Nik's Poulan Thread

[redunshee]

bob- i squirt some carb cleaner in the tank, enough to make a small pool, swish it all around to wet all surfaces, then let it sit overnight or a few days, whatever it takes. let the fumes do the work, roll it around a few times. may have to go in with a big bottle brush to get it all off. worked on my model 91 which was nasty.HTH

Thanks, I'll give it a try
Bob

 

[Guido Salvage]

Bob,

I am going through a tank cleaning on my recently acquired 5200. As has been said, I use carb cleaner and slosh it around the tank and let it sit. I had to flush mine out about half a dozen times. Once I was done with the carb cleaner, I then flushed it with some 32:1 mix that I had.

Just be careful to read what the cleaner says about plastic parts. You may not want the cleaner to be in contact with your gas cap for any period of time.

This is what came out of my tank.

Gary

 

[redunshee]

Bob,

I am going through a tank cleaning on my recently acquired 5200. As has been said, I use carb cleaner and slosh it around the tank and let it sit. I had to flush mine out about half a dozen times. Once I was done with the carb cleaner, I then flushed it with some 32:1 mix that I had.

Just be careful to read what the cleaner says about plastic parts. You may not want the cleaner to be in contact with your gas cap for any period of time.

This is what came out of my tank.

Gary

Nice junk, Gary. Similar stuff came out of mine. However there seems to be a lot of varnish on the insides of the tank. I'll see how the carb cleaner works to soften it up and then figure how to get it out. Probably like you said it'll take numerous attempts. Thanks
Bob

 

[Modifiedmark]

What or how do you guys get the varnish out of your fuel tanks. My 4200 project saw needs a good tank cleaning. Right now I've filled it with straight gas and am hoping that after a while it will soften it up. Then what happens? I guess I can use a long screwdriver or something to scrape the sides that I can reach. Any other ideas?
Bob

Bob, my 4200 tank was a really bad mess as well. I tried gas, carb cleaner etc without much luck.

I finally plugged off the vent hole, fuel line hole, turned the saw on its side and filled the tank with lacquer thinner and let it set.

It did a pretty good job of softening that goo up and I was able to peel it out. Might have done even better if I would have let it soak some more.

It goes without saying though to be carefull and not spill it on the outside of the saw and its paint.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Steve, congradulations

That is a awsome saw and a great find. I would say it was worth that drive!

I'm envious but happy for you.

 

[67 Mustang]

Nice 8500, Stephen!

 

[redunshee]

Bob, my 4200 tank was a really bad mess as well. I tried gas, carb cleaner etc without much luck.

I finally plugged off the vent hole, fuel line hole, turned the saw on its side and filled the tank with lacquer thinner and let it set.

It did a pretty good job of softening that goo up and I was able to peel it out. Might have done even better if I would have let it soak some more.

It goes without saying though to be carefull and not spill it on the outside of the saw and its paint.

Thanks Mark.. Boy would I be pissed if I ruined my new paint job! Think I mask it off to add some protection.
Bob

 

[redunshee]

Steve, great looking saws. Your garage is looking like mine. Current count is 17, though I'm slowly culling the herd. Why? So I can get more saws! Somehow I got the bug for an 066.
Bob

 

[stubnail67]

thumbs up!

Nice saws stephen!!!!

 

[OhioGregg]

Thats a great lookin bunch of saws you got there Stephen! Especially that 8500 Thats definitely worth a long drive for. I would have been tempted to trade the car for the saw, and walk home carrying that 8500 :hmm3grin2orange: Not really..but then again..lol

Gregg,

 

[joe25DA]

the man had a nice chevy truck....I probably could not have pulled that off. His nephew put it on craigslist...the guy that owned the saw is not a computer guy.....it was just meant to be...

Like the others have said, great find on the 8500 and the rest of the saws as well

 

[Flintknapper]

What or how do you guys get the varnish out of your fuel tanks. My 4200 project saw needs a good tank cleaning. Right now I've filled it with straight gas and am hoping that after a while it will soften it up. Then what happens? I guess I can use a long screwdriver or something to scrape the sides that I can reach. Any other ideas?
Bob

Best thing I've found is scrape out what you can.... then fill it 1/2 full of Denatured alcohol, let it sit a day.

Pour in a bunch of BB's (fluid still in tank) put cap back on and shake.

It really cleans the tank well.

My 4900 had a thick layer of hard varnish in it when I got it....the method above did the trick.

Flint.

 

[redunshee]

Best thing I've found is scrape out what you can.... then fill it 1/2 full of Denatured alcohol, let it sit a day.

Pour in a bunch of BB's (fluid still in tank) put cap back on and shake.

It really cleans the tank well.

My 4900 had a thick layer of hard varnish in it when I got it....the method above did the trick.

Flint.

Great tip, Flint

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

This is a little something I picked up today. I had to drive 250 miles to get it, I called the guy last night at 9:22 and he said he would hold it for me. He said he is the origional owner. It seems to have the same compression as my 4200 but I have not checked it yet. It fired cold on the first pull with the choke on, and was running on the second pull. It only has a 24" B&C but that should work for now. The man told me that it has the origional bar on it. The one thing that I noticed is the handle is forward farther than the one on my 4200 making it balance a lot better and giving a little more leverage. I also noticed that those are the largest dawgs I have ever seen on a Poulan.

I thiink I have died and have gone to Poulan heaven.......I just need to get some new decals for the clutch cover and recoil if they are available.

Oh got the Sears today also, paid to much for it, but it seems to be in nice shape and came with the origional chain that was last sharpened in 1980.

Great find on the 8500 and yes them style of handles are alot more comfortable than the others.

 

[Colesy]

Poulan 3600

Hey All,

I own a Husky 455 Rancher, Poulan 3600 and a Pioneer Farmsaw

All of them run great...I am curious...why do people bash Poulan...I love the 3600, 60cc saw 20 inch bar and it rips great.

Just curious...I love all 3 of my saws...but for the price the Poulan is well worth it!

Please let me know why my buds tear into me about it? even after a day of cutting and they see it runs with all of their saws...anyways I don't get it:bang:

 

[joe25DA]

Hey All,

I own a Husky 455 Rancher, Poulan 3600 and a Pioneer Farmsaw

All of them run great...I am curious...why do people bash Poulan...I love the 3600, 60cc saw 20 inch bar and it rips great.

Just curious...I love all 3 of my saws...but for the price the Poulan is well worth it!

Please let me know why my buds tear into me about it? even after a day of cutting and they see it runs with all of their saws...anyways I don't get it:bang:

Let me guess. Do any or all of them have 029/290 stihls? Its so funny when you get some guys with farmbosses thinking they have gods gift to chainsaws! I have nothing against stihls, we have 2, an 031 and 170. they make a fine saw. Its just the way some guys just worship them. I just can't get on that bandwagon.
My poulans are the saws I reach for first. And they are my favorite. And guys who know saws will not bash the "good" poulans. And guess what. Even the new ones are still made in the USA and that means a lot to me. Run your 3600 and be proud its a great saw.

 

[joe25DA]

I dunno...but they just don't build professional saws any more. The bean counters have probably figured out that they make more money selling cheap saws to people who will throw them away rather than fix them.

And of course the entire chrome piston, aluminum cylinder thingy is just a little backwards....when things go wrong, the expensive part gets trashed...

having said that I still think they are a great value and will last a long time if maintained...something the average homeowner/casual user probably won't bother doing.

I love my Poulans...I had one for 30 years...never let me down.

Ill agree with you to a point stephen. I too don't fully understand the logic behind the chrome piston either but there a ton of 3400s still happily cutting with that have that combo. So I would say that with the basic maintenence they will last. Time has proved that.
As far as the new poulans go, the PP 330 can still be bought albeit as new old stock. Also the other PP saws are pretty good from the box and even better with a muff mod.
Lastly, the basic poulans are what they are. Priced to sell and like the rest will last with proper care. And the are all still made in America. The fact that poulan hasn't sold out to the chinese like mac and homelite speaks for the company.

 

[Colesy]

Ill agree with you to a point stephen. I too don't fully understand the logic behind the chrome piston either but there a ton of 3400s still happily cutting with that have that combo. So I would say that with the basic maintenence they will last. Time has proved that.
As far as the new poulans go, the PP 330 can still be bought albeit as new old stock. Also the other PP saws are pretty good from the box and even better with a muff mod.
Lastly, the basic poulans are what they are. Priced to sell and like the rest will last with proper care. And the are all still made in America. The fact that poulan hasn't sold out to the chinese like mac and homelite speaks for the company.

Heck I am Canadian and made in North America is great!

My Pioneer was made in NA as was my Poulan. We won't speak about the Husky

Rare to see anything made in NA these days

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

Hey All,

I own a Husky 455 Rancher, Poulan 3600 and a Pioneer Farmsaw

All of them run great...I am curious...why do people bash Poulan...I love the 3600, 60cc saw 20 inch bar and it rips great.

Just curious...I love all 3 of my saws...but for the price the Poulan is well worth it!

Please let me know why my buds tear into me about it? even after a day of cutting and they see it runs with all of their saws...anyways I don't get it:bang:

I have had alot of poulans and I know exactly what you are talking about. I used to do ALOT of cutting at the local compost pile around 50-60 loads a year.

These guys would show up with their Farm boss's or 025's and think they had the world by the bolls then I would pull out the PP505, 5400, PP655, S6000 and saws of this sort and bury a 36''-42'' bar into a log that they would'nt even think about cutting on and you should've seen the faces on these monkey's. Some time's they would drop what they was doing an I'd have 2 or 3 of them standing there watching a real saw work.

I will never forget the one time I got there and a guy was cutting with his 290 farmboss and loading a S-10 lol. I started cutting about 30' from him with the PP505 with a 36'' bar and a couple of minutes later he was standing by me telling me that "I would've never thought that that saw was one of them there poulans". I just smiled. I ended up pulling out of there with my truck and trailer loaded with about 5-6 of his S-10 loads and he was still cutting his S-10 load.

I'm not bashing the Stihls though. I've got a few and I love to cut with them. But their not farmboss's they are a real saw. I'm not saying that farmboss's and such are bad saw's either because their not but some guys think they are the cream of th crop and well they just are not.

 

[RandyMac]

You guys are going to scare the sheep.