Homelite Chainsaws

[Maintenance supervisor]

I picked up a couple of locked up XL-12s for 10$ ,one is for the manual oiler for my Super Automatic with out the manual.
I'm curious about how you guys break a stuck piston free though might try some techniques out if anyone has suggestions or success with getting a locked up piston free.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

If they're actually locked up in the cylinder (vs. some type of obstruction keeping the crank from turning) all kinds of lubricants/solvents can be used to eventually free them up..., provided they're not actually welded to the cylinder by severe heat related damage. Of all the approaches I've read about for dissolving rust or built up corrosion in such cases, a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF seems to be the most reliable and efficient out of all the solvent related solutions. I've also read about modifying a spark plug with a zerk fitting for pumping grease into the cylinder as a hydraulic approach in especially stubborn cases.

 

[fossil]

Some guys ave experienced screws behind the flywheel backing out and jamming the flywheel as well.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Some guys ave experienced screws behind the flywheel backing out and jamming the flywheel as well.

Yeah just had that with a 3400 poulan,

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

If they're actually locked up in the cylinder (vs. some type of obstruction keeping the crank from turning) all kinds of lubricants/solvents can be used to eventually free them up..., provided they're not actually welded to the cylinder by severe heat related damage. Of all the approaches I've read about for dissolving rust or built up corrosion in such cases, a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF seems to be the most reliable and efficient out of all the solvent related solutions. I've also read about modifying a spark plug with a zerk fitting for pumping grease into the cylinder as a hydraulic approach in especially stubborn cases.

Well I've got 2 so I'll try a couple of things and let everyone know what works.

 

[jerrycmorrow]

I picked up a couple of locked up XL-12s for 10$ ,one is for the manual oiler for my Super Automatic with out the manual.
I'm curious about how you guys break a stuck piston free though might try some techniques out if anyone has suggestions or success with getting a locked up piston free.

Like has been stated use copious amounts of acetone/brake fluid or other commercial antistick products. Then take a big boxend wrench, maybe with a cheater, and work the flywheel back and forth. Dont go neanderthal on it, at first. Also, be mindful that the flywheel nut will come off if you torque it too much. If it does just put it back on and torque in the other direction
Never resorted to the grease method but hear tell it works well.

 

[sawnami]

I picked up a couple of locked up XL-12s for 10$ ,one is for the manual oiler for my Super Automatic with out the manual.
I'm curious about how you guys break a stuck piston free though might try some techniques out if anyone has suggestions or success with getting a locked up piston free.

I've used 50/50 ATF and acetone, gun grease through a zerk, and my last two were with a pressure washer.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Ok I got one unstuck, it was a mix of power steering fluid, deep creep , and silicone. I was taking the clucth off with my impact and it just wiggled so I worked it with my hand and now its free but the piston is probably toast,looks like some one put a screwdriver in the exhaust at some point and ( bent ) the first ring land up towards the top, but hey if the cylinder is good that'll be nice 10$ and all.
The other saw has acetone ,break fluid ,wd40 rust special spray ,and silicone in it , I'll let it set for a while. The Homelite saws aren't my main wood cutters so time is on my side.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Ok I got one unstuck, it was a mix of power steering fluid, deep creep , and silicone. I was taking the clucth off with my impact and it just wiggled so I worked it with my hand and now its free but the piston is probably toast,looks like some one put a screwdriver in the exhaust at some point and ( bent ) the first ring land up towards the top, but hey if the cylinder is good that'll be nice 10$ and all.
The other saw has acetone ,break fluid ,wd40 rust special spray ,and silicone in it , I'll let it set for a while. The Homelite saws aren't my main wood cutters so time is on my side.

unstuck but f@#$%#ed.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

I was cutting some fire wood with my super XL-12 tonight a boy oh boy does that saw llloovvee gas! My pro 700 mac doesn't drink that fast, do these saws just use a good amount ?
My chain is not the best on that saw (till I get a new bar) could that be the excess consumption?

 

[rarefish383]

The XL12 and all of it's variants were our number one ground saw for many years. Back then fuel mileage wasn't an issue, I don't remember it being a concern. We ran 20 and 24 inch bars on all of them. If we needed a little more grunt we used XL 900 series saws with 24's also. I only have one running XL12 now, a Blue and White one, I think it's a 1966. It's so pretty I don't run it much.

I don't think the less than steller bar and chain would cause excess fuel usage, unless you judge it by the amount of work done, then yes.

The XL12 holds almost 21 ounces of fuel, I couldn't find how much the the Mac holds for a comp.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

I don't think the less than steller bar and chain would cause excess fuel usage, unless you judge it by the amount of work done, then yes.

And if you combine that with possibly being tuned fairly fat with an oil rich mix...

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Here's a three saw plan for ya. One of the local Husky dealers punted this trio to me a few days ago. Guy came in wanting them 'gone through' to see if they'd be worth fixing. Dealer didn't want any part of any of em, "but we know a guy that'll take a stab at just about anything....". LOL Should be fun. Look and feel like all they may need is fuel. 66 still has what appears to be the original 1/2" chain and is in remarkable condition. The Super 2 needs at least 4 heli-coils just to hold the housing together (if nothing else) and the 925 is the one the owner has the least interest in and may consider trading for whatever it takes to get the other two in good running condition. Works for me. I'm sure I'll have a few questions along the way and will try to keep up with any pics of possible interest as I go.

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[Maintenance supervisor]

And if you combine that with possibly being tuned fairly fat with an oil rich mix...

Haha your totally right about a rich mix , no one has to worry about me running a saw lean!

 

[2broke2ride]

Ran my little super 2 today processing some limb wood that's been piling up for two years.
Pretty decent for a free saw.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Got a new archer chain for the old Xl-12.
I noticed that alot of the old bars I've got with these saws have been .63 gauge? Was that pretty common with the Homelite saws?

 

[Hoggwood]

I could be wrong, but all of the old UXL ones I've got started as 0.050". The inside rails are worn, likely accelerated when not fed a steady drink from the manual only pumps. Folks just threw 0.058", then perhaps 0.063" when things got really sloppy.

One thing for certain is that old Windsor steel, and in particular, the hard nose tips, was some hard stuff. Near impossible to close up the rails in a vice and equally hard on files if you true them up.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Do the black gas caps on the XL-12s take the same duckbill as the six sided red cap?

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

What color is the goo? LOL

A little rooting through several IPL's seems to indicate the pink 69451 was fairly universal among the side vent caps. I believe the earlier bottom vent caps used a different type of vent altogether but could be wrong about that. I'm sure someone will offer some clarification there.

 

[fossil]

Some of the early black caps that looked sort of like a ships wheel as opposed to hexagonal used a metal tank vent that was upper left in operator position in the tank and had a mating hole to breathe in the carb box.
I don't have any XL-12's so I can't be sure if that's what you have.
The old Homelite duckbills were black if you're on a goo lookout in the cap.