Nik's Poulan Thread

[blk05crew]

There are a lot of areas you likely don't want sealant in the pump. I can send you a gasket template if you like.

That would be great Tim! Thank you!

 

[Craigwell]

So what's so bad about a vanguard chain ?

 

[Acornhill]

Vanguard chain has very large takers that help prevent kickbacks. They also slow down the cutting speed

 

[Craigwell]

Aha. So maybe fine on the screamers.. I understand. Any thoughts on the best chain? The chain on my pioneer hardly has any taker at all..

 

[fossil]

Aha. So maybe fine on the screamers.. I understand. Any thoughts on the best chain? The chain on my pioneer hardly has any taker at all..

From what I can see of the photo, the chain on your 1200 looks like Pioneer chain. Good stuff.
Oregon LGX in clean wood and Oregon DP (semi chisel) in dirty wood. I can't seem to find Oregon pro chain around me. Mostly Carlton which can be purchased from a number of Canadian suppliers (cuts down on shipping costs). The DP has bumper links which don't seem to have any affect on cutting speed.
I usually buy it from Cutter's Choice, chisel for clean wood, semi chisel for dirty wood.
I've about given up on chisel because the wood around me always seems to be packed with clay dust or something that eats the edge off chisel.
The Stihl chains are good but they are hard on files.

 

[Craigwell]

Thank you for that insight, Fossil.. I'm obviously pretty new to this game, but with all the help, I'm picking it up quick.. I'll get hunting !

 

[Craigwell]

Guy at work brought me this today.. It seems to have a fuelling issue .. Hard to get rpms up, and when it does, it falls off suddenly. I'm thinking it needs a good cleaning, probably sat for a bit with cruddy old fuel. Filter, etc.

I'll get started on it this weekend, will start with compression test, pull the plug and muffler, get some plastics off.

Are these saws worth any effort?

 

[Guido Salvage]

That one has anti-vibe, so probably worth a cursory once over.

 

[OhioGregg]

Hi fellas!! Yes, I'm still alive. Been a good long while since I've been on here. Things look a little different in here now, but kinda the same. Just reading the last few pages, I see there are a lot of new faces or names here, since i was last here. And, some great old familiar ones as well!

I guess I kinda lost interest in spending so much time on the PC last winter. Burnout, I guess. With all the trouble AS was having with hackers, and so many guys going to other sites and what not. Just wasn't the same.. I think I will give it another go. I feel like a "newb" on here again. LOL

I havn't even acquired any new saws. Just been cutting on and off trying to get ready for the possibility of another winter from Hell...hopefully not. Been cutting some what smaller Ash trees the last few weeks. Not many of them left, sadly. Was kinda funny or odd for me anyway, looking at the saws I been using. Not a green one in the bunch! lol. PP380, PP295, and Partner 500. All yellow & black saws.

Seems like a lot of nice old Poulan's you guys been coming up with, by the looks of the last few pages. I see Gary hasn't bought ALL of the Poulans yet.

Gregg,

 

[OhioGregg]

So what's so bad about a vanguard chain ?

Nothing really bad about Vanguard chain...nothing really good about it either, in my opinion. When I bought my first 3400, new, back in 1986, it had vanguard chain on it. Thats the only kind of chain I used on it for years, till I started using some good full chisel pro style chain. Have not looked back, and neither will you.

Gregg,

 

[Craigwell]

I'm biding my time .. Hope to have something else for the 3400 shortly.

 

[redunshee]

G

Hi fellas!! Yes, I'm still alive. Been a good long while since I've been on here. Things look a little different in here now, but kinda the same. Just reading the last few pages, I see there are a lot of new faces or names here, since i was last here. And, some great old familiar ones as well!

I guess I kinda lost interest in spending so much time on the PC last winter. Burnout, I guess. With all the trouble AS was having with hackers, and so many guys going to other sites and what not. Just wasn't the same.. I think I will give it another go. I feel like a "newb" on here again. LOL

I havn't even acquired any new saws. Just been cutting on and off trying to get ready for the possibility of another winter from Hell...hopefully not. Been cutting some what smaller Ash trees the last few weeks. Not many of them left, sadly. Was kinda funny or odd for me anyway, looking at the saws I been using. Not a green one in the bunch! lol. PP380, PP295, and Partner 500. All yellow & black saws.

Seems like a lot of nice old Poulan's you guys been coming up with, by the looks of the last few pages. I see Gary hasn't bought ALL of the Poulans yet.

Gregg,

great to hear from you, Gregg. I have been a part time writer between here and the other site. After a while it does get tiring but glad you're refreshed and the other guys will benefit fron your insight.
Bob

 

[fossil]

It's sure good to see you back Gregg! I'm hoping for better winter as well but it doesn't look too good. It would be good to have way too much wood to burn this coming winter. I'm living in a Poulan desert right now. I haven't seen anything interesting come up in months. I have discovered a few other good saws though.

PS. I see Chainsawr has after market pistons for the PP5000 for sale reasonable.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Welcome back, Gregg! I have cut back on buying saws and have probably sold 15 in the past 6 weeks. We had a mini Poulan gathering at Joe Stanley's GTG a couple of weeks ago (Mark, Chris, Brad, Andre' and me). Hope we don't see a repeat of the rolling snowballs this year.

 

[ChipsFlyin]

Guy at work brought me this today.. It seems to have a fuelling issue .. Hard to get rpms up, and when it does, it falls off suddenly. I'm thinking it needs a good cleaning, probably sat for a bit with cruddy old fuel. Filter, etc.

I'll get started on it this weekend, will start with compression test, pull the plug and muffler, get some plastics off.

Are these saws worth any effort?

Just cleaned one up for my brother-in-law to leave at camp. We, now, use it to take off stumps at the ground - why mess up our better saws.... Here's what I did if it helps. Fuel lines, zima carb- dismantle and clean - same gaskets back together. Muf modded- 2 - 3/8 inch holes strait threw to exhaust port.
The thing was way too lean from the factory and screaming- took off the carb restrictors on the adjustments - used piece of fuel line pushed on to each one for adjustments- I think
2 1/8 out on high and low then kept going micro outs to almost 2 1/4 and voila beater camp saw.

Mark

 

[Craigwell]

Wow.... In the 10 minutes I spent with it so far, I was trying 1 1/2 out on H and L... Will have to revisit that! Thanks for the head's up . I imagine I'll get on it again tomorrow

 

[blk05crew]

Got around to doing my first muffler mod last night on this 3400 I got last weekend. It went pretty smooth, not the best looking one I've seen but I think it looks decent and
hopefully it will work good!

First drilled all the holes out to 3/8" and filed off any shards and then washed it really good.



Then I cut a slit in the side of the muffler with a dremmel and cut off disc.



Then I used a torch to heat up the slit and shaped the opening with a flat head screw driver and some pliers.



And here it is reassembled and finished.



Anybody that has done this, do you leave the spark screen in with this mod or remove it? Also, any tips on tuning the carb or what settings the H and L should be set to roughly?

Also put the carb kit in 4200 last night and made a new gasket for the oiler and replaced it. It was late and I didn't have a chance to start it, but hopefully everything should be good to go now on it.

 

[fossil]

I set the low so it rev's up quickly. I mine are all around 1-1/8 turns out.
You may have to set the high needle a little richer. Start at 1 out or a bit more and go from there.
When it's tuned correctly it should 4 stroke when you lift the saw in the cut to unload it and clean up to 2 stoking under cutting load.

If that doesn't explain it well enough here's a vid of a Homelite XL-76 cutting. You'll notice the pitch change from 2 stroking under cutting load and 4 strokes when I lift the saw slightly to unload it.

You'll hear that at 14 seconds and 24 seconds.
http://vid731.photobucket.com/albums/ww319/Fossil1/cuts/MVI_2637_zps46c517e8.mp4

 

[blk05crew]

I set the low so it rev's up quickly. I mine are all around 1-1/8 turns out.
You may have to set the high needle a little richer. Start at 1 out or a bit more and go from there.
When it's tuned correctly it should 4 stroke when you lift the saw in the cut to unload it and clean up to 2 stoking under cutting load.

If that doesn't explain it well enough here's a vid of a Homelite XL-76 cutting. You'll notice the pitch change from 2 stroking under cutting load and 4 strokes when I lift the saw slightly to unload it.

You'll hear that at 14 seconds and 24 seconds.
http://vid731.photobucket.com/albums/ww319/Fossil1/cuts/MVI_2637_zps46c517e8.mp4

Thanks Tim! Another question that has to do with the 4200. The duck bill piece that goes on the end of the little breather screw keeps falling off in into the fuel tank. Is there any way
to keep it from doing that? I think the duckbill piece is actually for a different saw. Here is a pic.

 

[Craigwell]

Great video Fossil! Reassuring to see the XL-76 in action. The clutch just arrived for mine, I'm hoping to get it in action soon.

Nice explanation of the 4 stroking as well.