Ronie's 361 kit saw

[Ronie]

Did you open up the lowers? The tunnels looked pretty stuffed up stock.

No, I left them alone.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

Thats a whole lotta base cut off that one!
The MS361 has to be one of my a time favorite "1 saw plan" chainsaws. I'm definitely interested in how it runs for you.

 

[Ronie]

Thats a whole lotta base cut off that one!
The MS361 has to be one of my a time favorite "1 saw plan" chainsaws. I'm definitely interested in how it runs for you.

Being that it's an AM cylinder I don''t have high hopes for it but it would be nice if it ran good.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

One of the guys who got the 4-1 deal last year ordered the assembled version and it cuts and runs good with a 20" bar. I has some wandering idle issues and such but he's not a saw nut and has used it a bunch.

 

[Ronie]

One of the guys who got the 4-1 deal last year ordered the assembled version and it cuts and runs good with a 20" bar. I has some wandering idle issues and such but he's not a saw nut and has used it a bunch.

Maybe I'll get lucky. In the end this one will be getting an OEM cylinder.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

Years ago before I really got into understanding saws and tearing into them I worked with an MS361 every week and my coworkers and I thought of it as a bigger saw.
I used that saw for stuff it probably never should have been used for, including a dedicated year with a Lewis winch attached to it! Amazingly we never blew one up(smoked the clutch).
Before I moved to my current position and would maintenance the saws I found a dual port muffler online for one and it was an empty can with a side port , it definitely added some pep to that old saw.

 

[Ronie]

Nutball is right, the low transfers are small so I'm going to opened them up a little. I got one side done and in the pics it looks like I hogged it out but I just opened it up to the divider and tapered the edge.

 

[Ronie]

Over the weekend I raised the exhaust, staggered the transfers so the the exhaust side opened first, got the cylinder on and vacuum tested but that's as far as I got.

A few minutes ago UPS delivered the $15 cylinder and it looks way better that the Farmertec one did, the transfer tunnels are larger and the uppers are staggered with the exhaust side opening first. I don't know how it will run but it doesn't look to bad.

 

[drf256]

Work looks good as usual Ronnie.

As for the 044 carb, you have to make a new throttle rod because the stocker will hit the 044 carb impulse elbow. I haven’t found an oem one that’s plug and play. If you redrill the 044 carb for front impulse and no elbow, there isn’t any boot to use.

The 361 elbow has the same carb side opening as the 044 boot, but it gets severely necked down by the jug. When you go 044 boot, you need to open the jug inlet to match the boot.

The 044 carb needs the choke shaft swapped over to the 361 shaft. The shaft isn’t notched wide enough to accept the 044 plate, so you’ll have to file it wider.

It’s a lot of work, but worth it in my opinion. Use an 029/039 impulse line. The hole is there in the tank for you.

Oh, and don’t advance the ignition timing. There’s already too much there.

 

[Ronie]

Work looks good as usual Ronnie.

As for the 044 carb, you have to make a new throttle rod because the stocker will hit the 044 carb impulse elbow. I haven’t found an oem one that’s plug and play. If you redrill the 044 carb for front impulse and no elbow, there isn’t any boot to use.

The 361 elbow has the same carb side opening as the 044 boot, but it gets severely necked down by the jug. When you go 044 boot, you need to open the jug inlet to match the boot.

The 044 carb needs the choke shaft swapped over to the 361 shaft. The shaft isn’t notched wide enough to accept the 044 plate, so you’ll have to file it wider.

It’s a lot of work, but worth it in my opinion. Use an 029/039 impulse line. The hole is there in the tank for you.

Oh, and don’t advance the ignition timing. There’s already too much there.

Thanks for the tips, I'm going to try and get it done by this weekend.

 

[Ronie]

Good site for IPLs that list the screw sizes.

https://www.diyspareparts.com/parts/stihl/diagrams/ms361-rz

 

[Ronie]

Managed to get a little done this afternoon and as long as I don't have any problems getting the 440 carb to work I should be able to try it out tomorrow or Saturday.

I got some OEM inner and outer spikes so I put them on and also put on a rim sprocket, spur came with the kit.

 

[Larry B]

I built one of the 361 kits. Put a big bore kit on it, Base gasket delete, gutted muffler, advanced timing, bigger carb. It runs 195PSI compression. I am no saw builder. I just "Lego'd" it together. I am pretty impressed with it. It pulls a 25" bar OK. I haven't seen another 60cc saw keep up with it. I have dropped and bucked some good sized ash trees with it. It does run hot so i run it a little richer than normal. Even 4 stroking running rich and you piss rev it it is over 14000 RPM.
A guys MS290 crapped out so i let him use my 361. Now he wants me to build him one but it won't happen. For what i have on it i am pretty happy.

 

[Larry B]

 

[Ronie]

I built one of the 361 kits. Put a big bore kit on it, Base gasket delete, gutted muffler, advanced timing, bigger carb. It runs 195PSI compression. I am no saw builder. I just "Lego'd" it together. I am pretty impressed with it. It pulls a 25" bar OK. I haven't seen another 60cc saw keep up with it. I have dropped and bucked some good sized ash trees with it. It does run hot so i run it a little richer than normal. Even 4 stroking running rich and you piss rev it it is over 14000 RPM.
A guys MS290 crapped out so i let him use my 361. Now he wants me to build him one but it won't happen. For what i have on it i am pretty happy.

I'm just playing around with some aftermarket cylinders right now but in the end it will be getting an OEM one. What brand of big bore did you put on it?

 

[Larry B]

It was the hy way kit. Had to do a little grinding to clearance the crank.
Both flippy caps leaked so i replaced them with OEM. The tank vent didn't work so i replaced with AM one. Have to seal the air cleaner with grease but real 361s have the same problem.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

Managed to get a little done this afternoon and as long as I don't have any problems getting the 440 carb to work I should be able to try it out tomorrow or Saturday.

I got some OEM inner and outer spikes so I put them on and also put on a rim sprocket, spur came with the kit.


View attachment 308962 View attachment 308963

Really spur sprocket? Ok

 

[Ronie]

Really spur sprocket? Ok

Surprised me

 

[Nutball]

Is that pic from their news paper ad?

 

[Ronie]

Is that pic from their news paper ad?

I don't know what was going on, right when I took it my phone froze up and I had to restart it it to get it working.