Huskie 394/395 question

[Peacehbu]

Greetings,

So I did the bottom end on 394 and had to use a 395 crank. For some reason I get a backfire which indicates to me that timings off. Has anyone had a am crank with timing out or am I missing something? I'm using a oem 395 flywheel with am 395 crank. Meant to be good quality crank and looks good.

Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

So did you buy your cheap out 395 crank from Honest Terry? The "fitted many myself" man?
I am guessing you are still using the 394 flywheel?
395 uses a cast in key, 288/394 use a separate removable key. Still got the old crank? Compare taper and key positions.
Ive never done the swap- but know the 288 is a lot closer to 394 than the 394 is to the 395 and Im pretty sure the 394 flywheel does not work on the 395 crank.

 

[Old2stroke]

Any timing issues can be easily sorted out if you buy a timing light and learn how to use it.

 

[Peacehbu]

So did you buy your cheap out 395 crank from Honest Terry? The "fitted many myself" man?
I am guessing you are still using the 394 flywheel?
395 uses a cast in key, 288/394 use a separate removable key. Still got the old crank? Compare taper and key positions.
Ive never done the swap- but know the 288 is a lot closer to 394 than the 394 is to the 395 and Im pretty sure the 394 flywheel does not work on the 395 crank.

Hey Bob,
Just checked it and yes I did buy it from Terry Ful.... I'm usually getting stuff from Mike's chainsaws but for some reason went with Terry this time. It was definitely not cheap though.
I'm using oem 395 flywheel with it.
Converting 395 to 394 as iv got couple of mint oem jugs and pistons.

 

[Peacehbu]

Any timing issues can be easily sorted out if you buy a timing light and learn how to use it.

Thank you. I'm hoping someone has knowledge of how many degrees it is meant to be off tdc before I splash out on a timing light.
Also iv heard there's different types of timing lights what's the best one to get if I do need to get down that route

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Greetings,

So I did the bottom end on 394 and had to use a 395 crank. For some reason I get a backfire which indicates to me that timings off. Has anyone had a am crank with timing out or am I missing something? I'm using a oem 395 flywheel with am 395 crank. Meant to be good quality crank and looks good.

Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong?

Hmmm, interested to find out your findings.

Did you do a side by side comparison of the 394 crank vs your AM 395? Visual and or measurement wise?

Can you get your hands on a degree wheel and do the idiot method of seeing where the piston falls within the tops and bottoms of the intake/exhaust ports and make sure that the assembly is within the parameters needed?

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Hey Bob,
Just checked it and yes I did buy it from Terry Ful.... I'm usually getting stuff from Mike's chainsaws but for some reason went with Terry this time. It was definitely not cheap though.
I'm using oem 395 flywheel with it.
Converting 395 to 394 as iv got couple of mint oem jugs and pistons.

MCOP is Terrys Father- not cheap to buy- but cheaply made- its just Chinky Dink stuff with 600% mark up.

 

[David Ellis]

Any timing issues can be easily sorted out if you buy a timing light and learn how to use it.

Could you provide a link regarding this? I have a timing light , but didn't know it was possible to use this with a small engine. I would love to measure spark advance !

 

[epo]

Could you provide a link regarding this? I have a timing light , but didn't know it was possible to use this with a small engine. I would love to measure spark advance !

 

[David Ellis]

Sweet ! Thanks !

 

[Old2stroke]

Could you provide a link regarding this? I have a timing light , but didn't know it was possible to use this with a small engine. I would love to measure spark advance !

Do a search here on "set timing with a timing light". Lots of good info on this site. Don't get concerned about using a degree wheel, just to check timing you only have to make marks on the flywheel and the engine case.

 

[Peacehbu]

No I did

Hmmm, interested to find out your findings.

Did you do a side by side comparison of the 394 crank vs your AM 395? Visual and or measurement wise?

Can you get your hands on a degree wheel and do the idiot method of seeing where the piston falls within the tops and bottoms of the intake/exhaust ports and make sure that the assembly is within the parameters needed?

No I did not. Expected a good quality AM crank as promised. I'll know better next time.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

No I did

No I did not. Expected a good quality AM crank as promised. I'll know better next time.

Peacehbu, Forget the part about my saying about the degree wheel, as my head was unclear when I suggested. Yes a wheel has it's place, but if a timing light and a reference mark procedure tells you the story ( IGNITION timing) in spec or out, I would agree with Old2Stroke said.

Do a search here on "set timing with a timing light". Lots of good info on this site. Don't get concerned about using a degree wheel, just to check timing you only have to make marks on the flywheel and the engine case.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

In researching timing for the 394/395 as per the info above, I am seeing it as "fixed"
In researching some videos on the subject, I see that some coils facilitate variable timing. In other words, at idle it is one spec BDC, and as the saw is run to WOT wide open throttle, it varies the timing.

Unless I am wrong, the 394 and 395 is fixed timing, and altering the timing would be changed from factory spec in one of 2 ways. Changing the coil or changing/filing the keyway.

If you are getting backfiring, there is something amiss from the time you encountered the original saw failure then swapped the 394 crank for the 395 and whatever else was done in disassembly/ reassembly.

As I said in my first post I think, I am curious if the original 394 and the Aftermarket 395 cranks don't have a " difference" that you failed to see before assembly with the 395. Something in the equation of those parts, the keyways, position etc, may be causing the timing issues, and thus back firing, or if they are identical which then should yield the SAME timing results, for before and after the swap, then it is possibly carb related.

Only you can run the tests and see what is and what isn't as it should be at this point.

PS. WHY did you swap cranks in the first place?

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Greetings to you too, Peekehbu,

I see that you are from Auckland NZ. One of best friends growing up here in Maryland USA was born in Auckland and then his Dad got a job at the University in Brisbane and moved the family over there permanently.

That was roughly 50 years ago and I sure would like to see him and any of his living family members. My mom and dad have both passed in the last 2 years and I might guess that his mom and dad have too. They were super nice parents as were his 2 older sisters and younger brother.

Look forward to hearing that you got your 394 figured out. Coincidentally, a 394 was my last saw I bought too.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

https://www.superbcutter.com/why-would-a-chainsaw-backfire/

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Thank you. I'm hoping someone has knowledge of how many degrees it is meant to be off tdc before I splash out on a timing light.
Also iv heard there's different types of timing lights what's the best one to get if I do need to get down that route

I am pretty sure that you can figure out an orderly diagnosis plan BEFORE needing to buy or borrow a timing light. The key will be determining how close to identical the original crank vs the 395 one are and how the Key/ keyway on the 2 compare.

In addition, I will post this link which speaks to the TDC/ BTDC specs for timing. As best as I have come up with in several hours of research is that if you have all the components operating as they should, factory specs should put you around 25-27 deg BTDC. And I think if any mods done to flywheel etc, on up around 30-32. Here is that link.
Also, what do you think will happen if you installed the original 394 flywheel?


https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/ignition-timing-for-chainsaw.210156/