Two Years Of Improvements In Meteor Cylinder Kits (Brad's Pics)

Mastermind · Dec 9, 2012

I really hate being dragged into this but I disagree with this statement....

blsnelling said:
Honestly, I don't see the improvements. The pics speak for themselves.

I do want to thank WatsonR for sending the kit for review, just as he said he would.

For those who think I have a big stake in this and that I'm selling loads of these kits.......I've sold two......both ported.

Exhaust....

Lowers.....

Uppers....

Mastermind · Dec 9, 2012

Intake.....

Exhaust outlet.....This one shows little improvement. BTW

Plating quality...

I see a huge improvement.

Brad????? Have one had those old eyes checked lately? :laugh:

Brad is my friend.....remember that we can disagree without being disagreeable here.

I would still like to see more improvement....the squish taper being the most needed. The biggest question remains; how do they perform when just bolted on? On my 372 it was a great runner. I tore the saw back down after a dozen tanks and there was no abnormal wear on the piston or rings.....no shiny spots from out of round that I've seen on other aftermarket top ends.

logging22 · Dec 9, 2012

Subbing in on this one. Let it fly brother.:msp_tongue:

Zombiechopper · Dec 9, 2012

You guys all gotta chill.

The truth is in the middle somewhere. I saw improvement as well, and I would buy a meteor kit at this point if it weren't for the inverted squish issue. I always check squish at outer edge and if I bought one of these and ran ideal squish like I always do (without machine work) I could have a piston slapper on my hands.

RedneckChainsawRepair · Dec 9, 2012

Just going to be honest.

Without porting and machine work. I wouldn't want to bolt that cylinder on as a stock replacement for a customers saw. Just going by those pics in this thread. Sorry I'm not sold.

WKEND LUMBERJAK · Dec 9, 2012

logging22 said:
Subbing in on this one. Let it fly brother.:msp_tongue:

Mastermind · Dec 9, 2012

logging22 said:
Subbing in on this one. Let it fly brother.:msp_tongue:

No hard feelings here Les. I just see a improvement where Brad does not.

Zombiechopper said:
You guys all gotta chill.

The truth is in the middle somewhere. I saw improvement as well, and I would buy a meteor kit at this point if it weren't for the inverted squish issue. I always check squish at outer edge and if I bought one of these and ran ideal squish like I always do (without machine work) I could have a piston slapper on my hands.

I've checked squish across the squish band and a few thousandths is all the taper I've seen. That comes about because there's a thick coating of plating on the squish band I think. I never run less than .020 squish so that is a non-issue to me.

Mastermind · Dec 9, 2012

JeremiahJohnson said:
Just going to be honest.

Without porting and machine work. I wouldn't want to bolt that cylinder on as a stock replacement for a customers saw. Just going by those pics in this thread. Sorry I'm not sold.

I wouldn't either.....never said I would. I improve Mahle cylinders though so.........

Do you see any improvement though K?????? Honestly?

barneyrb · Dec 9, 2012

I do see improvements but it still lacks a lot, and as you said, I would have to go through it before I ran it.......with what you are doing with them I think they are a great starting point.

RedneckChainsawRepair · Dec 9, 2012

Randy I never seen the first ones 2 years ago to compare this one to. Just going by what I have seen posted here lately in threads.

All of the saws I rebuild now days just need bolt on replacement parts. Just saying the average firewood cutter just wants a saw thats starts, that runs, idles all day and has sharp chain. Thats my customer base around me.

So I want bolt on stuff myself without extra work involved.

Jacob J. · Dec 9, 2012

JeremiahJohnson said:
Just going to be honest.

Without porting and machine work. I wouldn't want to bolt that cylinder on as a stock replacement for a customers saw. Just going by those pics in this thread. Sorry I'm not sold.

I agree. The last three big bore kits I've done (NWP) looked better than that out of the box and I still had to clean the ports up. The squish bands were nice and the pistons looked good. I still had to use OEM rings, pins, and clips from other sources. If only Meteor made the big bore pistons...

Jacob J. · Dec 9, 2012

Mastermind said:
I wouldn't either.....never said I would. I improve Mahle cylinders though so.........

Do you see any improvement though K?????? Honestly?

As I've posted in the past, I've seen Mahle cylinders that were just terrible. There was a run of Mahle cylinders on the 046 that made the worst of the Chicom cylinders look great. In fact, they were so bad that Stihl USA was having us take brand new 046s out of the box and swap cylinders under warranty. There was also a run when the 044 first switched over to the 440 and Mahle had shaped the lower transfers incorrectly. So again, we were taking new saws out of the box under warranty and grinding the lower transfers. That sucked.

FATGUY · Dec 9, 2012

I applaud all those who wish to keep these threads as a civil discussion. This is what grown ups do. It really is ok to disagree.

blsnelling · Dec 9, 2012

Randy, when you put the pics side by side, yes, this new one is better. Bottom line, they're still not good enough, IMHO. If others feel they are, then they're welcome to their own decision. As I mentioned in my thread, my rationale may be different from others. If I were looking for a cheap alternative to simply get a saw back in the wood, then maybe. But I'm only building saws for a paying customer interested in max performance in a work saw. I don't find it in the best interest of either myself or my customers to start with a sub par cylinder.

I applaud you for not being willing to sell these kits without mods. That in and of itself makes quite a comment on the quality.

Mastermind · Dec 9, 2012

FATGUY said:
I applaud all those who wish to keep these threads as a civil discussion. This is what grown ups do. It really is ok to disagree.

If this gets ugly I'm out.

I want to see these kits get even better, but to totally discount them and say there's be zero improvement makes me stand up and start typing.

I think the reason the kits have come as far as they have thus far is because of these threads and discussions. But saying the improvements that have come about aren't there could cause the manufacturer this throw their hands in the air and go into #### it mode. We don't want that.

Mastermind · Dec 9, 2012

blsnelling said:
Randy, when you put the pics side by side, yes, this new one is better. Bottom line, they're still not good enough, IMHO. If others feel they are, then they're welcome to their own decision.

Thank you my friend.

They need more tweaks. We can get there if we work together. :rock:

Jacob J. · Dec 9, 2012

blsnelling said:
Randy, when you put the pics side by side, yes, this new one is better. Bottom line, they're still not good enough, IMHO. If others feel they are, then they're welcome to their own decision.

The bottom line is, can John Q. Woodcutter buy one of these kits, take it out of the box, pop it on his saw, and have a decent runner? That's what 99% of the market share these kits are directed at is going to do.

Mastermind · Dec 9, 2012

Jacob J. said:
The bottom line is, can John Q. Woodcutter buy one of these kits, take it out of the box, pop it on his saw, and have a decent runner? That's what 99% of the market share these kits are directed at is going to do.

I did just that with a 372 kit. It ran real well.

Jacob J. · Dec 9, 2012

Mastermind said:
I did just that with a 372 kit. It ran real well.

Then that's the answer in my mind. After all, this site is less than one tenth of one percent of saw enthusiasts/wood cutters/industry professionals. Granted, we have some of the best around here but ultimately there's millions of people with OPE and they need a plug and play product.

Mastermind · Dec 9, 2012

I use a lot of Meteor pistons. They have improved the clips to the point that I will now use them. All the old style hasn't been sold out yet though and sometimes I still receive the ones with the crappy clips. I saw the clips that came with either Brad's or Wigg's kit were old style and wonder how old that kit was.

Two Years Of Improvements In Meteor Cylinder Kits (Brad's Pics)

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