Should I remove my spark arrestors?

[Timberwerks]

I do not live in a dry climate and I do not cut in heavy wooded areas. If I remove them will I need to adjust the carbs?

Dale

[SasquatchMan]

Why do you want to remove em?  I don't think the spark arrestor is robbing you of 4 hp.  Have you opened up the rest of the muffler?  

[Timberwerks]

No, the mufflers are all stock. I'm not looking for more power I'm just curious as to what effect if any, removing the arrestors would have. Would the saw benifit from removing them?

Dale

[SasquatchMan]

Not a saw builder, but my understanding is that the spark arrestor really doesn't cause a lot of back-pressure... but naturally, it will cause some.  I can't imagine the saw benefitting in any real way... I'm sure others will chime in here.

[Dean Hylton]

It will help a little, but not as much as a guy thinks. taking the box out inside the muffler helps more but also increases the noise level.  I have seen several guys take the box out and then drill holes in the front to open them up. I have a muffler off of a junk saw that a guy drilled 2  -  1/2" holes and then put sceen back over the holes to open it up but keep crap out. The biggest problem with the arrestor screens is keeping them clean and not allowing the carbon to build up on them. every once in a while pull the front off and pull the screen out and clean or replace if needed. a lot of guys like your self do not see the real need and just pull them. It helps but like I said if I were going to do anything I would start with the interior box first.

[Timberwerks]

I'm going to leave the arrestors in and keep them clean. After looking at the muffler I would be afraid that dirt would find it's way in where the arrestor was. I use air to blow my saws off after use so it would be easy to get something blown in there by accident.

Dale

[Tillaway]

The problem with pulling spark arrestors in the NW is that this can get you a ticket.  They are required out here during fire season.  No arrestor and you start a fire, you get the bill.  The one I was just on will get the landowner (insurance co. hopefully) a bill for 5.7 million at last count for suppression costs.  Thats not counting the potential law suits from the nieghbors.

[SasquatchMan]

Yeah there's a stipulation about stock muffler and spark arrestors out here too with the firewood permits...

[Kevin]

I had a modified muffler made for my Husqvarna 335 without the screen because it was continually plugging up and I couldn't keep the rpm up.
I kept the stock muffler with the screen.
My other saws don't seem to have this problem of carbon build up on the screen.

[scottr]

Dale , I have noticed that the smaller screens that are mounted next to the baffles clog where as the larger screens that are mounted away from the baffles do not clog . My two smaller screen saws don't perform as well when the screens carbon up and the larger saws with the larger more open screens don't carbon up . Scott