288XP Blew Up - Help!

[pattyrobs]

Hey guys,

I'm new to this. My brother - certified arborist, had a 288XP sitting around for too long (wanting to upgrade to a 395) and gave it to me to help clear a lot for a new shop I'm building. I had the thing running for about 20 minutes and it blew up. It needs alot of work. I imagine I'm going to dump more money into it then it is worth. But running it even for a short period of time, made me realize the seat of the pants feeling it gave me. I need to rebuild this thing to feel that again.

Here's a list of what she needs:
- crank
- crank case half gasket
- crank bearings
- base gasket
- exhaust gasket
- top end kit
- spark plug
- motor mount (front left)
- fly wheel
- wrist pin bearing

I don't even know where to begin or where to look. Looks like there are alot of parts on ebay? Anything on there reputable? I called Saw Salvage and he is seeing what he can put together. In the meantime, I figured I would try here. Located in Ontario, Canada.

Thanks!

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Define "blew up"?

With that list of repair parts, be easier to save the plastics, carb, front handle, spurs and muffler, then go buy another 288 and you will have some parts.
Wait and try to find a parts saw 181, 281, or 288, one with a busted tank/rear handle or something that has not damaged the motor too much that you can swap bits over to your left overs?

 

[cus_deluxe]

how are u sure that it needs crank, bearings and complete top end? all the other parts on your list are easy enough to find. youll typicaly be better off with cleaning up the oem top end, unless it ate a lot of stuff the bottom end they are usually useable.

 

[cus_deluxe]

oh yeah, gotta post pics bro

 

[trains]

 

[JonCraig]

Yeah... did you blow it up run it over w/ a dozer?

 

[Sepia]

Even if you rebuild with cheaper chinese parts, you are still going to be into that 288 for quite a bit of money, with a questionable result once assembled. I would put it on a shelf and wait for another 288 to show up on kjiji or just sell it and scour the classifieds here for a good tested 288 that is ready to go.

 

[Huskybill]

compare the cylinder/piston kit prices from eBay to huztl.

Cylinder/piston kit, under $50.
Gasket set
Crankbearings and seals
Crank ?

My experience has been a piece of the piston skirt cracks off and Jann’s the crank weight. Your crank might be ok.

 

[JonCraig]

I’ll give ya $50 for it. 288’s aren’t very good saws... I’ll take it off your hands for ya.

 

[Huskybill]

Where there is faith there is hope when we pray. All isn’t lost yet.

https://www.ebay.com/c/22011181883

https://www.ebay.com/itm/288XP-181-281-288-Cylinder-kit-for-Husqvarna-chainsaw-/254272384906

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DUKES-CRAN...88-3120-394-395-K1250-K950-K960-/283685028007

 

[Huskybill]

I’ll give ya $50 for it. 288’s aren’t very good saws... I’ll take it off your hands for ya.

Really? I thought next to the 266se/266xp the 288xp was very popular size wise? I’d fix it for around $100.

 

[JonCraig]

Nah... no one likes 288’s... they’re one notch below mini-Macs.

 

[president]

Even if you rebuild with cheaper chinese parts, you are still going to be into that 288 for quite a bit of money, with a questionable result once assembled. I would put it on a shelf and wait for another 288 to show up on kjiji or just sell it and scour the classifieds here for a good tested 288 that is ready to go.

T1

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Well, if you wrangle up that shopping list on Farmertec, they do not seem to have crank gaskets, exhaust gaskets, nor crank bearings (that alone might speak volumes of the bearing quality?)- but the rest can be had for US$58:01 plus whatever they charge to ship to Ontario .......... are you a gambling man?

 

[pattyrobs]

Pictures as requested. Connecting rod has a slight wobble in it. Took a hard hit. Piston was in four or five pieces.

https://imgur.com/VqHwaTr

https://imgur.com/tBsklwq

 

[JonCraig]

So how’d it all happen? Piston grenaded? How’d that take out the flywheel?

 

[pattyrobs]

Flywheel was missing two fins. I believe from some other accident. I'm not sure what would cause that.

Saw over-revved and went bang and locked up. Looks like connecting rod took the brunt of the blow as the crank case is undamaged.

 

[JonCraig]

Okay—so here’s the light version and others smarter than me can chime in with the deets.

1) 288’s are awesome. I have probably $200 into mine and that’s a steal. If you’re handy and willing to read a bunch here, you should totally fix and have a killer saw.

2) It didn’t over-rev and then blew up. Something happened which made it revv weird/fast/different. That’s the mystery you need to solve when rebuilding so that it doesn’t happen again.

3) For a (cool) saw like this, OEM cylinder, please. (That’s my opinion and worth what you paid for it).

4) If you don’t want to fool with rebuilding, you can sell the carcass and don’t take too much of a lowball. Unless it’s my lowball from a few posts up.

5) I can’t tell from that pic (on my phone) how the conrod looks. But even if it is toast, new OEM bearings, seals, piston + good used crank, cylinder (if yours won’t clean up. Is probably less than $200. Worth it for a 288 in my opinion.

This thread made me pull mine off the shelf:

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Flywheel looks pretty clean compared to the crankcase and recoil cover- that might say something about the Husqvarna air flow system- or might not.
If the saw was w.o.t. and something shook loose, bounced into the flywheel- jiggled around until it became lodged and locked the flywheel- busted the fins, I imagine all would not be well with the rest of the powerhead.
Or if the fins were broken previously, the unbalanced flywheel tore up the oil seals, causing it to run real lean and blew out the crank bearings after 20 minutes of lot clearing.

Saw over-revved and went bang and locked up. Massive air leak and extreme lean just before something important let go.........

 

[president]

Flywheel looks pretty clean compared to the crankcase and recoil cover- that might say something about the Husqvarna air flow system- or might not.
If the saw was w.o.t. and something shook loose, bounced into the flywheel- jiggled around until it became lodged and locked the flywheel- busted the fins, I imagine all would not be well with the rest of the powerhead.
Or if the fins were broken previously, the unbalanced flywheel tore up the oil seals, causing it to run real lean and blew out the crank bearings after 20 minutes of lot clearing.

Saw over-revved and went bang and locked up. Massive air leak and extreme lean just before something important let go.........

T1