Thanks for the input Mike. Now to really show my Poulan ignorance. Do I understand your statement correctly in that there were 3400/3700/4000 Poulans that had plated pistons and unplated jugs? I thought those saws had plated jugs and bare pistons, and the Poulan unplated jug nonsense happened subsequent to the poulan/weedeater changeover........after the 3400-4000 saws weren't being produced anymore. I've got a lot to learn about these Poulans...
My own experience with unplated jugs has been poor. I can't stand bare alluminum cylinder B&S and Tecumseh engines (iron liners or chrome/nik plating for me thank you). I worked on hundreds of pieces of unplated jug poulan/weedeater OPE. Was never impressed with the durability (or lack thereof). The 3400-4000 series isn't one that I have much experience with however (other than the simple carb work and such I mentioned earlier). Hmmm.........:msp_blink:
Aaron, I know where your coming from but you need to get over that Briggs phobia. :msp_cool: You seem to have been infected by some nasty AS virus brought on by listening to some undeducated saw snobs.
These unplated cyl on this series is not the same as those old briggs. Poulan touted them as a high silicone inpregnated cyl for whatever that means, but the bottom line is that there basically a non issue as long as the saw got any kind of care at all.
The unplated ones were sold by the tons and there are so many still out and running its truely a testement to there design. Yes the air filtration leaves some to be desired but to me a 3400 doesn't seem to be any worse then a Sthil 290 in that department. What do the Stihl boys say in that defense? Clean the air filter often!
The 3700's slotted cover seem to offer some inprovement and the filters seemed to stay alot cleaner longer and by the time the 4000 rolled around it was a good system and a non issue.
The main thing with these is the unplated cyls do offer a little less tolerance to overheating and being leaned out. The plated cyls offer just a little more time on a lean engine before they score.
Under the same conditions I believe that both are going to score anyway.
Now to your questions, the 3400 and 3800 were the only saw in this series without plated jugs.
As to the red 3.7 saws, most were 3700's with plated bores and thin ring pistons, but I have seen at least one with a thick ring piston and unplated bore. I have no way of knowing if it was stock that way or a replacement but I think it is fair to say that most are 3700's.
As far as I know all the gray 3.7's were 3800's.
The unplated jugs were not caused by the Weedeater deal they were there before that with the 3400.
Back in the day I was sure that I seen a plated 3400 but I cannot document that and I now seem to think I might have seen a saw with a rebuilt Sunbelt piston and cyl on it.
Like I said its a big to do about nothing around here on this site, in the real world it seems to matter little.
Poulan did continue with the unplated cyls in some of the next series of saws like the 3300 etc while some like the 3000 got the plated cyls. Who knows why?
