353 or 346XP

[WoodTick007]

Sorry Russ,

I just could not resist....I think this new "Group Therapy" thing I am going to will help.

 

[Tree Machine]

Where ya gonna find better counselors than here?


Good choice, DanMan.

 

[WoodTick007]

Where ya gonna find better counselors than here

Tree Machine,

I cannot think of better counselors than the ones at the Iron Inn or camp. Nothing like a cans a Therapy and some cussing with friends to make a guy know that he's not the Ducked up one... Eh? How bout it? Its not me.

Tic

 

[Tree Machine]

Denial is a beautiful thing, especially amongst your enablers.

 

[DanMan1]

Well we finally go to try out the new saws. I'm about 200 ft. above sea level. It was 20 degrees out. Started with my new 357xp first. Started right up, but bogged a lot with throttle blips. Checked the jets. They were both in the plastic eared max 'rich' position. After about 10 minutes of this, I put it to some wood. It was nutless. My poulan had more go-nads. Thats when I got scared.

The plastic ears came off. Richend both jets, and she started to liven up!

Yesterday ( also about 20 degrees ), we fired up the 353( E-Tech) I got my dad. One word, LEEAANN...
This one was so lean it could barely idle and that was it. even after warming up. If he blipped the throttle, it instantly died. I took a look at the jets they also were in the 'max' position. When I told poor ol' dad I think we only need to grind off the plastic 'ears' off his brand new shiny saw, he gave me a look that I can only describe as being a ' my paid for, don't have ears, 24 year old stihl doesn't die when I give it throttle' look. After some coaxing he let me do it ( like buying A shiny new truck and watching them grind the paint off your bed for a spray-in liner ). after about an hour running, I ended up with a low speed setting a full turn out from the pre-set! The high speed ended up about 1/4 turn out.
My 357 seem to get stronger the more I used it. I know 4 strokes very well, not 2 strokes. 4 strokes don't gain great amounts of power after break-in. Could it be factory bearing grease and oils in the crankcase of new strokes maybe dilluting the fuel mixture when new??

We both agreed the Huskys have a motocross bike sound at idle, Is it the muffler, or the carb, aircleaner interface, or the air-cleaner design ?

When we finished we were both happy. I put a tach on my ear tuned 357 and I was at 14,300, I guess pretty close. We only had frozen maple to test with but after tuning both saws did great.

 

[Mange]

Here is my theory:
I suspect you will have to count on this. These saws Proberbly are adjusted to run on Aspen. When running regular fuel it gets lean, very lean.
If you were to put aspen in it now it would be very rich.

I did not know they had limiters on the pro saws too, surprising.

 

[DanMan1]

Our gas in New Hamnpshire DOES contain MTBE. Will hopefully be gone by 2005

 

[Mange]

What is MTBE?

 

[DanMan1]

Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether

 

[Mange]

Is that the same as Alkylate fuel?
and if so what mix ís it in gasoline? 10-20%

 

[DanMan1]

I don't know a lot about the MTBE chemestry and I know nothing about Alkylate fuel. Maybe someone else here is an expert on the subject?

 

[Mange]

I do not think so. I have been trying to understand these fuel questions for a long time. No success.
I was kind of hoping you were the expert.

 

[Crofter]

You can do a search on Google on "alkylate fuels" it brings up lots of leads. I have worked in a couple of refineries using the hydrofluoric acid process in the Alky section. You get a whole day training session on its dangers. It makes sulphuric acid seem like buttermilk. I see they are working on solid acidic catylysts that can be regenerated. Sunoco is doing a big construction at Sarnia refinery next year to reduce sulphur. Imperial oil did theirs last year at Nanticoke. I was on that for six months but frankly knew or learned nothing about the process. Just install pipe where you are told. I keep up on some of the info on VW's diesels because I have one. It is getting harder to meet some smog regulations without catalytic converters and the sulphur and other contaminants in straight run fuels from crude oil stocks kills the converters in a short time. The alkylate fuels have fewer random and undisireable components and burn cleaner and have better stability in storage than the dinosoar juice.

 

[Mange]

I know that Aspen is not pure Alkulate fuel, it is mixed with "dino fuel", but they would not say what ratio. I have searched but I came up with all kinds of different info, but not what I need. I would like to know if something similar to Aspen, an alkulate fuel is available in US. Here is a few different brands, but since Elux has a deal with aspen that is most known.
Finland has a few, the Baltic states has a few, Norway has at least 2 that I know of. I find it hard to believe that you don't use it in the areas that is hard on emissions.

 

[Crofter]

I wonder if some of the aviation gasoline is close in content. Storage stability is a concern and low deposits on plugs and head. Reduced tencency to carb icing is also big. Maybe Aspen is nothing more than Av gas with premix.

 

[Mange]

I have thougt about that. But Aspen is 92 octane, and can be stored minemum 6 months, and it is not aggressive to plastic or metal.

 

[DanMan1]

Are you going to do any mod's to it? I would open the muffler up right away. Do a search on here and you will get tons of information if your not sure how to do it
Let me know how you like it when you finally fire it up

Well I modified the muffler. I searched up and down the forum for people's past info on the 357xp baffled muffler, and pretty much followed what had been done before. I went conservative on the tube: 3/8 ID * 1 1/2 long,mounted at the bottom, also passing through the baffle. I opened up the stock exhaust 'hat' lips, as has been done before. The only place I deviated, was that I also put a 1/2 * 1" oval hole in the baffle in line with the inlet hole.

As soon as I started it, the throttle response was way quicker! I reset the jets and banged down and diced up a large poplar. It went through the soft poplar like a raped ape! How much faster is it really when cutting? Hard to say for sure, but there is no mistaking how much quicker it accelerates now. Thanks goes to everyones posts/pictures.

Now we're cooken with gas!

 

[Toneman]

Sounds Great DanMan1.
Post some pics of your handy work when you get a chance

 

[DanMan1]

Will Do. Need some paint first.

 

[Toneman]

LOL!
I know what you mean Dan, I aways paint my modded mufflers before I take any pics