Looking for a professional performance chainsaw engine builder for a STIHL

[kubitza123]

Looking for a shop that specializes in building high performance Stihl chainsaw engines. Looking to build a 066 or 460.

Anyone has any links or phone numbers or sites etc please let me know.

Also looking for a used 066.

Thanks Mark

[inspectorwoody]

Do you have a local Stihl Dealer?

Someone else will know for sure, but I think your better off price wise buying a saw than trying to build one from the ground up.

Unless your looking for a race saw or something.

[kubitza123]

race saw. I have the saw just need the work done to it

[Rocky_J]

I've had many saws built by several different builders. Some of them have been phenomenal saws that have far exceeded my expectations. But unfortunately the builders themselves have all proven to be less than reliable. Of the four different builders I've dealt with in the last 7 years:

1- Built me the two fastest, strongest saws I own, He also built 3-4 mediocre saws and two duds that were completely worthless. They all cost me the same and I never got a saw returned in less than 6 weeks. The last dud he built me it took 6 months to get it back, and I sold it for a several hundred dollar loss rather than strip it for parts, because it couldn't cut a 4" limb without bogging. He also refused to refund any money for his poor work. On the other hand, the two best saws he built me are now 6-7 years old and are still my two favorite saws.

2- Built me two mediocre saws. Both had carb issues but he fixed them, it just took time (on top of the 6-7 weeks to build the saws). I no longer own either saw. They weren't much better than stock with some muffler work.

3- Built one saw for me. It was ok, but his reputation was spoiled when he got drunk and disappeared for a couple years with about a dozen customer's saws. He's been out of the picture for several years now.

4- Built me 3 saws. Very high rpm and not as much torque as I would prefer. I wanted work saws, not cookie cutters. Of the three, I returned one within a month for a refund, sold one after owning it for 6 months, and the third is a very nice 372 that is my second strongest. This builder disappeared about a year ago, his website and forum are gone. He was also very slow in returning saws, 2 months for me and almost 5 months for a friend who I referred to him.

So there you have my sum total experience with saw builders. I can't really recommend one but wish you luck finding a good one. I am looking myself, and may have found one to build a saw for me this coming autumn. I can't really comment until after I get the saw built.

[Al_Smith]

I'm telling you what,it's not the rocket science many would lead you to believe it is .

Several builders and their peanut gallery of loyal fans would lead the general public into thinking they are the only ones that can tweek a saw.Nothing could be further from the truth .

I won't name any builders nor make comment other than I've seen good running saws done by many ,pro and amatuer alike .

[Rocky_J]

I won't name any builders nor make comment other than I've seen good running saws done by many ,pro and amateur alike .

That's kinda what I was alluding to, Al. I was just too long winded about it!  :D
And of course I won't name names. Anybody with some history on the forums probably has an idea of who has built my saws. I've always tried to be fair with my evaluations, highlighting both the positives and negatives. But I haven't had a saw built for me in almost 2 years and my check writing finger is getting twitchy.  :D

[Al_Smith]

 You hang in there long enough I'll have you the stuff you can do your own .

Find an old keeper that runs and go from there .Stihl,Dolmar Huskey,what ever has a removable cylinder .The make means very little they can all be enhanced some what .

I've been wrenching on saws for years but never did a port job until about 3-4 years ago and I'll tell you this ,everyone has been successfull . Then again I only do it for my own satisfaction so there in lies the diff between me and those with a peanut gallery . :D

[Cut4fun]

If you are looking for more then just woods ported saws like Rocky is talking about and want a racesaw built you might want to go to www.racesaws.com and read alot.

Do alot of searching and asking questions, because there are a lot of builders out there that give you half the performance for twice the price. Buyer Beware.

[kubitza123]

Thanks for the info guys. My friends saws plenty for what he does but ig uess he just wants something that stands out from the crowd you might saw. I was wondering if you can port the cy on these saws etc . I race a alcohol drag bike with a twin cy 2 stroke engine and the port work is everything on it. Beens its a 2 cycle as well was wondering if the cy can be ported etc and if so can the fuel system etc be made to work with it.

[Cut4fun]

Yes to all above, alcohol / nitromethane running saws  8) at above link in my last post.  I only have 3 of them, but I am working on the full set. 3ci, 4ci, Hotsaw, need  5,6,6+.

Then there is fast woods ported saws like  Rocky talks about that run on pump gas and can be used to work with all day.  There is also some woods porting inferior saws for big $$$, buyer beware.
As we are suggestion research and read  :P and you might end up doing the porting  yourself.

[jacob j.]

There's some highly intelligent and talented saw builders that 'fly under the radar', so to speak. These are guys that can build an awesome saw with a good blend of speed and torque and the machine is still reliable. If you poke around the various OPE forums you'll get an idea of who these guys are.

It's much like the little-known kart engine builders back in the day who were only known about via word-of-mouth.

[Al_Smith]

It's much like the little-known kart engine builders back in the day who were only known about via word-of-mouth.

--and I happen to know two of them personally . ;) One was in my apprenticeship class and at this very moment is trying to find me a 101 .