My first post - need help with a Poulan 3400 choke lever

[borisrph]

Hi all. My first post. Thanks to all you guys, I've been bitten by the bug and now have a mild case of CAD. Been reading lately about the Poulan 3400 series and how they were quality saws. Found one at a local auction in Craftsman gray. Needed a good cleaning, but otherwise in good shape. Only issues are a broken choke lever and a bad isolator mount, the top one on the handle. I'm having a hell of a time trying to find the choke lever; I thought I'd reach out to the community to see if anyone had some leads where I could find one. It looks like new iOS mounts are available but look costly. I'd be interested in one of them used if anyone has a parts saw. I'll try to post pics since we all love to see each other's saws.

 

[HarleyT]

Why not repair the old choke lever?

 

[Mac&Homelite]

Hmm, you might be able to get away with drilling a hole in the two pieces of the choke lever and sticking a hot nail or something to get it to stay.

 

[Efisher26]

Epoxy would be good to hold you over till u find a replacement.


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[borisrph]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. I don't think it is repairable, and I'm one of those guys that tries to fix everything. The choke wire passes through the lever making an internal repair as suggested not possible. The lever has to slide through a tube making an external repair not possible either, at least not easily from my way of thinking. I'm hoping someone has a lead on a new or used one.

 

[HarleyT]

I would drill into each end, then put a solid wire piece inside, a wire that coated well with J'B Weld, it would be a good lasting repair.

 

[borisrph]

Thanks Harley. As I previously mentioned, an internal repair such as you suggested would be my first choice, but the choke rod has to pass through the center. If the solid wire was in the way due to the repair, the choke rod wouldn't be able to pass through. Kinda hard to visualize, but a better picture of the broken lever might have helped. Sorry!

 

[67L36Driver]

Look up the part number on Sears parts direct. Use it to search evilbay.

In the interim make up a temporary handle out of soft mechanic's wire.

Above J-red for example.

Notice the kill 'switch'.

 

[HarleyT]

Mail it to me!!!!
I'll give it a shot. I looked at the blowup, and now I remember how the thing is shaped.

 

[Acornhill]

Pm sent

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[ShermanC]

Epoxy would be good to hold you over till u find a replacement.


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Recently I learned a valuable point about mixing and using epoxy... try to warm up the material and both parts of epoxy above 80 degrees before mixing and bonding. This usually gives better results.



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[s sidewall]

Just get one of fleabay, try 3400, 3700 and Poulan 4000. Should be some on there.

Steve

 

[HarleyT]

Just get one of fleabay, try 3400, 3700 and Poulan 4000. Should be some on there.

Steve

No...

 

[redunshee]

If you can't find one, let me know.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

I needed that same part on my Craftsman 3.7 a while back. It took a while but one finally came up on eBay. Sometimes with these older saws it takes patience to wait for a part to come available.

 

[borisrph]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I suspected it might be tough at times getting parts. One member has responded they have some parts.

Now I might need an oiler diaphragm. Seems to be a weak oil flow just running it on the bench. Manual works awesome, automatic much less so. Haven't ran it in the cut yet, but my in experience it sure seems like low oil output.

 

[mohick]

Think I may have a couple of those in scrap pile will have a look see after daylight!! stay tuned!!!!

 

[67L36Driver]

Thin Wally World 30w bar oil 5-6:1 with kerosene or mineral spirits. 5 parts oil to one part thinning agent.

Rinse out the tank first. Seems most are contaminated with chips.

 

[Bret4207]

Ditto on what 67L36Driver said. ALWAYS rinse the tank and check the pickup before you assume it's the pump on any used saw.

 

[borisrph]

Will do on checking the oil tank. Haven't done that yet. I thought since the manual pump flowed so well that the automatic pump may have been weak.