Stihl Ms290 frozen

[Fullblast]

Hello all. I'm new to the forum.

Anyhow, I've cut about 40 cord of wood with my Ms290 over the past 8 years.

I cut a few cord for winter about 4 months ago with it and its been sitting in a closet in my shop where I always keep it. I always put race gas in the saw, never pump gas.

Anyhow, I went to crank it the other day and the cord wouldnt budge at all! I removed the plug and it still would not move. Could this be a possible seized piston? It ran perfect a few months ago. I know the chainsaw shop charged me $300 to put a new head and piston on the 044. I really dont want to pay that for the 290.

If this were a possible seized piston, I was thinking about putting the 390 conversion on it.

Any thoughts? I really dont want to send this saw to the shop, and considering rebuilding myself.

Thank you

 

[1Alpha1]

If it was running fine, I really doubt that it is seized. Maybe pull the recoil cover and see if something is jammed. Any signs of corrosion anywhere?

Check out the flywheel, and see if you can get it to rotate.

 

[AgTech4020]

Also remove the clutch drum and inspect your clutch. I have seen broken springs make the clutch bind on the drum. If the chain brake is locked and the clutch is stuck on the drum it will feel as if it is seized.


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[Fullblast]

When I pulled the plug, the end of the electrode was rusted. I cant see how it could have gotten damp, I have 2 other stihl saws in the same closet and they both cranked right up. .

I filled the head up with penetrating oil and letting it sit, just in case it was rusted solid. I'm going to pull the flywheel cover this weekend.

 

[atpchas]

When the plug was removed, did you try holding the saw upside down to see if any fuel drained out? Not likely, but saw could be hydro-locked.

 

[Fullblast]

No I didnt. But I read on here that hydro locking was a possibility.

I actually held it vertical to look inside with a shop light, but never turned completely upside down.

 

[1Alpha1]

Rust on the electrode isn't a good sign, obviously. Good move on the penetrating oil.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

If the saw is worn, sell for parts and replace. Not worth the work to convert. I put nearly the cost of a new saw into mine with new stihl bearings and seals, chain clutch bar and other odds and ends. Much the parts were Chinese like the piston an cylinder.

Stupid as **** to work on, and don't feel like I ended up with a rocketship either even though I ported it too, still a heavy underpowered saw. You have to have the bug pretty bad to go through with it.

 

[Czed]

Pull the muffler and check the bore if you can see anything
and
As stated pull the recoil and check the clutch.
The oem cylinders have been better runner's for me
When i converted the 290 to 390
And used the hyway popup pistons.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Wish I had done a pop up.

 

[rd35]

I hope yours didn't do what the most recent one in my shop did. A buddy brought me his MS290. It was locked up and I could not move the crank even with the clutch and the recoil removed. Turns out his crankshaft had cracked and the edge of the crack had caused the rod bearing to start coming apart. A piece of one of the rod bearing keepers came off and got stuck between the crank and the pan. Needless to say he got a new engine out of that mess as a piece of that bearing had also made its way up to the top end and finished the job of destroying the entire engine. So, now he has an MS290 with an MS390 engine in it. Had to cut a hole in his top cover to make his new decompression valve accessible. He's 67 years old and that decompression valve is his new best friend!!!

 

[Okie]

check the chain brake.

 

[user 122190]

If the saw is worn, sell for parts and replace. Not worth the work to convert. I put nearly the cost of a new saw into mine with new stihl bearings and seals, chain clutch bar and other odds and ends. Much the parts were Chinese like the piston an cylinder.

Stupid as **** to work on, and don't feel like I ended up with a rocketship either even though I ported it too, still a heavy underpowered saw. You have to have the bug pretty bad to go through with it.

I have all the parts (<$100), and this info I am going to wait til the machine is near dead. I am anxious to do the work, but I can wait and not jeopardize a working $400+ machine.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I have all the parts (<$100), and this info I am going to wait til the machine is near dead. I am anxious to do the work, but I can wait and not jeopardize a working $400+ machine.

I think something like a pop up piston and a correct port job will make it worth it. It's just a lot of work- and due to two other people telling me about their ms290-310-390 saws losing bottom end bearings, just recently, bearings are an essential part of the job of swapping them and that it makes it expensive, in addition to other wear parts.

I think in my mind i was hoping for stock 440 performance when it was together and it's definitely not that, and weighs just as much.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I've done several of the 290-390 conversions in the past 2 years and I don't mind doing it at all. It's a little longer task than replacing the p/c in a pro saw but not all that hard.. Most of the ones I've done have been with Chinese parts and I don't know of any that's had a problem, just make sure you don't skimp on oil in mixture, maybe 40:1 and make sure you don't have any air leaks..

 

[motorman1]

I think something like a pop up piston and a correct port job will make it worth it. It's just a lot of work- and due to two other people telling me about their ms290-310-390 saws losing bottom end bearings, just recently, bearings are an essential part of the job of swapping them and that it makes it expensive, in addition to other wear parts.

I think in my mind i was hoping for stock 440 performance when it was together and it's definitely not that, and weighs just as much.

The bottom end bearings are the same part number as on the 075? They are extremely robust bearing for such a small saw. I've yet to encounter one of that series of saw with a problem related to the bearings. Almost all I've encountered have been burned up via straight gassing.

 

[user 122190]

I think something like a pop up piston and a correct port job will make it worth it. It's just a lot of work- and due to two other people telling me about their ms290-310-390 saws losing bottom end bearings, just recently, bearings are an essential part of the job of swapping them and that it makes it expensive, in addition to other wear parts.

I think in my mind i was hoping for stock 440 performance when it was together and it's definitely not that, and weighs just as much.

You should have gotten improvement to a 390 at least. Maybe it is the 1st time porting job?

Still $44.50 for about everything you should need to do the job and then some extras, and it is about 1/10 of a new ms291.

https://www.amazon.com/HIPA-Cylinde...53&sr=8-5&keywords=ms390+stihl+chainsaw+parts

 

[Wood Doctor]

Is FullBlast (OP) still with us? Not sure. I think he needs to remove the pull cord housing and see if the flywheel can be turned by hand. There are lots of possibilities that can cause an engine to be locked up like this. As Okie said, it could even be on the clutch/sprocket side.

 

[Fullblast]

Yes I am, been working. Tomorrow I'm going to remove the pull cord housing and see if flywheel turns.

I can move the chain back and forth with my hand if that means any thing.

 

[Fullblast]

So I can basically put a $45 kit on my ms290 and will have the power or the 390?