ms290 farmboss, 034 av super

[yamaha605]

Hi guys im new to the forum.  I have cut firewood for years with my father.  I recently traded up a Stihl 034av super and a ms290 farmboss such a good deal I couldn't pass them up.  My father has a 290 farmboss just like the one I have.  I ported the muffler on it and retuned the carb.  what other things would you recommend if anything. it has a 20 inch bar.  my 034 is a really good saw.  Don't think porting the muffler will help much where as its a german made saw.  Am I correct about this

[ZeroJunk]

Yeah, the 034 was made before they started choking them down. I doubt you would gain much. You need back pressure so If you do open it up just don't get carried away.

[limbwood]

it does make a difference, depends which muffler you have, some are open on the main part, some have cone full of little holes that can be cut out. Be sure to always retune after muffler mods. If you get to crazy it wont idle well at low rpm.  They say 80% of exhaust port is the max size opening should be. Good luck.

[yamaha605]

i messured and done the 80% thing on the 290.  I have plans on checking the 034 super and seeing what it looks like.  Id like to find me a used 660 to tinker with also lol.  I saw one on fleabay for 700 that had been rebuilt with mostly aftermarket parts.  has a 98cc kit and was rebuilt buy a guy that posts on youtube all the time called  thechainsawguy.  just don't know about it.  how trustworthy it would be.

[SawTroll]

Regarding the 290, look for the closest suitable dumpster (or just stash it away for backup) - then focus your efforts on the 034 Super! 

[yamaha605]

Going to run compression test on the 034 av super tomorrow.  with the muffler mod on the 290 it seems to cut better then the 034.  also I read somewhere that you could put the 390 cylinder on the 290 if so I thought about doin this.

[ZeroJunk]

Going to run compression test on the 034 av super tomorrow.  with the muffler mod on the 290 it seems to cut better then the 034.  also I read somewhere that you could put the 390 cylinder on the 290 if so I thought about doin this.

I have done a couple of those conversions using those cheap Chinese motors and they work fine. Don't know how long they will last, but they run good.

[ktowne030311]

Yes you can, the 290 and ms390 are the same engines with different sized bores

[yamaha605]

Ran the compression test on the 034 av super.  150psi seems pretty good is that what its supposed to be.  thanks for the info on the 290-390 swap.  May look into do that now also.

[limbwood]

150 isnt bad, you could remove cylinder gasket at use yamabond to seal and get 165 or so, then do muffler mod, you should notice a differance.

[Dixiebonsai]

Regarding the 290, look for the closest suitable dumpster (or just stash it away for backup) - then focus your efforts on the 034 Super! 

Interested in your comments. I have a Stihl 028 Super AV which is starting to get ornery after twenty semi truck loads of firewood and thirty years. , Been eyeballing a Stihl MS 310/311/360/361/390/391 upgrade, you think Im downgrading?

[SawTroll]

Regarding the 290, look for the closest suitable dumpster (or just stash it away for backup) - then focus your efforts on the 034 Super! 

Interested in your comments. I have a Stihl 028 Super AV which is starting to get ornery after twenty semi truck loads of firewood and thirty years. , Been eyeballing a Stihl MS 310/311/360/361/390/391 upgrade, you think Im downgrading?

You  definately will be downgrading in quality, except with the 360 and 361.
However, all your options will be an upgrade in power, but except the 360 and 361, the saws also will be much heavier and bulkier.

[chainsawman2011]

hello I have made  several ms290 into ms390 and have had good luck with the am p/c I have used which are mako and hyway with caber rings. compression has always been 160+ when done. the other thing I do even with ms290s are change bar and chain to 3/8 and use skip chains cuts a lot better than 325

[yamaha605]

Regarding the 290, look for the closest suitable dumpster (or just stash it away for backup) - then focus your efforts on the 034 Super! 

Interested in your comments. I have a Stihl 028 Super AV which is starting to get ornery after twenty semi truck loads of firewood and thirty years. , Been eyeballing a Stihl MS 310/311/360/361/390/391 upgrade, you think Im downgrading?

you are down grading unless you plan to modify the saw.  only problem I have with newer ones is the c-m models is the m-tronic system.  ive heard more bad then good about them.  plus im the type that done trust stuff like that.  I like to have control over how my stuff runs.  just like the automatic 2-cycle oil dispensers on boat motors and stuff.  I do away with those and mix my own gas.  I just find it hard to trust..  but that's just my opinion on the m-tronic system.  the 360 on up would be an upgrade as far as power and saw I think.

[Dixiebonsai]

yamaha605,
I probably need to follow your suggestion and do away with my automatic 2-cycle oil dispenser.I have a 1988 Johnson 150 that I bought new.I have fished it hard,love smallmouth bass fishin, Dale Hollow,Kentucky Lake,but have babied this boat and kept it indoors all these years.My departed dad said when I bought it "if you take care of it you will get twenty years out of it",working on thirty knock on wood.
I spoke to some dock owners once who told me the first thing they do with rental boats is get rid of the VRO. Renters are not experienced boaters usually.My VRO has done well , I replaced it once, but I think in its old age I would be well advised to get rid of it.

Regarding the 290, look for the closest suitable dumpster (or just stash it away for backup) - then focus your efforts on the 034 Super! 

Interested in your comments. I have a Stihl 028 Super AV which is starting to get ornery after twenty semi truck loads of firewood and thirty years. , Been eyeballing a Stihl MS 310/311/360/361/390/391 upgrade, you think Im downgrading?

you are down grading unless you plan to modify the saw.  only problem I have with newer ones is the c-m models is the m-tronic system.  ive heard more bad then good about them.  plus im the type that done trust stuff like that.  I like to have control over how my stuff runs.  just like the automatic 2-cycle oil dispensers on boat motors and stuff.  I do away with those and mix my own gas.  I just find it hard to trust..  but that's just my opinion on the m-tronic system.  the 360 on up would be an upgrade as far as power and saw I think.

[JohnG28]

Our '73 Evinrude 85 had still been running well until my uncle straight gassed it a couple years back. SOB still runs, just not well.  :-\ Luckily he doesn't do any maintenance on our other boat with 4.3L V6.  : (I do!)