Roper 3.7 tear down and rebuild

[s sidewall]

It would have to seem that someone pulled the manual oiler assembly at some point, but I'm not familiar with there being an open hole here, or that these models were sold without a manual oiler pump. Would of course like to see some photos. You're sure though that the auto oiler still oils when you use your saw?

I have not come up with a duckbill valve for my saw(s) manual oiler as of yet, but I really haven't looked. I've just been using other saws in my pile and the Ropers are just gathering dust.

I took a green Poulan duckbill valve and cut to fit mine and seemed to work OK.

Steve

 

[Opihi59]

^^ Any chance you'd have a part number on that? What was it that required cutting, etc and where?

 

[s sidewall]

EBay has the green Poulan types, had trim the base diameter down.

Steve

 

[s sidewall]

Poulan valves are all the same

Steve

 

[Opihi59]

Thank you very much for the pro-tip, I'll look into that Steve.

 

[JonCraig]

Hoping I'm not hijacking this thread. Working on a newer Roper 3.7, the fatter looking one w/ the plastic fuel & oil tanks. Type 643M108. Lower rod bearing took a dump. Anyone know a part # & source for them? Thanks!

 

[Opihi59]

Not a hijack at all. Happy to see another Roper restorer here. Earlier in this thread, page one, there was a suggestion from Mastermind that Homelite XL12 series chainsaw roller bearings would work. I didn't try that myself, but their parts list shows 31 needles as required on my Roper, and I have to say the exploded diagrams look really similar to my Ropers. Go to page 6, item #28 on this list below.

http://www.barrettsmallengine.com/partslist/HomeliteXL12.pdf

Part number: A69054, 1 ROLLER SET (31)

Some shop is bound to have them, and of course, let us know how it turns out for your saw.

For Steve, I have ordered one of the duckbill valves you suggested, and when it comes in I'll see if it will work in the oiler of my Roper so I can get my saws back into the wood again.

 

[JonCraig]

Thank you. Just ordered a set & will update thread with how they fare.

 

[hotshot]

Pretty sure you two are talking about two different Roper check valves (Opihi59 & Steve).

The little green duckbill that Steve is talking about fits in the center tank line fitting, the black one in the manual oiler
that you need is a big, like the kegerator beer charger fitting. There are a couple of complete Roper plunger oiler assemblies
still on ebay...just wont know if the valve is good unless the seller has tested them, or you do.

 

[Opihi59]

Thanks Hotshot, always appreciate your input on these sort of issues. I pretty much figured it is a long shot. I don't have a way of knowing dimensions of the green duckbill valve as it isn't listed online, and I don't have a shop on my island where I can go hold one in my hand. Of course getting an ebay plunger/oiler assembly is also a krapshoot, but they cost more than the $3.50 invested in the green valve. I found the various duckbills in aquarium air hoses used as an anti-reflux valve is way too big. To me, the Roper one is pretty tiny. So I suppose the green one is really on the micro scale.
I checked at the only home brew store here in the state, and got the proverbial deer in the headlights stare when inquiring of kegerator beer charger fittings. I do homebrew, made my own Keezers, etc but at this point don't keg but bottle. My oldest son kegs his brews but wasn't familiar with what you have mentioned.

I'll keep digging around, though slowly I suppose til I come up with something I can get to work. I have used penrose drains to fabricate temporary heimlich valves, as well as a rubber glove with a finger tip cut off, and have even considered trying to find some very very thin (as in balloon thin) rubber tubing that I can fashion as a one-way valve for the oiler, but just haven't made progress on this. I don't expect anything will fall into my lap, but I'm keeping my eyes open.

 

[hotshot]

Yep, I looked and could find nothing close to replacing that big honker.
Maybe you could buy a fleabay used one, and your state side relative could receive
it, then bring it out to you on her next visit...just saying

 

[Opihi59]

Somewhere, there's a place that specializes in duckbill valve, and has various dusty piles of every size valve imaginable in a dimly lit shop/warehouse. I suppose that's just fantasy of course, but somebody somewhere knows a source. I'll keep poking around of course. I have found places online that seem to specialize in these but sell only in bulk, etc. Who really wants to send someone a bunch of samples anyway? There are a ton of applications where duckbill valves are used in a variety of industries, I just need to find some of these items and take them apart and try to scavenge/salvage something acceptable.

 

[JonCraig]

Thank you. Just ordered a set & will update thread with how they fare.

Welp, they came in, and they're a tad shorter, but seemed to be the same diameter. Seemed to fit around the crank just right & all felt fine.

Got the whole thing back together and it ran for ~9 seconds before it stopped abruptly. I'm thinking it was from the flywheel-side crank bearing. I reassembled with just motoseal (there was a gasket before), and it felt a little tight. I think it needs that extra clearance from the thickness of the gasket. Hopefully it'll come apart again.

Anyway, here's pics of the homelight needles vs the Roper (the one on the right):

 

[Opihi59]

Would be nice if they're the same length, but I suppose the end play may not really matter. Most critical is the diameter of the individual needles. Thank you much for sharing your experience and of course those great photos!!

On another note I am awaiting arrival of the poulan duckbill valve I ordered and as of yet have no input on that issue. I did contact a few duckbill sources but it seems that all I could come up with were the suppliers who expected me to purchase in lots of 10,000 units. While I could perhaps mislead them and say I wanted a few various samples for testing purposes, that would just be too wrong for me to sleep with on my conscience. I suppose I'll continue this quest weakly and see what comes my way. Of course, you know there will be more to follow on this topic as I do have an affinity for these awesome Ropers.

 

[s sidewall]

Well if you think about it, you would be testing to see what works best for your need and for durability.

Steve

 

[JonCraig]

The bearing cap screws failed. Spectacularly. I don't know if the needles themselves contributed or not.

 

[s sidewall]

Looked like a needle nearing got the piston, cylinder looks the same I guess,man that six, sorry to see that.

Steve

 

[JonCraig]

Yeah--The bearing cap came loose, needles got out and wrecked everything. Not sure if the needles didn't sit right & allowed the whole works to shift, which loosened the screws, or if I didn't notice that the screws were worn when I reassembled. Chicken and egg kinda deal.

In any case, it's all toast. In any case, I figure I've worked on 50 or 60 saws, and this is the first one I've roasted. Not too bad. And considering I bought the saw for $10, and put $10 bearing and $10 carb kit in it, I'm not too deep into a failure. ;-)

 

[67L36Driver]

Blue Locktite may have helped.

I use it as part of my old saw with cap screws routine.

 

[s sidewall]

Sad to have an old saw get toasted. Parts for those are far and between, far from here and probably between to post in an old barn.

Steve