361 Problem...

Therrin

NOOOO!

It was a BRAND NEW saw I got from my saw shop a year and a half ago!

I didn't buy this one used. Which is why I'm so vexed, because I've been taking very good care of it (well, supposedly). I own 14 chainsaws and I've NEVER done this to a saw before. I keep the chain sharp, I don't force it in the wood, and I buy premium brand 91 octane gasoline. Always use stihl mix oil, I've never used anything else.

As far as fixing it myself... a new stihl piston is $29. I'm still trying to find a new cylinder. I've gotten to be alot better at stripping them down and replacing stuff, but I'll never learn how to do it unless I try. The saw already doesn't work. And paying the shop $425 to fix a $610 saw just doesnt make sense to me.

Willard Holmen

If your P/C is toast then the bottom end is probably not far behind. If you really want to keep the saw, then tear the whole thing down and give it the total overhaul.You do all this sucessfully then your a good saw tech. If you want to dump it then find a used P/C and get it going for a quick sale.

newguy18

I know you don't care for my opinion as a climber,but as a mechanic,if the cylinder is lightly scored,a cylinder hone will clean it right up,its not a cheat or a quick fix or afro engineering,it is a good fix that most shops will do,a good machine shop will hone them for like 25 bucks.

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old schooler

Therrin

TY for your opinion HolmenTree. I'll see about that.

NG, define "lightly"??

Willard Holmen

Hey hey I'm a climber too we all share here.Yes with the hone you can do that of course, but with any lean seizure you have to look deeper into the crankshaft etc for other parts that may need replacing.

Therrin

It's not seized at all, it still moves up and down. It's got scoring around it though, and apparently that's causing it not to reach compression in order to start. Hmmm....

I'll strip it all down in a couple days and see what the parts underneath look like. Maybe I'll steal my dad's camera and post pics too

Willard Holmen

You may want to check if your piston has a A,B or a C stamped on top of its crown to match up with another cylinder vice versa. Most P/C are matched with these letters.
Even though the piston may not have seized solid to the cylinder wall,the scoring is still a form of lean seizure with possible debris ingestion etc etc.
Like I said earlier check the crank too.

newguy18

Lightly,not more than 1/4" deep.

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Therrin

When I take it apart, I'll post pictures.

StihlTheOne

Since most gasoline now contains ethanol, did the dealer offer any advice on how to avoid the problem in the future? This is a problem that keeps showing up but have yet to find the solution. Any help here would be appreciated.

Therrin

Sorry, I've been posting the results from this thread on my "Piston & Cylinder" thread.

However, he did mention that after your gas sits in the can for a couple days, the alcohol seperates from the fuel. He made it sound like it settles to the bottom, cuz he said it does the same thing in your saw; and that if you just pick it up and start it without shaking it a bit, you could get a long shot of raw alcohol.

Seems to me that if this is the case, you should be able to let your fuel sit till it seperates, then pour the good gasoline from off the top, or suck it up.

Only problem is, I dont know how long it takes to seperate, and I dont know how to tell how far down it is.

StihlTheOne

Hey Therrin, read that is not an option; completely changes the property of the fuel. My advice? Don't do it!

Jeff Darby

After 12 weeks 2 stroke fuel oxidises. so only make up enough for your jobs at hand.

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Therrin

I hadn't meant oxidizing....

What does it do if you remove the alcohol from the fuel though? Is it effectively a higher octane or do you actually lose something?

windthrown

Wow.

Around here you can get a good used 361 on CL for $425. Or even $350 if you act fast. In good shape. I dunno about weird gas. I have run my pair of 361s mostly with non-ethanol super gas, but now they forced E-10 on us in Oregon and I cannot find any non-ethanol tainted gas here any more. I may have to go to the local air strip and get AvGas after my last 3 gallon tank of super all gasoline gas is gone. I run good oil in my saws though. I used to use Mobil 1, and now run Elf 100% synthetic 2T. Always use super gas as well. No problems with scoring either 361, my 044 or the 025/250 hybrid, or my brother's Echos. Or my old 290, or any other saw I have run before. I did score an Echo blower once. Pensoil cheap all-in-one premix; never use that stuff!

I would strip the 361 down and sell it for parts on Ebay and replace it with a whole used 361 myself. OEM P&C are too spendy. Too hard to find used jugs and slugs for those saws, and I would not trust an off-brand supply of them. Gonna cost you $220 for the P&C from Stihl. Plus rings, and seals, and gaskets. Baileys has a BB 361 cylinder kit for $120, and a Meteor piston kit for $30. You could go with that and take a chance on quality, and it will probably not last as long as OEM.

Therrin

hmmm.... damn.