Stihl 015 Tophandle

[Opihi59]

Sorry mates, but I've been away from the forum for some time. A couple more deployments to nasty places, a huge kitchen/dining room remodel, a ton of Jeep work.......but I've been wanting a nice tophandle climbing saw and came up with this little gem.



It looks to be in really nice shape, has a real nice feel to it, but of course needs a little bit of help and rehab.





I just got this from Brown Santa today, and have done a little preliminary messing around with it. It starts easily and idles nicely, but will not "rev." I have yet to do the complete teardown, but it seems to be a bit low on compression.



Now I have to admit this is a brand new compression tester in its first use, and I haven't checked it against some of my other saws with known excellent compression, but this is where I happen to be at this early point in the game. Also cannot find my old compression tester I have used for years (hence the new one........)

I do intend to do a tear down and inspection, maybe it needs new ring(s), or has an issue with the bore but that is as of yet TBD. I have been known on this forum in the past for my roper rebuilds, and generally like to be seen as more helpful than needy, but on this one I wouldn't mind a few tidbits of directional guidance. My intent is to rebuild this back into a useful and handy utility saw and use the crap out of it of course. I have planny other running saws, but would really like this little saw to keep contributing to throwing piles of chips. Thanks for any suggestions. I'll see what I can do to follow them and supply you all with tons of photos of findings and successes/failures. Aloha.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

Replacement ring,piston,wrist pin, and clips
http://www.lilredbarn.net/product-p/st0079.htm

Walbro HDC-K10 repair kit.
http://www.lilredbarn.net/product-p/k10-hdc.htm

Replacement fuel line and filter ( OEM part from stihl is NLA this is aftermarket )
http://www.lilredbarn.net/product-p/1116-358-7700-2.htm

 

[Deleted member 83629]

just a word of caution....http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/things-we-have-learned-the-hard-way.254717/page-10

 

[Opihi59]

Well, I will watch out for that spark plug cover, but if you believe The Dragon Lady, I'm already dead from the belly button down. Might do me some good. That thread reminded me of a thread about putting herculiner bed liner in a Jeep, and a certain place you should not touch with herculiner on your hands. ROFLMAOSHMSFOAIDMT!!!!

jakewells, I will look thru your linked threads and order some parts after I do a full tear down.

I appreciate all the input.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

your welcome. are you a active service member in hawaii?

 

[Opihi59]

Yes, I am still active duty, I have been assigned in HI since 1998 except for 5 little trips since 2003 to hot sandy places where people shoot at me and speak funny languages/wear odd clothing. But I am retiring from AD in a few months.

I just happen to have a thing for chainsaws and Jeeps.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

my dad retired in hawaii in 2005 he was in the us navy chief petty officer CTMC1, cryptanalyst. i spent two years there with him. we lived at wheeler army air base.
and he worked in a underground area and he still isn't allowed to tell me anything about it. nice place to visit but not that great to live there. the locals in wahiawa where some awful people.

 

[Opihi59]

And of course I know about that place where your Dad worked, anytime I go down Kunia Road I drive past it. Yes, it isn't the nicest place to live, but it is nice to visit. I just happened to put down roots here and all my boys know this as home.

 

[Opihi59]

So I'm looking around the forum for 015 threads, reading tons of them, and learning what I can about this particular little saw. The good thing I found is that with a 140SPEA074 bar, I've got 3/8 pitch chain rather than 1/4, so I don't have to worry about converting it over and trying to come up with a different out of stock/NLA worm gear to drive the oiler, or very difficult to find 1/4 pitch chain. Good so far. I lack the discretionary time to do a tear down during the week, so will tear it down and then look into ordering parts this weekend. Don't wanna order a buncha parts before I know what is problematic, but I suppose I can wait for the long shipping time out here to the Sandwich Islands once I figure out what I need. I haven't even pulled off the muffler to peer into the bore and make sure it isn't scored/metal transfer from someone straight gassing it.
At any rate, I imagine that a new filter/fuel line is definitely in order, and very likely carb D/G kit, but I need to get to the bottom of the low compression, and whether or not that is real, and think about stuff like crank seals while I'm at it. I will of course post up my findings, and photos, and I am appreciative of input from the forum as usual.

I'm not smart, but I can lift heavy things.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

i actually got a 015L and mine just needed a tank gasket carb kit and fuel line to get it in shape great little saw but don't expect a 020.
and the mixture on it is 40:1

 

[Opihi59]

Generally when I come up with a saw, it seems to need just about everything. The saws that come my way seem to be black holes of need, but I feel a responsibility to get them back into the chip throwing mode no matter what. There isn't really a big logging industry out here on the Island. This is one of the few that actually fired up and idled within just a few minutes; it's a mainland saw. I am guessing if I have to pull apart the tank, it will be Yamabond/Dirko etc for a gasket.
I figure what with the 3/8 pitch chain, it is one of the "newer" 015L models, before the AV came out. I honestly didn't want the AV, I really wanted a little top handle. The idea is that I'll get The Dragon Lady to use it a few times until she gets CAD as well. She has turned somewhat into an enabler here in that after one of her early morning walks thru the neighborhood, she excitedly notified me that someone had put a chainsaw out at the curb with their rubbish. She's catching it.......

 

[Deleted member 83629]

the shell gas station on 9862 Kaumualii Hwy has ethanol free 89 gas and the aloha 7-11 on farrington hwy has 89 ethanol free also.
i don't recommend the gas on base even if it is a little cheaper than out in town.

 

[Opihi59]

Farrington HWY in Wainae, West side of Oahu is reachable. The first site mentioned is on another island, Kauai. Generally I can get canned alcohol-free gas at various places here, just not from the pump.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

try this its more available now than years past.
http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=HI

 

[Toyboy]

I picked up the same saw last summer w/case and extra chain. By looking at the drive sprocket on mine it's had very little use. Whoever was the original owner stored it dry because the gas tank didn't even have a gas smell to it. Really surprised my neighbor & I. Put some fresh gas in it and a few pulls later away it went. Torquey little devil. Your gonna like it.
We have a cousin that lives in Kaawa that's getting CAD too now.

 

[Opihi59]

I appreciate that list of ETOH-free gasoline, Pearl City is real real close to me since I'm on the mountainside above it in Aiea. I can't specifically place that 76 station, but I must pass by it several times a week and never notice it. The times I've gone to an off-base gas station in 17 yrs I can still count on one hand.

As soon as I can find some white-space in my schedule I will tear that saw down and assess for wear and send photos. I really have no history whatsoever on this saw, but I am glad to add it to my pile.

 

[Opihi59]

Okay, I tore into the saw today. I discovered though on documenting this that I am having problems with editing my post in the apparent new format we are using, and lost everything I had just posted, so I will break this up into many entries, each with a smaller number of photos. Not trying to drive up my post count but don't want to have to keep re-doing everything. Here we go. Hope you like photos.





I'd be happy to hear if someone knows what the points gap should be set at here.

 

[Opihi59]

Drive side.





Some wear on the rim sprocket.

 

[tomtrees58]

my saw runs great

 

[Opihi59]

Bore/piston/ring look to be fine to me.