Cleaning a chainsaw, what do avoid?

[Jmaffei]

So I just got a Stihl 036 off craiglist for 60 bucks, compression 160, runs good so far (haven't sunk it into wood yet). I am trying to clean it up as I like my work equipment clean and I want my saws to last a long time. There is a lot of junk gunked up around the base of the cylinder and in all those crevices. Should I pull the cylinder and expose that area to clean it out? I am assuming I would have to seal up the lower half, I don't really want to do that since I have only put a cylinder back onto a piston once (my old 359). If I leave it on, how can I get all those areas clean? Seal up the exhaust outlet and the carb intake with tape and go to town on it? Also , is there anything fragile behind the clutch cover area, I took off the plastic cover that covers the handle break spring and oiler stuff and I want to clean that area up also. Also, I have already cleaned everything I can with my air compressor, it doesn't touch a lot of this stuff. Sorry for the long post, I just wanna get my saw clean and up and running again without messing it up. Thanks, James

 

[minnnt]

I removed the exhaust and just picked at the funk with a small screw driver. Most of it came away with ease. Can't think of anything that you could damage behind the clutch cover. Also when you remove the air filter put a piece of tissue down the inlet to prevent any muck from getting down there. Will post some pics for you later. Cheers.

 

[Roanoker494]

Spray it down with a good cleaner, let it soak a couple minutes and spray it off with the water hose. You may need to repeat the process a couple times to get it clean. Use the small screwdriver, like suggested before, to get the stubborn stuff out. Stihl dealers have a good cleaner available, Awesome cleaner is also good and a lot of folks use Purple Power.

 

[minnnt]

 

[Jmaffei]

So it is ok to take a hose to it? I mean I know saws get rained on, just didn't wanna get too crazy with it. Thanks, James

 

[Jimmy in NC]

I know some don't agree with it.. but I'll wet them down with a hose and purple cleaner. I won't work on a dirty saw. Figure any water is quickly displaced in the shop as I blow things dry and such on the bench.

Never had a problem with it yet.

 

[blsnelling]

Definately do not remove the cylinder before cleaning the saw up. Otherwise, you'll end up with dirt in the crankcase. I would not recommend water unless you have the saw mostly disassmbled and a good source of compressed air to dry it. You need the disassemble the saw anyway to get it clean. It's not that hard to pulle the handle/tank from the case. That's the only way you're going to really get it clean. Then once it's clean, you may want to pull the jug and decarbone the exhaust port, combustion chamber, and piston crown. I'd also go through the carb entirely as well. While it's apart, I also recommend inspecting the AV mount, intake boot, and impulse and fuel lines.

 

[Jmaffei]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I hosed her down and alternated scrubbing with simple green. I think I have it clean enough now to where I want it and do some touch up painting. I will go brad's route if there are any issues when I have it reassembled. What does getting all the carbon out of the cylinder/piston help? I am just curious, I guess it is like most things function better when they are clean. Also, how do you get the trigger out of the handle guard? Just punch the little metal rod? The whole handle was pretty much full of mud.

 

[Duke Thieroff]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I hosed her down and alternated scrubbing with simple green. I think I have it clean enough now to where I want it and do some touch up painting. I will go brad's route if there are any issues when I have it reassembled. What does getting all the carbon out of the cylinder/piston help? I am just curious, I guess it is like most things function better when they are clean. Also, how do you get the trigger out of the handle guard? Just punch the little metal rod? The whole handle was pretty much full of mud.

The carbon deposits inside the cylinder can come loose and can be abrasive to your cylinder walls.

CT

 

[ptjeep]

Once you get that 036 cleaned up, throw it and the rest of your saws in the truck and head towards oliver springs for the GTG jan. 29!

 

[ttyR2]

You'd be amazed what a good stiff blow-off with an air nozzle will do. I start with that, and if I have to get serious, take off the coil, carb, etc, plug the ports on the cylinder, and go at it in a solvent tank. No water involved.

 

[Pendagator]

Cleaning an 026

I spent several hours Sunday cleaning up a really dirty 026. I blew a lot of the dirt off first then I started taking it apart and cleaning each part. I stuffed some paper towel down the intake boot and taped some plastic over it and left the muffler on. I didn't submerge it in my parts washer, but I sit it on the tray and let cleaner flow over it and brushed it. I tried to keep it away from the intake and muffler as much as possible, but later when I took the tape off of the intake boot the paper towel was wet. I don't know if any got int the crank or not. I blew it out some and then flushed it with gas mix and then squirted some oil through the intake into the crank and rotated the crank, so maybe it won't rust. What about the starter rewind, how do you clean that? I put it in the parts washer and let it soak. I don't much like getting the rope and spring wet, but I blew it out later so maybe it won't hurt it.

What about a plastic tank? There's still some crud in there, if I rub it with a brush it comes off, but I can't get to all of it.

I'm using this water based cleaner Oil Eater Cleaner Degreaser It does a good job but its harsher than they say it is- it burns my hands a little and gets to my sinuses. I put it in a metal parts cleaner and its eating the paint off.

 

[PLMCRZY]

I would tape up the ports, degrease it and spray it with the water hose. Untape the ports if you see water give it a small shot of wd 40 in the p/c....or some after run oil for little rc nitro engines. Wd40 gets rid of the water, then i would would put it together fire it up. Ive done this on several saws. Havent done it to my 026 yet since its already pretty clean.

 

[Thomas Venditto]

I like to keep my saws clean too. It's January as I type this, and January is saw clean month. I work in a stainless steel (animal cage) pan. Take the saw apart and get the loose stuff with a shop vac. Next, I get all the caked on stuff with a brush and kerosene. Kero is GREAT for all mechanical parts. It cleans and leaves a nice lube which fights rust. How much you take 'er apart is based on your experience. I generally remove the plastics and the recoil as well. That affords pretty good access to my Stihls. You can work over a pan and let the spent kero collect there, then use that over to do the chain and chain cover etc. Don't forget your bar. Run a putty knive down the groove.
I'm not a big fan of compressed air. You need to be careful not to blow crap into the intake etc. It also blows crap all over the shop, especially the kero.
TomJV

 

[user 122190]

I use to be anal about cleaning. I now clean lightly, more as an inspection on a regular basis. Save the big cleaning for end of the cutting season. Solvent, a brush and compressed air are my tools of choice.

 

[1Alpha1]

An air compressor and a good air nozzle, some Simple Green degreaser and some good parts brushes will be your best friends.

Oh yeah, and some time and a little elbow grease.

 

[Cycledude]

Clean is nice but Don't get carried away.

 

[cedarshark]

I love dirty nasty saws because people pay more for clean saws. The assumption is a clean saw has not been used as much and taken better care of. My theory is a clean saw runs better because it has no sawdust and oil packed around the cylinder and runs cooler. So I clean after every use. This may mean blowing it off with compressed air or a full blown wash down with spray on degreaser. The only problem I have seen with using water is water collects inside the chain sprocket an cause a little rust. I remove the air cleaner and plug the carb if water is used.

 

[hunter72]

Some 25+ years ago I sold and serviced Sachs Dolmar saws to Loggers in northern Wi. I think that some of the failures { bad coils and top ends} were caused by heat form caked up saws that if they were cleaned it was not done very regularly. Just my 2 cs

 

[a. palmer jr.]

So it is ok to take a hose to it? I mean I know saws get rained on, just didn't wanna get too crazy with it. Thanks, James

What would be ideal is to spray it off with hot water but few of us have a hose hooked up to a water heater...hot water dries faster and eliminates a lot of the rust..