Homelite Chainsaws

[dancan]

Here a local ad that has popped up , I do not know and have any connection with the seller .
I have no knowledge on homelites so if any one wants the ad ID number let me know and I'll post it as long as it doesn't break any rules .
View attachment 188864

 

[uriedog]

So I finally got around to rebuilding my XL Automatic. Just going to instal the piston and realized I forgot to check wich way it goes in when I removed it. (the rings fell out of it as well on the way out, not sure how it was running)...

the other thing i have never seen is on the piston the gaps in the rings are kept in line with each other by small pins. does that not let all the compresion escape? Every engine i have worked on before had the open spot of the rings in different locations

 

[67L36Driver]

So I finally got around to rebuilding my XL Automatic. Just going to instal the piston and realized I forgot to check wich way it goes in when I removed it. (the rings fell out of it as well on the way out, not sure how it was running)...

the other thing i have never seen is on the piston the gaps in the rings are kept in line with each other by small pins. does that not let all the compresion escape? Every engine i have worked on before had the open spot of the rings in different locations

If it is like most others, the piston ring locator pin is oriented opposite side of the cylinder from the exhaust port.

And, yes, they do loose a certain amount of compression pressure with a gap of .075"-.080". You can get aftermarket rings with notch that brings that gap down to .005"-.008". That and leaving out the base gasket (just use gasket shellac) will get you enuff compression pressure so you can't pull it over. B.T.D.T.

 

[Roanoker494]

Thank you Dan. Now I need to find the bracket.

If you have the bracket for the half wrap I believe you can make it work by grinding off the "lip" that the half wrap bar sits against. I have never done it myself so you may want to do some measuring first.

 

[Roanoker494]

Bought a XL-800

I have wanted one of these saws for a long time now and could not pass up a earlier model for $55 shipped, I figure it is worth that just in parts.
It is a little rough but I believe I can bring it back, the good news is most of the paint is already stripped for me......

 

[uriedog]

Thanks 67L36Driver.

Its possable I may have gotten the wrong rings. I test fit them, they seem to fit in pretty snug. But i am pretty shure the gap was bigger then .075-.085". I'll look again before I asemble any more.

cant wait to get this saw running. the rings ad gasket kit were stuck in the Canada Post strike for 3 weeks

 

[67L36Driver]

Thanks 67L36Driver.

Its possable I may have gotten the wrong rings. I test fit them, they seem to fit in pretty snug. But i am pretty shure the gap was bigger then .075-.085". I'll look again before I asemble any more.

cant wait to get this saw running. the rings ad gasket kit were stuck in the Canada Post strike for 3 weeks

It's really disturbing when you have to use a drill bit shank to measure ring end gap. Yikes!

You can get notched rings from 'the Greek' on evilbay. Used a pair in my blue XL-12 (1 3/4" bore). Super XL is 1 13/16" bore IIRC.

 

[Joe46]

If you have the bracket for the half wrap I believe you can make it work by grinding off the "lip" that the half wrap bar sits against. I have never done it myself so you may want to do some measuring first.

Yes. That was my original thought, knowing that it'll be hard to find the correct part.

 

[Hoytster]

Got my "new" SXL-925 in some wood yesterday after I finally finished modding the muffler and rebuilding the card, ect ect. Must say, this saw is a beast for only 82cc!

I was only running a 20" bar with chisel skip-tooth on an 8 tooth sprocket and the saw was just 4-cycling through the wood. I was cutting through some hard maple and REALLY had to lean into it to get it to start bogging down (I'm 6'2" and 230, so I can lean). It was throwing nice long 2" chips about 5 feet behind me.

I wanted to run a full comp 24" bar on the saw, but was afraid the 8 tooth sprocket would be too much for it. That def. isn't the case.

 

[hazmat5760]

I picked up that homelite last night. Wife wasn't as proud of it as I was. Oh well.

Only missing one bolt on the bottom of the handle and no chain, but both are fixable quite quick.

I got home and just had to try to start it. You barely have to pull to start this thing! I was quite surprised when it took just a few pulls to start it last night. It was dark, so I didn't see till today why it was ear-splitting loud. The baffle plate has separated from the housing. Gonna have to fix that somehow.

Pretty sure it has a 20" bar on it, but I have no idea at the moment. Going to look for a 24 or slightly bigger.

Amazingly, the air filter and the carb look really clean and he didn't store it with any gas in it. The oiler works extremely well, though I don't see a manual plunger anywhere like the acres site says it should have.

 

[jerrycmorrow]

I picked up that homelite last night. Wife wasn't as proud of it as I was. Oh well.

Only missing one bolt on the bottom of the handle and no chain, but both are fixable quite quick.

I got home and just had to try to start it. You barely have to pull to start this thing! I was quite surprised when it took just a few pulls to start it last night. It was dark, so I didn't see till today why it was ear-splitting loud. The baffle plate has separated from the housing. Gonna have to fix that somehow.

Pretty sure it has a 20" bar on it, but I have no idea at the moment. Going to look for a 24 or slightly bigger.

Amazingly, the air filter and the carb look really clean and he didn't store it with any gas in it. The oiler works extremely well, though I don't see a manual plunger anywhere like the acres site says it should have.

i'm thinkin you done good.

 

[jerrycmorrow]

I have wanted one of these saws for a long time now and could not pass up a earlier model for $55 shipped, I figure it is worth that just in parts.
It is a little rough but I believe I can bring it back, the good news is most of the paint is already stripped for me......

looks pretty "clean". can't wait to see it after further cleaning and color restorations.

 

[weedeaterman]

Gas Misture Homelite

Is there already a Homelite thread? My dad has a little red and white one that maybe was straight gassed when borrowed...I don't think it's completely froze up but I haven't inspected.

Any fans? Can we get another brand specific thread moving???

I do not know about a Thread for Homelite, but if you ran straight gas in it you maybe SOL on that machine. Homlite has changed and stop making top quality Pistons and cylinder heads. Raw gas and no oil causes damage much faster on those than Stihl and or ECHO or any High end Chain saw.

But what you should do is pour some two cycle oil in it and crank it and then put the proper fuel mixture in it and run it slow and not hard. Almost like breaking it in from new.

Henry, The Weedeaterman.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I do not know about a Thread for Homelite, but if you ran straight gas in it you maybe SOL on that machine. Homlite has changed and stop making top quality Pistons and cylinder heads. Raw gas and no oil causes damage much faster on those than Stihl and or ECHO or any High end Chain saw.

But what you should do is pour some two cycle oil in it and crank it and then put the proper fuel mixture in it and run it slow and not hard. Almost like breaking it in from new.

Henry, The Weedeaterman.

Actually, I see a lot more Stihls, Huskys, and Echos with damaged pistons than any of the other brands. I can't remember the last time I've seen a Homelite or Poulan with a scarred up piston. The newer saws run leaner than the old ones so they can get that high rpm but with it comes shorter engine life.

 

[weedeaterman]

Agree

Actually, I see a lot more Stihls, Huskys, and Echos with damaged pistons than any of the other brands. I can't remember the last time I've seen a Homelite or Poulan with a scarred up piston. The newer saws run leaner than the old ones so they can get that high rpm but with it comes shorter engine life.

I repair and work on them allot, The reason Stihl and ECHO and higher end ones are getting that is due to several issues. Here is why compared to the cheaper brands.

One the Cheaper brands are not used and abused like the real loggers use them.
two, the tree cutting guys do not take care of the saw. They do not clean the intake and clean the exhaust. Hence they cause over crowding of the piston and wear it out.
third, they run a dull chain. They run a chain not cutting good and is sloppy and work it until it drops. they hate sharpening and keep cutting it. This drags down the RPM's and burns the fuel badly causing Carbon build up in the exhaust and works it way back to the piston and causes scoring on the piston on the exhaust side.

It is a proven fact a dull Chain Chain vice a well sharpen proper chain does slow the RPM's way down and causes harm. It is no different on weed eaters. Case in point Lawn care guys remove the guard on the high end weedeaters made for lest say 100 hours of use. But since they remove the guard to allow them to weed wacked easier, the life spans is reduced to about 65 hours. See removing the guard allows the string to grow longer and it slows the engines RPM down several hundred RPM's, in some test it was over 800 rpm reduction form factor settings. long term destroyed the weedeater. It caused he performance to be lost and caused it to wears out faster.

Chain saws same Principle and same issue. A dull cutting Chain drags the engine down so badly it burns hotter and less efficient and hence wears out faster by causing overheating and Crowding of piston as the exhaust is running hotter than the intake and it swells and runs like an egg. Burning up the exhaust side of the piston and over building carbon and causing exhaust not to exit properly and again over heating the exhaust side of the piston forming and egg shape and destroying the piston and cylinder head..


Cheaper brands do not get the run time and abuse as higher end do models do, but the ones that do have the same if not worse issue. The user opinion is let say a 1200.00 Stihl, it is the best and i worn hurt it, that user is more likely to abuse it more than a 90.00 or 125.00 machine used on an occasion.

I know it seen it and repaired them.

So the moral of this story is, Keep those Chain sharpen and the machines Clean.

Henry, The Weedeaterman

 

[RandyMac]

I think you have the real Homelites confused with the new Chink Homelites. The original Homelites were not cheap chainsaws.

 

[weedeaterman]

No

I think you have the real Homelites confused with the new Chink Homelites. The original Homelites were not cheap chainsaws.

I grew up with the real Homelites, back in the day they where awesome. Love the old machines.

The new ones are Trash!

Old Poulans, Old Homelites great stuff, Even the Old ECHO's and old Shindawia's awesome, the new stuff, Um not so good. I have an old Shindawia 350, love it. New ones no way.

I also own a MS 460 love it. New Stihl love them and want more.

See we can argue over and over about Saws and whose is better. But that is dictated on where you grew up and loved to use. I was born and raised up North, Poulans, Homelites where weapons of choice, But I feel those companies have slacked on their quality on the new stuff.

But after Living in Va and down the road from Stihl and trouble shooting and repairing all kinds of saws, I have become partial to Stihl and Husqvarna, ECHO and Shindawia. Better made and easier to repair and run better.

Sorry seen it, tore it apart and repaired it! Love them.

Henry, the Weedeaterman.

 

[rarefish383]

Plastic XL

I hate it when people just drop saws off on my porch with a note please fix, somethings wrong. I've worked with saws all my life, but I'm not a saw mechanic. My wifes friend left her little plastic XL off and said the chain had jumped and would'nt tighten. They stripped out the slot in the adjust screw because they didn't know you had to loosen the bolt on the bar. This saw only has one bolt on the bar to hold it on. There is only one guide plate on it, and it looks to me like it should go on the inside of the bar. There is a rectangle slot that looks like it will lock in. Should this saw have 2 guide plates like a normal saw? If I try to put it back like I got it, with the guide plate on the outside, the guide plate just spins around on the bar stud. Thanks, Joe.

 

[67L36Driver]

I hate it when people just drop saws off on my porch with a note please fix, somethings wrong. I've worked with saws all my life, but I'm not a saw mechanic. My wifes friend left her little plastic XL off and said the chain had jumped and would'nt tighten. They stripped out the slot in the adjust screw because they didn't know you had to loosen the bolt on the bar. This saw only has one bolt on the bar to hold it on. There is only one guide plate on it, and it looks to me like it should go on the inside of the bar. There is a rectangle slot that looks like it will lock in. Should this saw have 2 guide plates like a normal saw? If I try to put it back like I got it, with the guide plate on the outside, the guide plate just spins around on the bar stud. Thanks, Joe.

Outside is correct. Only the one bar plate. Bar adjust screw is #8-32tpi x approx. 1 1/4" long. Available at most hardware stores (round head, good luck finding a filister head).

If it bothers you too much, move 'em from the porch to the curb. When it disappears, plead innocent.:too_sad:

 

[weedeaterman]

Hardcore

looks pretty "clean". can't wait to see it after further cleaning and color restorations.

Now that is a hard core Chain saw lover buddy!

Dang.

Henry, The Weedeaterman