Early Husqvarna 357xp Piston

[CJ Brown]

So quite a while back I had posted a "wanted" ad looking for an early 357XP piston. The first couple years of manufacture of the 357XP used a narrower piston pin bearing, and the Husky available piston and all aftermarket pistons use the wider bearing. I didn't have any lucky finding a new "early" piston, so I shelved the saw.

Over this past winter I did a little research and ended up ordering an aftermarket piston for a Husky 257. It is the same diameter (46mm) and and takes the same piston bearing as the early 357XP. Today I did a little measuring and it seems the 257 piston will work as a replacement for the early 357XP models. The 257 piston has a 1mm taller deck height, so it will need to be turned (or belt sanded?!). This does make it suitable for adjusting squish or turning a popup. It is also 0.5mm longer at the skirt so some adjustment may be needed there. But other than that, it is an alternative to swapping the crank or scrapping the saw.. I will note that the 257 piston skirt on the intake side is cast narrower than the exhaust side. Although it covers the intake port by 2mm each side, that doesn't leave much room for widening the port if a port job is part of your rebuild.

Chris

 

[old guy]

Sounds like you have it going, try taking 1 mm off the top edge of the piston, go 10mm in leaving a popup, have it done in a lathe tho.
Make sure you shorten those skirts

 

[Wood Doctor]

Never tried this before on a Husqvarna, so I cannot predict anything positive, but it might work. You could be biting off more than you can chew or the saw can work with. "Too many notes?"

 

[Kiwioilboiler]

On my one i retro-fitted the newer crank and piston out of a donor saw. Original stuff still here if anyone needs it, but i'm a long way away sorry.