It lives!

[tolman_paul]

About a year ago when clearing some wind blown trees from the high school cross country course I noticed my Husqvarna 181 was extremely easy to pull over. Plenty of power to do the job, but I pulled to jug and discovered the original thin rings were dead.

It’s been such a great saw to me over the dozen plus years I’ve had it I figured I should give it a rebuild and tune up. I tore it all the way down and took inventory of what was needed. New piston & ring, new seals, new clutch drum, new 8t sprocket, couple of torn vibration isolators, the Oregon bar was wallowed out etc. So I placed an order to Baileys and another parts shop for more than I’d originally paid for the saw and planned to rebuild it over the winter. I did manage to check the squish, realize I could pull the base gasket to bump compression and then did some work to the ports to increase the durations back and a touch more I don’t have my notes but as I recall the transfers ended up 116 deg, exhaust 156 deg and I forget what I opened the intake duration to. I re-did my original muffler mod and unfortunately my mig welder is out of gas so had to use flux core wire which is a sure way to get frustrated on thin steel and make for an ugly job. I ended up running a length of 1" thin wall cro-mo tubing into the muffler tryin to get a combination of some muffling and free flow exhaust. I’d planned on documenting the build but best laid plans… Somehow the work bench got buried and other projects took priority and the saw languished as a bucket full of parts.

Well last weekend I took a wack at clearing out the garage and the workbench and set to re-assembling the saw this week. Finally got it all back together last night and just couldn’t resist firing it up. I have a spare carb I rebuilt and a couple of rebuild kits but for the life of me can’t find them Took a few pulls to get some gas in the carb but once it burped over on choke I shut off the choke and it fired right off. The combination of the fresh meteor piston and ring and removing the base gasket makes for a stout saw to start! Seems to run like a beast but for some reason the oiler doesn’t seem to be doing it’s thing so back on the bench to trouble shoot it. The only cosmetic work is the new woodland pro cannon 20” bar and new stihl chain. Can’t wait to get out in the woods and cut a load of firewood!

 

[moody]

Let's see some chips fly

 

[blsnelling]

Very nice. That bar looks good on there.

 

[BigDaddyR]

Awesome. Waiting for the pics to come through. Hope you get the oiler worked out.


Rick

 

[tolman_paul]

I re-assembled the saw from memory, didn't take pics during dissasembly and the service manual seems to be as illusive as the spare carb and rebuild kits. I'm pretty sure the clutch bell isn't engaging the plastic drive on the oiler. I got a replacement plastic drive but it was different from the original and would bind up, so put the original one back in. I'm sure I'll get it working after a little bit of fiddling. I just hope as the ring settles in it doesn't gain more compression, it'll be a real struggle to start it then! I'll have to put a compression tester on it to see what it pulls.

 

[BigDaddyR]

I re-assembled the saw from memory, didn't take pics during dissasembly and the service manual seems to be as illusive as the spare carb and rebuild kits. I'm pretty sure the clutch bell isn't engaging the plastic drive on the oiler. I got a replacement plastic drive but it was different from the original and would bind up, so put the original one back in. I'm sure I'll get it working after a little bit of fiddling. I just hope as the ring settles in it doesn't gain more compression, it'll be a real struggle to start it then! I'll have to put a compression tester on it to see what it pulls.

Did you pull down an IPL for it. Might help you sort out the issue? They tend to be a little cryptic also but a picture is worth a thousand words.


Rick

 

[tolman_paul]

One of the items I've been meaning to do something about was the groove the starter line had cut into the cover over the years (ignore the insert at this point)

So I took a small scrap piece of 1/2" brass rod and turned down an insert in the lathe.

Light press fit and drop of super glue and wallah, better than new

I have a spool of poly line for commercial fishing that has proven to be a pretty tough starter line, and it's Husky orange :msp_sneaky:

 

[cat-face timber]

Great looking saw, great looking bar

Love your "fix"

 

[pops21]

Here is your IPL.

http://m.husqvarna.com/ddoc/HUSI/HUSI1984_AAaa/HUSI1984_AAaa_I8400005_.pdf

 

[tolman_paul]

Here is your IPL.

http://m.husqvarna.com/ddoc/HUSI/HUSI1984_AAaa/HUSI1984_AAaa_I8400005_.pdf

Thanks for the link! The part I seem to be missing is 502 23 00-14, and I can't seem to find anyone who carries it. It appears a previous owner had used some sort of a rubber bushing to serve the same purpose and it appears to work but I'd like to put in the proper part. I can make something on the lathe but I don't know what the proper thickness is for the part.

 

[ole yukon]

I bought a 181 SE off of a neighbor a couple years ago that still had the original chain and bar still on it. He couldnt start it since it didnt have compression release on it. They are great saws. (As you already know :msp_smile: )

 

[pops21]

I don't see that part number on that IPL? Are you talking about the oil pump or starter cover?

 

[tolman_paul]

The oil pump has a plastic gear that is driven off of the clutch which then engages the metal shaft/plunger which pumps the oil.

There is a spacer that goes between the plastic drive gear and the crankshaft seal. I see a fat fingered the number, should be 503 23 00-14. And after googling it I realize why I couldn't find the part, wrong number!