Help me spend money 038 magnum rebuild

[Boredrob]

Hello all.

Basically between me (industrial machine technician by trade and a hobby shop I play from) and my pappy (retired logger who sawmills for fun on his mixon and son of an in heaven retired logger) we have more saws than we need. Several others for parts. Mostly husky. Dads logging switched to husky around 90 or so when the stihls seemed to lose quality. We have everything from top handle to 142 to 394. Probably 5 or 6 running 272/372 and several broke ones. Many in between (550/257xp/66/555 iirc and many more). We also have stihl from 251 to 391 to 201 to 660.

I don't need another. At all. He don't either. BUT... dad fell into his dad's pile of saws when he died and for whatever reason now 15 years later wants his dad's personal firewood 038 magnum Running. He said it was seized and to fix it. I looked it over and it's solid. In decent shape. My grandpa had a limb get him during hurricane hugo and didn't do much after so the saw is pretty solid. Its seized though.

I'm going to build it. Id kind of like a good whole kit. Crank/ piston/ seals jug.... all. Reason being I don't want to take it apart and then order parts while it's in a box. That annoys me. I see hyway top end kits and I may go that way. Then look at the crank and check the seals.

We want it built using good parts. No reason at all but if I'm building his daddy's saw for him then I'm fine with the cost at whatever it is. The hyway top end kit is 125 ish shipped and the crank kit is 70 ish if I buy both. Is there better than that or anywhere else I should look? Anything I should look into? I also see the knockoffs cheap but don't want that. I didn't see anything meteor but didn't look long. Figured I'd come to the experts. They would know

I'm aware it's probably not financially smart but this one is a sentimental project for dad from his dad. So "chunk it and buy a 440" isn't what I want to hear. And we have a 440 anyway. Lol

I'm not overly familiar with stihl but I have rebuilt at least 2. One 029 (I think) broke is crank and I built it as an 039 per the forums instructing. Its still running now 3 years later for that customer. Uses it weekly at least.

Is the 038 magnum built like the 039 or like a split cylinder. Is it big pia to get the motor off like the 29? Lol.

My shop is atv/ tractor/ car/ sxs focused but I can do some saws and weed eaters. Just don't like to.

Thank you all for the info .

 

[Czed]

Hello all.

Basically between me (industrial machine technician by trade and a hobby shop I play from) and my pappy (retired logger who sawmills for fun on his mixon and son of an in heaven retired logger) we have more saws than we need. Several others for parts. Mostly husky. Dads logging switched to husky around 90 or so when the stihls seemed to lose quality. We have everything from top handle to 142 to 394. Probably 5 or 6 running 272/372 and several broke ones. Many in between (550/257xp/66/555 iirc and many more). We also have stihl from 251 to 391 to 201 to 660.

I don't need another. At all. He don't either. BUT... dad fell into his dad's pile of saws when he died and for whatever reason now 15 years later wants his dad's personal firewood 038 magnum Running. He said it was seized and to fix it. I looked it over and it's solid. In decent shape. My grandpa had a limb get him during hurricane hugo and didn't do much after so the saw is pretty solid. Its seized though.

I'm going to build it. Id kind of like a good whole kit. Crank/ piston/ seals jug.... all. Reason being I don't want to take it apart and then order parts while it's in a box. That annoys me. I see hyway top end kits and I may go that way. Then look at the crank and check the seals.

We want it built using good parts. No reason at all but if I'm building his daddy's saw for him then I'm fine with the cost at whatever it is. The hyway top end kit is 125 ish shipped and the crank kit is 70 ish if I buy both. Is there better than that or anywhere else I should look? Anything I should look into? I also see the knockoffs cheap but don't want that. I didn't see anything meteor but didn't look long. Figured I'd come to the experts. They would know

I'm aware it's probably not financially smart but this one is a sentimental project for dad from his dad. So "chunk it and buy a 440" isn't what I want to hear. And we have a 440 anyway. Lol

I'm not overly familiar with stihl but I have rebuilt at least 2. One 029 (I think) broke is crank and I built it as an 039 per the forums instructing. Its still running now 3 years later for that customer. Uses it weekly at least.

Is the 038 magnum built like the 039 or like a split cylinder. Is it big pia to get the motor off like the 29? Lol.

My shop is atv/ tractor/ car/ sxs focused but I can do some saws and weed eaters. Just don't like to.

Thank you all for the info .

Just pull the cylinder off and see why it's seized
It may be from setting
Put something in the cylinder to free it up
Penetrating oil,trans fluid whatever works for you.
Hopefully you can just clean up that oem cylinder you won't find a better one.
Used oem cranks are out there if even needed
I'd go ahead an order seals,carb kit,fuel and pulse lines
And crank bearings.
Stihl oem or Nachi are my preferred but there's many good one's.
Easy saws to work on just ask many if us have rebuilt that series.

 

[Boredrob]

Just pull the cylinder off and see why it's seized
It may be from setting
Put something in the cylinder to free it up
Penetrating oil,trans fluid whatever works for you.
Hopefully you can just clean up that oem cylinder you won't find a better one.
Used oem cranks are out there if even needed
I'd go ahead an order seals,carb kit,fuel and pulse lines
And crank bearings.
Stihl oem or Nachi are my preferred but there's many good one's.
Easy saws to work on just ask many if us have rebuilt that series.

Dad said "they said" it seized while running. So idk. I didn't even take the muffler off yet.

 

[spuldup]

The cylinder is separate from the crank, if that is what you mean. The cylinder comes off in under 10 minutes.

It's certainly worth inspecting before ordering parts.

 

[Dennisthemenace]

The 038 is a desirable, torquey saw, especially the 72 cc magnum. It will pull 66dl 404 no worries.
I'd inspect it, get it turning over and stick with OEM parts as required. It probably won't need much, they are tough old girls. Parts are readily available as nearly everything is interchangeable with the 380/381.
The cylinder is what you want to re use. They don't make em like that these days.
As numerous threads in the past have said, watch out for the in filter choke not quite shutting off, making them hard to start. I find oem filters give less trouble.

 

[cookies]

Cry and tear it apart until the crank is in your hands, minimum you will need a seal and gasket set. once it is apart you can see what all it really must have to go back together, thats the way it works when you rebuild a saw that was run into the ground. Be prepared to place a second order for the things you failed to notice, once apart and parts are ofdered take the time waiting for parts to wash e v e r y part very clean so its super clean for reassembly. Try to avoid engine parts like pistons/cylinders/cranks and starter parts from taiwan and china if you plan to use the saw, look for good used oem parts and a new oem piston and bearings. Good luck, I love the torque of the 038 series

 

[Ed Penney]

If at all possible keep the OEM cylinder. If you can clean up the ports and bevel all the edges it would be beneficial. Knock of any rough slag from the original casting, even on the fins (it helps to keep them from holding oil, wood fines and dirt) You can have the cylinder replated if it is worn. Find a good plating company and send a new piston with the cylinder so they can diamond hone the new plating to match the piston. It might cost more than an aftermarket cylinder but it's worth the extra effort. There are several aftermarket suppliers (Dukes saw salvage..HL supply are my go too's) for just about anything you will need. I use these companies because they buy large quantities from manufacturers they know and trust and they quality control everything they recieve from them. Good luck with your saw, the 038m is a mainstay for many, me included

 

[teacherman]

You can still find OEM cylinders on ebay once in a while. Those saws are so tough, basically bulletproof, if a bit heavy. The crank and bearings might be just fine, but seizure might have to do with air leaking through the seals. I don't know which aftermarket seals are good, but I'd replace those and the fuel and impulse hoses for sure. You might have a real gem there, if you can pin down and remedy whatever caused the seizure. Good luck!