Stihl 026 rebuild

[camel2019]

Does your fingernail catch in any of the scores either side of the exhaust port? If so it will be tough to save the cylinder. Personally I don't use a drill, because it can be too harsh. I sand by hand using 120-180 grit for ages. Don't sand in and out of the cylinder but in circles around the perimeter/circumference. Get a piston that fits really well.

Pressure and vac test is essential to avoid wasting money on parts.

I did a quick fingernail test didn’t feel any catching to speak of.
With the way the saw looks I’m going to change out the crank seals and possibly all the gaskets and fuel line tank breather ect.

 

[muddy42]

I did a quick fingernail test didn’t feel any catching to speak of.
With the way the saw looks I’m going to change out the crank seals and possibly all the gaskets and fuel line tank breather ect.

Great. If your fingernail doesn't catch, it should polish out. Take your time use oil or soap as a lube and do this by hand in a circular motion in the orientation of the rings. Be very careful replacing seals, the first time you do them its very easy to scratch the metal of the crank or the case. Or peel back the inner lip of the seal. Again mityvac test is essential.

 

[camel2019]

How are the lil red barn pistons I was scrolling evilbay and found a pop up piston for it was wondering if theirs any benefits to this.

 

[pioneerguy600]

How are the lil red barn pistons I was scrolling evilbay and found a pop up piston for it was wondering if theirs any benefits to this.

Not a good choice for the 026, a flat top piston works the best in them, it is easy enough to get all the compression needed to make power n them, it is the upper transfers that need work to bring out the best in them. The stock piston is not flat but slightly domed. The pop ups work in some cylinders that it is not easy to raise compression in. There is other problems with making power from pop up pistons.

 

[camel2019]

Not a good choice for the 026, a flat top piston works the best in them, it is easy enough to get all the compression needed to make power n them, it is the upper transfers that need work to bring out the best in them. The stock piston is not flat but slightly domed. The pop ups work in some cylinders that it is not easy to raise compression in. There is other problems with making power from pop up pistons.

Still don’t know how I feel about doing port work myself just yet. I got a lot on the go at the moment getting things ready for this season that’s kinda why I took the Stihl down to see what it needs and threw it back together. I did recently figure out the homelite xl12 cylinders will fit the pioneer 1100 type saws as well so now aftermarket cylinders are an option on that.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Still don’t know how I feel about doing port work myself just yet. I got a lot on the go at the moment getting things ready for this season that’s kinda why I took the Stihl down to see what it needs and threw it back together. I did recently figure out the homelite xl12 cylinders will fit the pioneer 1100 type saws as well so now aftermarket cylinders are an option on that.

If you don`t want to do any port work or modifications to the cylinder then the next best thing is to open up the muffler exit hole to as big as possible and still have the factory deflector in place. Then drill out or open up the 3 holes in the internal baffle to increase flow . Like most all Stihl saws of that era they had choked down exhaust.Use a WT194 carb and that will give a noticeable increase in power output. The 026 is really limited by port flow from the bottom end up to the combustion chamber so to get more from them a bit of grinding and dropping the cylinder is needed.

 

[camel2019]

If you don`t want to do any port work or modifications to the cylinder then the next best thing is to open up the muffler exit hole to as big as possible and still have the factory deflector in place. Then drill out or open up the 3 holes in the internal baffle to increase flow . Like most all Stihl saws of that era they had choked down exhaust.Use a WT194 carb and that will give a noticeable increase in power output. The 026 is really limited by port flow from the bottom end up to the combustion chamber so to get more from them a bit of grinding and dropping the cylinder is needed.

It came with a 194 thankfully I planned on opening up the muffler after I clean out the carbon.

 

[EchovsStihl63]

I was given a trashed 026 with a super XL Auto that I bought from an estate sale. It makes yours look like it is in excellent shape lol. Mine pulls over but I suspect the P/C is smoked cause the compression seems meh. May pull it down and do as you are doing, or sell it for parts, have not decided yet, most of the plastic covers are missing as well