044 rebuild questions

[ssmith0480]

I wasn't trying to start an OEM vs aftermarket debate. Just seeing what the general concensus was for my particular situation.

Btw...I have done lots of reading, but it doesn't make me an expert. It doesn't make me as knowledgeable as someone who has rebuilt saws many times. That's why I posted for some guidance for my particular situation. I would hope that you could tell I'd done research on it already by the specifics of my original questions.

So as far as which saw to use...no real difference except for cap styles correct? Pick the nicer one?

If the crank bearings and seals look good, is there any real reason to replace it? The 044 looks pretty clean. Looks like lower hours than the 440. I didn't see the piston and cylinder that came with it though. It was cleaner and all the plastic was much nicer.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[Tothemax]

It's your $ spend it how you wish. Just saying there are some very good aftermarket kits out there that give you more bang for your buck vs oem. I never use oem anymore because they are too expensive for what you get.

If you are splitting the case you might as well swap out the bearings and seals.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I wasn't trying to start an OEM vs aftermarket debate. Just seeing what the general concensus was for my particular situation.

Btw...I have done lots of reading, but it doesn't make me an expert. It doesn't make me as knowledgeable as someone who has rebuilt saws many times. That's why I posted for some guidance for my particular situation. I would hope that you could tell I'd done research on it already by the specifics of my original questions.

So as far as which saw to use...no real difference except for cap styles correct? Pick the nicer one?

If the crank bearings and seals look good, is there any real reason to replace it? The 044 looks pretty clean. Looks like lower hours than the 440. I didn't see the piston and cylinder that came with it though. It was cleaner and all the plastic was much nicer.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Just me, but I would build the 044 and physically check the seals and bearings, if the bearings feel smooth and there is no noises from them, no up and down movement then I would build it as is. When assembled with the jug on I would then do a vac and pressure test before re assembling the remainder of the saw in this case. There is no need to change things out that are in good satisfactory condition.

 

[grizz55chev]

Just me, but I would build the 044 and physically check the seals and bearings, if the bearings feel smooth and there is no noises from them, no up and down movement then I would build it as is. When assembled with the jug on I would then do a vac and pressure test before re assembling the remainder of the saw in this case. There is no need to change things out that are in good satisfactory condition.

Seems like good advice.

 

[lone wolf]

Seems like good advice.

Always is he builds I think hundreds of them.

 

[grizz55chev]

Always is he builds I think hundreds of them.

For fun.

 

[lone wolf]

For fun.

They can be fun yes.

 

[Jimbo209]

I've Got a am kit to port here for a fs250 that will get genuine clips and rings to prevent miss haps

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

 

[grizz55chev]

I've Got a am kit to port here for a fs250 that will get genuine clips and rings to prevent miss haps

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

Why bother?

 

[lone wolf]

Why bother?

No luck with aftermarket cylinders either?

 

[grizz55chev]

No luck with aftermarket cylinders either?

It's a frickin brush cutter, slap it on and get to work.

 

[lone wolf]

It's a frickin brush cutter, slap it on and get to work.

Oh! Why bother is right.

 

[ironman_gq]

OEM 046 jug is pretty east to make work, I've got a 044/046 hybrid with a little port work done and it's a beast of a saw. IIRC correctly it was maybe 20 minutes with a round file and dremel to get it bolted on, mine didn't have any skirt clearance issues and running it without a base gasket got the squish right where it needed to be. Porting was more or less just raising the exhaust port slightly and widening the intake, exhaust and a little work on the transfers and generally smoothing everything out. Definitely worth the work though.

 

[Jimbo209]

Oh! Why bother is right.

Cause I can bolt the original back on if it doesn't work.
the am kit I can also experiment with port timing/shape/fingers if I can get in there and only loose a few dollars.
Why so I can run double line out of head. In tall winter grass or deal with thick clumps

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

 

[lone wolf]

Cause I can bolt the original back on if it doesn't work.
the am kit I can also experiment with port timing/shape/fingers if I can get in there and only loose a few dollars.
Why so I can run double line out of head. In tall winter grass or deal with thick clumps

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

Well if you enjoy it I don't see why not then. I just thought it was a task.

 

[jd548esco72]

the 044 is one of the best build saws out there IMHO. i've built them with 046 OEM jugs , am-440 jugs and big bore kits-- even one all china ms440 clone--

the two that i run the most are the OEM 460 jug 440 and the 440 china clone--

the 440 clone has been running for the last several years with a $29 china jug/piston and those cheap clips-- it has seen quite a bit of use and still going strong.

044/440s are like home made chili-- do it your way--- you can't hardly go wrong with a 440 as long as the basics are there -- tight bearings, good tight seals-- you can't miss-- just take your time and make sure everything fits properly

 

[ssmith0480]

So apparently it's a 10mm wrist pin, I didn't realize that the "X" in X29 583 701 represented a number. So the 125 338 277 would be a 10mm. Thanks for pointing that out to me John.

I cleaned everything and organized it into most of a complete saw.

Newbie question: Should the crankcase be able to hold water? While I was simple green/purple powering everything off I noticed that water would drain out of it... couldn't see where it would drain to, but isn't that part supposed to be air-tight? Is that just an indicator to split it and at least put a new gasket in?

 

[ssmith0480]

So. Answered my own question. It was leaking water on the clutch side out of the seal. I didn't have a bearing spacer in it. Inserted it and the crankcase is now water-tight, so hopefully it'll pass pressure and vacuum test. I also found a new OEM 10mm cylinder and piston for around the cost of a good quality aftermarket unit.

 

[jd548esco72]

if ya got a 10mm rod your going to have to have a 10mm piston to fit on it--

all the big bores are 12mm i think---

the 10mm 044s were quite the runners -- if the crank and rod are good i would just run those---

 

[ssmith0480]

Yeah I bought a new Stihl 10mm piston and cylinder. It's one of the Mahle slant fin cylinders, it's new but the box it came in was ancient. Now I just need a 10mm piston bearing and I should be good. I have a bearing on the other saw that came with the 044 but it's 12mm. I'm definitely learning a lot about 044's.

Oh, and I was just putting water into the crankcase to check for obvious leaks. I dried everything out completely and oiled it a little afterwards. My train of thought was if it wouldn't hold water it definitely wouldn't hold any kind of air pressure.