McCulloch Chain Saws

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Those humps were intended to reduce vibration, several chain manufacturers tried similar designs. In actual use some folks began to notice there was less tendency for kick back and thus the evolution of "safety chain" was started.

McCulloch Pintail chain was intended to reduce vibration with that tail sticking out around the nose of the bar.

Pioneer Dura-Cut had a big rooster tail for the same purpose.

The Oregon 84 (.404 power sharp type chain) has a similar anti-vibration bumper.

Saber and others also had similar type designs.

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Mark
 

Got a 10-10 auto at auction recently. The saw I really want is the right-side-recoil 10-10 from the mid sixties. But I haven't come across one yet, so this one will do for now. This will be my first attempt to revive a vintage saw. The air filter is intact, surprisingly clean in the air box, throttle & choke linkages are good. Motor turns but is way too stiff, even with the plug out. Squirted WD down its throat, which helped a little bit, but still feels too stiff to me. What could be going on there? Rust on the crank & bearings? Or on the rings? Varnish in the crankcase from evaporated gas? Maybe just immerse the entire saw in gasoline for a week or two?
The tanks are clean, only a drop or two of oil in the tank. Gas tank is clean and dry, but I spotted a few spots where the paint is flaking off. How to deal with that? It's not my intent to do a full restoration here, just want to get it running for now so I can use it for eventual sell or trade toward a right-side-recoil saw.
Maybe just vacuum it out and keep a lot of fuel filters on hand? Try to remove all the interior paint chemically? I really don't want to take the tank apart for fear it might be difficult to get it to seal back up again. Hard to tell just looking in the tank, but appears to be a cork gasket. Would be a challenge to make one.
Aluminum id tag inside the air box says "Mod 600002 U, s/n 10-60070"

ALSO would appreciate any thoughts on comparative value. Assuming saws of equal condition, would the right-side-recoil saw be worth any more, or less, or about the same, as compared to the left-side-recoil saw?
 

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Turning over stiff makes me a little nervous.... it's a chrome bore (nope...actually a cast iron bore) so it could just have a little corrosion on the rings. But if your bearings are corroded enough to be stiff they're toast.
It does look like a nice saw, maybe it's worth the effort to take it apart and look at the internals.
But I would make sure you don't have something in the clutch or flywheel that's dragging before you tear it down.
These are tough, excellent saws, one of my favorites.
 
10-10 of that vintage is still a cast iron bore. Pretty likely the cylinder has some rust, but it is certainly possible that the bearings are rough as well. You can try starting with more lubricant in the cylinder and spinning it with a drill to see if it helps. Get some lube or mix into the crankcase as well and see if that helps loosen things up. You really need to pressure/vacuum test the crankcase and that will involve removing the muffler which could easily lead to a full teardown. Getting the muffler off is doable, but getting it back in place under the shroud with the gasket located properly is a challenge.

For the tank, just put a handful of small nuts in there (8-32, 10-24, etc.) and shake it around for a while. That should knock off any loose paint, after that keep an eye on the fuel filter. Viton fuel tank gaskets are available from Traverse Creek (AKA The Duke), on eBay, from HL Supply, and elsewhere and are not too expensive. You might find it faster and easier to just order a tank gasket and open that one up to clean it out. If the fuel line is still flexible but doesn't fit snuggly in the hole through the tank, you can put several wraps of Teflon tape on it to improve the fit and seal.

Mark
 
Got a 10-10 auto at auction recently. The saw I really want is the right-side-recoil 10-10 from the mid sixties. But I haven't come across one yet, so this one will do for now. This will be my first attempt to revive a vintage saw. The air filter is intact, surprisingly clean in the air box, throttle & choke linkages are good. Motor turns but is way too stiff, even with the plug out. Squirted WD down its throat, which helped a little bit, but still feels too stiff to me. What could be going on there? Rust on the crank & bearings? Or on the rings? Varnish in the crankcase from evaporated gas? Maybe just immerse the entire saw in gasoline for a week or two?
The tanks are clean, only a drop or two of oil in the tank. Gas tank is clean and dry, but I spotted a few spots where the paint is flaking off. How to deal with that? It's not my intent to do a full restoration here, just want to get it running for now so I can use it for eventual sell or trade toward a right-side-recoil saw.
Maybe just vacuum it out and keep a lot of fuel filters on hand? Try to remove all the interior paint chemically? I really don't want to take the tank apart for fear it might be difficult to get it to seal back up again. Hard to tell just looking in the tank, but appears to be a cork gasket. Would be a challenge to make one.
Aluminum id tag inside the air box says "Mod 600002 U, s/n 10-60070"

ALSO would appreciate any thoughts on comparative value. Assuming saws of equal condition, would the right-side-recoil saw be worth any more, or less, or about the same, as compared to the left-side-recoil saw?
The 10-10A is an iron bore 54CC saw. Might be rust in the bore or the bearings depending on where it sat. I'd break it down and have a look. Bearings if clean are usually solid on the flywheel side for these, These are getting a bit pricy of late, but the clutch side is still easy to find, along with seals, gaskets etc...Good news you have a good air filter. They have been fetching between $40-60 on ebay.

https://www.oldsawshop.com/McCulloch-10-Series-Chainsaws-Gaskets-&-Parts-c168127023

See attached IPL to help you out with part numbers....

Brian Genrich
Old Saw Shop
Gaskets and Graphics
WWW.Oldsawshop.com
 

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