farm auction 026

[Mad Professor]

Was at local 4H annual farm auction this weekend. There was an early 026, newer oregon B/C, good compression, no Hi on carb, a liitle dirty but not ugly.



I took a chance and bid on it, paid $85 + buyers prem and tax.

Got it home and looked over. Airbox dirty but had newer AM airfilter, original Stihl Cyl. Chain is nearly new, they didn't change the worn rim, bar needs a draw filing too, has a wire edge. Dregs of fuel had water droplets but no debris or E10 snot, rinsed that out with some dry gas.




So far so good............ Compression tester said 150 psi.

I pulled muffler and knew something was up. All but one screw on just snug. Looked in ex and lots of carbon. Piston has what I think are carbon scores, rings are free, no gouges in piston just streaks. Machine marks in piston are worn off. Pictures make piston look worse than it is.




Plan was to clean this up, tune it up and flip it. I'm not happy with selling it with looks of piston as is.

Will give it a bath and do pres/vac test. I'm hoping when I pull cylinder it's OK and carbon will clean up, maybe just a set of rings and seals. Will check P/C clearance if they both clean up. Otherwise I need to track down a piston too.

Thoughts on this one? And a what's it worth with the above work.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Assuming you paid around $100 total and you use OEM parts to repair plus your labor there appears to be not much upside for flipping, in my opinion. If it were mine I'd just clean it up and use it as is.

 

[Mad Professor]

Assuming you paid around $100 total and you use OEM parts to repair plus your labor there appears to be not much upside for flipping, in my opinion. If it were mine I'd just clean it up and use it as is.

I've got a good running 026, and another that I have NOS P/C and new WT-194 for need time to fix it......, and a nice 028S

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I have a reasonably nice 026 pro, seldom get to use it. Believe it or not I got it at the salvage yard! Someone had sold if for junk. Mine's got a 16" 3/8 bar and chain which I'm not too fond of..

 

[Wood Doctor]

I've got a good running 026, and another that I have NOS P/C and new WT-194 for need time to fix it......, and a nice 028S

Just get a new top-end P/C kit. I imagine you will need both. Yes, it's dirty and messy but will likely clean up rather well. It will be a challenge, but restorations are always a challenge. Good Luck!

 

[Alaskan Stihl]

HEY! If that isn’t a coincidence! I picked up a 026 in a Horsetrade (Sold a transmission that a friend wanted badly and noticed he had this saw that he got at the dump…so we made it part of the deal . ) Yup, also has a Oregon 20” Bar on it as well…

It was missing rear cover ($5 at Farmertech) and the muffler was broke (also $5 at Farmertech). Discovered Carb (Walbro WT) had air leak and rolled the dice and bought a China knockoff Carb (which also included…Air filter, Sparkplug, Fuel-Line & Filters for $13.68 delivered).

Hate to admit it…but the Carb worked (although I had to set the H-Idle at 2-1/2 turns)

BUT….runs like a champ! And how about that set of Farmertech Spikes!!! (Both for about $8)

Had to wait about 6 weeks for shipping but it all arrived safe and sound!

 

[Mad Professor]

Just get a new top-end P/C kit. I imagine you will need both. Yes, it's dirty and messy but will likely clean up rather well. It will be a challenge, but restorations are always a challenge. Good Luck!

Worst part is clean ups..........

I've had good luck on removing transfer on OEM Stihl jugs. And have gotten some experience working on the 026

I already have a good running early 026 that was a $95 CL find + 5 spare chains, it too was fugly filthy. Still have this one. I besides clean up and draw filing the bar, it got a new plug, chain/rim and OEM airfilter. Pic of ugly rim with new one. I should have took before pictures of whole saw....


I have another early 026, that came free in a CL package deal on a 056M. I paid $50 for the good running 056M ( the 056M was a "you suck moment") that needed an oil pump, the 026 looked OK, and turned but P/C ugly. The seller said he "hated Stihls".......... I have a new OEM P/C kit and new WT-194 for that 026.

The saw in the OP I was hoping to flip without too much work or money invested. I need to pressure test it before teardown/cleanup, then see what the P/C look like, it's doing 150 psi comp as it sits. I'm hoping the carbon will clean up and maybe just put in rings/seals. Otherwise it takes back seat until I have time to work on #2 026 above.

I'll update when I pull P/C to see how the carbon scores cleanup? So far I've just worked on ugly aluminum transfer where pistons were burnt toast. The pictures above make the piston look worse than it seems.

 

[BrettS]

Well there's another in the family of Stihl 026ii

 

[Mad Professor]

Well there's another in the family of Stihl 026ii

Clean looking newer 026. Had a fight with a hammer?

 

[BrettS]

Clean looking newer 026. Had a fight with a hammer?

I don't know how that happened, I was given this saw as parts and part payment for rebuilding another saw for a customer. I rebuilt it and this saw is a keeper and I need to find another good condition cover and make a helicoil repair to the brake handle mount.