MS361 Airfilter problem !!! IMPORTANT

[tatra805]

A previous thread mentioned dust getting inside the airfilter housing.

I checked my 361 accordingly and found a lot of sawdust.

THIS LOOKS AS AN OEM DESIGN FLAW SO ALL 361 SHOULD BE AFFECTED CHECK YOURS ACCORDING MY PICTURES!!!



My 361 is in its 15th tank only and i can scrape the dust from the inside at the throttle butterfly. HELP

It looks as the white filtercap is too weak and is bending at the bottom side. You can clearly see the areas where the dust is passing the silicone seal.

Experts and Stihl dealers: how much damage is done? Advise please.

What would Stihl say about this? I will not jump over my dealer his head but first see what he is able to do about this.


I can see an easy mod to avoid this problem for all of you.

Take a dremel or file and take off part of the tank fins which are near the bottom side of the filter.
Another thing i have to check out is the support plate inside the white filter. This plate prevents the filter to be pushed to deep but i suspect that shaving off a mm will increase the pressure on the seals and avoid the problem.

 

[SawTroll]

Never had a single problem with mine......opcorn:

Complaints like this happen with most saws - take it back to the dealer to get a "good" filter.

 

[tatra805]

pics

blow the wire is pressing against the filter, enough pressure to move it out

here the fin of the fuel tank prevents the filter to go flush against the filterframe

pics a bit heavy sorry

this was the first time i took the filter out. Cover was closed as should be during all cutting.

 

[windthrown]

No dust under my filter after about 6 months of very heavy use. Maybe a thin film of oil in there, and the slightest bit of sawdust. I blow the air filter (factory stock) off after every use with an air compressor though. My guess is that you are not tightening the air filter cover enough; the screw-down knob on the cover is what holds the air filter seal in place.

Now, the 210-250 filters? Those are ones to complain about... snappy thinkeys that are made to break off, poor seal around filter. Small filter area. Not so good...

But thanks for reminding me to clean all my saw filters out today. Seasonal time to do it. Dry warm day! (after snow earlier in the week).

 

[West Texas]

The filters on my 361 are 'felt' covered and nothing gets past them; but, the one you show in the pics looks like a 'nylon screen' filter. I've never liked that type of filter on any saw. Before screwing up the saw; go get a felt filter and put an end to your problems.

 

[tatra805]

@ windthrown

That was what i also thought but the 2 last pictures are taken with pressure on the filter so the plate inside the filter makes contact with the black part.

If you look at the first picture you see the line where this plate is making contact, so basically you cannot tighten it more.

With normal contact and normal closing position of my parts, i can still very easily lift the bottom corners of the filter. so almost no pressure on the seals.

Filterpart out of spec?

What do you think about the damage inside the engine? I am thinking of asking my dealer to open it up in my presence and taking pictures. But do i need to blame myself for killing my saw because i did not check after the first tank???

my 024 was cutting 10 years and i never had any comparable layer of dust inside.
This should not be possible on a saw this price - class. The principle of the sealing of these filters is a proven poor one, and it shows again.

I know, i can smear some fat on the seals and it will be all ok. But it will still be compensating poor design or manufacturing tolerance defect.

I like Stihl and still do but on this i would like to hear their opinion. Keep tuned.

 

[spacemule]

You keep your chains sharp? That "dust" looks awfully powdery.

 

[stihl025]

Anybody have experience with the K&N filters? I use them in the Harley, F-150, ATV, etc. They make a water resistant pre-filter for most of them. I was considering trying to use that material to make (sew) my own pre-filter for my saws. Something that I could cut to fit and then use elastic band to kind of cover the existing filter. Haven't put a lot of thought into it yet, but sure would be nice for that 025.

 

[SawTroll]

.... My guess is that you are not tightening the air filter cover enough; the screw-down knob on the cover is what holds the air filter seal in place. .....

My thought as well......

"Finger tight" may just be a bit shy of good enough - I slightly hit it with the scrench as well.....

 

[tatra805]

Spacemule,

I was also cutting a bunch of old ceiling beams - oak- in powdery condition. The chain was not the cause of the powder.

The filter of the 024 is the same type/different fixture and it did stop this type of dust.

I wrote an email with the pictures to the customer service in germany requesting their opinion and handling procedure.

I like stihl, i still believe in their service.

Also, i know how important customer feedback is and how much info is lost through a dealer network. Any customer making the slightest suggestion about the products we make has to be rewarded as he can be the first to point out a serial disaster. A complaint is not a negative.

See if Stihl also thinks that way.

 

[Trigger-Time]

This has been covered before........

See link..........make sure to see post #91
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=60339&page=4

 

[windthrown]

My thought as well......

"Finger tight" may just be a bit shy of good enough - I slightly hit it with the scrench as well.....

Yah, the 361 has the scrench slot in the air filter knob. I just give it a good firm twist by hand though.

 

[windthrown]

It may be as WestTexas says: you are using a different filter than I (we) are. I have the nylon felt type. Yours seems to be a different type, and maybe that is where the dust is getting in?

I do not think that there is much damage from getting a small amount of dust in the cumbustion chamber. My 210 has a crappy filter, and I see no lingering problems in that saw's engine. You can always pull the muffler off and look inside the exhaust port (with the piston in the down position) and get a good idea of what it looks like inside. That will not void any warantee either.

@ windthrown

That was what i also thought but the 2 last pictures are taken with pressure on the filter so the plate inside the filter makes contact with the black part.

If you look at the first picture you see the line where this plate is making contact, so basically you cannot tighten it more.

With normal contact and normal closing position of my parts, i can still very easily lift the bottom corners of the filter. so almost no pressure on the seals.

Filterpart out of spec?

What do you think about the damage inside the engine? I am thinking of asking my dealer to open it up in my presence and taking pictures. But do i need to blame myself for killing my saw because i did not check after the first tank???

my 024 was cutting 10 years and i never had any comparable layer of dust inside.
This should not be possible on a saw this price - class. The principle of the sealing of these filters is a proven poor one, and it shows again.

I know, i can smear some fat on the seals and it will be all ok. But it will still be compensating poor design or manufacturing tolerance defect.

I like Stihl and still do but on this i would like to hear their opinion. Keep tuned.

 

[windthrown]

You keep your chains sharp? That "dust" looks awfully powdery.

I find that the composition of sawdust depends on the wood that I am cutting and the grain that I am cutting with or against. Cutting with the grain, you get big curly chunks. Cross cutting/bucking you get the usual chips. Cutting the hard way, across the grain through a log from the ends, you get the finest sawdust. As for species, as Tatra said, he is cutting oak. I find that oak has the finest powdery sawdust, even when bucking logs with razor sharp chains. The fine oak dust sticks to eveything on my saws and I have to blow the whole saw off with the compressor when I am done cutting oak (like I did 2 days ago). It sticks to the oil, and becomes MDF in the sprocket cover area. Solid crud...

 

[THALL10326]

blow the wire is pressing against the filter, enough pressure to move it out

here the fin of the fuel tank prevents the filter to go flush against the filterframe

pics a bit heavy sorry

this was the first time i took the filter out. Cover was closed as should be during all cutting.

That fliter is a winter filter, not the standard flock filter. Did that filter come on that saw? Why they make that filter is beyond me but thats the second one I've seen on this site, Manual had the other one. Get the standard flock filter and your dust problems of getting past the filter are solved. Part number 1135-120-1600.

 

[windthrown]

From post #91 in that thread, it looks like Lake says the filter that you have is designed only for winter use, and that you should replace it with a nylon mesh or flocked one.

Manual: you have an optional "Winter" filter. "Winter" meaning in conditions where ice can form on the flocked filter (freezing fog etc.), which isn't all that common. It was never shipped with a saw in the USA, and is worthless in fine dust conditions. The dirt you see inside is exactly what I see on the MS200T with guys that insist on using that filter (because they like to pour gas though it to clean it).


As I'm sure you've now seen, the "filter update" was just to remove the two big tabs at the bottom of the filter, not the material.


Get a fleece filter... and make sure the locating posts are not broken off on your backing plate. The clamp knob should be looked at also. A smear of petroleum grease around the lip will seal it if you have any problems

 

[Ironbark]

Seems to be a European thing. My 660 came with a Nylon Mesh filter which was useless. Got an HD one on there now which is fine.

 

[Lakeside53]

That stuff is going right though the mesh filter. Not used in the the USA or Australia...

If you're going to make fine dust, get a fleece filter.

Nylon mesh filters are only supposed to be used for "winter cutting", in snow.

 

[Lakeside53]

From post #91 in that thread, it looks like Lake says the filter that you have is designed only for winter use, and that you should replace it with a nylon mesh or flocked one.

I did! I even sound lucid!

 

[stckciv]

I had one in the other day that had the flocked filter and still had some dirt bypass. Not nearly as bad as the pictures but enough to be a consern.