I got a FleaBay junker, $80 plus $20 shipping, bought for parts but when it came in it was a 12 year old saw that had seen little use and only one sharp chain -- the original. A chainsaw with a dull chain grinds instead of saws and produces a dust that clogs filters, gunks bearings, blocks cooling fins -- sharp chains are not an expense, they protect the investment.
Pulled the covers off, three screws hold the muffler, the carb is sandwiched between two pieces of plastic then a rubber tube is the intake manifold. Here's a parts diagram:
http://s30387.gridserver.com/partsDiagrams/Husqvarna 55 Rancher.pdf
The cylinder is held by 4 bolts, spin the piston to the bottom and pop the cylinder off. First surprise -- the piston and cylinder are fixable!! The pistons are aluminum so the first bad thing that happens is the piston melts onto the cylinder wall. Things go downhill from there and the cylinder grooves, and not in a 50's good way!!
But this cylinder had the melted aluminum but not the grooves. The cylinder walls, like most our AK's barrels, are chromed so they're chemically tough. Aluminum is not. So a strong acid or base will get it. Muratic acid(33%), phosphoric acid concrete cleaner, oven cleaner -- wouldn't do it. 100% lye would. Or, because it's soft it can be removed with fine sanding -- I've used cratex wheels in a dremel. There is also a boring tool:
Welcome To EngineHones.com
Fair warning: 2 strokes work on compression at the top of the cylinder and bottom as well.
The piston was fixed with the poor man's shoeshine lathe.
Then put on a new 46mm ring I had and it wouldn't fit!! It was too big. So went here:
Chainsaw - ArboristSite.com
these guys know saws like you guys know AK's. Turns out the early 55's had a 45mm.
No problem, I've got a new 46mm jug and piston that's a bolt on. Got it to use on this one anyway. Take a look at it and the cylinder has a casting hole in it!! Lucas, eBay Store - Stihl Husqvarna parts: STIHL pistons, Husqvarna pistons, Piston rings, said he'd send a new one and I ordered the 45mm piston ring.
I'm stopped, dead in the water until parts get here.
Pulled the covers off, three screws hold the muffler, the carb is sandwiched between two pieces of plastic then a rubber tube is the intake manifold. Here's a parts diagram:
http://s30387.gridserver.com/partsDiagrams/Husqvarna 55 Rancher.pdf
The cylinder is held by 4 bolts, spin the piston to the bottom and pop the cylinder off. First surprise -- the piston and cylinder are fixable!! The pistons are aluminum so the first bad thing that happens is the piston melts onto the cylinder wall. Things go downhill from there and the cylinder grooves, and not in a 50's good way!!
But this cylinder had the melted aluminum but not the grooves. The cylinder walls, like most our AK's barrels, are chromed so they're chemically tough. Aluminum is not. So a strong acid or base will get it. Muratic acid(33%), phosphoric acid concrete cleaner, oven cleaner -- wouldn't do it. 100% lye would. Or, because it's soft it can be removed with fine sanding -- I've used cratex wheels in a dremel. There is also a boring tool:
Welcome To EngineHones.com
Fair warning: 2 strokes work on compression at the top of the cylinder and bottom as well.
The piston was fixed with the poor man's shoeshine lathe.
Then put on a new 46mm ring I had and it wouldn't fit!! It was too big. So went here:
Chainsaw - ArboristSite.com
these guys know saws like you guys know AK's. Turns out the early 55's had a 45mm.
No problem, I've got a new 46mm jug and piston that's a bolt on. Got it to use on this one anyway. Take a look at it and the cylinder has a casting hole in it!! Lucas, eBay Store - Stihl Husqvarna parts: STIHL pistons, Husqvarna pistons, Piston rings, said he'd send a new one and I ordered the 45mm piston ring.
I'm stopped, dead in the water until parts get here.