Is 3/8 too much for an Echo CS-501

[Greenerpastures]

Y? 50 is more common around here.

My bar is 0.050. Do you want the numbers?

Is the bar you talk of on a CS 501, if so I do wnat the number, just in the event
I have to change.

Thanks & Regards, john

 

[FergusonTO35]

Here are the part numbers for the USA version of the 501, which uses the same bars and chains as the 500.

Echo 16" bar, .325/.050: 18F0LD3366
Echo 18" bar, .325/.050: 18F0LD3372, same as Oregon 180GLGK216 which I just ordered for my 500 along with the 20LPX072G chain.

Here are the manuals for the USA Cs-501P:
http://www.echo-usa.com/Support-Help/Technical-Documents.aspx?s=CS-501P

 

[Greenerpastures]

Here are the part numbers for the USA version of the 501, which uses the same bars and chains as the 500.

Echo 16" bar, .325/.050: 18F0LD3366
Echo 18" bar, .325/.050: 18F0LD3372, same as Oregon 180GLGK216 which I just ordered for my 500 along with the 20LPX072G chain.

Here are the manuals for the USA Cs-501P:
http://www.echo-usa.com/Support-Help/Technical-Documents.aspx?s=CS-501P

Thanks for the information, I can not find this 180GLGK216 , when I search the Oregon site.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Are you looking on the Oregon North America site or Europe? They may have different part numbers for Europe, especially if it is measured in cm rather than inches.

 

[Greenerpastures]

I looked on the EU site.
Am going to get the Sugi bar, the saw shop ordered it in, will have it soon I hope.
I have a feeling it will fit my Shindaiwa as well, another saw the locals here could
not get me a bar for, they had all sorts but none for the 490.
I found a source in the UK for the Echo / Sugi bars and will be able to order them
direct if need be, so hopefully all will work out.

Thanks for commenting, john

 

[FergusonTO35]

Sounds good to me, Oregon must have a different part number style for Europe.

 

[Woodbutcher56]

I've been thinking about a 501 p also and was wondering what it would take to change it over to 3/8 LP . I've never had a saw running .325 chain , but I have a couple running 3/8 LP and really like it.Sounds like it's more of a task than its worth. If I buy one however I will be running a 16" bar on it.

 

[FergusonTO35]

That's the only thing I don't like about Echo's midsize saws. They all use .325 and I have never found any 3/8" sprockets or bars to convert them.

 

[Greenerpastures]

I've been thinking about a 501 p also and was wondering what it would take to change it over to 3/8 LP . I've never had a saw running .325 chain , but I have a couple running 3/8 LP and really like it.Sounds like it's more of a task than its worth. If I buy one however I will be running a 16" bar on it.

The saw I got runs a SMALL 7 Rim drive, I think this is responsible for this small saws staying power,
a bigger drive most likely would increase the strain on the saw.
I just don't see how it would cope with 3/8, and the reason I posted regarding its suitability.
3/8 low profile is a different ball game, am sure the drive rims are available, low profile bars
will be harder to find, but not impossible.
The bar actually oils through the hole the tensioner fits into, or to be more exact, the oil flows from the saw through the upper (tensioner) hole in the bar which in turn leads to the channel in the bar and oils the chain, while the tensioner pulls against the bottom (tensioner) hole in the bar, so as long as any other holes in the bar are not too far towards the top and bottom of the bar,
they should be blocked by the back plate on the saw, and by the removable side case for that matter, and will work fine.
Its the SMALL 7 that is my biggest issue, as I have to use a bar with a small tail, 29.?mm, so this
restricts the choice of bars available, though I have found sugi bars at reasonable money for this not to be any further problem.
If the saws in the US have a larger drive rim, then bars will be easier to find.

 

[Nitehawk55]

I've got a 501P with a 16" and the .325 suits it fine , I would not use 3/8 on a 50cc saw . 3/8 LP or Picco yes but I don't see the advantage in most cases .
.325 is no harder to sharpen or work with than 3/8 .

Open the muffler a bit , re-adjust the carb and enjoy .

 

[MustangMike]

Since you already got an Echo thread open, I hope you don't mind a bit of hijacking.

My friend has a little CS 400. Any easy tips for waking one of these up a little bit? (Muff mod, timing). Keep in mind, I have never been in one of these.

Thanks.

 

[Greenerpastures]

I've got a 501P with a 16" and the .325 suits it fine , I would not use 3/8 on a 50cc saw . 3/8 LP or Picco yes but I don't see the advantage in most cases .
.325 is no harder to sharpen or work with than 3/8 .

Open the muffler a bit , re-adjust the carb and enjoy .

Hi Nitehawk55, mine is just new, so warranty is the issue if I mod it, I took out the spark arrestor and am keeping it safe.
I took out the plug, and it is too white, people have mentioned these saws come too lean and I agree.
As far as I know it is semi D carb tool I need to adjust it a bit, can you confirm if this is the case.
The saw reves quickly from idle to wot, so I think the low setting is ok, will be letting out the H a little
and will test when I get the bar sorted.

 

[Greenerpastures]

Since you already got an Echo thread open, I hope you don't mind a bit of hijacking.

My friend has a little CS 400. Any easy tips for waking one of these up a little bit? (Muff mod, timing). Keep in mind, I have never been in one of these.

Thanks.

Hi MustangMike.
This is my first Echo, so no ideas from me, Just make sure its not running lean, like I discovered mine is.
If your friend wants to keep the warranty, then like me there is not a lot that can be done to the saw.
I removed the spark arrestor and am keeping it safe to pop back in if need be.
You could look if the coil can move in and out a bit from the rotating flywheel,
as moving it alters the spark timing a little, but without testing and measuring
equipment such moves may not gain much, as the Ignition module its self retards or advances
as need be, how capable it is at doing this is another thing, maybe it is perfect, so no sliding coil
in out or around required. Check plug gap though, as if it is too big then ignition failure could come
quicker than you want.
If you can get a second hand of after market exhaust, then mod it, as far as I see the exhausts on modern
saws are really restrictive, engines are running too hot and will simply not last, thanks to the EPA and the sheep
here in the EU.
You could take some measurements and see if the gasket under the cylinder could be removed
or replaced with a thinner one, that would certainly give some oomph.
If there is a rev limiting coil on it, maybe fit one without a limiter, makes tuning
easier as you won't mistake its interference for four stroking.
But in all seriousness, if the saw is too small, getting a larger one is the way to go,
though mods are still important, if you want your saw to last, and not melt, like the powers
that be intend them to, so their wealthy business buddies can sell us another nugget.

 

[Greenerpastures]

Couldn't help it, from another post on here,
http://opeforum.com/threads/365-372-chinese-chainsaws.5987/page-3

 

[Nitehawk55]

Semi D is correct unless they changed it at some point of production and I would adjust it so it's 4 stroking out of the cut and smoothing out in with the high and the throttle catching nice throttling from idle .
What part of Ireland you from John , my family originally came out of Kerry many years ago .
John (also)

 

[Greenerpastures]

Semi D is correct unless they changed it at some point of production and I would adjust it so it's 4 stroking out of the cut and smoothing out in with the high and the throttle catching nice throttling from idle .
What part of Ireland you from John , my family originally came out of Kerry many years ago .
John (also)

Hi Nitehawk55
Thanks for the tuning tips.
Am up in Donegal, the opposite end of the country from Kerry.
My best friend for Secondary School went to Canada when his father
emigrated back in the 79/80.
Never had contact with the family since, no Internet back then,
was doing a search One evening found out the lads father (Raymond Wray) 0recently passed on.
He settled somewhere in Ontario.

 

[Nitehawk55]

Ontario is a big place John , lots of settlers came here .
I was going to add that if your saw is still under warranty you may want to take it to your dealer and show your concern with the spark plug and have them adjust the carb for you .

 

[FergusonTO35]

Since you already got an Echo thread open, I hope you don't mind a bit of hijacking.

My friend has a little CS 400. Any easy tips for waking one of these up a little bit? (Muff mod, timing). Keep in mind, I have never been in one of these.

Thanks.

I find my 400 is pretty strong already in stock form for a 40cc non-pro saw. It is easily my favorite of all in my little fleet. I would first start with removing the mixture screw limiters. Easy to do, just pull them off the screws and trim away the oblong ears that prevent them from full rotation. Once that is done you can tune it properly. I will say this, the 400 is like every other late model Echo product I have tried in the sense that it prefers to run leaner than you might think. There is definitely a point of diminishing returns in adding more fuel. If you tune it while warmed up to the classic four stroke at WOT/cleans up in the wood you may find that the saw chugs and smokes like a locomotive on a cold start. As I remember, mine seems quite happy around 12,900 rpm at WOT so I leave it there.


I mix premium fuel at 36:1 with synthetic oil and a healthy dose of fuel stabilizer for all my oil burners and they all seem to like it. Minimal smoke and the spark plug has a nice coffee brown color. I haven't done any muffler mods to mine as I am happy with the way it runs and don't want the extra noise. My 400 still has the cat muffler and I haven't seen any indication of excess heat or clogging. Also, for some reason Echo thinks the 400 needs an 18" bar and chain. Probably, due to the perception that longer bar=more power. A 16 incher is right at home on it and yes the 400 will pull a more aggressive chain no problem. I got one of these for mine and it works great:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-REPLACE...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[Greenerpastures]

Hi Nitehawk55
Yes Ontario is a big place, and I have no wish to be more specific in regard
to where people have settled, with regard to their privicy.

I can't take the saw back under warranty for this issue, because I already brought it
up during the demonstration of the saw, the mechanic that set the saw up said it was
perfect, I said no, it isnt even burbling or four stroking, this deler sells a lot of such
items, so I decided to give him the bennefit of the doubt, and just make the changes
myself, (new dealer to me) so can't judge the outcome for a while yet.
Though saying that, the bar they said they had in the shop and would swap me never
materalised, so another bar was ordered Five days ago and still no sign of it.

This country is blessed with people in business that know nothing other than how to
count money, no skills, and it does not matter which one you
choose, they are all pretty much the same.

I am seriously thinking about opening a shop, as there are some very good mechanics
here, that will not work for the dealerships, simply because they are harrased and
compounded in their daily duries, don't do this, don't do that, it takes too long, it costs too much.

I worked in the sector, and saw customers engines destroyed by so called mechanics,
that were simply too lazy to fix them, they would deliberately over load them until
the enivitable happened, even saw one guy put a sticker saying FU***D on a customers saw.

They all do this, it ensures people have no choice other than to buy another item, its a visious
circle, and people seem quite happy to play along, and if you told them what is happening to
their engines and who's fault it is, they would take the dealer / sellers part, so I will enrich my
own saw, and only use the warrany if something breaks that is not my doing, a component failure
for example.

 

[Greenerpastures]

Well yesterday I got my bar, no surprise this 16" is a fair bit lighter, and the saw no
longer takes a nose dive, it is well balanced when holding it by the front handle.
It too is a Sugi made bar, no where near as deep as the 18" yet it is built strong.

My Shindaiwa 490 with an 18" bar is a lighter over all saw, and is the one I use for cutting
saplings brush and bushes at a few inches above the ground, it saves me bending or stretching
and is much safer than a shorter bar for this work, given the weight of the Sugi bar I would not
consider using it for the same job, great bar, simply not suited for light work, and I did feel bad
having to give it in for a shorter one, but the reality was, it was not suited to my needs, and my
back and arms will thank me for getting the shorter one.

I also had a look at the bars on the 500 model (older) Echo 's when I was in the shop, they have only
two tensioner holes and no separate oil hole in them, I think they would go straight onto the
Shindaiwa 490, as that saw oils out through the unused top tensioner hole in the bar, next visit
to the shop I will bring the 490 and check this out.

End of bar saga, & Regards to all.