Homeee is gone

[blubyu]

Well I think my homelite is gone...

I had just put a new chain on her and was taking down a cherry tree. The Local Homelite expert told me to run the saw at 16:1 because it was "old school" but I looked online and saw the manufacture suggestion was 32:1 so I went with that number...wrong move. About 3/4 through the job, she just died. I took the side cover off and removed the sparkplug and I was able to rotate the flywheel by hand. When I took it to "Air Cool" he removed the muffler and showed me the piston it was scarred and the rings looked like they were embedded into the pistons. He wants $280 to rebuild here..Is it worth it?

 

[computeruser]

What model of Homelite is it? That will probably make a difference in whether you ought to rebuild it or not...

 

[Simonizer]

Well I think my homelite is gone...

I had just put a new chain on her and was taking down a cherry tree. The Local Homelite expert told me to run the saw at 16:1 because it was "old school" but I looked online and saw the manufacture suggestion was 32:1 so I went with that number...wrong move. About 3/4 through the job, she just died. I took the side cover off and removed the sparkplug and I was able to rotate the flywheel by hand. When I took it to "Air Cool" he removed the muffler and showed me the piston it was scarred and the rings looked like they were embedded into the pistons. He wants $280 to rebuild here..Is it worth it?

No.

 

[blubyu]

Homee is gone

It's a Homelite Super XL Auto. It was running real good when I got it.

 

[Justin Garrison]

It may be worth rebuilding it for you if you do it yourself using a $10.00 parts saw, but for that kind of price you could get a good used saw or a smaller new one.

 

[Crofter]

I am quite sure it already had the kiss of death with an air leak somewhere and that it was not the particular mix ratio that did it in. Sounds like away too much money to spend on a saw that old.

 

[Gypo Logger]

I doubt that the 16:1 was even mildly associated with the failure.
How serious was the damage?
John

 

[asb151]

Look on the positive side...... consider it an opportunity to buy a new saw. Put your $280 towards that.

 

[blubyu]

Gypo,

I looked inside the exhaust port (after taking off the muffler) and the piston was scarred/gouged pretty good. The rings and pistons had almost rubbed together. Kind of hard to explain. The guy I took it to is a Homelite nut. He keeps telling me that they would last a lifetime if I take care of it properly. Claims they are one of the best around...not the fastest, not the most powerful...but just keeps on ticking. I paid $70 bucks for it at a pawn shop because I needed one right away to cut some logs in my yard. I think I've been through about 6 tanks before she died. I haven't priced saws really so I don't know what they are going for. I'll be cutting down a few trees in the yard, and cutting them down to smaller pieces for firewood. There are also a few downed trees in the neighborhood that the hurricane brought down last year that I was told I can have. Just wondering if it's too much for that saw and should I just cut my losses and move on to a new one. I was growing attached to the bugger though. Are they hard to rebuild yourself? I am pretty good with a wrench.

 

[Gypo Logger]

I would buy a new saw unless you can find a cheap used one for parts.
You're gonna have to take it apart anyway, so take some pictures if you can There must be a zillion good ones of that model out there.
John

 

[blubyu]

Any idea where I can get a shop manual for a saw that old?

 

[Gypo Logger]

PM, Homedelightman, he may be able to help you with parts and manual or at least a place where you can find them.
John

 

[retoocs555]

I may be able to take pictures or photocopy some pages out of my homelite binder for you. I know I have IPLs on for the SXL I think I have a service manual too but I need to check.

I have lots of SXL parts saws and parts too.

$35 can get you one of my parts saws with good piston and jug

 

[blubyu]

retoo,

that may be the way for me to go...your jug and piston. The shop already ordered some rings for me so I may just put the new rings on your piston....now...how hard is it to slide that jug back over that piston? Can I give you a call?

 

[retoocs555]

Just PMd you, feel free to give me a call.

 

[Allan.K]

retoocs555.. You have a pm form me on some super ez auto parts I am looking for ..

 

[dingo]

I blame a lot of freeze ups on the gas we have to buy. I know if the tempature and humidity are just right any saw will freeze. I had a high power synthetic oil in an old Lombard two years back and it froze on a long cut. The funny part,,it didn't score the cylinder wall. Just backed the flywheel off and got oil to the piston and refilled with heavy mix of oil and continued cutting. Some gas I buy doesn't even smell like gasoline. It smells more like petroleum naptha and no, it is not supposed to be ethonal, but they can put up to 10% ethonal in unleaded and don't have to declare it. Our new saws run a lot hotter than the oldies because of EPA dictatorship on what we use. Hey, anyone remember when we bought a saw and a case of thirty weight non detergent motor oil to mix with the gas?

 

[Allan.K]

retoocs555 you have another pm ..

Thanks
Allan.K

 

[retoocs555]

retoocs555 you have another pm ..

Thanks
Allan.K

You guys can call me Scott