500i break-in

[jwarf]

Hello all,

Im wondering if anyone knows the book answer to breaking in a new 500i. I have the service manual and the owners manual and did not find this info(might just be dumb?!). There is a troubleshooting section in the service manual that refers to a diagnostic software which I dont have access to. I have the bark box and max flow air cleaner id like to install but im wondering if itd be better for the motor to break it in with the stock set up first. Any info is much appreciated!

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Just run it.

There are plenty of people that baby their saws through break in and have no problems.

There are the same amount of people that just run the saw like it will always be run and also have no problems.

If it makes you feel better to do a 'break in procedure' of whatever your heart desires, go for it, but it doesn't seem to be necessary for either power or longevity.

 

[BonScott46]

Cut with a sharp, not overly aggressive chain.

 

[user 122190]

I'm a big believer in run it hard, but run it short.

Get it warmed up, make several cuts in good size wood (full throttle), let it cool and repeat, and repeat. Do this for a single tank of gas and you're good.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Full send!

 

[sean donato]

It takes dynamic load to break in rings, ie it needs to cut. There's nothing that need the heat cycle, no cams to break in, no bushing to burnish. No reason to baby it at all. Let it warm up a bit and go cut with it.

 

[ballisticdoughnut]

Give it a minute to warm up and send it all the way.

 

[bwalker]

I'm a big believer in fun it hard, but run it short.

Get it warmed up, make several cuts in good size wood (full throttle), let it cool and repeat, and repeat. Do this for a single tank of gas and you're good.

That's a bunch of BS.
The only break in that needs to be happened in a two cycle is for the rings to seat to the cylinder. This only happens with high loads.
The heat cycling thing is also a bunch of non sense as the time it takes to stress relieve metal is measured in hours and at twmps.much higher than a saw ever sees.

 

[bwalker]

My advice is run it as heavily loaded as you can to break the saw in fast and then treat it as normal.

 

[huskihl]

Like the above mentioned. Wide open in the wood with a good heavy load. No piss revving without load

 

[Captain Bruce]

Just run it.

There are plenty of people that baby their saws through break in and have no problems.

There are the same amount of people that just run the saw like it will always be run and also have no problems.

If it makes you feel better to do a 'break in procedure' of whatever your heart desires, go for it, but it doesn't seem to be necessary for either power or longevity.

What he said...its a 2-cycle engine with fuel and cylinder oil mix....it has no brain as to age. The saw will run as it does, for years. No need to wonder if babying it will serve the owner......it doesn't know, or care, who owns it....

Would you want to know more about break-in, if it was a 69 dollar Homelite curved shaft string trimmer from walmart? Run it wide open....

 

[cookies]

Stihl runs them before they leave the factory, use it like intended right from new. Just remember to let it idle a few minutes after heavy use to cool it down before shutting it off.

 

[Perplexed]

Stihl runs them before they leave the factory, use it like intended right from new. Just remember to let it idle a few minutes after heavy use to cool it down before shutting it off.

I know this is sometimes recommended in 4-cycle engines with a liquid coolant system, but I wasn’t aware it was also the case in 2-cycle engines with a radiant cooling design. How does letting it idle after use, help the latter type of engine?

 

[stihltech]

A bit of warm up is always good. Other then that, full load in the wood with a sharp chain.

 

[cookies]

I know this is sometimes recommended in 4-cycle engines with a liquid coolant system, but I wasn’t aware it was also the case in 2-cycle engines with a radiant cooling design. How does letting it idle after use, help the latter type of engine?

It allows the cooling fan time to pull air over the saw reducing its temperature

 

[Hermio]

Hello all,

Im wondering if anyone knows the book answer to breaking in a new 500i. I have the service manual and the owners manual and did not find this info(might just be dumb?!). There is a troubleshooting section in the service manual that refers to a diagnostic software which I dont have access to. I have the bark box and max flow air cleaner id like to install but im wondering if itd be better for the motor to break it in with the stock set up first. Any info is much appreciated!

I would forget about the bark box. I saw a You tube video where a fellow tested a 500i with and without the bark box. The stock muffler cut faster. Another video dynamometer tested it, and the bark box delivered more power at 12000 rpm but less at 9000 rpm, which is about where the saw run s under heavy load.

 

[lone wolf]

I would forget about the bark box. I saw a You tube video where a fellow tested a 500i with and without the bark box. The stock muffler cut faster. Another video dynamometer tested it, and the bark box delivered more power at 12000 rpm but less at 9000 rpm, which is about where the saw run s under heavy load.

Losing torque.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

I would forget about the bark box. I saw a You tube video where a fellow tested a 500i with and without the bark box. The stock muffler cut faster. Another video dynamometer tested it, and the bark box delivered more power at 12000 rpm but less at 9000 rpm, which is about where the saw run s under heavy load.

I saw this as well, and I already had the bark box so I did my own testing. All the testing I saw went stock first, swtiched to bark box and immediately tested the bark box.

I'm not sure how the whole fuel injection black magic works in there, however, I had already been running the bark box for several hours when I saw the video.

So I found a nicely uniform log about the same diameter as my bar and made a few cuts while timing it. Switched back to the stock muffler cover the first two cuts were slower.

I ran the stock cover for the rest of that day because I didn't feel like changing the hot muffler cover again, the next day I went back to that same log, cut with the stock cover first(that I had been cutting with the previous day). Then switching to the bark box it was slower than the stock cuts right before it. Which is the opposite of what I experienced the day before. I just chalked it up to the fuel system adjusting to the new muffler environment it was thrust into.

I have heard that if you let the saw idle for a while it might speed up that adjustment period. I have not tested that situation.

 

[user 122190]

I saw this as well, and I already had the bark box so I did my own testing. All the testing I saw went stock first, swtiched to bark box and immediately tested the bark box.

I'm not sure how the whole fuel injection black magic works in there, however, I had already been running the bark box for several hours when I saw the video.

So I found a nicely uniform log about the same diameter as my bar and made a few cuts while timing it. Switched back to the stock muffler cover the first two cuts were slower.

I ran the stock cover for the rest of that day because I didn't feel like changing the hot muffler cover again, the next day I went back to that same log, cut with the stock cover first(that I had been cutting with the previous day). Then switching to the bark box it was slower than the stock cuts right before it. Which is the opposite of what I experienced the day before. I just chalked it up to the fuel system adjusting to the new muffler environment it was thrust into.

I have heard that if you let the saw idle for a while it might speed up that adjustment period. I have not tested that situation.

Yeah, but the Bark Box is louder, much louder. Louder is good, right? Remove hearing protection for even more power. Tis what I have learned on this site.

 

[OM617YOTA]

The only break-in consideration I gave my 500i was making sure I had enough big wood on hand to give her a proper hot supper. Dumped out the Stihl swamp water the dealer had put in, refilled with Red Armor, and went to work.

I'll probably do a Max-flo at some point. Been intrigued by the Bark Box and Straight Shot, but really don't want a louder saw. I'd consider a muffler that flows the same as stock and is quieter, before I'd consider a muffler that flows better and is louder.