Stihl 10 Cube 090

[Hdtoolmkr765]

I’ve had a couple people ask me to post some more information on this saw. This saw actually had some pictures posted on here years ago while it was owned by the previous collector. If there are any further pictures anyone would like to see, just ask.

I’ve heard multiple stories regarding the legendary 10 cube in the couple years I’ve owned and researched it. I will post the stories I’ve heard and I’m open to hearing stories others have heard. I will start with the very limited facts that I have regarding this saw and follow with the stories I have heard, lastly some pictures.

Facts:
1. The Mahle cylinder is 72mm bore, single “dyke” style ring on a Mahle piston.
2. OEM standard 090 cases do not have the required clearance in the cases for the 72mm piston traveling below the mounting flange of the cylinder. This particular saws cases have been machined or bored on a machine.
3. The cylinder is coated with a type of black coating.
4. The cylinder on this saw has finger ports that also have this coating.
5. This saw has the standard 090 crankshaft.
6. The saw has 4 tapered studs that the cylinder slides over, then the head on top of that, the removable cylinder head has 4 additional bolts connecting the head to the cylinder for a total of 8 fasteners for the cylinder head.
7. This saw has had the exhaust louvre and choke flapped removed.
8. I have researched this particular saw back far enough to know it has a racing history, rather that was Stihls intention or not.
9. The saw at Madsens has the original decomp hole plugged in the top cover identical to this saw in my collection.
10. This saw does not have a typical Stihl serial number in the typical serial number location, it is instead an alphanumeric “number”

Story 1…. Stihl, the corporation, had nothing to do with the 10 cube. They were a creation by a distributor that had some topends made to install on 090s, an early version of a “big bore” kit.

Story 2….. Stihl manufactured between 10 and 24 (I’ve heard both) of the complete 10 cube 090s as well as a number of topend kits to be retrofitted onto other 090s. Half were sent to New Zealand and half were sent to the US. Speaking with a race saw builder that has been inside a handful of 10 cubes, he has confirmed to me that all of the ones he has been in have had the cases obviously hacked out with some sort of burr bit and grinder to clear the 72mm piston.

Story 3…… Stihl decided to use some Kart engine topends in some of their 090s in a time when Mac was doing 101s in 125s. I do not particularly agree with this story as I also have 3 Stihl kart engines in my collection, they are all 55mm bore and none of them share port, cylinder, nor head design concepts with the 10 cube saw.

Story 4….. The 10 cube saws were a “test” platform as Stihl was considering building a larger saw. The saws ended up in the hands of guys that raced on the weekends, Stihl never received any test data and killed the program. Also with this story is a story where Stihl recalled all the 10 cubes to be destroyed.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Do you mind posting a few pictures of the carburetor and its model number?

 

[Hdtoolmkr765]

Do you mind posting a few pictures of the carburetor and its model number?

Nothing to see, standard HL244 with choke flap and rod removed. I have not been inside the carb to see if anything was done internally.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

So is there no decomp button or is it a conventional one?

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

I take it that the saw isn't run with one intake nut.

 

[Hdtoolmkr765]

I take it that the saw isn't run with one intake nut.

The saw is missing a couple fasteners. It is missing 2 of the flange nuts for the cylinder as well. I don’t have any intentions of running it.

 

[Hdtoolmkr765]

So is there no decomp button or is it a conventional one?

There is a decomp, it was moved back on the head as you can see in pictures. Closer to the spark plug boot.

 

[farmer steve]

Great info @Hdtoolmkr765. Always interested in the cool old prototypes that were built but never made it to full production. Stihl doesn't have or won't give any info on that saw? Thanks. FS.

 

[Hdtoolmkr765]

Great info @Hdtoolmkr765. Always interested in the cool old prototypes that were built but never made it to full production. Stihl doesn't have or won't give any info on that saw? Thanks. FS.

So far they haven’t given up any info on the subject.

 

[Bill G]

I want to sincerely thank you for posting this thread. I have had hours of conversations over the years with folks about the "elusive" 10 cube. I as well of you have heard a lot of stories about them but I have heard very little to hang my hat on. Your story #2 is what I like as that has been my basic belief all along (with ZERO proof). There was a member in VA that I used to talk with that was infatuated with finding a 10 cube. I do not believe he is active anymore but he would eat this thread up.

You sir have posted a thread that is in the full spirit of what this site was created on. I thank you!!

Bill

 

[Hdtoolmkr765]

I want to sincerely thank you for posting this thread. I have had hours of conversations over the years with folks about the "elusive" 10 cube. I as well of you have heard a lot of stories about them but I have heard very little to hang my hat on. Your story #2 is what I like as that has been my basic belief all along (with ZERO proof). There was a member in VA that I used to talk with that was infatuated with finding a 10 cube. I do not believe he is active anymore but he would eat this thread up.

You sir have posted a thread that is in the full spirit of what this site was created on. I thank you!!

Bill

I’m sure I know who you’re talking about in VA. I wanted to post the info here in hopes the thread wouldn’t get muddied up with a bunch of senseless crap and people could find it in a search later. I guess I was wrong about that. I posted on an 1106 page on Facebook as well, but there are too many liberal delicate types on that page for me so I removed it, and myself, from there. Would be nice to have somewhere that 20-30 years from now someone could go and find factual information about a given saw rather than some made up BS to fit a certain agenda. Unfortunately that’s not the society we live in and that’s not the cool idea.

 

[Bill G]

The informational threads are what this site was built on and what it was when I was asked to join some 20 years ago.

Now as for your 090 you say you do not intend on firing it up? Come on blow the dust off the girl she needs a little heat in the chamber.

Bill

 

[Karrl]

Really cool info, thanks for posting it. I have a few questions about the saw if you wouldn’t mind sharing, I love the lost history on stuff like this.

1) How many are still known to exist in private collections?
2)Are there any running examples left?
3) How did they run? Were they winning races they were entered in?

 

[FamilyTradition]

Hello Brad, and good morning. I wanted to thank you for your post. I'd never heard of the 10 Cube 090 until today. Very cool posting, great information, great pictures. It's always interesting to learn about saws you're unfamiliar with, especially when several perspectives regarding development are included. Great job!

Lastly, the fellow you mentioned here in Virginia: are you referring to GS? If so, I know GS and need to catch up with him as it's been years and years.

Thanks again, and have a great and safe week. Max.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Thanks for all the great info and stock pics.

I have a old 10ci thread where I been saving stuff.

Here is a pic of a 66mm on top of a 10ci piston that was used for race.

 

[Hdtoolmkr765]

Hello Brad, and good morning. I wanted to thank you for your post. I'd never heard of the 10 Cube 090 until today. Very cool posting, great information, great pictures. It's always interesting to learn about saws you're unfamiliar with, especially when several perspectives regarding development are included. Great job!

Lastly, the fellow you mentioned here in Virginia: are you referring to GS? If so, I know GS and need to catch up with him as it's been years and years.

Thanks again, and have a great and safe week. Max.

I don’t know a GS in VA, sorry.

 

[Hdtoolmkr765]

Really cool info, thanks for posting it. I have a few questions about the saw if you wouldn’t mind sharing, I love the lost history on stuff like this.

1) How many are still known to exist in private collections?
2)Are there any running examples left?
3) How did they run? Were they winning races they were entered in?

There are a few still running out west. I cannot answer to how competitive they were or are. The only person I ever heard about running one on the west coast back then was Art Martin. We have since tracked that saw down and I have pictures with the covers off and can confirm it was not a 10 cube. There are some guys that race up in northwest Washington that still play around with the 10 cube topends, but I cannot answer to how they run against the 084s and 3120s that most guys seem to prefer now. I know of 6 total in the world, that includes 5 that are known to be standard 090s with topend kits put on them.

 

[NewToStihl]

This is great info Brad, thank you for posting. The history of such machines does need to be documented and discussed! Unfortunately took less than three hours to get tainted and off-track but ce la vie...

Not that it should be on you to steer the masses but perhaps to help curb the fluff you might consider a slightly different thread name. Over the years there has been mostly good luck with the "Stihl Contra Info Sharing Thread". Maybe if you change the title to something like "10 Cube 090 Info Sharing Thread" it will ward off at least a little bit of the inevitable noise?

Back to the saw. I have some questions!

1) The case of the saw appears to have been painted/repainted. Does the saw look to have been run much after the repaint or do you think that was a restoration effort of sorts after it became a shelf saw?

2) Can you tell us more about that plate riveted inside the front of the shroud? Is there a hole it's patching? If not, do you know what it's for or have you seen other 10-cubes with the same plate?

 

[Hdtoolmkr765]

Thanks Beau, the case of my saw does appear to have been painted. I assume because it was a shelf queen, the gentleman I got it from does paint a lot of saws, while he hasn’t admitted to painting this one, I believe he did. Very unfortunate, in fact it’s the only painted saw that will ever be in my collection, I despise painted saws. The entire concept seems counterintuitive to me. Collect old saws for the history, then cover up as much history as you can with Krylon. That’s a whole different topic.

The plate under the top cover is simply to hold the machined metal plug in the original decomp hole. There is a plug that has been turned on a lathe, then this flat metal plate riveted inside to hold the plug in place, two rivets on top of the cover, and two on the front. This is identical to the cover on Madsens saw as well.

 

[NewToStihl]

Interesting. The plate seem excessively sized just to hold the plug in but my OCDs can appreciate the symmetry of the approach! And nothing else really makes sense as to why they'd add it other than one thought. It's a little reminiscent of the early Contra S cylinder covers that had the asbestos pad on the front, presumably for heat control. Maybe (not likely) the cylinder fins get a little closer to the shroud than a standard 66mm and the designers wanted a little heat deflection help to try and prevent discoloring on the exterior of the shroud?