What's wrong with THIS picture of a Poulan 3400?

[Highlander1959]

I bought this "parts" saw a while back and decided to get into it yesterday. Notice something missing? The filter was in great shape but there was no GASKET ... And here are a couple pictures of the consequences of this mistake ...





Look at the amount of blow-by on this piston. Compression was 75 wet ...



The lesson here is "don't let your saw inhale dirt if you don't want to be replacing jugs, pistons, and rings". I got this particular saw cheap and it still has plenty of life left in it but the top end was pretty much shot after breathing all the dust and dirt that was slipping past the edges of the filter. It's getting a full rebuild and a paint job and hopefully it'll still be running long after I'm gone. I bought my first 3400 (Craftsman) in the early 80's and it's still running strong today after 40 years.

Gaskets and air filters are your friends and making sure there's a good seal around ALL parts of you saw's intake to force the intake air to pass though a good filter is the best way to avoid untimely repairs. The filters the 3400 uses are pretty effective when they're in good shape and all the gaskets are doing their job but the filters tend to lose the flocking on the screen if you clean them too aggressively. Clean them regularly but gently and, when the first little bit of flocking falls off, replace them. Your saw will thank you for it ...

 

[TLG]

I'm no expert but you will see that gas leakage due to to open port design. There just isn't enough material to keep the ring tucked on those thick rings. I've had several of these apart over the years. That series actually relies on some leakage to help seal the rings. I would be more concerned with the chrome wear on the piston. That old girl looks pretty good for a mid eighties saw. Maybe @hotshot can give you a better evaluation. He is an old green king from way back. Good to see this apart. Thanks for the pic's.

 

[Highlander1959]

I'm no expert but you will see that gas leakage due to to open port design. There just isn't enough material to keep the ring tucked on those thick rings. I've had several of these apart over the years. That series actually relies on some leakage to help seal the rings. I would be more concerned with the chrome wear on the piston. That old girl looks pretty good for a mid eighties saw. Maybe @hotshot can give you a better evaluation. He is an old green king from way back. Good to see this apart. Thanks for the pic's.

I'm no expert either T but I do have several 3400's and they aren't the dogs that this one was. This saw barely ran and pulling the starter cord, you could barely feel any resistance. My oldest 3400's top end isn't nearly as huffed out as this saw's is. The pictures aren't great but if you look closely, you can see erosion around the intake port where the piston was grinding the debris into the cylinder wall. This thing ate a LOT of dirt and sawdust before the owner decided to dump it. I have no idea what happened to the air filter gasket. Those things have adhesive on them and I've never had one just fall off. There wasn't even any goo left over so it's almost as if someone put the cover in a parts washer, soaked it until the gasket came off, and then never replaced it. Thankfully, the bottom end components weren't substantially damaged because the sum of the parts can quickly add up to more than these saws are worth nowadays. On this saw, I would have tried to hone and save the cylinder, but it had suffered an impact at some point and about a third of the top four cooling fins were sheared completely off. I figured between the bore wear and the fin damage, the saw would be better off with a "new" (used) jug. Of course, considering how thin the supply of parts is getting for these saws, that broken jug will be kept around here, just in case the supply of top end parts ever gets to the point where I can't find anything better. I'm not doing a "vintage" style restoration on this saw, since I'm not a "collector" of these saws. I'm just very familiar with them and find them to be a good, reliable saw so I plan to restore it to a good, functional condition, put an all-black metal flake paint job on it, and put it in the rotation. I'll try to remember to post a picture when it's done.

 

[hotshot]

I’m no expert either, but that 3400 top end had the worst worn out chromed piston I’ve ever seen!

Good news is that all four sizes of that saw series will bolt right on to it & there’s a lot of good parts still out there!

Those saws have a lot of snot, and make great firewood getters. I just cut & split a bit of oak & ash last Monday with a 20” Craftsman 3.8, and the poor Stihl 056 just sat in the dump bed & watched.

The staining or blow-by is likely caused by poor quality 2 or even 4 stroke oil mix & the saw’s low compression. It’s worse in the old Poulan 361 & 306/245 series that ran on a straight 30w oil mix.

 

[Highlander1959]

I’m no expert either, but that 3400 top end had the worst worn out chromed piston I’ve ever seen!

Good news is that all four sizes of that saw series will bolt right on to it & there’s a lot of good parts still out there!

Those saws have a lot of snot, and make great firewood getters. I just cut & split a bit of oak & ash last Monday with a 20” Craftsman 3.8, and the poor Stihl 056 just sat in the dump bed & watched.

The staining or blow-by is likely caused by poor quality 2 or even 4 stroke oil mix & the saw’s low compression. It’s worse in the old Poulan 361 & 306/245 series that ran on a straight 30w oil mix.

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Yeah, I really like them too. My very first 3400 was labeled as a Craftsman. I bought it in my youth when I knew virtually nothing about chainsaws. Many years later I was devastated when, in a fit of stupidity, I was clearing a trail and drove my mower too close to it on a slope and the vibration caused it to roll into the mower deck. Luckily, it only suffered damage to the handle and starter cover and I was able to find the parts to fix it. That's when I discovered that it was actually a Poulan 3400, and found out how many people still own and use them. After twenty more years of processing 10 -12 cords of firewood with it every year, I eventually concluded that I had been pretty lucky to stumble into buying such a well built saw. Since then, I've bought a few other 3400's, just to make sure I have a source of parts to keep my oldest saw running. I've bought other brands of saws since too, mostly smaller, lighter saws that I use for limbing and pruning, but I don't have the same attachment to any of those saws that I have to that first Craftsman saw. I know there are plenty of people who swear by other brands and think Poulan saws are junk but the older ones certainly weren't. They may not be hot rods but they're certainly sturdy and reliable. Speed is important when you're making a living with a chainsaw, but the average guy is looking for a reliable power tool that gets the job done, is easy to maintain, and doesn't break the bank. I think I've found that combination of features in the old Poulan saws. I just saw a YouTube video where a guy spent $500 on PARTS fixing the clutch on his Stihl saw. Ouch ...

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

What's wrong with THIS picture of a Poulan 3400?​

Its not under the wheels of a skidder, or tracks of an excavator?

 

[Highlander1959]

What's wrong with THIS picture of a Poulan 3400?​

Its not under the wheels of a skidder, or tracks of an excavator?

Now be nice ... some people love their Poulan saws ...

 

[TLG]

So just what region of Ohio are you in @highlander 1959? I'm western Keystone, are we close?

 

[Highlander1959]

So just what region of Ohio are you in @highlander 1959? I'm western Keystone, are we close?

I'm in North Central Ohio ... in the highlands - around the Mansfield area.

 

[Maple78]

I have a 1988 Poulan 4000. Great saw!

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

@Highlander1959 since your close by and like these saws. I have 3 runners left for locals. All running with new lines and duckbills.
If not sold someday soon they will get parted like the rest.

A 3.0 that is really a 3.4 that was a price point sell thing by sears. 3.7 thin ring 3700 and a 4000 that I bought for parts but took min effort of going through to make a runner.

Some I parted already.

 

[Highlander1959]

I'll most certainly hit you up if I need one but I'm currently the proud owner of three myself, with number four about to be complete. Plus, I have numerous other saws of different sizes. My wife would begin questioning my sanity if I brought another home. Some day, if I find myself with nothing better to do, I may try my hand at flipping some saws for profit though. I haven't decided what I plan to do in my golden years just yet but I do have a good shop facility to work out of....

The big project I have facing me right now is a pond dredging/renovation that's a year behind schedule, thanks to the wet summer we had last year. Assuming the muck has finally dried and settled enough to get in there this spring, all my free time is going to be consumed with that. I'm not doing the dredging but I have a dam to repair, and a spillway and dock to engineer and build so I'll have my hands full this year. Luckily, the winter was mild and we barely even touched the firewood I had laid in for this winter so I can take a year off on firewood processing. Nature always keeps me guessing around here...

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Just some of the poulan different series of saws being parted. Once I am done running a series. The runners sold off then parts go too.

 

[peterbro]

I have found a use for all those discarded masks one encounters.
I fit one over the filter and close the cover over it, trimming any excess that drapes proud of the cover.
If they can keep out viruses then they will stop all sizes of dirt and dust and act as an excellent disposable pre-filter.

 

[Highlander1959]

I have found a use for all those discarded masks one encounters.
I fit one over the filter and close the cover over it, trimming any excess that drapes proud of the cover.
If they can keep out viruses then they will stop all sizes of dirt and dust and act as an excellent disposable pre-filter.

Those discarded masks have become a whole new category of hazardous waste. Ridiculous ... and what really frosts me is that the vast majority of people wearing them and leaving them lying around are doing so because they think the masks are protecting THEM. They really couldn't care less about their fellow man. Stupid is as stupid does I guess. Comedian Ron White said it best when he so famously said "You can't fix stupid ...."

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Those discarded masks have become a whole new category of hazardous waste. Ridiculous ... and what really frosts me is that the vast majority of people wearing them and leaving them lying around are doing so because they think the masks are protecting THEM. They really couldn't care less about their fellow man. Stupid is as stupid does I guess. Comedian Ron White said it best when he so famously said "You can't fix stupid ...."

Right over bench #1

 

[Dcelrod2011]

Just some of the poulan different series of saws being parted. Once I am done running a series. The runners sold off then parts go too.

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Dou you have a carb for a poulan 3450. Or maybe the engine parts to change it to a 3750? Can you send prices if so.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Dou you have a carb for a poulan 3450. Or maybe the engine parts to change it to a 3750? Can you send prices if so.

164 137 carbs all sold out. Even the parts carbs.
NOS and used 60cc topends all sold out.

Got to be quick in for these type of parts.

 

[Highlander1959]

Here's the picture I promised of the "Franken-saw" Poulan 3400 after a total overhaul. It has a couple hours on it now with the LRB piston and rings ... it's running strong with no issues detected as of yet. I'm running a 40:1 mix and letting it break in gently for a few more hours before I do any hard work with it. I'll be keeping a close eye on it and report back if and when I see any cause for concern.

 

[9050lx]

Resembles Darthvader.I bought one of those 3700 pistons.hows compression?