Chainsaw Repair

I was given a Partner/Husqvarna K950 that was not running. PC in great shape, no scoring. Located a small air leak bellow the intake boot at base of cylinder were the crankcase gasket is. During tear down I realized that the flywheel was missing the relating nut. Upon closer inspection the threads on the crankcase were completely stripped.

What's the consensus on cutting new threads on the crank. It was originally M8x1, I measure the OD of the of the crank case threads and it was 7.67mm. I'm thinking about converting it to a 5/16-18 pitch. Any thoughts or experiences are appreciated. Does the k950 share a common crank with another saw? All the OEM complete replacements were $267.00 including bearings. I'm going to either cut the threads or replace crank when I split the cases.

Thanks
 

There is a good chance that the area of the crank where the threads are is hardened and you may not be able to cut threads with your average consumer quality tap and die set. But the only way to find out is give it a try. You aren't any worse off if you are unsuccessful. You would still have to buy a replacement crankshaft at that point anyway.

I'm gonna try cutting new threads. I will definitely have to order a new die set. Currently using a cheap Allied set, no good for this deal. Thanks again