. I have 44’s , 350’s, 240’s., 444sg.

 

[Backstage]

I’ve owned them stock and ported. Nice in both forms. But parts are scarce and hard to find anymore. Keep enjoying it, for sureC but I’d find something else that is more modern and you can get parts for to tinker with.

My thoughts exactly, unless you’re very experienced with porting. A saw with sentimental value like this? I’d give it a solid cleaning, replace worn parts, etc.

 

[Huskybill]

With my older husky 240sg I used 33 LG .050” chain 66 DL 16” bar with a 9T rim. Stock motor she kicked butt.

 

[dboyd351]

Agree with the others - clean her up and keep her purring. If you want to learn saw mods do it on something that has not been your most faithful servant for 40 years.

 

[nwhunter]

As old as it is it might be worth doing a vacuum check, seals do get hard and crack over time.

 

[Huskvarna hotellgäst]

Another "Keep it stock" recommendation from me.

 

[SawNahb]

Thanks for the replies! I was considering getting a replacement cylinder to modify first, but from what I've heard and read there are fairly wide variances from one to the next. The seals are pretty old, so I do plan to pick up a gasket/bearing kit and replace those when I have some warmer whether. I'm not one of those smart people who cuts wood before winter... I'm one of those idiots out there cutting wood with snow falling.

What about a gasket delete when I take it apart, and is the stuff that costs $60/tube for snowmobiles the only option for sealing the two surfaces?

I haven't really looked too closely, but I assume there's a gasket where the crank case comes apart too. When I do something like a water pump on a vehicle I usually put a thin layer of RTV on the gasket itself, but I don't think RTV and gasoline are a good mix unless someone can tell me different. What should I use there?

 

[Huskvarna hotellgäst]

I haven't really looked too closely, but I assume there's a gasket where the crank case comes apart too. When I do something like a water pump on a vehicle I usually put a thin layer of RTV on the gasket itself, but I don't think RTV and gasoline are a good mix unless someone can tell me different. What should I use there?

Use the stock gasket if you can find one. Check the case halves are flat against a known flat surface. Thick float glass is good for this.
1988 44 "Special' parts list attached. (This one had an IIDA DENKI ignition trigger module and a Bosch coil.)

 

[Backstage]

Thanks for the replies! I was considering getting a replacement cylinder to modify first, but from what I've heard and read there are fairly wide variances from one to the next. The seals are pretty old, so I do plan to pick up a gasket/bearing kit and replace those when I have some warmer whether. I'm not one of those smart people who cuts wood before winter... I'm one of those idiots out there cutting wood with snow falling.

What about a gasket delete when I take it apart, and is the stuff that costs $60/tube for snowmobiles the only option for sealing the two surfaces?

I haven't really looked too closely, but I assume there's a gasket where the crank case comes apart too. When I do something like a water pump on a vehicle I usually put a thin layer of RTV on the gasket itself, but I don't think RTV and gasoline are a good mix unless someone can tell me different. What should I use there?

No RTV. Wrong stuff. There's fancier stuff, but Motoseal is the product that's designed for this application, generally available, and works reliably.