How is an 038 Mag

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  • #26
The 038 is a great saw, but superseded by the 044/440 etc. The anti-vibes etc are poor in comparison to more recent saws & I would look for a newer model if it was going to be run commercially

I lean toward less power, with less vibes, and less exhaust, generally.

I sorta need another smaller ground saw, maybe go Husky. Recommendations? A limber and smaller bucker.
 
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  • #28
I was thinking a bit lighter, like the husky 346xp's modern counterpart (maybe that's the 562, from reading another thread).

I've got a 361, 460, 660 now.
 
I know naaaathing about Huskys, not even the model numbers.
Running swedish saws is against my religion.
Why not just get another 361?
I certainly wouldn't buy a dinosaur to use for work ( Or for anything else, except Richard's youngest kid dreams of fitting one on a soapbox car)
 
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  • #30
I know naaaathing about Huskys, not even the model numbers.
Running swedish saws is against my religion.
Why not just get another 361?
I certainly wouldn't buy a dinosaur to use for work ( Or for anything else, except Richard's youngest kid dreams of fitting one on a soapbox car)


A groundie dinosaur saw might teach them to appreciate and care for better saws, and earn the ability to use them. There was an 038 for ~$200, asking price, that was 15 minutes away from me. That's closer than the Stihl Shop, and 1/3 as far as the Husky dealer I'd likely go to. I wouldn't likely use it, unless it was just handy. Right now, I'm spending on Comm units, helmets, AT, possibly employee health insurance for Erik, so I was thinking of a cheap extra saw. I'll keep looking for a lightly used saw, or buy new when the time's right.
 
The 562 is a great production saw & rips with a 18" .325 set-up - much bigger than the 346 though, the replacement of that is the 550xp. The only husky saws I would consider buying.( Don't forget your heated handles) :)
 
Moparmyway, I dug up the numbers on the 036 mod that went on the 034 case.

I can't exactly remember, it has been some years, but I think it has a domed piston on there and the original squish was .030 tapering down to .015 out at the edges. I removed the base gasket and trimmed .012 off the cylinder base. I removed .025 off the piston crown. Raised up the exhaust .031 Widened it to give a total of 63% of the bore. I think there is some variation in piston skirt widths on that model, and I have narrow skirt written down, so I was probably paying some attention to that when widening the exhaust. I took the upper transfers back up to stock and may have widened them, no note about that.

Intake opens at 81-BTDC, closes at 8O-ATDC Duration 161 degrees
Transfers open at 124-ATDC, close 125-BTDC Duration 121 degrees
Exhaust opens at 101-ATDC, closes at 101-BTDC Duration 153 degrees

Blowdown is 23 degrees.

Opened up the muffler.

It's been a great and powerful saw, and still running strong after a number of years. The torque is awesome, and it will kick back gnarly if you give it a chance.
 
Those numbers are very similar to what I have on my 044 !!
Any idea on what your cold compression is with that customized piston and combustion chamber ?
 
I'll have to check. I seem to recall testing it after it was assembled, and it being pretty high, maybe 175-180 psi, but the whole top end was new. Never checked again after it settled in. Curious to see what it is myself. Might have lost some psi by now.
 
Moparmyway, 175 psi dead cold. I think not bad for a saw that has been run quite hard at times over a number of years.
 
Sean, get a 562 and be prepared to abandon your other saws except for big wood. I'll bet you a hundred dollars you will decide it is the greatest saw you've ever owned. I'll go so far as to bet you'll feel that way before the first tank is empty.
 
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  • #37
I like the idea of a new saw, but have been laying out some cash on other gear. I would REALLY hate to give the new saw to the one 'third guy' I had helping, but a returning employee will be the new 'third guy' for big jobs. He can probably handle a new saw without busting it up. I don't really NEED another, but it wouldn't hurt either.
 
Moparmyway, 175 psi dead cold. I think not bad for a saw that has been run quite hard at times over a number of years.

NICE !!!!
My 044 is running 165 dead cold ......... I would imagine that they both run pretty well alike !

My 038 Mag hasnt been checked since I threw away my old compression tester, so I will clean her up this weekend and get a cold reading.
 
Do you really get a different reading when the valve is at the end that goes into the plug hole? Mine has it at the gauge. Mine is the cheapo from Bailey's, but I compared the readings with an expensive Snap-on belonging to a friend, and mine was only 5 psi under. His has the valve at the gauge as well.
 
Did you happen to take any pictures of the port shapes, maybe post them if you did ? I am a little confused when you say "Even at the top with the existing transfers they started out maybe 1/4" below the top of the transfers and kind of sawtoothed towards a tapered apex" ....... I looked at my NOS cylinder NIB and am not seeing any sawtooth ?? Did you gring in the steps ? Sorry I am just not following you there ...

Thanks for your help !!!!
Its so much easier getting someones perspective that already has a successfull platform for the 038 Mag !!!

I didn't have any pictures of the final outcome .These are pictures of the second time going in .They are the "rough in" not the finish.It's nothing extraordinary just typical stuff about everyone does in one form or another .

If you note the intake side of the upper transfers that was my reference to kind of a "sawtooth " shape .The final work was perhaps a quarter inch in farther towards the intake .
 

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There are usually 2 valves on a compression tester. One at the plug hole and one at the gauge. The one at the plug hole stops the compressed air from going back into the cylinder - so bleeding down does not occurr. The one at the gauge is to release pressure in the hose, due to the one at the plug keeping the pressure in the hose.

Are you sure yours does not have a valve at the screw in end that goes into the plug hole ?
 
Thanks Al !!
I see what you are referencing now.
Nice work on the exhaust ...... did you do that by eye, or did you take painstaking measurements ?
 
I don't know, maybe something internal. It just looks like a screw fitting. As you describe though, maybe there is one, because the pressure remains pretty much constant at the high point. I always figured that the pressure release at the gauge was the valve that kept the air from bleeding back. Not sure how it works.
 
Thanks Al !!
I see what you are referencing now.
Nice work on the exhaust ...... did you do that by eye, or did you take painstaking measurements ?
I had the width of around 60 some percent of the bore and knew the time which was 96 degrees past top dead center .The shape is just eyeballed .
 
Thanks Al !!
Thats about how I did my 044, got a close to 60% width and eyeballed the rest, 99 on exhaust and 115 on the transferrs
 
I've got a mint 038 Mag II that the inside of the fuel tank is stained about halfway up. It looks like it had rusty water in it for ten years.

Al, do you know of any way to clean that up? Aside from that, the saw looks new.
 
Randy, what about white vinegar? Not sure if it would do the trick, but is a known cleaner for stains. Some people recommend a little baking soda added to vinegar as a stain remover. The file thread had me looking up vinegar.
 
Muratic acid might do it .Being a Mag II it would be a plastic tank /handle .I don't know how mild acid would affect the plastic .I'd probabley try the vinegar first .

There is some stuff called CLR which is good for cleaning up lime, rust etc .I've ran it through the Bunn coffee maker and didn't hurt anything .Fact just last week I soaked the screens for the water inlets of the clothes washer in it too which are plastic .No problems .
 
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