Dang! The Husky 346xp is running way lean, (ALL BETTER NOW!)

[CalG]

Just started yesterday...Must be a cracked carb boot or (gasp) main seals!
Do I use this as an excuse to get a new saw? ;-) How about the 550xp?

I'm too old and weak for a 372, and 4 hp is enough!

I haven't started taking it apart yet, I've got this 110 foot maple that I dropped Sunday to get cleaned up and out of the yard. I may need to pull out the Mac 10-10 to finish the job, but my arms and back start aching just thinking about it. Say nothing of my poor numb hands from the vibration.....;-)

 

[xyz123]

Repair the 346's IMHO.

Is it old enough to have the plastic clamp that was updated to metal clamp? Those plastic ones was a known issue and why replaced with new set up.

They would melt and warp and create air leaks. This is a worse one I ever replaced. It even melted impulse shut.

Old crap ones left and new updated ones right.

Pack rat I just built from parts.

 

[CalG]

Repair the 346's IMHO.

Is it old enough to have the plastic clamp that was updated to metal clamp? Those plastic ones was a known issue and why replaced with new set up.

They would melt and warp and create air leaks. This is a worse one I ever replaced. It even melted impulse shut.

Old crap ones left and new updated ones right.

Pack rat I just built from parts.



View attachment 3277386
View attachment 3277388

Thanks for this!

Yep, Gonna get into it in a bit.

But I got a wild hair and went and picked up the 550xp this morning.

It was a matter of getting things cleaned up in a timely manner.

I'll have a great backup! if parts are to be had.
When I asked the dealer about repairing the 346, he mentioned that "some people like those old saws". ;-)

I didn't say a word about the Pro Mac 10. ;-)

 

[xyz123]

Thanks for this!

Yep, Gonna get into it in a bit.

But I got a wild hair and went and picked up the 550xp this morning.

It was a matter of getting things cleaned up in a timely manner.

I'll have a great backup! if parts are to be had.
When I asked the dealer about repairing the 346, he mentioned that "some people like those old saws". ;-)

I didn't say a word about the Pro Mac 10. ;-)

So was your saw the OE or NE? I'll show both. OE is 42mm bore and NE 44.3mm bore.

NE has purge bulb and OE dont.

 

[CalG]

This one has the bulb and the black plastic cover clips, so must be a new edition. "The big engine" getting it over the 50 cc legislation.

I got the cutting done yesterday. The 550xp sure feels the same in my hands.

 

[xyz123]

This one has the bulb and the black plastic cover clips, so must be a new edition. "The big engine" getting it over the 50 cc legislation.

I got the cutting done yesterday. The 550xp sure feels the same in my hands.

It will already have the metal intake clamp and updated partition then. So need to look elsewhere.

I got a farmers NE in and he never checked things. It had scored. What I found. Old smelling mix. Cylinder bolts loose. Dull chain.
Also under covers looked like it was never cleaned for air flow. IMO all played a part in killing it.

I was able to clean up cylinder and use a new meteor piston kit to save her.

It is the NE in above pics to compare to OE one.

550xp MKII is heavier and right at 12lbs PHO dry. Good cutters though. Just not as nimble to me.

 

[CalG]

It will already have the metal intake clamp and updated partition then. So need to look elsewhere.

I got a farmers NE in and he never checked things. It had scored. What I found. Old smelling mix. Cylinder bolts loose. Dull chain.
Also under covers looked like it was never cleaned for air flow. IMO all played a part in killing it.

I was able to clean up cylinder and use a new meteor piston kit to save her.

It is the NE in above pics to compare to OE one.

550xp MKII is heavier and right at 12lbs PHO dry. Good cutters though. Just not as nimble to me.


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Well, You got ahead of me......

Two of the four cylinder fastening cap screws were just about finger tight.
There are signs on the case, the cylinder base and the gasket adjacent to the transfer ports. Exhaust port gasket is blown out as well. Piston looks fine. big end and wrist pin feel fine too.
I confess, it sure took a lot of cleaning to get the grunge out from around the carb and on the cylinder side of the partition. The rubber carb mount looks good. Is there a trick to getting that metal ring clipped back together?

I feel that only the two gaskets NEED to be replaced, But I want a fresh piston ring since it's open. I wonder if the main case seals should get renewed as well.

My bet is that had I known, all I would have needed to do is snug up those cylinder screws. Now that it's apart, I may as well freshen it up.
Maybe even put a new clutch bearing in it ;-)

It's all I can do to keep myself from breaking out the pencil grinder and matching the transfers, raising and widening the exhaust and widening the intake just a bit.... Just for old times sake ;-)

I hope my dealer has parts on hand!!

eta
I do appreciate your knowledge and comments on this saw.
I must have hemmed and hawed for a half hour trying to figure out how the carb is supposed to come free before saying to myself, "Awe heck, just pull the cylinder and all." ;-)

 

[CalG]

It's all good!
35 bucks for gaskets and a ring, plus a replacement for the broken cover clip.

It was a great motorbike ride getting the parts ;-)

Started second pull after popping on the first.
Idled right down, and just a touch of four stroking unloaded at top rpms.
Sharp chain went right through a bar full. ;-)

Well, now if I get a bar stuck in the work, I've got a good second saw to get out of the jamb.

 

[5030]

For some reason that I'm not aware of, people run their saws and NEVER clean the swarf from around the jug or under the side cover. They might clean the air filter maybe, but the crud that mummyfies the cylinder usually causes them to eventually overheat and score, no matter what the A/F ratio is. That and running a dull loop and forcing the saw to cut, well, make sawdust.

 

[hayden]

It's all good!
35 bucks for gaskets and a ring, plus a replacement for the broken cover clip.

It was a great motorbike ride getting the parts ;-)

Started second pull after popping on the first.
Idled right down, and just a touch of four stroking unloaded at top rpms.
Sharp chain went right through a bar full. ;-)

Well, now if I get a bar stuck in the work, I've got a good second saw to get out of the jamb.
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Glad to hear it. I have two of them, apparently one of the older versions without the primer bulb, and the other newer with the bulb. They are a great saw. Small enough to not wear you out, but powerful enough for many jobs.

That said, my newer one crapped out on me the other day. Just stopped while using it. I assumed it was out of gas so refilled, but couldn’t get it restarted. Tried again the next day and still no joy. Did a quick check and no spark. The stop switch appears to be working correctly and opening/closing the contact as it should. Will have to dig in further to see what’s up.

 

[5030]

I would start with replacing the spark plug first. Spark plugs today are really hit and miss.

 

[CalG]

For some reason that I'm not aware of, people run their saws and NEVER clean the swarf from around the jug or under the side cover. They might clean the air filter maybe, but the crud that mummyfies the cylinder usually causes them to eventually overheat and score, no matter what the A/F ratio is. That and running a dull loop and forcing the saw to cut, well, make sawdust.

I don't make dust for more time than it takes to say "This chain needs sharping".

But.....
When the saw wouldn't idle down nor shut down when the ignition switch was thrown out, I just pushed the saw bar into the ground.

It took a full 6 strokes of the file on each tooth to bring back a sharp point. I'm starting to get a collection of "stump chains" ;-)

 

[CalG]

Glad to hear it. I have two of them, apparently one of the older versions without the primer bulb, and the other newer with the bulb. They are a great saw. Small enough to not wear you out, but powerful enough for many jobs.

That said, my newer one crapped out on me the other day. Just stopped while using it. I assumed it was out of gas so refilled, but couldn’t get it restarted. Tried again the next day and still no joy. Did a quick check and no spark. The stop switch appears to be working correctly and opening/closing the contact as it should. Will have to dig in further to see what’s up.

Do you know if they use a solid state trigger for the ignition?

 

[5030]

I don't make dust for more time than it takes to say "This chain needs sharping".

But.....
When the saw wouldn't idle down nor shut down when the ignition switch was thrown out, I just pushed the saw bar into the ground.

It took a full 6 strokes of the file on each tooth to bring back a sharp point. I'm starting to get a collection of "stump chains" ;-)

I have not used a file in years. I machine grind all my chains as well as my arborist customers.

 

[CalG]

I have not used a file in years. I machine grind all my chains as well as my arborist customers.

I've got three saws, but am only one man. It takes less than five minutes to file a chain. I can't imagine dedicating bench or shelf space to a grinder.

 

[hayden]

Do you know if they use a solid state trigger for the ignition?

I don’t know, but will certainly check. I’ll also check for spark right at the plug wire to eliminate the spark plug as the culprit. I appreciate the suggestions, but honestly I just set it aside and started using the other 346XP so I could keep working. When I have some free time, I’ll dig into it. It’s nice to have more than one saw….

I’m interested to hear of jug bolts working loose, and will check that in both saws.

 

[xyz123]

I've got three saws, but am only one man. It takes less than five minutes to file a chain. I can't imagine dedicating bench or shelf space to a grinder.

I have a stihl USG grinder and I still hand file my own. Unless I get behind.

I just mount in vise on saw and go through one in no time.

Takes more time to take chain off, put on grinder, set up and then back on saw.

Only reason I bought a grinder was because of everyone else bringing me bulk trashed chains all the time.

To me doing a chain on grinder is repetition work for crap pay and kid could do it if trained right way. So boring to me to do that way.