Ms362 base gasket delete and timing advance?

[SawAddictedFarmer]

I'm sure this has been gone over before but I couldn't find a thread. I know that I probably can't just take the gasket out but can I cut a thinner one? How far of a timing advance is generally recommend on these. It gets used half and half clearing honeysuckle and bucking 20" firewood logs all with a 24" in bar. Can I measure squish with a piece of fine solder and a high end dial caliper?
Thanks in advance!

 

[PA Dan]

I have used card stock, beer can and FelPro .015 gasket material to lower jugs. Measure stock squish and find material to drop it in the .020 range. I usually take .020 off the key for timing advances.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

I'm sure this has been gone over before but I couldn't find a thread. I know that I probably can't just take the gasket out but can I cut a thinner one? How far of a timing advance is generally recommend on these. It gets used half and half clearing honeysuckle and bucking 20" firewood logs all with a 24" in bar. Can I measure squish with a piece of fine solder and a high end dial caliper?
Thanks in advance!

Yes on the solder. Find out what the sq is first.

 

[SawAddictedFarmer]

I have used card stock, beer can and FelPro .015 gasket material to lower jugs. Measure stock squish and find material to drop it in the .020 range. I usually take .020 off the key for timing advances.

Is the key on these built in or separate?

 

[FederalQ]

The key appears to be part of the flywheel like the 361. The stock base gasket looks to be 0.5mm or .020“.

 

[Sloughfoot]

The key appears to be part of the flywheel like the 361. The stock base gasket looks to be 0.5mm or .020“.

I'd start with taking 1/3 off, if someone with experience with it didn't advise otherwise before I found the skinny file. You can always back it off the key if it doesn't run right.

 

[bogieboy]

Gotta check squish, when i rebuilt my ms362 i was going to gasket delete it... reassembled with the new piston (aftermarket for what its worth) and with no gasket the motor would not turn over... with the stock rubber coated gasket i had .0195" squish and called it good....

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Gotta check squish, when i rebuilt my ms362 i was going to gasket delete it... reassembled with the new piston (aftermarket for what its worth) and with no gasket the motor would not turn over... with the stock rubber coated gasket i had .0195" squish and called it good....

Same here, 2 different builds

 

[bogieboy]

Same here, 2 different builds

Crazy to see the evolution of thes motors, as when i ported my 044, with a base gasket delete, its still over .030" squish since i dont have a lathe, so it stayed that way... my big bore ms460 is somewhere around .045ish? I forget currently, but thats double gasketed to reduce freeport inherent with the 54mm bore big block, and still makes over 160psi cold due to the pop up piston i put in it.... but these newer saws are coming in right at the limits from the factory... my 261 is like .021" with a gasket... and like i said on the 362.... .0195... all i did to wake up both the 261 and 362 was muffler mod them both... didnt do timing advance or anything... muffler mod on the 362 specifically helped reduce how peaky it was whan you dropped under like 8k rpm in a cut, it would fall on its face and hang the cutters, now with a mod it keeps pulling down to like 5.5k

 

[PA Dan]

Is the key on these built in or separate?

If it's cast onto the flywheel use a small square needle file. I mark the key with a black marker so I can see how much im taking off. I also go 1/3 on the cast keys.