046 magnum really hot

wolf nemeth · August 05, 2016, 05:57:21 PM

I recently bought an old Stihl 046 saw. After putting on a new air filter and spark plug, it started. Two questions: It has a double sprocket Only one of them powers the chain that's on now. If I try the other 'side' of the sprocket, the chain just crawls. So what can I use this side for?
More important, the heat rising up to the handle is just about too much for my hand to take for more than a few seconds at a time. I tightened all 4 muffler screws, but still too hot. I think anything but a welder's glove would also get hot in 20-30 seconds. Is this normal for an 046? Do I need to tear it down to look for a crack? thanks

DelawhereJoe · August 05, 2016, 08:02:16 PM

Did you check inside the muffler and the spark arrester screen to see if they are clogged or blocked?

Ada Shaker · August 05, 2016, 08:34:52 PM

You must have one of those new fangled hot saws, I'd make sure the deflector on the exhaust is in place, might have fallen off. As far as the double sprocket, must be for one of them new fangled double bars that goes on them hot saws. Are you certain you don't have one of them race saws?.

wolf nemeth · August 06, 2016, 12:04:55 PM

I'll pull off the muffler and see if there's a problem inside it. That deflector you're talking about---is that like the venting on a car AC?

Ada Shaker · August 07, 2016, 04:33:32 AM

Depends on what muffler you've got. Lots of blokes state side like to mod their mufflers to decrease back pressure and increase air flow. Just make sure the exhaust vents forward. Wouldn't be an alaskan model with heated handle bars by any chance would it?.

wolf nemeth · August 07, 2016, 08:18:29 AM

Nothing new fangled about this saw....I got it from a guy who heats his home with wood, but apparently failed to do even basic maintenance on the saw. But the double sprocket is puzzling....I never heard of a double-bar saw. Will get back out to the farm Monday and check out the guts of the muffler. thanks for your input

celliott · August 07, 2016, 08:51:51 PM

Some pictures would do wonders here, wolf.

I'm not totally sure about the double sprocket- is it a removable rim sprocket on a drum (does the bigger sprocket slide over a rim\drum piece, held on by a C clip to the end of the crank?)

The exhaust- it could be modified and not done very well, you might have an exhaust gasket blown out, muffler could be loose, I've never worked on an 046 but I'm pretty sure they have a two piece muffler, perhaps the pieces aren't together properly.
Take the top cover off, pull the muffler off and have a look.

Get some pictures of the muffler and the sprocket and we'll help you get to the bottom of this.

joe_indi · August 08, 2016, 03:41:27 PM

I would inspect the muffler, especially the top area for cracks. This usually happens in the 460 muffler if it has been allowed to rust.
Signs of this would be scorched areas on the front edge of the shroud (top cover)
A picture would help understand the sprocket issue correctly.
Joe

wolf nemeth · September 02, 2016, 06:06:04 PM

First, I want to apologize to everyone who took the time and effort to give me advice. I have just come back from a month of medical problems, and was not able to even access the saw.
So yesterday I pulled the muffler cover and found that there was just a fragment of a gasket remaining. So I've just bought a new gasket and hope it was no more serious than that. We will see tomorrow....
Thanks again for the input!

Dave H. · September 02, 2016, 08:36:00 PM

i sounds like the clutch setup is wrong.there is no such thing as a double .its either a rim or a sprocket.i suspect this is causing your overheat issue.post i pic of the area if you could.

joe_indi · September 05, 2016, 11:05:10 AM

Quote from: wolf nemeth on August 05, 2016, 05:57:21 PM
..... It has a double sprocket ......

Just checking the possibility of such a sprocket, but, is there any chance that the double sprocket you mentioned is like the one in this picture?
I had to hunt really hard in my junked stuff to get hold of it.

Caloren · September 10, 2016, 06:28:34 PM

Hey Joe, I have a sprocket just about like that! From a Homelite 45 Timber wolf, Worst piece of junk I ever bought!

HolmenTree · October 12, 2016, 03:41:35 PM

Quote from: joe_indi on September 05, 2016, 11:05:10 AM
Quote from: wolf nemeth on August 05, 2016, 05:57:21 PM
..... It has a double sprocket ......
Just checking the possibility of such a sprocket, but, is there any chance that the double sprocket you mentioned is like the one in this picture?
I had to hunt really hard in my junked stuff to get hold of it.

Joe,
I was looking at my old 038 Magnum carcass today and was thinking if this saw had a spur sprocket it would look like your double spur sprocket drum picture .
The 038 uses the inner spur sprocket to drive the oil pump and the splines for the rim sprocket match up perfectly with the inner spur. So if it was a spur sprocket drum it would look double.

joe_indi · October 13, 2016, 05:54:17 AM

Willard, The spur sprocket drum that I have shown is actually from a MS380 :laugh:
Mine was a spur sprocket, the one you have shown is a 038 rim sprocket drum, which has the spur at the base and splines for the rim sprocket .
I still have a couple of unused old 038/MS380 rim sprocket kits with me.
The ones that came in the blue corrosion free packs.

HolmenTree · October 13, 2016, 07:37:31 AM

Joe, The customer of yours who owned that MS380 drum almost wore the spur sprocket right off.
That's the worst wear I've ever seen. You must have sold him alot of chain :D

Texas-Jim · October 13, 2016, 10:31:00 AM

Your saw does need a gasket, uhm the muffler is in two pieces and theres a gasket between the halves. Its still available from stihl. The part number is 1128 149 0500, its right at 15 bucks. Plus theres a gasket between muffler and the head, either could cause a leak. That saw wasnt equipped with a heat shield i dont think.

joe_indi · October 13, 2016, 12:58:42 PM

Quote from: HolmenTree on October 13, 2016, 07:37:31 AM
Joe, The customer of yours who owned that MS380 drum almost wore the spur sprocket right off.
That's the worst wear I've ever seen. You must have sold him alot of chain :D

:D
He was indeed a good customer for chains ;D
He used to have the chain really tight on the bar. It would heat up and develop slack, tighten it while the chain was smoking. And keep doing that till the chain broke.
I sold him a lot of bar noses too ;D

Al_Smith · October 15, 2016, 05:56:05 AM

FWIW if I'm not mistaken the 038 had several drive combinations .Replaceable rim,replaceable spur,solid spur and also had different nylon oil pump drive gears depending on which drive system it used .

It's kind of nice if you have the "book" to determine which is which .I have books,black book is McCulloch,red is Homelite ,Stihl is orange and they weigh about 10 pounds each .Husqvarna is on CD.

HolmenTree · October 15, 2016, 09:31:50 AM

A local chainsaw dealer passed away a few years back and after 40 years in the business he collected a huge library of saw service manuals, Chainsaw Age magazines and the likes.

After the auction I asked the family what happened to all those books. Their answer was they threw all that stuff into the burn pile at the garbage dump.

What's junk to some people is gold to another :(

Al_Smith · October 15, 2016, 04:03:27 PM

I just took a peek at the parts list for an 046 and it shows a heat shield plus two different mufflers cases and three covers .One appears to be highly baffled and if that saw has one of them it stands to reason it would run hot .Highly restrictive exhaust systems run hotter plus they restrict the over all performance . That's why they make ear protection devices .