Did I go too far???? (029 muffler mod)

[sawjo]

Got a great score last weekend at a moving sale. A very decent 029 Super with case, 18" bar and 6 chains for $30. It started in two pulls and is in very good condition so naturally I started hacking it up. I have already pulled the limit caps and you can see what I have done to the muffler. Do you guys think this will be a little to "free breathing"? I am going to install the screen and the modified deflecter. Will I be able to richen up the saw enough? It has the intelli-carb - I think. The air filter has a seperate rectangle fitting into the carb. Will this be OK?

 

[alaskanwoody]

Sawjo, I made the same mods to my 029 last week and have used it 4 times and it has made a definite improvement and haven't burned it up yet
Ps. good score 30 bucks is a great deal.

 

[Lakeside53]

Apart from increase in noise, all you can do to know is do a series timed cuts, before and after... Anything else just make you feel better!

 

[michael j]

Wow, 30 bucks!!! Good job.

Mike

 

[sawjo]

Interesting side note, I was at a dealer today whose primary business is chainsaws and I told him what I had done including pulling the limiters to richen saw past factory settings. He said the saw will probably last about 3 hours before it melts, even worse if I am using any mix richer than 50:1.
(32/40:1) He claims that the saw needs that much back pressure. I told him I thought the reason for the two small factory holes was for sound suppression and he disagreed. He said he's been in the business for 27 years and that saw and carb needs that much BP. He would not budge on his postion. So is he little mis-informed or overly caustious? Thats not the first dealer whose claimed that anything but 50:1 will damage a new(er) Stihl. What gives?

 

[enjoys cutting]

i don't know about stihls but the local saw fix it guy who has been working on saws since time began(lol) told me when i bought a new jonsered from him that i should run it 40:1.he gave me the impression that 50:1 is a little to lean.

 

[Lakeside53]

Unless you are milling, 50:1 mix. Do an AS search on this to get the full range of opinions....

 

[Lakeside53]

So is he little mis-informed or overly caustious? ?

Both... But you certainly can over-do the opening up of the muffler.

 

[timberwolf]

Even with good oil I don't go less than 40:1, but have been known to ask a little more from the lubricating film than factory RPM.

IMHO you may have gone too big, esp without removing the insides, effectivly I would say that looks like a straight pipe to the engine. I would expect it will be hard to keep it runing without stalling or increasing the idle RPM a lot. Also you may find it misses in the cut at high RPM.

Richen the jets up and give it a try.

I had one dealer who refused to sell me a 7 pin 3/8 rim for one of my 026s, because he felt 325 was the only acceptable combo for that saw, Wonder how he would feel about me running a 3/8 8 pin at cose to 16,000 rpm on 20% nitro.

 

[Ray Bennett]

I have modded a few 029's and while I do not have the experience some of the guys on this site have Im pretty sure that with the screen on and the fact that it appears your opening is only around 50 % the size of the exhaust port in the cylinder you should have enough back pressure. The thing I have done differently from you is that I removed the baffle completely and Opened the cover plate on the muffler equal amounts on both sides. Im not sure which way is better, I recently asked that question on here and did not get much of a response.

I highly recommend at least 40 to for oil. A very wise mechanic advised me that these engines are not much different as far as lubrication pourposes go from the old engines that ran 32-1 and even 16-1, the difference is EPA standards. In any case my 029 has been running stronger and cooler since I modded it 2 years ago. You should advise your tech that he should know that a properly modded saw will last longer than a leaned out epa friendly factory saw.

Let me know how much you open the (H) adjustment on the carb. Mine is open a touch under 1 1/2 from closed which makes it run a touch rich, which if safe and will keep my saw running for years. I think I could get away with 1 1/8 turn but that would be pushing the limit.

 

[timberwolf]

Second look, with the screen cover on it should be fine, I did not look at that on the first look.

 

[MS-310]

Just like mine, works well about 2 years on it.

 

[sawjo]

Chickened Out: