Hyway 372xp Big Bore (Husqvarna) kicked the bucket at 1.5hr run time?

[centannim055]

Bought a Hyway 372xp B.B top end (Nikasil coating) I prefer chrome plated but I figured I'd give it a shot

I removed the top end for something unrelated and noticed that it's bubbling and chipped in the same region on the intake side

I use good oil and proper oil ratio. I don't believe it was overheating, as a result the engine ran rich no matter what. I thought the #8 plug might be too cold (photo attached as a reference)

Has anyone run into this with Nikasil? I read bubbling is common if it was contaminated from the very start at the factory. I am very clean when working and do not believe anything got into the case that wasn't supposed to.

 

[J D]

Nikisil is about the best cylinder plating you can get... but even the best won't be any good if its poorly manufactured.
I would be seeking replacement or refund... preferably the latter & put the $ towards OEM or a Meteor kit.
Those big bore kits are fairly renowned for being sub optimal & need a fair bit of work to perform anywhere close to a standard OEM top end (& even then how long they last will be a gamble)

 

[centannim055]

Nikisil is about the best cylinder plating you can get... but even the best won't be any good if its poorly manufactured.
I would be seeking replacement or refund... preferably the latter & put the $ towards OEM or a Meteor kit.
Those big bore kits are fairly renowned for being sub optimal & need a fair bit of work to perform anywhere close to a standard OEM top end (& even then how long they last will be a gamble)

This was my first Nikasil cylinder which now has created an irrational fear moving forward. The problem is I did modify the intake port slightly which will void the warranty I did have. Even though I know I am clean, the cylinder is clean and I go above and beyond cleaning the cylinders after doing work, I'm kinda screwed

There aren't any OEM big bores, as a matter of fact, I don't believe I've come across OEM big bores for both Husky and Stihl

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

This was my first Nikasil cylinder which now has created an irrational fear moving forward. The problem is I did modify the intake port slightly which will void the warranty I did have. Even though I know I am clean, the cylinder is clean and I go above and beyond cleaning the cylinders after doing work, I'm kinda screwed

There aren't any OEM big bores, as a matter of fact, I don't believe I've come across OEM big bores for both Husky and Stihl

Thats because there is no need for a factory Big Bore- if you want more from a 372XP- you sell it and get a 385XP- thats the factory upgrade option.
Most aftermarket big bores are just standard cylinders with a 2mm over bore that does little to improve and many run worse than the factory OEM size options.

 

[huskihl]

Seems normal for them from what I’ve seen. AM cylinders are a crapshoot as to whether or not they’ll last very long. And they end up making less power than the oem cylinder they replaced

 

[bwalker]

This was my first Nikasil cylinder which now has created an irrational fear moving forward. The problem is I did modify the intake port slightly which will void the warranty I did have. Even though I know I am clean, the cylinder is clean and I go above and beyond cleaning the cylinders after doing work, I'm kinda screwed

There aren't any OEM big bores, as a matter of fact, I don't believe I've come across OEM big bores for both Husky and Stihl

Stihl and Husky cylinders are nicisil and have been for a decades.

The big bore cylinder run like crap because the port duct size is either the same size or smaller than the standard size OEM cylinder.

 

[epo]

Stihl and Husky cylinders are nicisil and have been for a decades.

Stihl's own cylinders are chrome-plated. Those from Mahle used Nikasil (their trade name).

 

[bwalker]

Stihl's own cylinders are chrome-plated. Those from Mahle used Nikasil (their trade name).

No, they are not chrome plated. Chrome is a inferior cylinder coating. They are Stihls version of a nickle silicon matrix coating. Many companies besides Mahle have nickle silicon carbide coatings.

 

[epo]

No, they are not chrome plated. Chrome is a inferior cylinder coating. They are Stihls version of a nickle silicon matrix coating. Many companies besides Mahle have nickle silicon carbide coatings.

Of course, many manufacturers have their own version of Nikasil and Stihl used them as cylinder suppliers. An example is Gilardoni. Gilardoni calls their version Gilnisil.

Technology has not stood still, and there have also been favorable changes in available chrome plating methods since the 1960s.

A 2012 Stihl press release (in Portuguese) about the opening of the new Cromo III production line of hard chrome plated cylinders.
https://corporate.stihl.com.br/com-investimento-de-25-milhoes-linha-de-cromo.aspx

90% of the cylinders used in Stihl's products come from their facilities in Brazil.
https://corporate.stihl.com/en/about-stihl/production-sales/stihl-brazil

If you want to find out what your cylinder is coated with, you can use a small strong magnet (e.g. neodymium). In the case of nikasil, the magnet should stick slightly to the inner surface of the cylinder, because nickel is ferromagnetic.
In the case of hard chrome plating, the magnet should not stick.

 

[bwalker]

Of course, many manufacturers have their own version of Nikasil and Stihl used them as cylinder suppliers. An example is Gilardoni. Gilardoni calls their version Gilnisil.

Technology has not stood still, and there have also been favorable changes in available chrome plating methods since the 1960s.

A 2012 Stihl press release (in Portuguese) about the opening of the new Cromo III production line of hard chrome plated cylinders.
https://corporate.stihl.com.br/com-investimento-de-25-milhoes-linha-de-cromo.aspx

90% of the cylinders used in Stihl's products come from their facilities in Brazil.
https://corporate.stihl.com/en/about-stihl/production-sales/stihl-brazil

If you want to find out what your cylinder is coated with, you can use a small strong magnet (e.g. neodymium). In the case of nikasil, the magnet should stick slightly to the inner surface of the cylinder, because nickel is ferromagnetic.
In the case of hard chrome plating, the magnet should not stick.

Chrome has around half the hardness of nickle silicon carbide type coatings. It also doesn't hold oil very well.

 

[huskihl]

Chrome has around half the hardness of nickle silicon carbide type coatings. It also doesn't hold oil very well.

Everything I have seen since the xx1 series came out has been a silverish blue inside almost mirror smooth with no honing marks. Husky uses their own brand of nicasil which is very thick and similar to what meteor and hyway use and it has a gold/yellow tint to it

 

[bwalker]

Everything I have seen since the xx1 series came out has been a silverish blue inside almost mirror smooth with no honing marks. Husky uses their own brand of nicasil which is very thick and similar to what meteor and hyway use and it has a gold/yellow tint to it

Most nicisil bike cylinders I have seen are silverish in color. I have noticed what your talking about with saw cylinders. My 400C cylinder is blueish silver
If Stihl is indeed using chrome on their pro saws that is very disappointing.

 

[bwalker]

Of course, many manufacturers have their own version of Nikasil and Stihl used them as cylinder suppliers. An example is Gilardoni. Gilardoni calls their version Gilnisil.

Technology has not stood still, and there have also been favorable changes in available chrome plating methods since the 1960s.

A 2012 Stihl press release (in Portuguese) about the opening of the new Cromo III production line of hard chrome plated cylinders.
https://corporate.stihl.com.br/com-investimento-de-25-milhoes-linha-de-cromo.aspx

90% of the cylinders used in Stihl's products come from their facilities in Brazil.
https://corporate.stihl.com/en/about-stihl/production-sales/stihl-brazil

If you want to find out what your cylinder is coated with, you can use a small strong magnet (e.g. neodymium). In the case of nikasil, the magnet should stick slightly to the inner surface of the cylinder, because nickel is ferromagnetic.
In the case of hard chrome plating, the magnet should not stick.

From what i have seen most of their pro saw cylinders aren't made by Stihl.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Right now I am working on about 30 pieces of Stihl equipment a week. Cylinder plating problems are pretty much non existent apparently.

A smart person on here some time back said that big bore cylinders with the same crankcase displacement gained nothing. I certainly am not smart enough to argue with him.

 

[bwalker]

Everything I have seen since the xx1 series came out has been a silverish blue inside almost mirror smooth with no honing marks. Husky uses their own brand of nicasil which is very thick and similar to what meteor and hyway use and it has a gold/yellow tint to it

The Highway cylinders are titanium in a nickle matrix. That's why they are so hard to machine.

 

[huskihl]

The Highway cylinders are titanium in a nickle matrix. That's why they are so hard to machine.

The Hyway Titanikel is their newer stuff. It likes to chip around port edges. Not really certain what the previous recipe was or if any of it is the same as nikasil. Just going by the colors

 

[Gord404]

Right now I am working on about 30 pieces of Stihl equipment a week. Cylinder plating problems are pretty much non existent apparently.

A smart person on here some time back said that big bore cylinders with the same crankcase displacement gained nothing. I certainly am not smart enough to argue with him.

I have done enough 372xp builds to know that to be true and popups are questionable- a ported 372- like mine done by a pro and an eased muffler- noththing crazy, is the best gains you can get- imo

 

[Mad Professor]

The only non-OEM cylinders I've used were Tecomec before they started production in China.