Husky 350 TLC

[JeffWischer]

Yes, yes, mostly... The factory cylinder looks about like that, without the pronounced bevel at the entrance. Long long ago, in a galaxy far far away (or so it seems), I thought that a little more bevel would help. In other words making the slope a little more gentle a little farther- maybe 1mm. Nope. The ring was so sharp that it bit into the cylinder no matter what. So yesterday I filed the entrance of the bore "down" to eliminate the enhanced factory bevel. And tried and tried and tried and gave up.

Before bedtime last night I arrived at the solution. It's just to tricky to hold the whole cylinder and carb square as the ring goes into the bore. Not for me. Matt Olson should be a heart or brain surgeon , not a dentist! Bet he's a great dentist though...

So this morning I brought in to my desk, and removed the piston. Head sits upside down on my desk nice and steady, and now only the piston can be kept square and gently tapped in, with full 360 degree view and ability to guide the ring in.

Only I lost track of the locator pin, and pushed in on the ring when I shouldn't have, where I shouldn't have, because the ring split was a few degrees off of the locator pin. And broke the second ring. But I'd have had it if not for that. All was going as planned. Then I'll lower the head/piston down on the connecting rod. Getting the piston back on the connecting rod has to be easier than what I was doing before. So another order to HL supply for rings...

 

[hacskaroly]

Only I lost track of the locator pin, and pushed in on the ring when I shouldn't have, where I shouldn't have, because the ring split was a few degrees off of the locator pin. And broke the second ring. But I'd have had it if not for that. All was going as planned. Then I'll lower the head/piston down on the connecting rod. Getting the piston back on the connecting rod has to be easier than what I was doing before. So another order to HL supply for rings...

Oh wow, bummer, you were so close!!!

 

[Powerstroke Cowboy]

Some humor for you my friend.

In all seriousness, don't try to tap the cylinder into the piston or vise versa. Work it in/on slowly. If you have to, strip everything of the cylinder to make the process simpler. Oil everything up well. Make sure the ring as located properly on the ring locator pin in the piston. Never force it. When everything is lined up as it should be, it will literally fall into place.

Keep trying, you will get it. If you have to, take the piston off the cylinder like you did. Practice that way.

 

[RCBS]

My first rebuild was a 350. I somehow got lucky and managed to re-mount the cylinder using wide zip tie to hold the ring.

 

[Chainmale]

Is there a bit less room in there to get the cylinder on on these things than other saws?

 

[JeffWischer]

Just too tricky... should have proofed.

O.K. Thanks everyone. That video made me feel really stupid. But I'm recovering.
The evolution, so-to-speak is: Matt Olson showed setting the cylinder/carb down on the piston already on connecting rod on crank installed in saw. I don't remember now if there was room or if my fingers are swing enough to pinch the ring through those cylinder gaps on the sides. Probably what Matt has done a gazillion times and it goes by so fast in his video. And he doesn't use the "tuning fork". Go figure...I also think that the exact "geometry"
of the entrance to the bore may make a difference. So as I've already written too many times, for me any ring compressor was releasing the ring where it could grab/snag the entrance to the bore.

Then I realized that with the piston out and the cylinder bottoms-up (firm and steady) on a flat work surface, I could maneuver the piston and gently work the ring in, with 360 degree visibility etc. But I was still fixated on the idea of the perfectly "square" entrance, as in all 360 degrees of the ring entering at the same instant. It never crossed my mind that because off the gaps in the cylinder walls, I could pinch the ring tightly shut and get it started between the front and rear partial cylinder walls, as he appears to do in the video.

And remember that I would have gotten it easily on the first try this morning if I hadn't accidentally gotten askew of the locator pin, and pushed a little too hard with a flat screwdriver in just the right (wrong!) place to break the ring.

But there's a happy ending. The rings are still on flash sale at HLS for $3.97 for two and I ordered four. Pausing to think, I need 14" chains for my three other saws that are getting TLC. Two are running; one will be soon. So I ordered two chains as well. Since I don't pay sales tax to HLS, and I was paying shipping anyway, I essentially got two chains no tax free shipping.

I'm actually thinking about looking for a decent/fixable 350 to go through, just for kicks! I sure know my way around it!
Thanks everyone for the encouragement.

 

[JeffWischer]

Chainmale I didn't really answer your question. I don't know. I think that holding the piston up as high as possible, one could pinch the ring through the side gaps and pop that baby on (cylinder/carb) easily, especially with practice/experience. That's a guess. I'm banking on getting the wrist pin back through the rod and piston without a lot of trouble.

 

[Powerstroke Cowboy]

Just too tricky... should have proofed.

O.K. Thanks everyone. That video made me feel really stupid. But I'm recovering.
The evolution, so-to-speak is: Matt Olson showed setting the cylinder/carb down on the piston already on connecting rod on crank installed in saw. I don't remember now if there was room or if my fingers are swing enough to pinch the ring through those cylinder gaps on the sides. Probably what Matt has done a gazillion times and it goes by so fast in his video. And he doesn't use the "tuning fork". Go figure...I also think that the exact "geometry"
of the entrance to the bore may make a difference. So as I've already written too many times, for me any ring compressor was releasing the ring where it could grab/snag the entrance to the bore.

Then I realized that with the piston out and the cylinder bottoms-up (firm and steady) on a flat work surface, I could maneuver the piston and gently work the ring in, with 360 degree visibility etc. But I was still fixated on the idea of the perfectly "square" entrance, as in all 360 degrees of the ring entering at the same instant. It never crossed my mind that because off the gaps in the cylinder walls, I could pinch the ring tightly shut and get it started between the front and rear partial cylinder walls, as he appears to do in the video.

And remember that I would have gotten it easily on the first try this morning if I hadn't accidentally gotten askew of the locator pin, and pushed a little too hard with a flat screwdriver in just the right (wrong!) place to break the ring.

But there's a happy ending. The rings are still on flash sale at HLS for $3.97 for two and I ordered four. Pausing to think, I need 14" chains for my three other saws that are getting TLC. Two are running; one will be soon. So I ordered two chains as well. Since I don't pay sales tax to HLS, and I was paying shipping anyway, I essentially got two chains no tax free shipping.

I'm actually thinking about looking for a decent/fixable 350 to go through, just for kicks! I sure know my way around it!
Thanks everyone for the encouragement.

I apologize, that was not my intentions with the video, it was more or less trying to inject some humor into the situation. Again my apologies.

Yes, you can simply pinch the rings and use the skirt of the cylinder to start the ring and piston into the bore. When you get it, you will get it. After that, it will be simpler to repeat the same task. That's the benefit of the split skirts.

It's relatively cheap mistake. Glad the rings are still on sale. You will get it done.

Chainmale I didn't really answer your question. I don't know. I think that holding the piston up as high as possible, one could pinch the ring through the side gaps and pop that baby on (cylinder/carb) easily, especially with practice/experience. That's a guess. I'm banking on getting the wrist pin back through the rod and piston without a lot of trouble.

Both ways will work. I've done them both ways.

Generally I hold the piston at the top of the stroke, squeeze the rings with my fingers, then slide the cylinder on. I had one saw that I could not get it done, so I took the piston and installed it in the cylinder, then installed the piston on the connecting rod.

 

[hacskaroly]

I'm actually thinking about looking for a decent/fixable 350 to go through, just for kicks! I sure know my way around it!
Thanks everyone for the encouragement.

Its not encouragement, we just want you to be as addicted as we are so we don't feel as bad about ourselves

Good luck with the new rings when they come in, sounds like you have a plan that's going to work. You might just go ahead and leave the hammer in the house so you won't be tempted to use it!!

 

[JeffWischer]

I "splurged" on FedEx for the shipping- Just a few $ more than their flat rate or UPS ground. Maybe in a day or so...

While I'm waiting, I have a sorta relate d?: A few years ago while my two saws were in divorce-related storage-limbo, I needed something to get by and grabbed a Jonsered CS2238 at Menard's. Just wanted a basic homeowner-starter saw, and it works. Didn't know that Jred had been absorbed by Husq. and was about to end as a brand. Just learned that recently. Notice that the little black plate with the serial # even says Husq.-Sweden.

Anyway, it (CS2238) looks a lot like the H-120 pictures I see. Obviously red instead of orange, maybe different starter cover, but otherwise similar. Is the CS2238 really the same saw in a different "package"?

 

[JeffWischer]

FedEx says tomorrow!

 

[JeffWischer]

Progress. Learning. Who woulda thought..

O.K.- on "three"- every one look up at the ceiling, smile, and shake your head: 1,2,3.

This was a classic "Well, Duh!" moment. The one thing that no one mentioned, because every one with any brains would have known this. But I missed it, until I saw it. (No pun intended...)
The ring has the notch/ear at both "ends". The locator pin is at the top of the groove. The ears come together below it. The ring has a top and a bottom. Overlook that, and you're NOT going to get the piston with the ring into the cylinder. Putting the piston in by itself, carefully by hand- didn't really need the compressor- into the upside-down cylinder, I had the "Well, Duh" moment. This was in all probability the reason why I was so unsuccessful with the piston still on the connecting rod and crankshaft. But I still maintain that there's a healthy dose of experience and maybe some luck in some of the videos that make it look so easy...

 

[hacskaroly]

I am glad you were able to get it all sorted out. There are a lot of times when watching a video, I end up yelling at the screen to tell the guy to move his hand so I can see what he is doing or how a part fits in!