ECHO Echo, Echo, Echo

[heimannm]

old 040 - I peaked in the tank at the oil line...not good.



I scraped as much out as I could, a couple of rinses with acetone and the tank was surprisingly clean inside. I could see the nipple for the oil line, and an inspection inside the tank using my bore scope confirmed it was probably acceptable. I was able to insert a wire through the tank opening into the nipple and used that to guide a piece of 3/16" Tygon onto the nipple. By twisting and pushing (with the wire supporting it in the center) I was able to push the line onto the nipple quite securely. Since my only strainers that would fit through the small tank opening have a small nipple, I made a Tygon "bushing" from a piece of 1/8x1/4 tubing and pressed it into the end of the oil line, then inserted the strainer. It took some effort to get the line and strainer down in the bottom of the tank, but in the end...



I had another photo of the saw running on the bench with oil pumping out the bar pad, but alas I seemed to have lost it.

The 40V is now operational except for the fuel cap gasket and duckbill valve, those parts should be arriving sometime soon. I also ordered a new clutch drum as the sprocket on the saw was badly worn.







Mark

 

[heimannm]

I received a "care package" from mowerman Fred today.



I also received a couple of eBay packages and was able to finish the 60V and my 50V for the display.

Hand guard and AF knob thanks to Fred.



Notice the oil trickling off the bar? I installed the strainer from Fred as well.

Fred supplied the spark arrester screen, eBay provided the muffler guard.



The 50V got a new starter rope guide and the grommet for the carburetor adjust/idle speed screw.



Mark

 

[heimannm]

I stumbled over this 500EVL in the attic today.





Feels like it has decent compression, I may bring it down for a closer inspection and see what it needs to make it operational. Looks like I will need a hand guard right off the bat.

Mark

 

[FergusonTO35]

I stumbled over this 500EVL in the attic today.

View attachment 408558

View attachment 408559

Feels like it has decent compression, I may bring it down for a closer inspection and see what it needs to make it operational. Looks like I will need a hand guard right off the bat.

Mark

Looks like it was well oiled at least! My CS-303T has to be the easiest starting 2 stroke I've ever tried. Seriously, one pull and it sputters well enough to where I can move it to half choke and warm it up. Cut up some kindling with it yesterday after it had sat for a couple of months and she fired right up. It is an old tech saw that is quite heavy for 30cc but I really like it! Reminds me of Dad's Homie Super 2 that I learned to cut with.

 

[Likesaws]

My recent CS-400 runs really well even with the cat muffler. My biggest concern is having all that heat next to the cylinder, seems like that would not be good for engine life. At the same time, does the constant outflow of exhaust carry the extra heat away? Automotive cats don't cause any problems unless they are overheating or clogged and I leave them in place unless they cause problems.

Those cats are easy to remove. Take the muffler off and drill out from the back. I used a 1/4” bit and needle nose pliers to roll up pieces.
Also a burr in small drill to clean up everything. Now runs great for a small 40cc saw. I like using it a lot. My favorite small saw.

 

[old 040]

old 040 - I peaked in the tank at the oil line...not good.

View attachment 408428

I scraped as much out as I could, a couple of rinses with acetone and the tank was surprisingly clean inside. I could see the nipple for the oil line, and an inspection inside the tank using my bore scope confirmed it was probably acceptable. I was able to insert a wire through the tank opening into the nipple and used that to guide a piece of 3/16" Tygon onto the nipple. By twisting and pushing (with the wire supporting it in the center) I was able to push the line onto the nipple quite securely. Since my only strainers that would fit through the small tank opening have a small nipple, I made a Tygon "bushing" from a piece of 1/8x1/4 tubing and pressed it into the end of the oil line, then inserted the strainer. It took some effort to get the line and strainer down in the bottom of the tank, but in the end...

View attachment 408431

I had another photo of the saw running on the bench with oil pumping out the bar pad, but alas I seemed to have lost it.

The 40V is now operational except for the fuel cap gasket and duckbill valve, those parts should be arriving sometime soon. I also ordered a new clutch drum as the sprocket on the saw was badly worn.

View attachment 408435

View attachment 408433

View attachment 408434

Mark

Yep, those oil lines are usually gooo after all those years, the 302's are usually the same way but not quite as difficult to replace the oil hose on them do to a slightly better angle through the oil fill hole to the barb in the tank. I warm the barb end of the hose to make them slip over the nipple a bit easier.

 

[old 040]

I think that's John Deere's version of echo cs602vl. I can help with airfilter cover knob. I'll check on others. I may have hand guard but only in white, JD's version came in yellow. The muffler screen and retainer should be same as on 50v. The four shock mounts between engine and lower handle were a weak spot, they frequently broke. They were used on cs602vl, cs702vl, cs750vl, and the JD 60,70, and 80v. If the shock mounts aren't completely messed up I figured out a workaround to help using screws with tall heads meant for other series of echo saws.
I think the cs602 and cs702 (JD60 & 70) were the same except for different pistons and cylinder heads. Some 702vl were called 702evl with electronic ignition. I never tried it but it looks like the the points setup could swap to the electronic setup.
Fred

I've actually wanted try using the points style ignition plate and coil from either the 602/702vl and see if they would swap into the 602/702evl saws, then use a chip to replace the points as I'm unsure if the EVL models have the points cam on the crankshaft. May be a cheaper alternative than the pricey electronic coil and modules if/when you can find them for the EVL models.

 

[old 040]

I stumbled over this 500EVL in the attic today.

View attachment 408558

View attachment 408559

Feels like it has decent compression, I may bring it down for a closer inspection and see what it needs to make it operational. Looks like I will need a hand guard right off the bat.

Mark

I've always liked the 500vl with point ignition. I picked this one up towards the end of last summer, really ruff looking in the sellers pics and actually still ran, even so, I saw potential and it was located only five minutes away and priced cheap. After a good bath and adding some new, and a couple nicer replacement parts, it turned out quite nice and a very good runner. A before and after picture, since I took the "after" picture, I found a NOS filter screen kit for the air filter cover and installed it which completed the saw.

 

[mowerman2]

When I started working in the late 80's in a repair shop that sold and serviced Echo's we were told that there was a special warranty issue for certain serial numbers of cs500vl. Apparently the flywheel sometimes rapidly disintegrated, so that if a customer brought one in they were to get a brand new saw of comparable size in exchange for their cs500vl. I never knew of this actually happening, but I did see a bunch of service bulletins about that flywheel. My suspicion was that the flywheel was OK but that removing it without a "correct" flywheel remover tool could add cracks that would lead to problems. I think the 500vl was replaced with the 500evl with a different flywheel and electronic ignition, but that was soon replaced with the cs510evl.
Fred

 

[Mastermind]

When I started working in the late 80's in a repair shop that sold and serviced Echo's we were told that there was a special warranty issue for certain serial numbers of cs500vl. Apparently the flywheel sometimes rapidly disintegrated, so that if a customer brought one in they were to get a brand new saw of comparable size in exchange for their cs500vl. I never knew of this actually happening, but I did see a bunch of service bulletins about that flywheel. My suspicion was that the flywheel was OK but that removing it without a "correct" flywheel remover tool could add cracks that would lead to problems. I think the 500vl was replaced with the 500evl with a different flywheel and electronic ignition, but that was soon replaced with the cs510evl.
Fred

Good information Fred.

 

[mowerman2]

I've actually wanted try using the points style ignition plate and coil from either the 602/702vl and see if they would swap into the 602/702evl saws, then use a chip to replace the points as I'm unsure if the EVL models have the points cam on the crankshaft. May be a cheaper alternative than the pricey electronic coil and modules if/when you can find them for the EVL models.

The 702evl and 750evl share a lot of the same ignition parts so I wonder if those 602/702vl parts could also go into the 750evl. The 750 was never a points saw so it might not. Still, it shared a lot of parts overall with the 702 so they might have used the same crankcase.
Fred

 

[old 040]

When I started working in the late 80's in a repair shop that sold and serviced Echo's we were told that there was a special warranty issue for certain serial numbers of cs500vl. Apparently the flywheel sometimes rapidly disintegrated, so that if a customer brought one in they were to get a brand new saw of comparable size in exchange for their cs500vl. I never knew of this actually happening, but I did see a bunch of service bulletins about that flywheel. My suspicion was that the flywheel was OK but that removing it without a "correct" flywheel remover tool could add cracks that would lead to problems. I think the 500vl was replaced with the 500evl with a different flywheel and electronic ignition, but that was soon replaced with the cs510evl.
Fred

That bulletin was for very early 500vl's. I don't recall what the serial number cut-off was, but any after would have had the updated flywheel even on the point ignition 500vl. IIRC the models under the recall were early enough to not have the upper right hand "bolt on" handle bracket, the handle wrapped around on the right hand side and was bolted on to that side of the saw. Even so, I've see that early style with wrap around handle still be past the recall serial number cut-off point. Here's an image of that earlier style with wrap around handle.

 

[old 040]

The 702evl and 750evl share a lot of the same ignition parts so I wonder if those 602/702vl parts could also go into the 750evl. The 750 was never a points saw so it might not. Still, it shared a lot of parts overall with the 702 so they might have used the same crankcase.
Fred

Yeah, I wondered if the same could be done to the 750 as well.

 

[mowerman2]

I found a recall notice for the cs-500vl. It was for the early model with the wrap around handle, but only up to serial number 23000.
apparently produced in 1979 and 1980, The parts manual shows that style of 500vl going up to serial number 49000, and after that it uses the bolt on handle bracket. I don't think I ever saw that early handle version

I'm not sure that what I tried posting posted so here's a link:

https://www.echo-usa.com/getattachment/bdea3807-edf6-4107-b170-27723d10fff0/v2_CS500VLe_082886.pdf

So in 1986 they would give you a cs-510evl. I saw on a tractorsomething forum that someone got a cs500vl replaced under that warranty in 2014--he got a cs450. I don't know if I'm allowed to link to another forum. In effect he got a new saw for a 34 year old saw.
Fred

 

[old 040]

I found a recall notice for the cs-500vl. It was for the early model with the wrap around handle, but only up to serial number 23000.
apparently produced in 1979 and 1980, The parts manual shows that style of 500vl going up to serial number 49000, and after that it uses the bolt on handle bracket. I don't think I ever saw that early handle version

I'm not sure that what I tried posting posted so here's a link:

https://www.echo-usa.com/getattachment/bdea3807-edf6-4107-b170-27723d10fff0/v2_CS500VLe_082886.pdf

So in 1986 they would give you a cs-510evl. I saw on a tractorsomething forum that someone got a cs500vl replaced under that warranty in 2014--he got a cs450. I don't know if I'm allowed to link to another forum. In effect he got a new saw for a 34 year old saw.
Fred

I think that still stands, if you happen across one still under recall, it can be exchanged for a similar size Echo saw.

 

[Mastermind]

I found a recall notice for the cs-500vl. It was for the early model with the wrap around handle, but only up to serial number 23000.
apparently produced in 1979 and 1980, The parts manual shows that style of 500vl going up to serial number 49000, and after that it uses the bolt on handle bracket. I don't think I ever saw that early handle version

I'm not sure that what I tried posting posted so here's a link:

https://www.echo-usa.com/getattachment/bdea3807-edf6-4107-b170-27723d10fff0/v2_CS500VLe_082886.pdf

So in 1986 they would give you a cs-510evl. I saw on a tractorsomething forum that someone got a cs500vl replaced under that warranty in 2014--he got a cs450. I don't know if I'm allowed to link to another forum. In effect he got a new saw for a 34 year old saw.
Fred

You are allowed to link to any forum.....we are adults here. Please refrain from linking to porn though. LOL

 

[FergusonTO35]

Please refrain from linking to porn though. LOL

 

[heimannm]

Oiler out of the 40V...after setting for a few days the cylinder had so much oil in it I couldn't pull the saw over.





I was able to stretch some 005 o-rings over the brass and fit it back into the saw. Oiler is working, now we'll see if the cylinder fills with oil again.

Mark

 

[mowerman2]

Echo used that type oiler on many models. It worked off a cam on the crankshaft. That meant it oiled all the time but was adjustable by adjusting the distance to the crankshaft.


The cs601/701 were odd--they worked off a cam attached to the clutch sprocket. I haven't had a chance to see whether that was any better. As long as the o-rings hold up and people don't adjust it wrong, I think it works pretty well.
Fred

 

[old 040]

Echo used that type oiler on many models. It worked off a cam on the crankshaft. That meant it oiled all the time but was adjustable by adjusting the distance to the crankshaft.
View attachment 409679
View attachment 409680
The cs601/701 were odd--they worked off a cam attached to the clutch sprocket. I haven't had a chance to see whether that was any better. As long as the o-rings hold up and people don't adjust it wrong, I think it works pretty well.
Fred

I've owned both a nice Echo and Craftsman labeled 701 several years ago, I don't recall ever having any oiling issues with them.
Biggest draw-back I can think of is the original replacement drum/spur with the oiler cam is a tough find. Better yet Oregon makes a replacement using a rim style, so with that set-up only the rim would need replaced when the time comes.