Considering port work on Stihl 362

[dsroten]

I've got a Stihl 362 that has been a decent saw, but just lacks a little power it seems.  I guess when I got my 660 it really made the 362 seem like a slug but I know that isnt fair.  

At any rate, I've been considering shipping off my 362 for a woods porting, but am wondering if its gonna be worth the cost, or would I be better off to trade it off and pick up a 440/460/461 something in that size range.  I use it mostly for bucking logs at landing but it backs up my 660 as stump saw from time to time. 

Anybody have a experiences that might help me decide?

[teakwood]

The 462 would fit you well, powerful and light, pricey though. 
 How much is porting for one saw?

How about a muffler mod on the 362?

[dsroten]

I think 350-400 for port work.  I'm trying to decide whether to do it or take that money plus my saw and trade for a new one

[teakwood]

That would definitively be too much for me to invest in a 60cc saw. i don't think the gain of power will be worth it on a mid size saw.

[mike_belben]

Thats an expensive port job for whats involved.

[Mad Professor]

Is it EPA carby or M-Tronic?

The early 362s I saw were a clusterf#2# carb setup, and M-Tronic you are going to need a dealer to recalibrate.

Besides that, I felt the 362 felt like a big fat box with a bar and handle, compared with a 036 or 361.

If you can tune it, what about opening up the exhaust and setting the squish? Might be best bang for the $$$

[ehp]

362 port well , done lots of them . The Mtronic will set itself . If it was me I would go up a size and get a new 461 or 462 . The 461 is heavier than the 462 but does have abit more torque . The 462 is nicer to run thou falling timber all day

[Mad Professor]

This came up recently on another website/forum.

M-tronic will "reset" itself.  But you need dealer software to tweak it for modded saws to be at their best.

I'll stick with my good ole BLC (before limiter cap) saws, they tune up fine with a screwdriver they came with......unless a monkey is twisting the screwdriver.......

[lxskllr]

unless a monkey is twisting the screwdriver.......

That's me!  :^D
I like Mtronic. I don't have to worry if I'm killing my saw through ineptitude.

[Mad Professor]

I guess I like old technology that still works.

I have a 39 9N ford that will brushhog fields all day on a 7-gal tank of gas, and what's in the toolbox/lunchbox will fix almost all that can go wrong. Paid $1200 for that in 1988, came with: tire chains, scraper blade, 2-bottom plow, lift bucket, 3-ph attachments. Still + ground 6V that starts in Oo F winter and plows the driveway.

A new 90cc saw costs near that, and won't last near as long.

[lxskllr]

I guess I like old technology that still works.

I have a 39 9N ford that will brushhog fields all day on a 7-gal tank of gas, and what's in the toolbox/lunchbox will fix almost all that can go wrong. Paid $1200 for that in 1988, came with: tire chains, scraper blade, 2-bottom plow, lift bucket, 3-ph attachments. Still + ground 6V that starts in Oo F winter and plows the driveway.

A new 90cc saw costs near that, and won't last near as long.

I can appreciate all of that. I don't like being dependent on anyone, and like the /ability/ to fix things myself, whether I choose to do so or not. My position on life is with enough time and money, I can do anything that doesn't violate physics. OTOH, I lack confidence, and don't have people around I can learn from in person. I also don't enjoy mechanical work. I can do a lot of stuff with cars with regards to keeping them going, but most of the time choose not to. I really don't miss the bad old days of carburetted vehicles. I'm more qualified to fix them, but they broke more, and I'd be spending more time fixing them. Modern vehicles, I just operate. When they infrequently break down, I send them to the shop.
As I wrote in another thread, what I like doing is cutting wood. I don't care much about the hardware, as long as it gets me doing what I want, which is cutting wood. I'm still really new to the chainsaw world, and by extension, electronically controlled saws, but if Mtronic holds up over time, I'm relatively cool with sending it to the shop every once in awhile.
Really, it probably boils down to a philosophical issue. Some people enjoy the gear, and keeping it going and/or lack the funds to buy modern gear that Just Works™(til it doesn't :^P ). Others want to work on their primary job, and don't feel like screwing with gear to do their primary job. For the OP, I personally wouldn't throw hundreds of $ at a used saw. I'd be more inclined to go with the 462cm, or whatever saw he thinks will give the joy he expects. ~$400 is a whole new saw. I wouldn't like dumping that into the saw I already had.

[dsroten]

I played around and opened up exhaust a little today and gave a little tune.  Sounds better.  I'll put it in some wood in a few days and see.  I'm leaning towards an upgrade if I'm not satisfied. 

[ehp]

its just going to reset itself again anyways , ported lots to what most call race saws but I do not cause its on gas and after 10 to 15 seconds it sets itself and your good to go . I myself prefer a carb that I can set but the Mtronic works ok 

[ehp]

a woods ported 362 will out cut either the 460 or 461/462 up to the 24 inch bar limit in big hardwood . So get a 461 and have some one good port that, you will leave the 660 in the truck or use it to buck logs up and the 461 has a carb on it

[teakwood]

a woods ported 362 will out cut either the 460 or 461/462

Really!?  interesting to hear, i have never run a ported saw, just muffler mods and that already helps. Would love to try one out some day.  By how many % does the engine livetime suffers on a ported saw? and how much % of power do you gain compared to a stock saw (i am referring to a normal ported saw for professional use which holds up, not a race saw. 
Muffler mods i guess are around 10-15% gain of power.

[Mad Professor]

a woods ported 362 will out cut either the 460 or 461/462 up to the 24 inch bar limit in big hardwood . So get a 461 and have some one good port that, you will leave the 660 in the truck or use it to buck logs up and the 461 has a carb on it

I'd like to see that 362 in 24" oak/ash/maple/beech vs a 460 with an 8-pin on the 460 w/rakers set correctly.
You think a ported 362 will handle 24" bar with an 8-pin?  Maybe so, wouldn't lean on it.  If not the 460 is going to smoke it.
Another question? How does a 362 feel, compared to an 036 or 361?  In your hands cutting.  Squishy springy AV some like, but how about having a big fat box with a bar and handle? 
Not like an 036 , and I like my 038Ms.......
Better yet, get an 064, light and nimble like an 036.  Port that or do an OEM 066 P/C.  What Holmen did with his 064 was one of the best I've seen, I wish I had time/$$$ for.  That thread has given me direction and ideas.
I've got a decent 064.......NOS/OEM P/C, 25" ES/RS B/C, HD filter, but not time/funds to deal with now. 
To be truthful, I think original poster has CAD (chainsaw addiction syndrome).  Keep the 362 and the 660. Make both run best as possible.
Then get another 70-80 cc saw mod that, then a little baby limber (020T?), and a bigger beast (open to that....).............

[ehp]

a ported 362 will out cut a stock 460/461/462 in hardwood pretty easy , I log and cut mainly bigger hardwood , 24 inch up to 36 inch is pretty common , on some jobs we get in the 48 inch range in oak and some maple . You have to see how your oiler works as that is the biggest draw back with the smaller cc saws and longer bars . My 562 husky likes 22 inch if Im cutting white oak which seems to be the hardest wood on bar oil, red maple or softer woods you can run a longer bar with no trouble . . 362 makes a good strong woodsport saw . Saw makes good torque which you need to cut hardwood , A woods ported 361 is faster in smaller wood but not in bigger wood . I cut for over 2 years with just a 562 in big hardwood , I figured I cut about 2.5 million feet with that saw and I just built myself another 562 with heated handles . 562 is not the fastest saw I own but sure is a lot lighter to carry on 45 degree slopes . I got a new 362 mtronic but have not ported it yet . I got to keep a few saws quiet as my landings sometimes are near houses and I do not want to pith any one close off with the noise , we ran a test using a 28 inch bar on all 3 saws , a 395, a 372 xt and the older 562 in red oak that the bar would just makes it threw, 395 was the fastest but just by a touch over the 562 , the 372 was a long long ways behind

[ehp]

I do not run a 8 pin gear on any of my 70's cc saws . We have tested that tons of times and video tape it lots to show people that what they think is going on is not . Even using a 20 inch bar on a 372 if you file your chain proper the 7 pin will always out cut the 8 pin if cutting hardwood like hard maple or oak . Im not talking a brandnew chain out of the box cause they do not cut and you will not see me falling timber with something unfiled , I gain a lot just filing the chain to make it cut .

[dsroten]

To be truthful, I think original poster has CAD (chainsaw addiction syndrome).  Keep the 362 and the 660. Make both run best as possible.
Then get another 70-80 cc saw mod that, then a little baby limber (020T?), and a bigger beast (open to that....).............

I wont deny that I like saws.  And I have thought about just buying a new 460 ish size saw.  But that's money I dont really need to spend and I have little use for a saw that's gonna sit in shed.  I have a 260 pro I use as a limber to go with the other two.  So I have little medium and fairly big.  
I got some poplar to cut tomorrow, so I'll take out the 362 and try it out post muff mod.  Maybe I'll blunder into a used 461 somewhere.  

[Mad Professor]

a ported 362 will out cut a stock 460/461/462 in hardwood pretty easy , I log and cut mainly bigger hardwood , 24 inch up to 36 inch is pretty common , on some jobs we get in the 48 inch range in oak and some maple . You have to see how your oiler works as that is the biggest draw back with the smaller cc saws and longer bars . My 562 husky likes 22 inch if Im cutting white oak which seems to be the hardest wood on bar oil, red maple or softer woods you can run a longer bar with no trouble . . 362 makes a good strong woodsport saw . Saw makes good torque which you need to cut hardwood , A woods ported 361 is faster in smaller wood but not in bigger wood . I cut for over 2 years with just a 562 in big hardwood , I figured I cut about 2.5 million feet with that saw and I just built myself another 562 with heated handles . 562 is not the fastest saw I own but sure is a lot lighter to carry on 45 degree slopes . I got a new 362 mtronic but have not ported it yet . I got to keep a few saws quiet as my landings sometimes are near houses and I do not want to pith any one close off with the noise , we ran a test using a 28 inch bar on all 3 saws , a 395, a 372 xt and the older 562 in red oak that the bar would just makes it threw, 395 was the fastest but just by a touch over the 562 , the 372 was a long long ways behind

I beg to differ an you're a huskyVarmint person.
I have a bunch of stihl 038s made into quick 038M, all are faster w/8-pin. My 036s won't do that.
Yes, I'm the first one who made a 038 into a 038M, many many years ago...........