MS361 Big Bore Kit Review

[bcorradi]

I guess we'll know in 2011, or maybe 2030 for most homeowner AS guys

OEM -2500-3000 hours plus...

For half price can you can get a 1000? hmmmm I have no idea.. just stirring, but not impressed with any other than Tecomec I've has to fix from the past.

I haven't tried the latest bailey's 361 kits, but I have tried some chinese kits in the past. I don't think they are of extremely bad quality, but I personally will never put a non OEM kit in a saw no matter if its for personal use or for a saw I resell.

I've sold and rebuilt probably 100 026s along with a small number of 024's on ebay. To this day I haven't had one complaint and I attribute that to using high quality oem parts. Of all the saws I sold I still remember an 024 I sold that I used a non oem piston in and I had to crudely machine the piston bosses to get the wristpin to fit. I still feel guilty about selling that saw, but the new owner hasn't said anything.

Am I against alternative stihl parts....not in the least, but to this day I haven't seen much for comparable OEM parts except from tecomec and stihl that are of hiqh quality and tolerances.

I'm not trying to throw mud in the water for any of the aftermarket companies, but I'm just speaking from my personal experience.
Take care,
Brad

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I think this BB kit deserves a port job!

Sounds like it already has a port job. Now ya gotta get a good chain and maybe try it out with an 8 pin to see if it can pull it.

another thought...
You didn't use a base gasket did you? If it's pulling this many rpms with a lowered exhaust port, the little I know about porting numbers would give me the feeling that the exhaust may be a little on the high side. Put a base gasket in it and you may find a gutless screamer under the cover.

Good start Brad, on with the show!
Ian

 

[blsnelling]

Putting a base gasket in it is not going to affect compression more than probably 10-20 PSI. Compression builds torque and you'd still have more than stock. And you might have more RPMs yet. I think they've got a winner here. I'm not sure how they did it because the exhaust port area isn't near what I have on my ported OEM cylinder.

 

[skid row]

I haven't tried the latest bailey's 361 kits, but I have tried some chinese kits in the past. I don't think they are of extremely bad quality, but I personally will never put a non OEM kit in a saw no matter if its for personal use or for a saw I resell.

I've sold and rebuilt probably 100 026s along with a small number of 024's on ebay. To this day I haven't had one complaint and I attribute that to using high quality oem parts. Of all the saws I sold I still remember an 024 I sold that I used a non oem piston in and I had to crudely machine the piston bosses to get the wristpin to fit. I still feel guilty about selling that saw, but the new owner hasn't said anything.

Am I against alternative stihl parts....not in the least, but to this day I haven't seen much for comparable OEM parts except from tecomec and stihl that are of hiqh quality and tolerances.


I'm not trying to throw mud in the water for any of the aftermarket companies, but I'm just speaking from my personal experience.
Take care,
Brad

:agree2: :agree2: Nothing but OEM. Ya get what ya pay for.

 

[Lakeside53]

Putting a base gasket in it is not going to affect compression more than probably 10-20 PSI. Compression builds torque and you'd still have more than stock. And you might have more RPMs yet. I think they've got a winner here. I'm not sure how they did it because the exhaust port area isn't near what I have on my ported OEM cylinder.

lolol.. How did they do it? I doubt they "did" anything. And you think high RPMs are good.. oh well.. for play maybe... Stihl limits the rpm by design, so they don't have to go the "limited coil" route. Mine still "4-strokes" (modded muffer only) above 15k, but it's set closer to 14.

My stock 361 has 168psi... as at yesterday... maybe 100 tanks though it; every one of them 50:1 Ultra.



EDIT: I was wrong.. it's 178.... see later post...

 

[2000ssm6]

:agree2: :agree2: Nothing but OEM. Ya get what ya pay for.

+1, Well said!

 

[epicklein22]

That thing is BA. I really do think you need to put it together completely stock with a gasket. Nothing swapped but the p&c.

Anyways, that thing is cooking. A solid log would have been nice to test it on too. Overall, it looks like it will be a winner.

 

[epicklein22]

I haven't tried the latest bailey's 361 kits, but I have tried some chinese kits in the past. I don't think they are of extremely bad quality, but I personally will never put a non OEM kit in a saw no matter if its for personal use or for a saw I resell.

I've sold and rebuilt probably 100 026s along with a small number of 024's on ebay. To this day I haven't had one complaint and I attribute that to using high quality oem parts. Of all the saws I sold I still remember an 024 I sold that I used a non oem piston in and I had to crudely machine the piston bosses to get the wristpin to fit. I still feel guilty about selling that saw, but the new owner hasn't said anything.

Am I against alternative stihl parts....not in the least, but to this day I haven't seen much for comparable OEM parts except from tecomec and stihl that are of hiqh quality and tolerances.

I'm not trying to throw mud in the water for any of the aftermarket companies, but I'm just speaking from my personal experience.
Take care,
Brad

Nice to see you posting again Brad!!! Your knowledge, especially on 026s are superb.

 

[Metals406]

Here's my thought... You make after-market as 'good' as OEM... They'll have to charge the same or more than OEM.

Tighter machine tolerances, tighter casting tolerances, tighter allowances in alloys... More moolah.

Right now, what's the comparison in life expectancy? OEM 2500 hours--after-market 2000 hours? Would the difference in hours be worth the extra cash for OEM? Also, many on here probably have more money to throw at saws than others. Some guys (like my brother) will spend whatever it takes to get 'name-brand', or 'the best'... Money isn't an object.

Thanks again Brad, for sharing this process with us!

 

[Lakeside53]

From what I've seen life expectancy of the current crop of Asian P&C is WAY WAY less than 2000 hours... but the bigger problem is consistancy... some may last a decent amount of time, some will not. Which did you buy?

 

[Metals406]

From what I've seen life expectancy of the current crop of Asian P&C is WAY WAY less then 2000 hours... but the bigger problem is consistancy... some may last a decent amount of time, some will not. Which did you buy?

The 500 hour difference was in example, and purely hypothetical. I would agree about the inconsistency thing (based on what I've seen here, and other places), and they would do better to at least improve that issue.

But I believe my statement is valid... The better they make it, the more it will cost the end-user. So then--why not just buy OEM?

 

[Wet1]

Why not buy OEM, because OEM doesn't offer a BB option. At least that's one big reason why I have an interest in these aftermarket P&C's...

 

[blsnelling]

lolol.. How did they do it? I doubt they "did" anything. And you think high RPMs are good.. oh well.. for play maybe... Stihl limits the rpm by design, so they don't have to go the "limited coil" route. Mine still "4-strokes" (modded muffer only) above 15k, but it's set closer to 14.

My stock 361 has 168psi... as at yesterday... maybe 100 tanks though it; every one of them 50:1 Ultra.

My 361 stock did not 4-stroke above 14K. In fact, it cut best at 13,500. Modded it cuts best at 15,100. High RPMs are good if you have the torque to go with it. A saw with the exhaust port raised to get the RPMs up at the sacrifice of compression will be a dog. That is not the case with this BB kit. It saw has way more RPMs and compression than stock. I call that the best of both worlds.

 

[Lakeside53]

Compression? put the gasket back it.. it will likely be about the same as mine.. Something was bugging me about the the reading to mentioned (yesterday was a tough day..).

Just tried it again.... it's 178.. (my gauge leaks slightly so the needle had dropped a tad before I took the pic, but it read true). Saw was cold, as with the prior reading. Stihl ultra, 50:1.


I see a lot of 361s though the store, and all have reading like this when in decent shape. I have some very high time saws that are beat to crap, and these still show 155.

 

[Lakeside53]

But I believe my statement is valid... The better they make it, the more it will cost the end-user. So then--why not just buy OEM?

yep...

 

[Lakeside53]

If any of you guys have "true reading" compression gauges... Check your 361

Mine comes in at 178 stock (gasket and not ported..)... and most I read are 165-180... What's yours?

I just (40 minutes ago ) had another from a tree service (muffler now modded). 10 tank of gas, all synth (not sure which) - 175lb cold.

 

[Bowtie]

I just (40 minutes ago ) had another from a tree service (muffer now modded). 10 tank of gas, all synth (not sure which) - 175lb cold.

Hmmm. my gauge must be reading low. even my freshest saw with a lower jug now shows 165 on my current gauge.

 

[Lakeside53]

Hmmm. my gauge must be reading low. even my freshest saw with a lower jug now shows 165 on my current gauge.

What's your altitude?

 

[ericjeeper]

My 346

has 195 psi compression.

 

[Bowtie]

What's your altitude?

1222 ASL