What do you do when you get a new used saw in your hands?

[Pongu]

Hello from Sweden! This is my first post!

I have until now only had very clean and trouble free consumer Stihl saws, like 181 and 390. Haven't done much with them except cutting wood, filing and refilling gas/oil. But I have recently aquired a pretty worn 064 and a somewhat prettier 046. I love them both already!

When I get some more time (newborn and a two-year-old with his own Stihl chainsaw in the house!) on my hands, I intend to take them apart and try to go through them as thoroughly as I can, but for now I need some advice on the basic stuff I should prioritize!

What do you always check when you get an older saw in your hands?
And are there any minor parts that you always change on a saw that hasn't been serviced for the last decade or two, like AV pads, fuel line/filter, carb kit etc, or do you only fix what's obviously broken?

Regards,
Pontus

 

[67L36Driver]

Dump the fuel. You never know how old it is or if it even contains two stroke oil.

 

[Pongu]

Good suggestion!
The 046 was shipped, so that one was empty. But I should probably put som new fuel in the 064.

/Pontus

 

[zogger]

What you already thought, carb kit, fuel lines and filter etc. Air blast clean as you take it apart. Pull the muffler to check for blockages and to inspect the piston and cylinder.

 

[StihlyinEly]

Yep, dump and replace fuel, spark plug. Remove muff and inspect piston for scoring/wear. Check fuel/inpulse lines for cracks and replace as needed. Inspect for cracks in casing, handles, etc. Dress or replace worn bars, sharpen or replace chains. Inspect sprocket for wear, and replace if needed. Clean or replace air filter. Wiggle crankshaft to make sure it's tight and does not move up-down or side-to-side.

And clean everything as you pull it apart. If all checks out, fire that girl up and grin! :hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Pongu]

Thanks guys!

I will pull the muffler and inspect. If it looks OK, runs OK and compression feels OK, I don't need take it apart and inspect the P/C in detail?

Might order a dual port muffler for the 046 and experiment with some light and careful porting eventually. The 064 I will probably leave as it is for now, only clean and get some new parts. It has those long Logosol nuts and the chain catcher is broken, so the plan is to order a new air filter, AV buffers, fuel line, pickup body, carb kit, new clutch cover nuts, roller catcher and spikes for now. Already installed a new drum and greased the needle bearing. That was enough to make the chain stop moving when idling, so I'll leave the springs for now. I will check the crank shaft for play. It has all the grunt I need for my current use with 8T and a 25" bar, so I won't modify the muffler before I get a longer bar. Especially since it has a "digital" sticker on it, so it's probably rev limited? The sticker on the chain brake handle says 320/86. Is 86 the model year or does it mean something else?

I got 20 dull (but nearly new) chains with the 046, so I know what I'm going to spend my time doing in the evenings! :msp_tongue:

Nice saws! Now I've got to find a cheap 026, sell the 181 and I'm all set up!

/Pontus

 

[fastLeo151]

It seems when I buy used saws I am always changing the sprocket clutch drum and needle bearing. I check stuff like how its tuned, throttle response, carbon build up, ring end gap, and I always clean all the old greasy build up and wood chips out of all the cracks. And everything else and stuff

 

[Pongu]

I'll take another look at the needle bearing when I check the crank shaft. It looked OK, but they are fairly cheap!

If there's no scoring on the exhaust side, the piston, rings and cylinder are probably OK right?

/Pontus

 

[H 2 H]

One thing Ive been doing with older saws Ive worked on is really clean the fins around cylinder so they dont over heat

 

[ChainFinn]

Those guys are not telling the truth, not even close.

The first thing that they / we all do, when i/they/we get a saw, might they be broken or spanking new, the first thing is to brag about it here.


Anyone :msp_w00t: ??????




...jag älskar min motorsåg och ja vill ha din såg också.

 

[ChainFinn]

What i do is:

-change plug
-change fuel filter
-change fuel
-change carb kit
-check the piston from exhaust side
-check the cylinder from spark plug hole
-check compression
-check the rope if it seems to be worn or if its kind of loose
-check the air filter
-check the chain pulley

 

[H 2 H]

Those guys are not telling the truth, not even close.

The first thing that they / we all do, when i/they/we get a saw, might they be broken or spanking new, the first thing is to brag about it here.


Anyone :msp_w00t: ??????




...jag älskar min motorsåg och ja vill ha din såg också.

That and take them apart

 

[Pongu]

Ah!
I'll start a new brag thread I've cleaned them up a little then!

Thanks for the list Finn!
(Var i Finland bor du?)

/Pontus

PS. I might have to get a new coil for the 064. It's back firing quite a lot when idling... Hope I have the two key slot fly wheel, but I suspect I have the 1204, so a new flywheel may be needed too. DS.

 

[Pongu]

I removed the flywheel (quite a struggle) and it was indeed a 1122 400 1204, so I need to find a replacement. If anyone has a spare 1201, 1203 with two key slots or a 1207, I'd gladly buy it from you. Same goes for a universal coil, 0000 400 1300. In Sweden, a new flywheel costs more than I payed for the saw!

/Pontus

 

[ChainFinn]

Ah!
I'll start a new brag thread I've cleaned them up a little then!

Thanks for the list Finn!
(Var i Finland bor du?)

/Pontus

PS. I might have to get a new coil for the 064. It's back firing quite a lot when idling... Hope I have the two key slot fly wheel, but I suspect I have the 1204, so a new flywheel may be needed too. DS.

Jag bor när Tampere, i en gamla lilla hus i skog.

 

[blsnelling]

Go through them entirely. Tear them down, clean them up, and double check the crank bearings, especially on the 064. That's the only way that'll you know what you've got and can depend on them. It will also help you avoid ruining an otherwise good saw that needed a new part or two.

 

[Pongu]

Jag bor när Tampere, i en gamla lilla hus i skog.

I only know one full sentence in Finnish: Apua! Apua! Minulla on mootorisaha pers-reiässä!
Dunno if forum rules allow me to translate that...

/Pontus

 

[Pongu]

Go through them entirely. Tear them down, clean them up, and double check the crank bearings, especially on the 064. That's the only way that'll you know what you've got and can depend on them. It will also help you avoid ruining an otherwise good saw that needed a new part or two.

Thanks,
Yes, now that I've removed the flywheel, I might as well continue and tear it down completely! Can't be any harder than that!
I have the 046 to cut wood with while the 064 is in pieces, so I can take it slowly.

Cylinder and piston look good from what I've seen so far BTW. Muffler looks like a piece of cake to mod. And it needs a new chain catcher, so I'm going to order the parts for the spikes and roller catcher. Would you remove the "digital" sticker or leave it be, after the old coil is replaced and it's not so digital anymore? I'm going to change the fuel line, fuel filter and carb diaphragms while I'm at it. Would you get a new impulse line as well?

/Pontus

 

[blsnelling]

Thanks,
Yes, now that I've removed the flywheel, I might as well continue and tear it down completely! Can't be any harder than that!
I have the 046 to cut wood with while the 064 is in pieces, so I can take it slowly.

Cylinder and piston look good from what I've seen so far BTW. Muffler looks like a piece of cake to mod. And it needs a new chain catcher, so I'm going to order the parts for the spikes and roller catcher. Would you remove the "digital" sticker or leave it be, after the old coil is replaced and it's not so digital anymore? I'm going to change the fuel line, fuel filter and carb diaphragms while I'm at it. Would you get a new impulse line as well?

/Pontus

Definately get rid of the "Red Eye" coil. You have to have the right flywheel to run the unlimited coils though. If you're lucky, you might have the flywheel with two keyways.

 

[Pongu]

I removed the flywheel (quite a struggle) and it was indeed a 1122 400 1204, so I need to find a replacement. If anyone has a spare 1201, 1203 with two key slots or a 1207, I'd gladly buy it from you. Same goes for a universal coil, 0000 400 1300. In Sweden, a new flywheel costs more than I payed for the saw!

No, pulled the flywheel today and it was the one slot 1204... (I think they came with the 1204 from the factory and the two slot 1203 is the replacement flywheel from the IPL). But I will definately replace the "eye-less red eye coil". I'm not sure it revs fully at WOT and it bangs a lot when idling (back firing I guess)! So I'll get a used 1201 I think, and the universal coil.

/Pontus