Stihl 031AV sprucin' up?!

[Newfman]

I think I will throw a bar and chain at it. It doesn't have a sprocket tip on the bar. What is that all about? I can't imagine how that could be helpful. My husqy has one.

If anyone has the specs handy for the bar and chain I would appreciate it. For some weird reason, this bar doesn't have all the data on it. Not even drive width info. It is a Stihl bar though.

16" cutting area, 18" overall. It has an Oregon chain on it, and the only number is 72. I would like to order the chain and bar, as my local John Deere/ Stihl dealer seems to have a real soft spot for parts, as if they would rather not sell them at all. $$$$


One last thing, this saw doesn't have a kick back protection lock (or what ever it is called) in front of the handle. It has the plastic lever on a spring, but it doesn't attach to anything. Am I missing something? When did they start making the brake? Just wondering if the mechanism had been removed, or if the saw is too old.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I think I will throw a bar and chain at it. It doesn't have a sprocket tip on the bar. What is that all about? I can't imagine how that could be helpful. My husqy has one.

If anyone has the specs handy for the bar and chain I would appreciate it. For some weird reason, this bar doesn't have all the data on it. Not even drive width info. It is a Stihl bar though.

16" cutting area, 18" overall. It has an Oregon chain on it, and the only number is 72. I would like to order the chain and bar, as my local John Deere/ Stihl dealer seems to have a real soft spot for parts, as if they would rather not sell them at all. $$$$


One last thing, this saw doesn't have a kick back protection lock (or what ever it is called) in front of the handle. It has the plastic lever on a spring, but it doesn't attach to anything. Am I missing something? When did they start making the brake? Just wondering if the mechanism had been removed, or if the saw is too old.

The saw you're working on is rather old, some of them didn't have a chain brake, just what you described, a plastic hand guard on a spring with nothing inside just like mine. Some people like the solid nose bars better than the sprocket nose ones. Your saw sounds like a 3/8 .050 ga. chain which is rather common. I wouldn't buy one at a dealer unless you're rich. Ebay has tons of them for sale. A 20" bar is common on these saws. Bailey's has them also at reasonable prices.

I'm actually not sure if any 031s came out with a chain brake..I heard they did but all of mine have what you described. My 032 is the same way.

 

[Newfman]

Thanks. This saw belongs to a 78 year old. I kind of hope he doesn't use it anymore. But, it is his saw. I managed to drum up a PDF manual for the saw through Stihl. If the chain sprocket has 8 teeth, it is a .325 pitch, and if it is 7 tooth it is 3/8ths.

I'll go take a look. My husqy has a sprocket on the tip, and I have a little grease injecting tool that I use before each day of use. Has worked great, and, it makes more sense in my head where the junior engineer lives. I don't see this saw getting much use, so I guess the cheaper one will not have the sprocket. I really think he ran this bar out of oil and that is the binding problem. We shall see.

Thanks for the direction on sources for bar/chain.

Regards,
Dennis

 

[Newfman]

Yup, it is a 7 tooth sprocket. So, as you said, 3/8ths. I'll stick with a 16" bar for him. That is plenty for what he needs.

 

[Newfman]

So, I went to Baileys and when you select a bar manufacturer, it has a list of all the saws it fits. None of the bars list Stihl! How frustrating is that! I ran the bar serial number from the old bar on google (3003 000 8613) and found one new one $44 on ebay. . .sold! I found that number on a bar in Europe on the Rollomatac E bars from Stihl. I called the dealer in south Portland, and they are having a little trouble with the part number, and then said they could order it. It is the hard nose bar and it is about $40. If I can get the Rollamatic E for the same or less, I would certainly prefer that. On top of that, she still wasn't sure that she had the right bar, as she felt I had mixed up the last four numbers. Looking again, here (and on the call) I had not.

How hard is it to match up a bar for this saw? Is this saw so different that you can't use anything but the original bar? This is incredibly frustrating. God I love my Husqvarna! Let no good deed go un-punished. I have more time trying to find silly parts for this thing, than actually working on it.

Could somebody help with some clear direction, and part numbers/options. I don't think that the dealers have trained people, just counter clerks.

One thing that could help is, is there any difference in bars and chains for an 031 versus an 031AV? I just found a little bar finder icon at baileys in the upper corner. It only shows the 031 not the 031AV.

Oh, and one lst weird thing. What is the deal with bars going from 30 to 40+ dollars and Carlton's going for $7.99? Really!?!?!

 

[McCulloch1-52]

So, I went to Baileys and when you select a bar manufacturer, it has a list of all the saws it fits. None of the bars list Stihl! How frustrating is that! I ran the bar serial number from the old bar on google (3003 000 8613) and found one new one $44 on ebay. . .sold! I found that number on a bar in Europe on the Rollomatac E bars from Stihl. I called the dealer in south Portland, and they are having a little trouble with the part number, and then said they could order it. It is the hard nose bar and it is about $40. If I can get the Rollamatic E for the same or less, I would certainly prefer that. On top of that, she still wasn't sure that she had the right bar, as she felt I had mixed up the last four numbers. Looking again, here (and on the call) I had not.

How hard is it to match up a bar for this saw? Is this saw so different that you can't use anything but the original bar? This is incredibly frustrating. God I love my Husqvarna! Let no good deed go un-punished. I have more time trying to find silly parts for this thing, than actually working on it.

Could somebody help with some clear direction, and part numbers/options. I don't think that the dealers have trained people, just counter clerks.

One thing that could help is, is there any difference in bars and chains for an 031 versus an 031AV? I just found a little bar finder icon at baileys in the upper corner. It only shows the 031 not the 031AV.

Oh, and one lst weird thing. What is the deal with bars going from 30 to 40+ dollars and Carlton's going for $7.99? Really!?!?!

I bought me a 25'' forester bar off ebay for my 031AV but it does not run good thing it fits on a 044 so if you can find a bar for 044 that is 3/8 pitch it should work.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

So, I went to Baileys and when you select a bar manufacturer, it has a list of all the saws it fits. None of the bars list Stihl! How frustrating is that! I ran the bar serial number from the old bar on google (3003 000 8613) and found one new one $44 on ebay. . .sold! I found that number on a bar in Europe on the Rollomatac E bars from Stihl. I called the dealer in south Portland, and they are having a little trouble with the part number, and then said they could order it. It is the hard nose bar and it is about $40. If I can get the Rollamatic E for the same or less, I would certainly prefer that. On top of that, she still wasn't sure that she had the right bar, as she felt I had mixed up the last four numbers. Looking again, here (and on the call) I had not.

How hard is it to match up a bar for this saw? Is this saw so different that you can't use anything but the original bar? This is incredibly frustrating. God I love my Husqvarna! Let no good deed go un-punished. I have more time trying to find silly parts for this thing, than actually working on it.

Could somebody help with some clear direction, and part numbers/options. I don't think that the dealers have trained people, just counter clerks.

One thing that could help is, is there any difference in bars and chains for an 031 versus an 031AV? I just found a little bar finder icon at baileys in the upper corner. It only shows the 031 not the 031AV.

Oh, and one lst weird thing. What is the deal with bars going from 30 to 40+ dollars and Carlton's going for $7.99? Really!?!?!

They use the same bar and chain that most of the big Stihl saws use. I have a 290 here that uses the same bar and chain as the 031. I also have an 036 that has the same so it's not hard to find. A solid nose bar new will be harder to find than the sprocket nose will be.
If it were mine I would go to a local small engine shop that handles chainsaws and see if they have a used Stihl Rollomatic bar and maybe you can get a new chain for it. Those Rollomatic bars are very common around here. My saws are all AV saws, I just shortened it to speed my typing along. I always thought Carlton was a good brand, maybe a sale?
I just looked on ebay and there's a new 16" stihl bar on there for $20+shipping. Not a bad deal.

 

[Ifishsum]

I wonder if anyone has ever tried a Nova II module on an 031? I just ordered one to try. The ad said "will not work on most Stihl trimmers or chainsaws." I can't imagine why it would work on my Echo 750VL and not work on a Stihl 031. They look to be the same basic setup.

What I've read on here and from other sites selling that module is that it will not work on an 031 with points, due to timing differences. It is supposed to work on the 031AVE, you could also swap to an AVE flywheel and use it. Atom used to make a special module for the points-equipped 031 but they don't seem to be around anymore.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

That series of saw has ignition issues as often as carburetor issues. You will need to remove the carburetor in order to clean it properly. The intake boot should be checked as well as the impulse line. If it has points ignition (behind the flywheel) they'll probably need attention. You will need a puller to get the flywheel off. The fuel tank has to come off to get to the flywheel. There is a screw on the bar side that holds the fuel tank on, so don't miss that one when you're breaking it down. Should it have an electronic coil on it that is breaking down, you may have a problem. The points coils can be converted to electronic trigger units, but the electronic ones have to be replaced.

I agree with everything except the part about needing a flywheel puller. If you're careful you can take the nut loose but not quite off, roll the flywheel around until the non-magnet side is up and strike it on the edge with a small hammer. May not be the preferred method but will work in a pinch.

 

[Newfman]

I found that I have wasted many dollars worth of my time trying to figure out the "ins and outs" of aftermarket bar ordering. I really didn't want to deal with it anymore so I just went to (yet another) Stihl dealer, and one that had a rating from Stihl, and got a bar and chain. He did find that the tensioner was bent, but that didn't seem to be the binding issue, though it did make it harder to fine tune the tension. I have the new part on order.

The new chain and bar seem to have helped immensely, and I was able to fire the saw up. It is running very well. The bar is oiling nicely, as well. There almost seems to be too much oil, as it was dripping down from the clutch drive area after I shut it off, and I only ran it for a couple minutes. I would have to run through some wood and a tank full of gas to see how much bar oil:fuel this thing is using. I may also just be done with it so I can move on to repairing the damage to my John Deere tractor that a Crapa Napa battery did. There goes another three hundred bucks.

It never ends.

Thanks for the help folks.

Dennis

 

[a. palmer jr.]

What I've read on here and from other sites selling that module is that it will not work on an 031 with points, due to timing differences. It is supposed to work on the 031AVE, you could also swap to an AVE flywheel and use it. Atom used to make a special module for the points-equipped 031 but they don't seem to be around anymore.

This is the Nova II that I ordered. I'm gonna go ahead and try it anyway since I'm now an expert at dissassembling/assembling the 031AV since I've done it so many times (only once today). I had three non-runners, got one going today by rebuilding carb and cleaning points. Here's a pic of the "spruced up" one.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I found that I have wasted many dollars worth of my time trying to figure out the "ins and outs" of aftermarket bar ordering. I really didn't want to deal with it anymore so I just went to (yet another) Stihl dealer, and one that had a rating from Stihl, and got a bar and chain. He did find that the tensioner was bent, but that didn't seem to be the binding issue, though it did make it harder to fine tune the tension. I have the new part on order.

The new chain and bar seem to have helped immensely, and I was able to fire the saw up. It is running very well. The bar is oiling nicely, as well. There almost seems to be too much oil, as it was dripping down from the clutch drive area after I shut it off, and I only ran it for a couple minutes. I would have to run through some wood and a tank full of gas to see how much bar oil:fuel this thing is using. I may also just be done with it so I can move on to repairing the damage to my John Deere tractor that a Crapa Napa battery did. There goes another three hundred bucks.

It never ends.

Thanks for the help folks.

Dennis

Dennis, I think that automatic oiler is adjustable. There is a screw on the bottom of the saw and I think that is the adjustment screw for it but you might check with someone who knows more about it. I just noticed it today on mine.

 

[Newfman]

Yup, it is. Stihl recommends you leave it wide open unless you are experienced at finer settings. The owner isn't. I spoke to him on the phone last night and he says it doesn't run out of oil before it runs out of gas, so I will just let sleeping dogs lie. The saw runs great. There is a slight hesitation going from idle to WOT but that becomes less noticeable when fully warmed up. I may try to adjust that out a little.

I think he will be very happy with this saw. I'm going to be paid in great food, beer and wine this weekend. Suddenly I find myself being over-paid. Not bad, eh?

Cheers,
Dennis

 

[a. palmer jr.]

A Little Tip

For what it's worth, I stumbled across this idea when someone here said Stihl had trouble with 031AV carbs. Mine acted like it was running lean, wouldn't idle down and bogged down some. I removed the carb I had just cleaned and put a kit in and got some UltraBlue rtv and lightly put some on the base of the carb and got a 3/8" piece of shrink tubing 3/4" long, used the needle nose pliers to stretch one end of the tubing and put it over the pulse hose end, replaced the carb and used a heat gun to shrink the tubing over the hose where the carb nipple goes into it making a tighter fit. The saw ran perfectly after I did this.

 

[Ifishsum]

Interesting - it is hard to tell if I have a good seal between the boot/airbox and the carb, wouldn't be hard to add some RVT there to be sure.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Interesting - it is hard to tell if I have a good seal between the boot/airbox and the carb, wouldn't be hard to add some RVT there to be sure.

I tried a gasket first and it didn't seem to line up right, also had hole for pulse which wasn't needed and may have leaked some there. My second 031AV is still on the bench with a weak spark. I cleaned the points and gapped the points and coil so I'm not sure what caused it to be weak other than maybe condenser which I could try but I got the Nova II today in the mail...

 

[Ifishsum]

I just might try that next time I have the carb off, certainly can't hurt. It's running pretty darn well now except at times it wants to bog down rather than rev up. Let us know how you make out with the NovaII module...

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I just might try that next time I have the carb off, certainly can't hurt. It's running pretty darn well now except at times it wants to bog down rather than rev up. Let us know how you make out with the NovaII module...

I finished up the installation tonight at about 9pm. Spark plug had a huge blue spark, much more than it had with points. The hardest part on an 031 is finding a place to put the module. I drilled a hole in the air box near the carburetor and ran the wires through it and mounted the module beside the carburetor to the right of it. I poured a little fuel in the spark plug hole and after about 3 pulls she fired right off! I haven't fueled the tank up yet, guess that's a job for tomorrow. I'll see how it does, I've already rebuilt the carb on this one. Shouldn't need anything but fuel and bar oil.

Also, since this is an anti vibe saw you have to be sure to run the ground wire of the module to the engine of the saw. I used one of the screws on the coil to ground it to.

 

[MnSam]

I recently acquired an 031 points model with the nova installed because of a bad condenser. It wouldn't rev and ran too hot. I took the nova off, reconnected the points, and replaced the condenser with a capacitor. It is now twice the saw it was, which makes me happy. Points saws converting to the nova I believe requires a flywheel swap from an electronic saw. I have three 031's and I am a points guy 100%. Just saying.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I recently acquired an 031 points model with the nova installed because of a bad condenser. It wouldn't rev and ran too hot. I took the nova off, reconnected the points, and replaced the condenser with a capacitor. It is now twice the saw it was, which makes me happy. Points saws converting to the nova I believe requires a flywheel swap from an electronic saw. I have three 031's and I am a points guy 100%. Just saying.

You might be right. I'll try running mine today a little. Mine seemed okay for the short time I ran it last night though..if not, I think I'd rather look for an electronic flywheel for it. How did you get that old condenser out of there, they seem to be wedged in there pretty good? I saved the old points stuff just in case this wouldn't work.