Chainsaw Repair

Husqvarna - Stihl - Poulan - Jonsered - Dolmar chainsaws and more => Poulan => Topic started by: rockfishon on March 14, 2015, 12:51:59 pm


Title: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: rockfishon on March 14, 2015, 12:51:59 pm
I have recently been troubleshooting why my saw would not run without the high and low needles turned way rich.  After much troubleshooting, I took the cylinder off with the 4 allen screws and found that the base gasket was ****.  I ordered a new gasket kit.  In the mean time I cleaned off the carbon and noticed some labels on the top of the piston.  "36" and "EXH  ->".  I purchased this saw new from a store and have never torn it down this far before.  Should this arrow next to EXH be pointing towards the exhaust port? 
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: 660magnum on March 14, 2015, 12:54:09 pm
yes
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: Cut4fun on March 14, 2015, 01:27:23 pm
If you ever run into a piston without markings ^ to help you.  Put the ring pin ( where rings come together)  to the rear toward intake side.
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: rockfishon on March 14, 2015, 01:39:33 pm
Ok.  So it was assembled incorrectly from the factory.  The split on the rings is on the exhaust side as well.  Is it hard to spin it around?  Does it damage anything running it backwards? Or should I just leave it be?
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: Cut4fun on March 14, 2015, 01:46:05 pm
Turn it around. You could hang the rings in exhaust and ruin it all.

Pull 1 circlip, take wrist pin out. Turn and put back on.

Unless you bought the saw new. Someone else could have put it in backwards. 
I see you bought new now. Sure they didnt redo the saw?
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: Cut4fun on March 14, 2015, 01:48:57 pm
Splits on the rings in the front like you say.  Is there a pin in the ring groove there too?   Pic?
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: Eccentric on March 14, 2015, 02:40:47 pm
This is interesting.
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: rockfishon on March 14, 2015, 03:45:54 pm
Trying to post pics.
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: 660magnum on March 14, 2015, 04:19:17 pm
It in there backwards alright
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: rockfishon on March 14, 2015, 04:42:36 pm
I took a look at the cylinder and it looks like the split int the ring clears the exhaust port.  I have never had it worked on and it was NEW when purchased.   How do you get that retaining ring out without bending it? 
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: 660magnum on March 14, 2015, 05:09:53 pm
The wrist pin retaining ring sets in a groove.

Pry it out with a ice pick just enough to clear the groove.

Don't let the ring go flying for it will be hard to find.
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: Cut4fun . on March 14, 2015, 05:17:22 pm
If the ring pin was on the side you were good since not in ext opening.  I have had a racesaw that ran a piston backwards before so it cleared external transfers etc.  But it wasnt located in the exhaust opening either.
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: 3000 FPS on March 14, 2015, 07:38:07 pm
Was there a small pin in the piston where the ring gap is at, I could not tell from the pictures.
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: rockfishon on March 14, 2015, 09:22:58 pm
Yes, the pin was right where the gap on the ring was.  Seems that it stops the ring from moving around the piston.  I will try to remove the clip and rotate the piston.  Is it ok to do this even though the piston and cylinder are broke in together and are now "matched"?
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: 660magnum on March 15, 2015, 06:05:18 am
They will re-break in when you turn them.
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: rockfishon on March 16, 2015, 07:25:34 pm
So during all of the carb testing and head removal  I noticed pressure in the gas tank.  Decided to replace the vent plug.  Only problem is I had to disassemble everything again to get to it.  Drilled a small pilot hole and put in a screw.  Popped right out.  The new one seems to just drop in and is loose.  If I was to turn the saw over it would fall out.  How do I get it to stay in place?  Any secrets?  Did I get the wrong part?
Title: Re: Poulan 3450 - cylinder, gasket and piston
Post by: Cut4fun on May 17, 2015, 10:00:49 am
I just had a 3450 come in with backwards piston. I wonder if ? or rebuilder did it. Being a 49 carb was in place of the bigger carb or maybe they had just replaced a bad carb. 

My piston was taken a beating though. Ring pin beat or wore to where the ring would do a 360 around piston now.


(http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g289/doemaster789/2171372BB372/3450x3-3.0%20008_zps7ndifkwd.jpg)