Had to buy 038 super

[chipsfly09]

I found that I did not have a single Stihl saw in my collection after giving my 031s to family members-- Found 038 super in pawn shop for $100-- No, I would not have bought it but I took it outside and it started on the first pull-- I (thought) I put the choke on pulled and bingo-- (new chain on it too).  When my excited self got home and I started tinkering with it I found the choke butterfly was missing-- Shaft was there with little hole in the middle-- black tape was wrapped around the end of the shaft to keep it from falling out..  My inexperienced stihl mechanic said he thought this carb was choked like the 031 with the tab on the air filter--I don't think this is the case but I would like to find a way to choke this saw w/o taking  off the back cover and putting my finger over the carb.  The saw runs and oils great and I have run a tank of fuel through  it-- had to richen up the H speed and clean air filter-- Not super cold in NC so I could choke it by pulling the air filter each time-- putting it back together and just running it--A Used 038 was my first saw in 1981-- My dad still uses it-- had to have me one!

[Al_Smith]

 :D Well as it turns out your good old Stihl saw wrencher was correct .The 038's had the choke as part of their air filter .Why in the world Stihl ever did this nobody can say other than Stihl being Stihl .They just can't help themselves at times .

The choke is activated by the lever on the side which also is the kill switch mechanism . I doubt any other filter would fit but in case that one is screwed up,Baileys sell after market  filters for that saw which I only assume contains the entire mechanism including the choke .

Before you get flustered  with it ,fiddle around with it,sometimes the filter halfs aren't together or  aren't completely seated on the carb and activating lever and won't close completely .

[chipsfly09]

Thanks- if that is the case it should be a pretty simple fix-- I was sweating my 100$ a bit
Chris

[Al_Smith]

Shaft was there with little hole in the middle-- black tape was wrapped around the end of the shaft to keep it from falling out..    

Aha,the plot thickens said Sherlock Holmes to Dr. Watson .

My dear Watson said the master slouth,that saw orignally had either an HK -42 Tillotson or a Bing and neither that was made for that saw had a choke shaft on them .

The obvious conclusion  Watson is that some rascal has replaced the carb which was most likely a Bing they couldn't find parts for . Case closed,rather elementary . :D

[chipsfly09]

I did some fiddling-- The strange piece of wire floating around in the case under the carb was an attempt to put the two halves together so the plastic choke flipper would work.  Amazingly everything snapped back together and the plastic choke appears to be working.  The carb on the saw may be a replacement and I would swear i read tillitson on it somewhere= Maybe I imagined that-- in any case, the saw appears to be running great and I put another tank through it just to be sure.  Maybe someday we can talk about the "quick stop"chain brake which has been disabled-- obviously the plastic handle was broken off-- it appears that the metal lever (that the remaining plastic clings to)is in the forward position as if the brake is on- It is bottomed out on the front of the stop on the case and It has strong spring tension on it.  Perhaps the band has been removed?  The old 038 i used to run did not have a chain brake.  Anyway I am embarrased enough to have been duped by the choke caper- I never looked at the choke mechanism on the old saw which means I must not have checked the filter---ever----   Thanks for the help

[Al_Smith]

If it's just the handle I doubt that item would be hard to find as I think they interchange between the 038,038 super , 038 Mag and MagII .

If it's got spring tension on it I would imagine the band might still be intact .

[joe_indi]

If it's just the handle I doubt that item would be hard to find as I think they interchange between the 038,038 super , 038 Mag and MagII .

And the current 1119 series model the MS381.
It may not be available in your part of the woods, probably available south of the border or any South American country.
There are also plenty of knock-off artists in China churning out 038s . Several of their parts could also be used.Avoid their carburators (Jungo or Jingo , something like that) and their oil pumps.

Joe

[chipsfly09]

Sounds like more good news-- Thanks

[Al_Smith]

I'll be darned if you didn't bring up the subject of an 038 that I didn't just get one into repair .

Sitting in a box as I arrived home today was an 038 Mag that is an oil leaker .Uncanny I tell ya .

[wannabeonetoo]

SOOOOO....Al,are you just going to repair the leak ? or can you resist the temptation to work some "magic" on it ?
Just kidding ya Al.  ;)
Steve

[Al_Smith]

 :D No magic .I had rebuilt this one several years ago for a tree trimmer . .

The thing had literally grenaded the piston . It ran very well after the rebuild but the only thing I had done to it was install a thinner base gasket to it and enlarged the muffler hole, no mods .
To testify as to how robust an 038 is ,this one has seen something like 18 years of service for tree company,that says a lot .

[James P.]

hi all, I have an 038 av , had a rope between tank handle and crankcase. All vibration mounts were torn. Handle broken , . I have 5 028s , 2 parts 3 run. rubber mounts all the same . Handle fits but its a lower profile and 1 bottom screw whole didn't line up. But its snug . I really like the saw. Not sure about newer chainsaws but stihl cutoff saws aren't built as well as the older models.  making things cheaper IMO.
James P

[Al_Smith]

The 038 AV's were famous for breaking the handle .That model used a cast aluminum handle . The supers and mags went to a thermal high impact plastic handle which is much better .That handle is around 190 bucks new.

It's not my saw but running one without the mounts intact is a good way to ruin it .Eventually the boot will become torn,the engine suck air and lean sieze turning it into a 14 pound door stop or anchor for a small row boat .

[James P.]

Hi Al I should have stated replaced all mounts.  I care about my saws, I wouldn't actually own it though if the guy before had care too. I search dirty aluminum pile at the junk yard atleast once a week. Find saw parts . Found an 015 couple weeks ago. 50cents a lb cost me 6 dollars. carb adjustment and runs great. Could use a chain soon, gave her, her last filing.
James

[Al_Smith]

Well you just never know what might pop up at a junk yard or in a dumpster or at a garage sale . A guy brought me a perfectly good Mac 700 that was missing part of the recall ,dumpster found .About a half hour of tinkering,ran like a charm .

My buddy found a perfectly good 026 Stihl ,garage sale special,25 bucks,funky carb .I rebuilt the carb for him on my coffee break . Just last Mon.I got an inexpesive Skil ,older little saw for ten,new chain  .Runs like a charm .

[James P.]

Al , hard to know what people are thinking. They must of not been the original owner . I have a feeling at the scrap yard they are garage cleanouts and they just don't know the value. Cause they are only getting 6 cents a lb for irony aluminum so figure a heavy saw at 25lbs and they got a 1.50. Sad . That said most small engine shops will tell you alot of saws aren't worth fixing. Well they are, you just have to do it yourself. Good luck finding more saws. James