Husqvarna 359 Cylinder damage, repair or replace?

jjmk98k · May 28, 2010, 08:55:31 AM

the saw was FREE...but I did just buy a rototiller from the dealer... they know I love to tinker on my saws and offered this one to rebuild that someone didnt want to spend the money on to have it rebuilt.

It's missing the muffler, side and top cover otherwise complete minus a few screws here and there. ...... piston and ring were shot, crank bearings seem smooth and undamaged.... my total non-professional opinion was it was run with little or no oil in the mix as the bottom end was very dry with no oil residue...

Opinions?

celliott · May 28, 2010, 09:12:25 AM

Hey, good find. I wouldnt turn down a free saw either. Worst case scenario, you have to put a new piston and cylinder in it, and get those covers. Your still in it alot cheaper than a new 359.

jjmk98k · May 28, 2010, 09:34:04 AM

was thinking the same thing.... free is always good.

The exhaust port took some damage and it looks as though the hard plating has been compromised so my initial impression is that it needs replaced unless some of the pros here say it can be cleaned up and the exhaust ports roughness blended...

jjmk98k · May 29, 2010, 08:06:06 PM

sawtroll...... any input?

Al_Smith · May 29, 2010, 09:45:47 PM

It might clean up .You never know until you try .

I generally use a 3M green pad and kerosine but that takes a lot of elbow grease .Oven cleaner speeds things along .Some have good luck with muratic acid,never tried it myself .

Now here's a big myth that should be addressed .The unknowledgable say the hard nickle plating is as hard as carbide .Not true because you can flap wheel right through it .Voice of experiance speaking here from getting impatiant . :-[

jjmk98k · May 29, 2010, 10:04:31 PM

3m green pad and some hours of work..... I have the time, in no hurry for the saw.

I wonder since the plating has been compromised at the exhaust port, will that lead to issues?

Al_Smith · May 30, 2010, 06:08:20 AM

If it in fact is peeled clear into the aluminum ,then yes it is a waste of time . Below the exhaust port it might be okay but not so if above the port .

On the other hand I once put together a Mac 610 that was pretty much chewed up .Because the owner didn't have a lot in it and the parts would exceed the value of the saw it was kind of done half fast,so to speak .That was 5 years ago and it's still running . Sometimes less than a first class repair job works,sometimes not .

jjmk98k · May 30, 2010, 08:05:27 AM

the area I am concerned with is the upper "lip" of the port itself, where it looks as though a part of the ring "hit" the lips of the port itself and dented/damaged the opening.

Awww heck, i guess I'll just start cleanin 'er up and see what it looks like.

Since the saw was free, my goal is to keep rebuilding it to under $150 total if possible, making the use out of decent, but used parts.

Rocky_J · May 30, 2010, 08:11:34 AM

For $150 you can get an aftermarket piston and cylinder from Bailey's. Most of the kits are $115-$120, plus $7.95 for a gasket set. Something to keep in mind if you hit a stumbling block with what you have.

jjmk98k · May 30, 2010, 08:17:52 AM

Rocky,

What I meant to say was, keep it $150 total, to include buying a top cover, muffler, side cover, decomp valve.. and not having to buy a new cylinder.... ( fingers crossed)

I see some vendors on epay have jug kits for the 359 for $89.99 plus shipping.... any luck with those anyone???

I'm hoping i can salvage that cylinder and just add a new piston kit to it..... but even if i end up buying a new cylinder and adding to the cost, it still gives me a great project to work on in the evenings and have a great saw in the end.

Al_Smith · May 30, 2010, 08:51:25 AM

From what the picture shows the tramp aluminum build is is in the chamfer area on the top of the ex port .Clean it up and blend it in a tad with a Dremel,sand paper whatever .It should be fine with any luck .

It it looses some compression ,which I doubt it does just make a thinner base gasket . If it runs for over a minute it might go another twenty years .You never know . One thing about freebies or cheapies,all you're out is some time and a few pennies if it doesn't work out .

Oh another thing .I recently built up an 034 Stihl with an 036 cylinder using a Metior piston from Baileys . I am impressed ,lots of power,came up to compression in two tanks of fuel .At the moment a trimmer is using it and if it doesn't blow its guts out it will have proven to be a good idea . Another freebie as I have a grand total of 40 bucks in it,the cost of the piston .

jteneyck · May 30, 2010, 10:27:16 AM

I did a stupid thing once (well, more than once, to be sure, but this stupid thing only once) and put something hard in the exhaust port and damaged the upper cylinder wall just like what is shown in your picture. The piston wouldn't even go up into the top of the cylinder. I had nothing to loose at that point, so I did what Al suggested and cleaned up the area with a deburring tool and some 600 grit sandpaper. That was more than 10 years ago and that saw still runs like new.
Al, you are correct, if the cylinder plating is nickle it's not very hard. Chrome coatings are much harder, and neither is close to tungsten carbide. But I think some coatings are silicon imgregnated nickle, called Nicasil, or something similar. Auto companies have used this on some aluminum block engines to eliminate a cast iron liner. It's supposed to have excellent wear and durability. I suspect this might be what's on the Husky 55 cylinder I have, made by the German company Mahle. That cylinder has seen 3 pistons come and go and still looks OK. So I'd try cleaning up the cylinder on your saw and give it a go. Could last a good long time.

Al_Smith · May 30, 2010, 12:19:54 PM

Quote from: jteneyck on May 30, 2010, 10:27:16 AM

Al, you are correct, if the cylinder plating is nickle it's not very hard. Chrome coatings are much harder, and neither is close to tungsten carbide. But I think some coatings are silicon imgregnated nickle, called Nicasil, or something similar.

Now don't get nickle confused with the nickle alloy used to plate cylinders . The alloy is hard as a rock where as pure nickle not so .

Nicosil is a patented trade name refering to Mahl but it's often used in reference to silicon nickle plating . Never the less it can be sanded right through if you are persistant enough .

I have no idea what Huskey uses to plate their cylinders .I just assumed hard nickle but it could be chrome .You can sand through that too if you're not carefull .

jjmk98k · May 30, 2010, 12:26:37 PM

Thanks for all the tips fellas..... always up for learning more~!

jteneyck · May 31, 2010, 10:47:33 AM

Thanks for the correction Al. My experience is with pure nickle plating, mostly for corrosion protection, and it is soft for sure compared to chrome. Should have realized that a nickle alloy must be what's used for cylinder plating.

SawTroll · May 31, 2010, 03:13:47 PM

Quote from: jjmk98k on May 29, 2010, 08:06:06 PM
sawtroll...... any input?

Sorry, I am not an expert - but that one looks bad to me. If you make the effort, and try to save it, is your call......

jjmk98k · May 31, 2010, 04:12:30 PM

it ended cleaning up pretty nice, will post pics soon! i am however on the fence about reusing it since the exhaust port took some damage.

Sawtroll..... no legal anything required... just wanted your opinion :P what makes you give that statement that its bad, the damage? The bore itself cleaned up good, but now it does look as though some of the ext port opening plating has been compromised.

jjmk98k · May 31, 2010, 04:15:22 PM

PS, I'm not a finger pointer

SawTroll · May 31, 2010, 05:28:46 PM

Quote from: jjmk98k on May 31, 2010, 04:12:30 PM
it ended cleaning up pretty nice, will post pics soon! i am however on the fence about reusing it since the exhaust port took some damage.

Sawtroll..... no legal anything required... just wanted your opinion :P what makes you give that statement that its bad, the damage? The bore itself cleaned up good, but now it does look as though some of the ext port opening plating has been compromised.

Huh????? ???

I can't really see what was offencive to you, or about legal issues, in my last post? ???

Afaik, it was just a polite answer to a direct question to me, about something I am not an expert on, and I made it clear that I am no expert!

jjmk98k · May 31, 2010, 05:37:59 PM

you were not offensive at all...

and I was just covering bases, with my tongue and cheek comment about legal issues.. it was meant to be humor... guess I didnt make that clear. :-[

I in no way shape or form meant any ill.... no way! I just wanted your opinion...

nothing at all meant about it... just value your opinion, thats all.

stonebroke · May 31, 2010, 05:41:43 PM

Sawtroll, You may not consider yourself a expert, but you are much more of a expert then most of us on here. I have learned a lot from you. Course I had almost everything to learn.

Stonebroke

jjmk98k · May 31, 2010, 05:43:34 PM

ditto.

SawTroll · May 31, 2010, 07:23:49 PM

Quote from: jjmk98k on May 31, 2010, 05:37:59 PM
you were not offensive at all...

and I was just covering bases, with my tongue and cheek comment about legal issues.. it was meant to be humor... guess I didnt make that clear. :-[

I in no way shape or form meant any ill.... no way! I just wanted your opinion...

nothing at all meant about it... just value your opinion, thats all.

I didn't really think your post was offensive either, it was just a misunderstanding - cool that you sent a pm to clear it up though! ;)

Btw, it sometimes can be a challenge to switch between this site and that other one, as the "climate" is pretty different.....

jjmk98k · May 31, 2010, 07:26:43 PM

well good, i am glad we're good.... I come here to have a good time and gather information....not to cause troubles :D

and you're right, different climate...