McCulloch Chain Saws

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It's a beaut Clark! I wonder if the grey oil tank and different AF cover screw changes were made around the same time?
Mark can weigh in here (I hope he does) but in the nutshell...toward the end of McCulloch as we know it they were using left over stock to build out saws. Same with paint. The gray was used on the PM8200. I suspect they used it to paint crankcases because they had it. the AF knob was an attempt to make the same saw look different. At this point they were hemorrhaging $$$. I have watched a few major corporations bleed out up close and personal. Corners are cut faster and faster, bugets cut deeper and deeper until there is no runway left.
 
Is it metal flash, or paint "bridging" only? It appears that they may have taped the inside of the vents, which could leave paint bridging the gap if it held up when the tape was removed... also wondering if they were running powder coat by 97/98 or if it was still wet paint.
 
Hey guys, need some assistance.

I am helping my brother in law resurrect his Grandfather's Mac

He inherited a Pro-Mac 55 which had been sitting for at least 15 years. We cleaned and rebuilt the carb, cleaned and set the points, and got it to fire, but doesn't sound healthy.

It proceeded to make bad noises, so we shut it off, and upon further inspection, seems to have some axial play in the crank bearings. You can push it towards the PTO side and feel it bind up when trying to rotate.

I texted my other buddy who has CAD and he hooked me up with a parts 10-10, basically just the chassis and engine.

We pulled them both apart, but there are some differences in the oil tank case half between the 2 saws, and before I go any further, or attempt to swap casings, I want to reach out the experts on here and see if theres anybody who can help identify the mix of parts we have here.

The PM55 is model 600031D, SN 11-23680. The engine is all yellow as shown in pics below.

The donor 10-10 Parts Saw is model 600002F, SN 14-35213. The engine is bare aluminum as shown below

Specifically, the lower case half / oil tank of the PM55 had a bolt inside the oiil tank attaching the case to the chassis of the saw. The casing itself also has more material there, and it shows it in the parts fiche.

The donor saw doesn't have this hole / fastener present. However, when I look up the IPL for the 600002F, it shows the same bolt and spacer present that the PM55 does.

It is possible that the parts saw doesn't have the original engine, but in that case, how do I determine what I have? Are the lower casings / oil tanks interchangable?

My tentative plan is to swap the case halves, clean and inspect the donor saw cylinder and piston, and then install new crank seals and install in the PM55 chassis.

Does this sound feasable? Who is recommended to buy the crank seals from?

Lastly, the fuel tank seal on the PM55 seeps fuel. Which is better for moving forward with modern fuels, the Viton tank seal or the old style cork gasket?

Thanks for all the help
 

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Is it metal flash, or paint "bridging" only? It appears that they may have taped the inside of the vents, which could leave paint bridging the gap if it held up when the tape was removed... also wondering if they were running powder coat by 97/98 or if it was still wet paint.
looks like casting to me.
 
Were you able to determine what caused the bind once you pulled things apart? If the cylinder is good on the "55" I'd try to save it due to it being 57cc. the 10-10 is 54cc. The Cranks should be the same if both were left hand start. If memory serves, needle and crank bearings are the same and you could swap or replace those if they were the culprit.

The 10-10 block looks like a replacement block which would explain it being plain not painted. It's a 10-10A tag, and they were all yellow during production (based on my experience).

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

Attached is the IPL for the PM55 you have so you have parts numbers.

Max and Mark also sell bearings and seals etc.. if you're looking for OEM.

My personal preference is cork gaskets. I've looked at offering the Viton option, but in my opinion, the durometer is much higher than oem style cork. I think it's easier to cant the top because of the Viton resistance. Cork gives easier and allows the tank top to compress it evenly until the cover seats against the bottom as it was designed. It holds up well as long as you use them occasionally, and don't let them sit dry for years.
 

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Were you able to determine what caused the bind once you pulled things apart? If the cylinder is good on the "55" I'd try to save it due to it being 57cc. the 10-10 is 54cc. The Cranks should be the same if both were left hand start. If memory serves, needle and crank bearings are the same and you could swap or replace those if they were the culprit.

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

Attached is the IPL for the PM55 you have so you have parts numbers.

Max and Mark also sell bearings and seals etc.. if yoru looking for OEM.

My personal preference is cork gaskets. I've looked at offering the Viton option, but in my opinion, the durometer is much higher than oem style cork. I think it's easier to cant the top because of the viton resistance. Cork gives easier and allows the tank top to compress it evenly. It holds up well as long as you use them occasionally, and don't let them sit dry for years.
We haven't pulled the respective engines part yet. Plan on doing that over the Christmas holiday

Not concerned about OEM, an aftermarket equivalent or cross reference is fine. This thing will be more wall hanger than work horse, but we both want it functional in case it needs to be put into use.
 
I'd definitely try to keep the 55 block unless there is cylinder/piston damage.

My parts aren't OEM, but they are good quality aftermarket items, and reasonably priced.

Here's a Holiday special I'm running on a complete kit https://www.oldsawshop.com/McCulloch-Gasket-Seal-&-Carburetor-rebuild-kit-p714508763 doesn't include the PTO bearing, but you can scroll down and add it to end up with free shipping in the USA
 
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