Sounds like a plan.
Weird piston action in a blown Stihl 500i
- Thread starter singinwoodwackr
- Start date
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Pressure and vacuum test. Then,Tear it down and see what it needs. Can't fix a saw through the sparkplug hole (or exhaust port).
So you don't think seafoam will fix it?
not gonna hold my breath, lol
We have had customers call Stihl directly and get to the right person some way or the other and get them to cover something not exactly cut and dried one way or the other.
spuldup
ArboristSite Operative
Nah they need Marvel mystery oil.
That was my other option for that post lol.
Why I always run canned gas but then I don't run mine every day anyway. One thing about canned gas and that is (at least with Armor, the mix ratio is always correct and no guessing. 2 of my arborist customers have switched to VP canned gas in 5 gallon containers as well because their hired crews can screw up a wet dream... and do. I have to add an access door in the feed snout of one of their Bandit chippers because the crews regularly plug it by overfeeding pine branches. and the gummy sap plugs it and it's a PITA and time consuming to get it unplugged and time is profit lost and never recovered so an access door in the snout will be a welcome addition for them. Simple modification too. Plasma cut, gasket it and install a hinge and slide lock bolt. Lots of gummy softwood here. I actually modified the chipper knives with a more aggressive included angle grind to lessen the pitch build on the chipper knives as well. Something to do over the winter months. Grinding them at 31 degrees now. Nothing worse or more expensive than a scored piston and jug let alone the bottom end carnage.
It could have overheated from a dull chain.
Tight tolerances on new engines are more susceptible to heat damage than a saw with a couple hundred hours.
They could have been using fuel without enough octane.
Tight tolerances on new engines are more susceptible to heat damage than a saw with a couple hundred hours.
They could have been using fuel without enough octane.
Lots of contributing factors at play here. Question is as always, will the dealer warrant it or not. Being a Stihl dealer, I'm leaning towards warranty denial.
oldnloud
ArboristSite Lurker
Fascinating. I have a friend who burned up his 10 month old MS201 C-EM and when he first approached the selling dealer, they initially told him "No Warranty on Arborist saws"... I cried Foul quite loudly and told him to question it again and strongly. They are now in the process of covering it, waiting on piston & cylinder. Thinking his was not a Straight Gas scenario, as he runs all of his saws from a single can and no other saws were compromised. From your side of the counter, this type of issue has to be a major pain to discern.
My mechanical experience would point me towards the lower rod bearing, or crank bearings are shot. I'd be willing to bet $5 on it.
It says plainly in the warranty on Stihl's website, 3 months on top handle saws and 3 months on commercial use any saw.
At the moment they are noncommittal…big surprise
looks like I have to wait until Monday for any decision.
Unless it is a know defect. Happened with the 661s.
Most likely. My dealer is waiting for a better response from her district Stihl rep. And, this is not a stand-alone saw shop. They are part of a local farm/hardware chain. This area really doesn’t have a dedicated saw shop anymore. They have been great to work with, however, and are trying to make it right.
stay tuned…
Using regular, non-E gas, Stihl 50:1 mix, 5gal at a time.
dull chain is a slim possibility; his crew is pretty good at swapping out dull chains.
The odds makers will say no, they won't!At the moment they are noncommittal…big surprise
looks like I have to wait until Monday for any decision.
Don't tell Stihl it was regular gas, pretty sure the manual says 89 octane minimum.
That is regular gas. Around here 89 is the lowest octane available
So-Stihl warranties repairs, not the dealer. This is a tear down before calling Stihl Tech at the DISTRIBUTOR level. They value the shop techs opinion, at least here. The biggest factor is if it is a failure of the unit cause by mechanical. This must be proved. AND is it one of my good customers. Yes, it does make a difference.
