Yesterday's Project: Husky 55 Air Injection Rebuild/Porting

[JT78]

I was lucky enough to pick one of these up for 40 bucks a few years back it was scored and I searched everywhere for a piston couldn't find one so I pulled a jerry rig sanded the scoring out of the piston and honed the cylinder don't remember my numbers but did port it out. I've run probably 30 gallons of gas through it still running strong it is my favorite go to saw cause it is light and still has some grunt to it. It's set at 14 k and four strokes to 15k. They are awesome little saws.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Just so folks don't start buying up every "Air Injection" 55 they see on CL thinking they're all closed port top ends, they aren't.

Be interesting to see how the windowed piston holds up in this one. The popup may be pushing it.

How is the one holding up that you did for the acquaintance that led to this project?

BTW, posts #23 and #24 in this thread pretty much describe the easiest ways to identify the closed port/open port differences.

http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...y-55-on-craigslist-this-evening.232288/page-2

 

[blsnelling]

I've heard nothing back, so that is good news. I'm running a windowed piston with a popup in my 372. It's seen a fair amount of use. I don't anticipate any issues.

 

[watsonr]

Now I remembered.

The Husqvarna 254 piston is 45mm and will work with brass bushings made for the wrist pin bores.

Maybe time to make a handful of them there bushing's since they don't make the piston anymore.....

 

[watsonr]

Brad,
Did the first 55 have a pop-up? I remember the project but not that it had a pop-up piston.

 

[blsnelling]

Randy, did you shorten the wrist pin and make the bushings blind on one end to capture the wrist pin?

 

[blsnelling]

Brad,
Did the first 55 have a pop-up? I remember the project but not that it had a pop-up piston.

It did not. This saw has reasonable compression at 185 PSI. I really don't see it being a problem.

 

[winland]

I picked up this 55 last summer along with over 20 chains for $125.
Just needed a little carb work done.
I have only used it a couple times.

Can you tell me if it is an open or close port

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

No. Check the link in my post above for the easiest ways to identify which is which.

Nice looking saw ya have there either way, tho.

 

[blsnelling]

VERY nice looking

 

[watsonr]

And don't go by the decomp button either, most have one. The xxxxxx is a sure thing or looking in the cylinder itself.

 

[winland]

Looks like I have a closed port.
The recoil side has a 9H stamped on it.
and..
.

Thanks to all for the information and thanks to Brad for the nice thread on the 55 rebuild.

Chuck

 

[fuzz1500]

Makes me wanna go find one myself !!

 

[hamish]

Nope. But, the 2153 is new. It's only been run a couple times.

That means its used!

 

[Mastermind]

Randy, did you shorten the wrist pin and make the bushings blind on one end to capture the wrist pin?

Exactly

 

[mainewoods]

See 50-51 and 55's for sale all the time but most of the pic's are so bad you can't tell if they are CP or OP. Many are not running and it's a shot in the dark to take a chance it might be a CP. Even if it was, the odds are high it has a toasted piston any way.

 

[watsonr]

See 50-51 and 55's for sale all the time but most of the pic's are so bad you can't tell if they are CP or OP. Many are not running and it's a shot in the dark to take a chance it might be a CP. Even if it was, the odds are high it has a toasted piston any way.

I agree, but knowing what to look for helps a little and modifying the right piston can get you a pretty good saw cheap!

 

[mainewoods]

I am really liking the idea of the piston modification. If people would just take close up pics, like they should, it would make it a lot easier to determine if it's a CP or not. I wouldn't imagine you get nearly the same results by modifying a piston for an OP saw. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I don't ( haven't) seen much said about piston modification of an OP.

 

[mainewoods]

I would think the correct modification of the "right" piston would improve just about any saw if it can be done.

 

[Mastermind]

Every piston that I've cut windows in cracked after 20 - 30 hours of run time. But, for some guys that would be a long time, and a lot of use.