Stihl 034 super air filter and clutch drum question

[david newbie]

I recently picked up this saw, all it needs is a carb. I have a tillotsen HE-20 on order. It seems like 034 air filters are small, scarce and expensive. can I simply put on an 036 air filter, are they easier to come by and better? I know my tank vent is too tall???? Also have heard mention of the clutch drum bearing being a potential problem? What do you think, and is it simple to change that? Saw is in great shape, piston looks excellent, and cold and dry it had about 160 psi with my tester. One more question, I have a husky 359 with a new top end and base gasket, , how will this saw compare, as they are very similar size and weight?

 

[windthrown]

Yeah, you need the larger 360 clutch drum and bearing upgrade. O/w you can fry the smaller bearing in these. Some will say not to bother, but why risk it? The ones in there now can be sold as a set to anyone with a 029/290/310/039/390 saw as a rim drive upgrade to the spur sproket set on those saws.

 

[windthrown]

The 034 Super should have more power than the Husky 359 (4.6HP vs 3.9HP). At least on paper. The 034S/036/360 saws were one of the best ever series made by Stihl. They are up there with the 361, the 660 and the 026 in my book.

 

[david newbie]

The 034 Super should have more power than the Husky 359 (4.6HP vs 3.9HP). At least on paper. The 034S/036/360 saws were one of the best ever series made by Stihl. They are up there with the 361, the 660 and the 026 in my book.

Any thoughts on air filter?

 

[PA Dan]

Have both the 359 and 034 Super and love them both. The 359 is ported and the 034 isn't so not a fair assessment. I'll check on my filter tomorrow and see what I got.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Check the bearing for condition. If it’s ok, grease it and use it until the rim sprocket is worn out, then upgrade. Re air filter, I’d suggest going with the size designed for it.

 

[david newbie]

Check the bearing for condition. If it’s ok, grease it and use it until the rim sprocket is worn out, then upgrade. Re air filter, I’d suggest going with the size designed for it.

was looking online for the clutch drum and bigger bearing. It's confusing cuz I'm not sure about part numbers and sellers are not very specific about which kind they are selling, bigger bearing or smaller bearing and drum

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Your Stihl dealer will only have the upgraded version. Best to check with them.

 

[windthrown]

From an earlier post by Tommy Hall (THall on AS, a Stihl dealer back east) where he posted about the 036 drum kit upgrade. Pretty much says its a mandatory thing, as he has seen a lot of saws with the smaller failed bearings that fail and grenade the saws to crap. Its not just about keeping them greased. Its about the torque that the engine puts on the bearings.

THall10326:

What you bought is a well known issue with 036's. The sprocket bearing would let loose in them, sometimes the clutch carrier clips would break and get in behind the clutch and tear up hell. They would wipe out the oil line and the worm gear tang too. Sometimes the broken parts would get behind the clutch and grind a hole right through the crankcase. The major upgrade when the MS360 took the 036's place was all in the clutch area. Check the end of the crankshaft real close and you will probably notice its concaved from all the movement of the sprocket flopping around on it, if it is she's DONE, not worth fooling with, crankshafts aren't cheap...

Seen so many of those saws over the years with the same problem. It stems from folks never maintaining the clutch area. Bearing never grease, springs never replaced and so on. Even so that area of that saw is a weak link and caused a lot of issues. Thats why it was all beefed up with the MS360 using the big sprocket bearing kits. I think the clutch springs were even enhanced abit to prevent breaking. 036 is a good saw but the MS360 is a better saw all due to the clutch area upgrade. I've never seen a 360 clutch fly apart but I've sure seen plenty of 036's loose it in the clutch area.

The first 036's were prone to blow sprocket bearings. When it happened the sprocket would wobble, cut the oil line and sometimes cut into the oil pump. The second issue was the plate behind the clutch being too small. If you broke a clutch spring it would lodge in under the small plate and chew up pure hell. They resolved these issues by offer a sprocket kit with a larger bearing and offering a larger plate to go behind the clutch. If you go to any up to snuff Stihl dealer they should have the new sprocket kit with the larger bearing and the larger plate in stock. Its a well known problem with the 036's. There were many tech updates concerning the clutch issues on those saws. Once remendied the 036 is a pretty good saw, was no other issues with them that I know of.

 

[david newbie]

From an earlier post by Tommy Hall (THall on AS, a Stihl dealer back east) where he posted about the 036 drum kit upgrade. Pretty much says its a mandatory thing, as he has seen a lot of saws with the smaller failed bearings that fail and grenade the saws to crap. Its not just about keeping them greased. Its about the torque that the engine puts on the bearings.

THall10326:

What you bought is a well known issue with 036's. The sprocket bearing would let loose in them, sometimes the clutch carrier clips would break and get in behind the clutch and tear up hell. They would wipe out the oil line and the worm gear tang too. Sometimes the broken parts would get behind the clutch and grind a hole right through the crankcase. The major upgrade when the MS360 took the 036's place was all in the clutch area. Check the end of the crankshaft real close and you will probably notice its concaved from all the movement of the sprocket flopping around on it, if it is she's DONE, not worth fooling with, crankshafts aren't cheap...

Seen so many of those saws over the years with the same problem. It stems from folks never maintaining the clutch area. Bearing never grease, springs never replaced and so on. Even so that area of that saw is a weak link and caused a lot of issues. Thats why it was all beefed up with the MS360 using the big sprocket bearing kits. I think the clutch springs were even enhanced abit to prevent breaking. 036 is a good saw but the MS360 is a better saw all due to the clutch area upgrade. I've never seen a 360 clutch fly apart but I've sure seen plenty of 036's loose it in the clutch area.

The first 036's were prone to blow sprocket bearings. When it happened the sprocket would wobble, cut the oil line and sometimes cut into the oil pump. The second issue was the plate behind the clutch being too small. If you broke a clutch spring it would lodge in under the small plate and chew up pure hell. They resolved these issues by offer a sprocket kit with a larger bearing and offering a larger plate to go behind the clutch. If you go to any up to snuff Stihl dealer they should have the new sprocket kit with the larger bearing and the larger plate in stock. Its a well known problem with the 036's. There were many tech updates concerning the clutch issues on those saws. Once remendied the 036 is a pretty good saw, was no other issues with them that I know of.

Wow thanks for that info

 

[windthrown]

Wow thanks for that info

No problem. This is just from past discussions on AS that I and others have had about this saw's Achilles' Heel. As the saw in your photos seems to have had a lot of run time on it, I would replace the bearing sooner rather than later.

Here is the Stihl technical bulletin on the clutch drum and bearing upgrade options on the 034Super/036.

 

[SteveSr]

Any thoughts on air filter?

CANNOT be easily changed to accept the newer 036 style. Tank, plastics, other stuff has to change.

OEM AF is still available but you may have to order it in individual "halves". This is the route that I went with mine.

 

[president]

was looking online for the clutch drum and bigger bearing. It's confusing cuz I'm not sure about part numbers and sellers are not very specific about which kind they are selling, bigger bearing or smaller bearing and drum

put the bearing and rim sprocket that is standard
on the 044/ms440 1128 series

 

[SteveSr]

put the bearing and rim sprocket that is standard
on the 044/ms440 1128 series

The OP might also want to consider upgrading to the 1128 series clutch which has a reliable grenade washer and engages at a slightly higher RPM so the chain won't creep at idle. I also added this upgrade to mine.

 

[david newbie]

I'm afraid I'm still confused. I ordered this Tillotson carb. HE-20A. It has both a throttle butterfly AND a choke butterfly. However, seems like many of the air filters I find on line for an 034 have a choke built into the air filter? So, do I have the wrong carb? ( btw, new carb came with an extra metering top cover with just a small hoe in top , intellicarb?) Or, am I looking at the wrong air filters? Confused in Oregon. also, this saw came with a used filter in the box that can't be the right one? It's teeny weeny and has the number 1121 120 1620. Is that an 024 filter?

 

[SteveSr]

I'm afraid I'm still confused. I ordered this Tillotson carb. HE-20A.

Why did you order that carb? What makes you think that it fits an 034 saw?

also, this saw came with a used filter in the box that can't be the right one? It's teeny weeny and has the number 1121 120 1620. Is that an 024 filter?

1121 is the series for the 024/026/ms260 and there were several different styles.

 

[david newbie]

Why did you order that carb? What makes you think that it fits an 034 saw?


1121 is the series for the 024/026/ms260 and there were several different styles.

well, cuz I'm not so smart?...... I saw in a couple places that it was an acceptable carb for an 034. I will check my sources, but just because it's on the internet, I guess that does not make it true. also saw it mentioned as a replacement for zama C3A-S31E? you got a spare carb?

 

[david newbie]

As for the carb, the Zama C3A-S4 and Tillotson HK34-B would be good choices.

according to jack's small engine zama c3a-s4 has been superseded by Tillotson HE-20A. So I'm still kind of lost

 

[david newbie]

Your 034 Super would have left the factory with either a Zama C3A-S4 or the Tillotson HK34-B.....IMHO the Japanese made Zama C3A is the better of the carbs, that's not to say the Tillotson isn't as good, just getting harder to find parts for. The HE-20A is a blanket replacement of 1125 series saws, ie 034 / 036 / MS360 etc.

thanks, although I'm not sure if that Zama is still available, ? as it's been superseded. ( Unless you know where to find either of those?). thanks again

 

[cookies]

That carb fits, there are 2 types/styles of air filter available. that carb takes the new style, you can simply swap the carb top(diaphragm cover) for the standard one and run the old style of filter. Keep the old style bearing greased and replace it every 3 chains and it should be ok. oregon has a rim sprocket kit and bearing you can get for about 30 bucks.Stens makes a kit and bearing as well.

Oregon 34162X
Oregon 37325​