Will running a saw with a scored piston hurt the cylinder in the long run?

[Saw_Squatch]

So I got this beautiful 181se for free from a friend, it has great compression and after a carb kit it's running like a top. After pulling the muffler there's definitely some carbon build up and scoring on the exhaust side of the piston. I was thinking about porting this saw one day but I was going to run it as is for a bit here and there. My question is, will I damage the cylinder by running a piston with visible scoring, but everything else being good (tune, compression, fuel/oil mix, ect.) Or should I just bite the bullet and put a new piston in it before I run it?

 

[Wonkydonkey]

I think there will be a few schools of thoughts on this.

1,how badly is the piston scored & is there any transfer on the cylinder ?

2, how readily are the pistons & how cheap are they.

i think if it’s just a little scored & any high spots were smoothed down a bit, you could probably get away with it.
But having said this by the time you clean it up you could have popped a new piston in

 

[Duce]

First you have to find out what is causing scoring. Bad fuel, air leak, has case been vacuumed checked. Is it just carbon, show us some pictures.

 

[Saw_Squatch]

It's not great, I don't have a lot of info on this saw but there's a fair bit of carbon in the muffler. The saw holds a tune and doesn't have any indication of an air leak but I'll get set up for a pressure vac test anyway

 

[Wonkydonkey]

I would say that is fugged piston

I would do as Duce says now I’ve seen the piston, p&v test. Then change the piston and check the cylinder..

 

[cuinrearview]

You pulled the muffler, you're more than a third of the way into pulling the jug. That doesn't look like a leak to me but seals are cheap and a leak test is cheap insurance. A beautiful old saw like that is nothing to get impatient with. Pick up a Poulan Pro or an ms180 if you need to cut wood while you fix that one correctly.

 

[Duce]

Usually if it's just exhaust side, air leak. If intake and exhaust, someone straight gassed it. Agree with Tim, but pick up a 550xp mkII and use it when that 181 gets too heavy.

 

[Saw_Squatch]

Usually if it's just exhaust side, air leak. If intake and exhaust, someone straight gassed it. Agree with Tim, but pick up a 550xp mkII and use it when that 181 gets too heavy.

I've got 9 other running saws but I think I like your idea about buying another one just in case lol

 

[Woodslasher]

I know of a 281 and an 045 that looked sorta similar with some carbon scuffs on their pistons and no transfer to the cylinder. I lightly drawfiled the scuffs flush and the 281 is still pumping 180+lbs of compression while the 045 was pushing about 150 dry with new rings. I wouldn't necessarily recommend everyone try that, but since the 045 slug is nla and was like new otherwise and the 281 had so much compression I just did it.

 

[Al Smith]

Looks to me like carbon build up from possibly a plugged muffler .Sand it out gut the muffler and don't get stingy with the fuel mix oil ratio .I did this on a 281 and so far it's doing fine

 

[qurotro]

I have a husky 281 looks like that. Polish the exhaust side wall with 1000 grit and a new ring. That thing pulls more compression than another 288 with perfect internals lol. Hot starts good too. If you hot start good, I don't see much problem.
And I laugh cuz that's the 3rd husky 281 in this thread...

 

[Al Smith]

Mine served decades for a tree service .As such where the control shaft fits in the holes they are elongated and need bushings of some sort to repair it . Another on the "to do list "just one of many .

 

[Saw_Squatch]

I picked up a weisco piston for her at sawfest so I think I'm gonna use that, do some port and muffler work and get the old girl good and strong for sawfest next year thanks everyone!

 

[Normzilla]

Good I posted run it, then I saw piston pictures. Yikes that's bad lol. 181 are a legend. Glad u got a new piston.