Stihl Contra Info Sharing Thread

[Gumnuts]

Food for thought

BLK - 54mm bore 46mm stroke 1954-1973
BLK57 " " " "

056AVSE - 54mm bore 38mm stroke 1980
056AVSEQ- " " 1980

Guessing pics are of BLK / BLK57........did'nt the early saws use a smooth piston and chrome bore....if there is a way to confirm what you bought is BLK
.......imagine there's a market for resale ; nos /gold

Oh well ...we might go the way of Arias / RXE .....have em made.

 

[7oaks]

I belive you are thinking of the Contra/Lighting AV. O will try to post a pic of one from Martin Pfeiffer's collection.

Bill

That is just like it, were there many of them? That is the only one that I ever used. I was told by the mills mechanic that it had 137cc engine. It could pull a full comp 404 chisel on a 36" bar in the hardest wood better than any other saw I ever used.
Pioneerguy600

Here's the pic:

 

[7oaks]

BLK - 54mm bore 46mm stroke 1954-1973
BLK57 " " " "

056AVSE - 54mm bore 38mm stroke 1980
056AVSEQ- " " 1980

Guessing pics are of BLK / BLK57........did'nt the early saws use a smooth piston and chrome bore....if there is a way to confirm what you bought is BLK
.......imagine there's a market for resale ; nos /gold

Oh well ...we might go the way of Arias / RXE .....have em made.

Thanks Gum...

Now all Brad or I need to do is pull the piston from our contra and photograph the two side by side...Carl

 

[rxe]

Oh well ...we might go the way of Arias / RXE .....have em made.

That is proving, er, painful, hence my interest in this thread!

Gutted to hear that these are 54mm pistons - but I suppose better to know now than when the saw is in pieces....

 

[blsnelling]

I emailed the seller about the other Lightning piston he's selling and he said they're 54mm as well.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Here's the pic:

Now that there is the thing that I can blame for my CAD, its because of that saw that I have started a search for it and came across so many other saws during my travels. Thanks to all for the picts and info, I will continue the search.
Pioneerguy600

 

[belgian]

I will continue the search.
Pioneerguy600

Join the club !!!!:wave:

 

[blsnelling]

I've emailed the seller of these Lightning pistons and asked for a refund. I also informed him that the Lightning is 58mm so neither one of his pistons can be for that model.

 

[7oaks]

Mine should get here tomorrow. I plan on cutting with it immediately, obv. What kind of gas should I be running in it? Chainsaw collector's corner says 12:1 or 16:1 with SAE 40; are they for real?

Good question! It was suggested that I use 20:1 and that is what I used the one time I ran my saw. Any of you out there with more experience with these older saws? Are the new oils good enough that you don't need as high a concintration?

...Carl

 

[blsnelling]

I run 40:1 synthetic in all my old and new saws.

 

[Texas Traveler]

Good question! It was suggested that I use 20:1 and that is what I used the one time I ran my saw. Any of you out there with more experience with these older saws? Are the new oils good enough that you don't need as high a concintration?

...Carl

After looking at all of the good pictures here on the Lightening, I got around checking on mine.
I do have a good top plastic but one small crack near the metal.
The serial number is " 88625 ".
The type I thought was 110G but yours has 1106.
I have the same grey color.
Missing the inner air filtor guts like yours
I bought it off of ebay 2 years ago out of Maine, never had it running.
But it is sluggish when you turn it over with the plug out.
I just dope it up with Marvel mystery oil now & then.
And I do have the old bar that came with it with the STIHL Loggo
But my starter cover has nothing on it.

 

[Texas Traveler]

Okay...Which one of you guys got this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180306826005

...Carl

Now this one from ebay has the same starter cover as mine, even the roller for the rope.
Looking at the #number plate, the paint looks new on this one..

 

[7oaks]

After looking at all of the good pictures here on the Lightening, I got around checking on mine.
I do have a good top plastic but one small crack near the metal.
The serial number is " 88625 ".
The type I thought was 110G but yours has 1106.
I have the same grey color.
Missing the inner air filtor guts like yours
I bought it off of ebay 2 years ago out of Maine, never had it running.
But it is sluggish when you turn it over with the plug out.
I just dope it up with Marvel mystery oil now & then.
And I do have the old bar that came with it with the STIHL Loggo
But my starter cover has nothing on it.

TT...

Your serial number and starter cover would indicate that yours is one of the older machines. The other style of starter cover appears to me to be from the newer machines (I don't know what year Stihl made the change. We should get a serial number from one of those saws from someone that has one and see how high it is? Also is the tag with the motor number on the same location on those saws?).

It is my belief that all Contra/Lightnings are 1106. If you have an IPL for the saw a lot of the parts will start with that number. It might be a part number in common with some other saws like the 070 and 090 but I don't know that...Carl

 

[Texas Traveler]

TT...

Your serial number and starter cover would indicate that yours is one of the older machines. The other style of starter cover appears to me to be from the newer machines (I don't know what year Stihl made the change. We should get a serial number from one of those saws from someone that has one and see how high it is? Also is the tag with the motor number on the same location on those saws?).

It is my belief that all Contra/Lightnings are 1106. If you have an IPL for the saw a lot of the parts will start with that number. It might be a part number in common with some other saws like the 070 and 090 but I don't know that...Carl

You are right I was reading the type number wrong, also my serial number plate is at the same location as your saw is.
I do have a added serial number hand stamped on the top of the right front of the crankcase. I will get pictures taken later on this week.

 

[7oaks]

contra thread link

I just had to add this link to this thread:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=82740

A one of a kind Contra collection...Carl:jawdrop:

 

[7oaks]

Contra S link

Take a look at this these two links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEWHs6y0BOg

********************************/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=69&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=30

Some valuable info and pics there. I have been unable to register to this forum so cannot ask permission to copy some images to this forum for informational use. However, note the difference in color in the two contras. The older one is indeed gray and the newer one Stihl white.

I also found it extremely interesting that the older one (which I have) has an external filter sock.

Also note the unique gas cap.

...Carl

 

[Rowan]

How to differentiate between models?

Sawtroll mentioned the only way was to measure the bore, as top covers can be switched.

I was am curious about this as well. A co-worker who learned of my interest in chainsaws let it slip that he had an "old monster stihl". He described it as having a weird finned muffler, heavy as heck, and red and white..... he thought it was from the 60's. Bought it in 95 at a yard sale. After a few questions that I'm sure he wasn't expecting I told him I thought he had a Contra. He brought it in and sure enough it is. There is no top plate.... so I'm having trouble telling him which on it is. Runs great, sounds awesome. He appreciated the info form Acer's site and now wants to know exactly what he has.

The oiler is automatic. Not sure if they all were at one point.... Mike acre's shows differences in the Contra, Contra G, and Contra S oiler type. But I'm not sure if that held true thourougt their production, or if that was only the initial model. Does anyone know?

 

[Texas Traveler]

Sawtroll mentioned the only way was to measure the bore, as top covers can be switched.

I was am curious about this as well. A co-worker who learned of my interest in chainsaws let it slip that he had an "old monster stihl". He described it as having a weird finned muffler, heavy as heck, and red and white..... he thought it was from the 60's. Bought it in 95 at a yard sale. After a few questions that I'm sure he wasn't expecting I told him I thought he had a Contra. He brought it in and sure enough it is. There is no top plate.... so I'm having trouble telling him which on it is. Runs great, sounds awesome. He appreciated the info form Acer's site and now wants to know exactly what he has.

The oiler is automatic. Not sure if they all were at one point.... Mike acre's shows differences in the Contra, Contra G, and Contra S oiler type. But I'm not sure if that held true thourougt their production, or if that was only the initial model. Does anyone know?

I vaguely remember something about if your saw has a 2 piece cylinder, you could add a bigger piston.
Is that right?

 

[Bill G]

I vaguely remember something about if your saw has a 2 piece cylinder, you could add a bigger piston.
Is that right?

If you run across a 2 piece cylinder on a Contra/Lighting or 070/090 let me know.

Bill

 

[7oaks]

2 contras abused in video

Take a look at this bike conversion. Only in the early credits does it mention that 2 contras were used on the bike. Note the teeth on the front fork!...Carl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMImdomcr8k&feature=related