POULAN The Official Poulan Thread

[Maintenance Chief]

I have been offered a Poulan 3400 which currently doesn't start.
I have no experience with that model, so would you recommend buying
her or are typical spares next to impossible to obtain, especially abroad
in Europe?
Overall shape of her looks good and the price would be OK, I'd think

No start could be as simple as a spark plug or a carburetor kit.
They make an excellent firewood saw.

 

[fossil]

Parts are getting scarce. The starter pulleys are getting hard to find.
After market crank seals are current as are air filters.
Common failure is old crumbled fuel and tank vent lines

I would check to see that the starter pulley is in good shape and the piston isn't scored.
Typical compression cold is 120 - 130 psi

Very durable and peppy saw. I have a bunch of them.

The auto oiler is a diaphragm impulse oiler and the diaphragms are very hard to find. If you buy it and it doesn't auto oil, I can get you one.

they are one of the easiest saws to work on.

 

[old_sir_henry]

Thank you for your input.
I Haven't made up my mind yet, though...

 

[mirage]

Had a friend give it to me yesterday. Gas was left in the tank. Got the white junk in the tank. Blew out the tank and soaked it down with WD40. Picture won't load. Will post later

 

[mirage]

It's a 245a

 

[mirage]

Would anyone here have to knob for the manual oiler. It is missing.

 

[mirage]

I need so help with this saw. The gas tank has a ton of the white rock stuff in it. What is the best way to remove it ? It looks like I can remove the top of the gas tank. It is plastic and I don't think I should remove it. Is the a duck bill check valve in the gas cap? Got to replace the gas lines. It looks like the line from the card goes to the out side of the gas tank. Then I think there is a fitting that goes through the tank wall. I can not see where the fuel line hooks up inside the tank. Thank you for any help.

 

[fossil]

I need so help with this saw. The gas tank has a ton of the white rock stuff in it. What is the best way to remove it ? It looks like I can remove the top of the gas tank. It is plastic and I don't think I should remove it. Is the a duck bill check valve in the gas cap? Got to replace the gas lines. It looks like the line from the card goes to the out side of the gas tank. Then I think there is a fitting that goes through the tank wall. I can not see where the fuel line hooks up inside the tank. Thank you for any help.

The tank top is magnesium easy to remove.

Attached is a repair manual and an IPL for the 245

 

[mirage]

Thank you very much Mr Fossil. This is a BIG help.

 

[old_sir_henry]

I bought that 3400 yesterday:






Doesn't look too bad!

 

[mirage]

sure wish someone would make the starter pull for these things.

 

[S Sidwell]

I know what you mean, have to baby them. I've got one put up that has a few chips missing in the teeth. Still usable but only in a bind. Wouldn't want to snatch on it.

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

 

[Dream]

Hey fellas, was thinking of getting rid of a couple of Poulans.
One is a 3400 in Craftsman colors.
Ran ok last time I tried it, just hard to start. Very cold-natured.
Didnt seem like it ran exactly right. Might be carb. Has been soaked, cleaned, and kitted.
This saw has been completely apart.
Had a leak between the case halves into the oiler tank. New crank seals.
Piston and cylinder are good.
Has been a couple of years since I tried to start it.
PM me if interested.

The second one is an S25DA.
Found the auto oiler diaphragm was missing. Replaced that.
Replaced fuel line. Kitted carb.
Runs fine when cold. Starves for fuel intermittently when warm. Responds to choke and runs ok again for a bit.
Havent had time to look into it further.

 

[old_sir_henry]

sure wish someone would make the starter pull for these things.

The pulley on my 3400 seems to be fully operational only the cable doesn't get torn back in completely.

@Dream: The starter cover on your Craftsman branded 3400 looks different than on my Poulan. Are the hoods metal or plastic?
May your's is younger than mine.

 

[Dream]

The pulley on my 3400 seems to be fully operational only the cable doesn't get torn back in completely.

@Dream: The starter cover on your Craftsman branded 3400 looks different than on my Poulan. Are the hoods metal or plastic?
May your's is younger than mine.

Plastic for the top cover. Honestly forgot whether the recoil cover is plastic or metal. I'll look when I get back home.

 

[old_sir_henry]

Plastic for the top cover.

Yes, looks like, Recoils however looks like metal when you glance at the spots where
coating is damaged...

 

[fossil]

Recoils all magnesium. Sears was a different casting (maybe not all the early ones).

Top covers always plastic.
Clutch covers either way unless they had a brake.

Sears likely sold enough volume to get what they wanted from Poulan. They certainly outsold Poulan branded models in Canada.

 

[old_sir_henry]

Top covers always plastic.

You're right,m I checked mine: Plastic as well although at first glance the covers on my
3400 look like bare metal.

 

[mirage]

Wish I knew about casting metal. I would try to make a starter pulley.

 

[fossil]

Wish I knew about casting metal. I would try to make a starter pulley.

Do a little research on investment casting (lost wax process).