First post, long time reader...
I got a MS361 in need of a rebuild due to a shot piston. When I tore down the saw, it was obvious that the cases had more corrosion than typical, especially on the flywheel side. Thinking the corrosion was not a devastating problem, I bead blasted the cases when it was apart, filled the pitted areas with JB weld and threw a coat of paint over it to help prevent further corrosion damage. I got the Farmer Tec piston/cylinder/bearing etc kit and put the saw back together. As a side note, the aftermarket parts were not the worst in the world after I had them send me a free cylinder because the first one had a porosity hole in the plating... but the customer service was quick to send a new one. I got the saw together enough to try starting it, and it had 150 psi compression and fired right up. Unfortunately it had the telltale signs of an air leak because it would not idle correctly. I pressure tested it, and found a leak on the flywheel side, next to the seal. The elastomer seal was not leaking, but the case itself was right outside of the seal. I lightly ground the paint back to find a small crack in the case in this area, associated with the corrosion.
On the plus side, this certainly seems like the root cause of why it needed a piston and cylinder job.
Now i'm stuck with a few options:
1) Get a replacement half case for the flywheel side. I could not find in my searches if the MS361 cases are interchangeable or if i need a set of matching halves. If anyone knows, that would be good info. There is a guy on ebay selling a crank side half for $31 including shipping. That said, the clutch side is not exactly pristine condition, and it would not be great to have the other side fail immediately after i get the saw running.
2) Get a used whole case. There is one on ebay for $100 with a crank, which seems a bit too steep for something that could have its own problems.
3) Get an aftermarket Chinese case for around $50 with bearings and seals. Does anyone have experience with these, such as the Farmer Tec or any others?
Thanks in advance for your help!
I got a MS361 in need of a rebuild due to a shot piston. When I tore down the saw, it was obvious that the cases had more corrosion than typical, especially on the flywheel side. Thinking the corrosion was not a devastating problem, I bead blasted the cases when it was apart, filled the pitted areas with JB weld and threw a coat of paint over it to help prevent further corrosion damage. I got the Farmer Tec piston/cylinder/bearing etc kit and put the saw back together. As a side note, the aftermarket parts were not the worst in the world after I had them send me a free cylinder because the first one had a porosity hole in the plating... but the customer service was quick to send a new one. I got the saw together enough to try starting it, and it had 150 psi compression and fired right up. Unfortunately it had the telltale signs of an air leak because it would not idle correctly. I pressure tested it, and found a leak on the flywheel side, next to the seal. The elastomer seal was not leaking, but the case itself was right outside of the seal. I lightly ground the paint back to find a small crack in the case in this area, associated with the corrosion.
On the plus side, this certainly seems like the root cause of why it needed a piston and cylinder job.
Now i'm stuck with a few options:
1) Get a replacement half case for the flywheel side. I could not find in my searches if the MS361 cases are interchangeable or if i need a set of matching halves. If anyone knows, that would be good info. There is a guy on ebay selling a crank side half for $31 including shipping. That said, the clutch side is not exactly pristine condition, and it would not be great to have the other side fail immediately after i get the saw running.
2) Get a used whole case. There is one on ebay for $100 with a crank, which seems a bit too steep for something that could have its own problems.
3) Get an aftermarket Chinese case for around $50 with bearings and seals. Does anyone have experience with these, such as the Farmer Tec or any others?
Thanks in advance for your help!
