Chainsaw Repair

Cowroy sold this to me at a fair price, but I'm new to these saws, are the 5400 & 5200 cases a lot different in these areas?  I have never split one, but is the front area just hollow below the muffler?  I make a step piece out of aluminum & just bolt it on with some real good lock tite - maybe to redneck repair?  So far looking things over it will need new fuel lines & an air filter.  Seems like i read some where about a retro fit fitting with a small line in the tank & a jumbo line going to the carb or vice versa - where can I buy the bulk head fitting?  Aaron I apologize if you jump in a bunch on this one setting me straight, but hopefully at the end I can make this a runner in some fashion.  Thanks!

There are three different part #'s for the crankcase sets in this series.  They correspond to the three 'generatons' of these saws.  Part # 530010208 is for the 4200/5200 saws.   Part number 530010535 is for the 4400/4900/5200 saws.  Part # 530010748 is for the 6900/7700/8500 saws.   The $64,000 question (one that I cannot answer) is whether a case set from one of the first or second generation saws will work on that 8500 (or a 6900 or 7700)? 

Looks like the case set is available from Sears (Craftsman) for $230.  Double check the Part Number; 530010748.

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/part-number/10405/0071/358

As Sharkey stated, Sears shows the 530010748 crankcase (6900/7700/8500) being available from them...................................even though they never sold a Craftsman branded saw from that generation (or even the previous 4400/4900/5400 generation).  Would be VERY interesting to see if the case set they have is red (matching the Craftsman branded 4200/5200 saws), or green.  Gotta warn you though............I've ordered "in stock" Poulan parts from Sears......................only to have my CC FINALLY refunded 4 MONTHS later after bugging them over and over again about parts that never came.  They finally stated that the parts were NLA and gave me a refund.  Looking up those same parts on their site....................they're STILL listed as 'available', two years later....

They also show the crankcase for the first generation (4200/5200) saws (530010208) as being available.  That one DOES make sense, as Sears did sell 4200/5200 saws (Craftsman 4.2-24 and 5.2/30).  The Craftsman branded 4200/5200 saws that I've seen have all had the front rib in the case as mentioned by Roger.  That improvement was made sometime during the 4200/5200 production.

We're still stuck with the interchangeability question.  Air filters and top covers are different on the later saws, and the question is whether or not they can be used on the earlier crankcases.  Very early saws have a top cover that's held down by one central captured nut that threads onto a stud on a bracket atop the cylinder.  All saws after those have three screws that hold down the cover.  The early saws have 'guide' studs threaded into the corresponding screw holes in the cases...........and the cover just aligns on them.  When specifically talking early vs late 4200/5200 saws, changing hardware around does allow interchange between top cover styles. 

Dunno about the 6900/7700/8500 saws vs the earlier generations (when talking top covers).  I don't have any saws, crankcases, or top covers from those saws to swap around and compare.  I do have a 4900 and some 4200/5200 saws and parts, so I could do some comparison of the second generation saws vs the 4200/5200 saws.  The second generation saws used the same air filters as the first generation saws.

The other question of interchangeability is with the fuel tank/rear handle castings.  They do use the same AV buffers, but I don't know for certain (and can't compare since I don't have 3rd gen saws or parts) whether or not the late tanks can be used on earlier crankcases.  The second generation tanks are the same as the first generation tanks however.


As Roger stated, early 4200/5200 saws have a smooth oil tank face, while later 4200/5200 saws (and all later generations) have a reinforcing rib on the front.  My guess is that the # in the IPL's is for the 'updated' case.  I do find it interesting that the 2nd generation saws have a different crankcase set part number than either the first or third generation saws.  I'm going to look further into that since I do have first and second generation saws....

Good deal!

There were two different spike sets used on these saws.  One is larger than the other.  Mostly the bottom spike is extended forward and down in comparison to the 'small' spike.



530022112 is the smaller spike set.  This was standard on 4200 through 5400 saws.........and optional on the 6900/7700/8500.  They're a good useful spike.........but the saw will 'nose over' when the saw has a full-wrap handlebar and a 28" or longer B/C.  With a half-wrap handlebar they'd be just fine (especially with a 24-28" bar).




530025954 is the larger spike set (called the "heavy duty spur" by Poulan).  It was standard on the 6900/7700/8500 saws.......and optional on the 4200-5400 saws.  This spike set works best with full-wrap handlebars (and is pictured on a separate page along with the full-wrap handlebar in the IPL's).

Both spike sets are still available from Poulan for the time being.  They're also on feebay.  I need to get three of the HD spurs, as my 4900 has a full-wrap (with the small spur), and I have full-wraps for the 5200 I'm building and the 5.2 (Craftsman branded 5200) that I'm trading for.

This reminds me............I need to get back to bugging Nate (Metals406) about making his dawgs for this saw series.  I'm already bugging him to do so for some older Husqvarna models (266-272XP, 1100CD-2101XP, 181SE-288XP).

There are a few sellers on feebay that have those NOS Poulan branded Windsor and Oregon bars.