Husqvarna 359, what a saw.

[bowtechmadman]

Sounds like it ran like the 2159 I bought new a few years ago. Spent most of it's first year at the dealer. Finally took to another dealer and the saw ended up at the regional rep. and they replaced carb, intake boot, throttle linkage. Finally ran as it should and I sent it down the road.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I was just wondering how difficult it was to install crankcase seals on the 359? I would appreciate any helpful details as I may have to do this myself one day. Thanks

They could not be simpler to remove and install, they are quite large as far as modern saws go so there is a lot to work with for removal and install is very easy also. Seals this large don`t need any expensive pullers, they are nice but not necessary at all. A sharp scribe can be punched into the flat metal part of the seal, once the tip is through enough the punch can be tipped sideways, place a fulcrum on the outer housing and pry downward, the seal will pop right up. Grab the edge with needle nose pliers and pull up, seal is out. Clean up the crank stub and the seal bore, put a drop of oil on the crank stub and spread it all around to help lube the seal lip on over the crank, slide the seal down into place and then drive home with a seal driver, deep thin wall socket or a 5-6" length of 3/4" water pipe with square cut ends. Drive the seals flush with the seal bores/ sides of the case around the seal. Job done.
Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

Sounds like it ran like the 2159 I bought new a few years ago. Spent most of it's first year at the dealer. Finally took to another dealer and the saw ended up at the regional rep. and they replaced carb, intake boot, throttle linkage. Finally ran as it should and I sent it down the road.

Quite possibly the same problem, Husqvarna has known about this problem for years but have done little about it, other than issue service bulletins that tell how to fix the problem but I have not heard where they paid for it or did a recall, in my opinion there should have been a recall even though it was not a safety related issue.
Pioneerguy600

 

[parrisw]

The troublesome carb is the Walbro 199A or B and sometimes the 191A., they cannot be corrected with a carb kit. I have been told but have not taken time yet to find the accellerator pump in the Walbro carb, this pump is the culprit that causes all the issues with these carbs.
Pioneerguy600

Thanks allot.

Will

 

[GrizzlyAdams86]

Got my 359 as a basket case at an auction for $50. Needed a new piston, old one was badly scored on exhaust side, picked up an aftermarket one of fleabay for $35. Also needed a new air filter, fuel filter, and spark plug. Mine still has the Walbro carb on it, I rebuilt it and cut the limiter caps on the carb and it runs fine. My dealer told me too about the Zama carb retrofit but I'll wait until the Walbro craps out. The cat muffler is getting tossed for the non-cat verson and getting muffler-modded as well. I maybe have around $120 total in the saw, and it hasn't dissapointed me yet.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Jerry did the customer get a new saw, from the dealer who could'nt fix the saw?

No the customer did not get a new say, the dealer claimed that he did not know about the problem with the carb.The saw actually got passed around between 2 dealers and a couple of repair shops but never got properly fixed, I think each place made it a little worse actually. The original dealer gave the customer a cash settlement and he went and bought a Stihl MS 280 and could not be a happier camper now. The amount of the settlement was not divulged to me.
Pioneergguy600

 

[nmurph]

Hey, I got a 357 that is giving me some problems like this. I've kitted the carb and adjusted to no avail. Its very low time saw?? Its got the updated boot clamp, what carb is it that can give troubles?

here is the bailey's link for the zama:

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=HVP+503+28+32+08&catID=

 

[parrisw]

here is the bailey's link for the zama:

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=HVP+503+28+32+08&catID=

Will that fit a 357? its not one of the model's shown.

 

[nmurph]

i 99% sure that is the one i bought from them for my saw. let me see if i can find the PM from GD.

 

[nmurph]

couldn't find it. but the price is the same and i was thinking "c something 3" bf i even went to bailey's to look it up for you.
Neal

 

[parrisw]

couldn't find it. but the price is the same and i was thinking "c something 3" bf i even went to bailey's to look it up for you.
Neal

Thanks!!

 

[Urbicide]

Will that fit a 357? its not one of the model's shown.

Yes.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Got my 359 as a basket case at an auction for $50. Needed a new piston, old one was badly scored on exhaust side, picked up an aftermarket one of fleabay for $35. Also needed a new air filter, fuel filter, and spark plug. Mine still has the Walbro carb on it, I rebuilt it and cut the limiter caps on the carb and it runs fine. My dealer told me too about the Zama carb retrofit but I'll wait until the Walbro craps out. The cat muffler is getting tossed for the non-cat verson and getting muffler-modded as well. I maybe have around $120 total in the saw, and it hasn't dissapointed me yet.

Not every Walbro 199 on the 359 and 357 were problematic from the outset, lots of them are still working as they should but there has been far too many fail and its given a very good saw a black eye. Once the carb issue is corrected most saws give good long service. For the money you have in your saw you have done well.
Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

Will that fit a 357? its not one of the model's shown.

Did you check to see which carb is on your 357?
Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

After the new seals and the carb boot,partition and clamp were installed I ran another vac test to make sure everything was air tight , the engine would hold 5-7 lbs Hg. for 20 mins, probably much longer but I left it set for 20 and it held the same . You can see the rubber blocker behind the carb and there was one behind the muffler also, you can just see it peeking up over the barrel of the vac tool.

Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

The replacement muffler is not a CAT muffler, it was listed as a Euro style muffler and all it has inside is a plate partition with a 3/4" hole through it, the exit tube is a little small, it actually extends down and to the opposite side of the muffler from the top exit position. This muffler will get a second tube installed in the near future, I just wanted to get the saw running and working correctly before modding it. This pict was an early one before the completion and the support bracket was not installed as yet .I need to retake the pict of it in completed form.

Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

Took a couple of picts of the completed saw, this has the regular gas cap, got rid of the green cap , and the muffler with its support bracket +bolts.

This saw has now cut 3 cords of green hardwood and it worked flawlessly. In the near future it will get woods ported if it stays around here.
Pioneerguy600

 

[parrisw]

Did you check to see which carb is on your 357?
Pioneerguy600

Just went and looked, can't tell with it all together. Have to take the carb off.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Just went and looked, can't tell with it all together. Have to take the carb off.

Yes it is very hard to see the numbers until the carb is off, a dental mirror and a light at the correct angle and you can see it on the saw but otherwise it would have to come off.
Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

Now to get back to the story. Once the carb,partition,boot and clamp were installed, the new muffler,heat shield and two gaskets+ the muffler support bracket and screws all in place the saw would start but it seemed fuel starved. Checked the fuel filter ,looked good but installed a new one. Still acted fuel starved so I took the fuel pickup line out and felt an object in the line, pushed a welding rod through and pushed out a small white nylon ball shaped object, looks to be the nipple end of a tank filter, just the small tapered end of the nipple. Reinstalled the line and filter in the tank,hooked back up to the carb and now it starts,idles and runs WOT as it should. Very easy to tune and very responsive.
Next thing I noticed was that there was very little,next to no oil coming through. I had the oil pump off when putting in the clutch side seal, the pump and drive seemed to be in fine condition but back out they came. The oil pickup line and the tank filter, well the tank filter was wrapped in cellophane, not much oil could get through that.Cleaned out the tank,removed the cellophane and replaced all the parts that were removed. Started the saw and now it oils plenty.
Pioneerguy600