026 cylinder question/build

[Ronie]

The Vostore 026 cylinder has a nikasil like plating that peels easily, but not bad on flaking. It was the first cylinder I ported and a guy is still running it today a few years later.

I'm just going to use it to practice on.

 

[drf256]

It would probably be ok but the Stihl one is in great shape.

No surprise. The plating is harder.

 

[JCMLAS0000]

No surprise. The plating is harder.

Hey Doc. If you don't mind, educate me how Stihl ( Kolbenschmidt /Stihl in this case ) gets their chrome cylinders so darn hard. I agree with you. I've had countless used Stihl chrome cylinders with bores that look great with little wear.
Seems conventional thinking would say that the creator of nikasil ( Mahle ) would wear better and be more durable.
Just because the chrome lubes better and thus better shape?

 

[drf256]

Really don’t know. I do know that each manufacturer specs their plating differently than others.

For instance, a steel ring on a Wiseco piston will chew up the A Mahle cylinders plating on a Stihl but not on a Mahle produced Husky cylinder. @Definitive Dave . One would not think this to be true, but it is. Same manufacturer of cylinder for 2 different saw manufacturers. Both Mahle with different platings.

As for K$ Jugs, they use a different aluminum allow which is brighter and stays silver in color, unlike the dull gray that Mahle become. They have harder (? Thicker) Nikasil plating and tend to have plating extend into the ports, whereas Mahle’s don’t. Anyone who has ported a cylinder knows what a PITA it is when the ports are plated.

In my limited experience, it seems that the K$ plating is more durable. For instance, K$ 262XP jugs are rarely scored, even with roached pistons. YMMV, but it’s what I have encountered.

 

[RI Chevy]

Maybe just do both of them up Ronie? Then do some comparison cuts and see if one runs better than the other? Just thinking outloud here.
Are the Stihl jugs made in Italy? With that hard stuff???

 

[Ronie]

Maybe just do both of them up Ronie? Then do some comparison cuts and see if one runs better than the other? Just thinking outloud here.
Are the Stihl jugs made in Italy? With that hard stuff???

I think that's what I'm going to do, I also have an AM one on the way to play around with.

I'm not sure where the Stihl jug is made but @drf256 said that the plating is harder. As far as grinding on the Stihl jug, I roughed in the exhaust and the aluminum didn't seem any harder than others I've done.

 

[Ronie]

In case anybody is interested in the $21 Vostore cylinder I got to practice on. It doesn't look to bad, ports look ok and the upper transfers are angled toward the intake. I'll put up the squish and timing numbers in a little bit.

 

[Ronie]

 

[Ronie]

I got the timing numbers, from what I've read it looks like it's a copy of the Stihl cylinder down to the same timing numbers.

 

[Canadian farm boy]

Looks like that cylinder has a pretty thick base. You should have lots of material for machining.
How wide is the ring of death? Or does the plating go all the way to the top?

 

[Ronie]

Looks like that cylinder has a pretty thick base. You should have lots of material for machining.
How wide is the ring of death? Or does the plating go all the way to the top?

It measured .277-.280 depending on where I measured. The plating goes all the way to the top and a little bit on the squish band.

 

[Canadian farm boy]

It measured .277-.280 depending on where I measured. The plating goes all the way to the top and a little bit on the squish band.

View attachment 312060

Cool. You should be able to drop that cylinder a mile. Try and get that exhaust to 100*+. 026 doesn’t mind lots of compression.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

Squish of .017 is about the maximum amount I'd run.

 

[Ronie]

Squish of .017 is about the maximum amount I'd run.

,015 is as low as I'd want to go but I'll shoot for it to be around .020.

 

[drf256]

You gonna cut the piston dome and band flat?

Should allow you to get to 103+ On ex roof.

 

[Ronie]

You gonna cut the piston dome and band flat?

Should allow you to get to 103+ On ex roof.

I'm going to try to on the AM cylinder and see how it goes.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

You've been cranking out some good stuff Ron, do yoi ever mess around with any old saws ,ie McCulloch or Homelite?

 

[Ronie]

You've been cranking out some good stuff Ron, do yoi ever mess around with any old saws ,ie McCulloch or Homelite?

Thanks, the only older saw I've messed with is an old Poulan 31. I've got an old McCulloch that I'll try to get running some day.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

Well if you ever want to fool with one let me know.
Without modern amenities some of them can be quite suprising.

 

[Ronie]

Managed to cut .055 out of the band of the AM cylinder without messing it up, not a big deal for the porters but I'm pretty happy about it.