Throwing in the Towel on this Craftsman 2.0

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Freudianfloyd

Clinically Diagnosed with CAD
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
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Location
My Farm
I have posted about this saw before.

I have spent way too much time and money on this saw I found in the dumpster. When I started, I knew next to nothing about saws, I threw new parts at it, and never got it running. Put it on the shelf and gave it a break.

Since then, I have had some pretty good luck rebuilding saws. With my new found confidence from getting my POS 211 running, I decided to try this one again.

Previously, I had installed a new piston and rings, new plugs, fuel lines, gaskets, and rebuilt the carb. Still could not get it running very well.

Well today I checked compression which was barely reading 90psi. I previously leak tested the case so I know it was holding air. I pulled the cylinder off, the cylinder has some scoring, and the piston I just put in it is junk already.

The cylinder is rough, the piston is bad, the flywheel is almost worn through over the magnets so setting the gap is difficult. Lots of little things.

I really didnt want to give up on it, it's a cute little top handle. But I think I am throwing in the towel. It's not worth putting any more money into. I will probably pull the bar and chain, and carb, and throw the rest in the trash. I dont even feel like putting it back together.

RIP little Craftsman. You wont be missed you son of a @#$%^!
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Lol I know the feeling

For me personally, saws that have given me so much trouble even after I leak tested and replaced pistons rings etc turned out to be one thing. The carb!
Pop off pressure and the proper function of the main jet have HUGE implications on performance and “running issues”

I managed to turn a poulan 3314 that ran rich, had no acceleration and pooled fuel in the crankcAse no matter what I did. Then I checked the carb, did some reading, and started to play around with the pop off pressure. Checked the carb using a hand pump and realized that the main jet check was bad. Replaced carb, adjusted pop off and now the thing is very snappy, responsive and doesn’t pool fuel.

Other headaches I have encountered was as simple as a foiled plug. Even one that has a nice tan may have fouling too thick for a proper or strong enough spark to make high rpms unattainable.

When the engine checks out, and the leak tests pass, check those two things next.

If you’ve done all that, then you’ve missed something. It’s easy for me to say that, like I said I’ve been there where I wanted to throw my saw in the dumpster. I had a 372 that refused to seal a brand new boot to the carb, I tried everything I could think of. Pulled my hair out, must have disassembled that carb 8 times trying new things. In the end I made a ring to helped press the rubber boot onto the carb face better. It worked!
 
I've had three that I could never get running right. Either they would only idle or run wot. I could never figure out the fast idle for the choke. Best thing about them was that low kickback bar tip. I used them for boring slots in locust posts for split rail fences.
 
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