MS 361 Back to Dealer for Tune

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jramstead

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I have run a little over 10 tanks of gas thru my new 361. I believe I read on here I should take it back to the dealer to ck the setup. I called him and today and told him how much I had run it and when was a good time to bring it in for a check. He told me it wasn't necessary. I then told him I had read on the site for Stihls most recomend this process. Is it rocket science or can I adjust this myself by ear when cutting in the mountains or should I take it back and have the mechanic ck it?
Thanks for the Help
John Ramstead
Great Falls, Montana
Go Saints
 
i wonder why your dealer says that its not nessesary... its your money isnt it? i wonder why he doesnt want it... ive always had decent fortune tuning by ear... rev up and turn the high screw out till it starts to bog just a little... i think theres a little tuning blurp on this site somewhere... search :hmm3grin2orange:
 
jramstead said:
I have run a little over 10 tanks of gas thru my new 361. I believe I read on here I should take it back to the dealer to ck the setup. I called him and today and told him how much I had run it and when was a good time to bring it in for a check. He told me it wasn't necessary. I then told him I had read on the site for Stihls most recomend this process. Is it rocket science or can I adjust this myself by ear when cutting in the mountains or should I take it back and have the mechanic ck it?
Thanks for the Help
John Ramstead
Great Falls, Montana
Go Saints
My Stihl/Husky dealer always does it for his customers, it doesn't take long, they have a tach. Insist it gets done. WTF, why piss off someone over something so petty?
 
thanks for the help. I did find the madsen site and it helped.
I'll go by tomorrow and have them do it. Appreciate all your help, everyone.:chainsaw:
 
Hopefully, you and the dealer are at the same elevation as being in the mountains makes a difference, need to make it a tad leaner above 5000'. Madsens' article is pretty fool proof.

What I do is turn both jets in; then back them both back out as shown on the outside of the cover. Start the saw; let it warm up, then rev it a time or two to get it running at a good idle. Now on the "L" jet, turn it in slowly until you hear it bog down a little; back it off the other way until you again hear it bog down a little, obviously its then half way between the two that you need to position the "L" jet. This is the right position for easy starting. Now you can play with the LA to get the optimum idle setting.

Do a repeat performance with the "H" jet, only you listen at wide open throttle, by that I mean rev it up to wide open throttle (WOT) and listen to the engine, does it have a slight 'ripple' or 4 cycle sound? That's great. But to be sure, now turn it in 1/8th of a turn and rev it wide open again and listen. If its now running faster and smoother, then its too lean, back it back off 1/8th. If you want to be sure now, then keep backing off in 1/8 turn increments, until its obviously starting to get sluggish at WOT. Now start bringing it back in in small increments until it has only a slight 4 cycle sound and you are on the money with the "H" jet. Too rich is better than too lean; but, you don't get max performance at either one; its best at the right point of a slight 4 cycle sound at WOT.

Now proof of the pudding is when you put the saw in a good solid cut and run it at WOT instead of hearing a 4 cycle sound, the engine smooths out perfectly. Now you know you have it right. Max rpm and max power.

I have two 361's and that's how I tune mine. Its essentially what Madsen's is saying too. Good luck. And trust yourself, you don't have to pay the dealer to do this and you will probably do it quite well yourself if you just take your time.
 
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Don't be shy about taking it back for a quick tune. Any decent dealer will do it for free after the initial breakin. Mine did it for me. Plus you just spent a decent amount of $ there. It took all of 2 min after the saw was warmed up.
 
I too recently bought my first stihl and after i had maybe 20 tanks through it took it in and asked him to retune it. He finished helping the customer he was with took my saw with my mix in it in the back room you hear vroom vroom then wine wine higher pitched wine then four stroke then wine wine wine wine and he comes back with a nicely tuned saw and says thanks for shopping with stihl.
 

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