im stuck with a 290 stihl for a while

[jake wells]

seems to be ok with a muffler mod and carb tune.
any gains with a timing advance or no? has a AM 390 engine in it brand unknown.

 

[Brewz]

 

[CoreyB]

Run it. It will cut wood. Just don't tell your friends they will laugh at you.

 

[BigRed96]

I had a 290 built into a 390 and ran the s word out of it with a 24" bar. Have fun with it and if someone gives you s word tell them to GFY.

 

[CoreyB]

I had a stock 029 for over 10 years and cut 8 cords a year. It never won a race but we never had to sleep in the cold either!

 

[jake wells]

View attachment 36820

reported!

 

[jake wells]

i watched a video of one running a 044 carb and it seemed to scoot.
heard talk about a timing advance a while back on this forum but i can't remember who posted it.

 

[BigRed96]

The timing advance was to be the next mod to mine but I never got around to it. Also I wasnt sure how much to remove from the key stock. If anyone knows I am all ears as I built a 290/390 for my little brother for Christmas awhile back and could mod his saw.

 

[jake wells]

i thought about just taking the key and swiping it with a file twice but i don't know which side to file to advance the timing a smidge.

 

[huskihl]

i watched a video of one running a 044 carb and it seemed to scoot.
heard talk about a timing advance a while back on this forum but i can't remember who posted it.

The carb from an 029 I had was already a bit larger than the carb on my 044

i thought about just taking the key and swiping it with a file twice but i don't know which side to file to advance the timing a smidge.

The flywheel has the key cast into it. You can still advance timing with a small file like a triangle file. To advance, you want to turn the flywheel forward on the crank (counter clockwise). So looking at it from the outside, with the keyway on top, you'd file the left side of the key

 

[Terry Syd]

The timing on that model is all over the place. The stock timing (because of manufacturing differences) is from 23.5 to 28.5 degrees. To do it properly, you have to tweak it a bit and try it, you just can't hack off, say, 2o thousands and call it good.

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

Terry put it about as good as one can. You'll probably have better luck with a little chisel than you will a file.

 

[Brewz]

i watched a video of one running a 044 carb and it seemed to scoot.
heard talk about a timing advance a while back on this forum but i can't remember who posted it.

That was Terry and I.
My first saw was an 039 and was the saw I pulled to bits and put back together for a rebuild. Took me a couple goes to get it right but it was a cracker once I git it right.

I tried some different muffler mods and an 046 carb and had it running a lot better than a stock one.

Timing mods were next but it got sold to finance pro saws to modify.

It took a lot of tinkering to get a bit of gain but nothing like you get from porting a 60-70cc pro Stihl or husky.

Great saws though!

 

[Brewz]

Oh, if it has a flocc filter, ditch it and get a nylon one.

 

[Terry Syd]

Yeah, the stock flock filter NEEDS the 'intelli carb' structure in order to just run. It is restrictive FROM THE FACTORY.

I made up a high flow filter with an old 029 filter (no intelli carb junction), drilled it out a heap, ported the inside - and then covered the whole thing with filter foam and used an old flannel shirt as filter material. Not only did it filter better than a stock filter (probably because there was less 'suction' trying to pull crap through) but it breathed a lot better than stock. I ran the 'high flow' filter for three cutting sessions without cleaning, than ran it up for a WOT rpm test. Then I put a stock filter on that had never been used - the stock, never used, clean filter dropped 75 rpm.

That series of saws are the definition of a homeowner saw. They are cheap and can be made to work quite well, but they do require a fair amount of work to get there. There is a 'hot spot' on the front of the jug where the clutch side muffler bolt casting blocks the air flow. Not only does it block the flow of air, but it also conducts heat from the muffler. That causes an expansion into the cylinder - you get more heat and less piston clearance in that spot. I've seen a couple of jugs seize in that spot. If you have the jug off, drill out the area so the air will flow through and there is less material to expand.

Mine works well now, but I'll never get another one...

 

[RI Chevy]

I had a stock 029 for over 10 years and cut 8 cords a year. It never won a race but we never had to sleep in the cold either!

Amen. An 029 was the first saw I ever bought new when I was young. All I could afford. Early 90's if I remember correctly. Saw has served me well through the years, as I had to push it way past its limits. Never skipped a beat. Provides safe, reliable cutting. I have cut well over 100 cord with that saw. I stopped counting. And it Stihl looks nice. lol
Be nice to the 029's.

 

[Czed]

Used one for five years cutting firewood just a muffler mod never had any trouble. I got 325.00 out of it when i sold it to a friend three years ago he is still running it not bad in my opinion