More air

[Raj]

I've searched here and google with no results.

Question. Would opening up an air filter cover on a Stihl give good results? I'm looking at my 088 that I use for milling.

 

[Bermy]

I wouldn't open up the intake side, surely it would allow more dust in....work on a muffler mod.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Common for timber fallers to put big oversized filters on saws. Some just a little bigger and you buy an oversized cover, some so big that no cover fits over it.

The latter defeats any built in system to funnel clean air to the air box. That just means more frequent cleaning of the filter.

 

[Bermy]

The key being there is still a filter...

 

[Raj]

Yup. That's why I was wondering if opening up the air filter cover a bit would be ok, since the 088 is my milling saw.

 

[rbtree]

I've seen it done on non air-injected saws, so yes, do it.

 

[CoreyYLTG]

I don't know if I would on a sawmill saw. Milling makes more dust than chips, and I think you might reduce the surface area of the filter faster than if you had let it be. Then again that plastic cover is pretty cheap so if you try it and it doesn't work it wouldn't be hard to go back. Also Maxflow air intakes come with all the parts to run without the cover. But again those air filters need to be oiled and milling is dusty work.

 

[Raj]

Food for thought.

I'll start by keeping both the winter and summer shutters open.

Once I get close to the ground it sure plugs up with dust quick!

 

[SeanKroll]

I'd try to set up a shop-vac for milling, in any case.

 

[Magnus]

If you open winter shutter it will run on hot air. Not good.
There is a reason for having shutter, heat wall air guides etc.

 

[Magnus]

When running saws like this its a lot better to not run them hot.
Try to make them better with mods in covers etc is not nearly as effective as learning how to not run them hot.
If they do, best way to cool them is running without load. just flip throttle up and down in rpm. NO Idle...

 

[Raj]

Interesting! Thanks.

Edit: Would an elbow to mount an air filter up and away from the saw give good results when milling?

 

[MasterBlaster]

What's wrong with idling, Magnus?

 

[Raj]

The yellow arrow is where a majority of air gets sucked up, and dust when milling close to the ground. Would the white holes (pointed by white arrow) be a good idea?

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm no xpert but it seems like that would let a lot of crap get inside.

 

[Raj]

Hmmm.

As it is now, filter and housing get plugged, packed solid, when I mill close to the ground. I can reduce it by sweeping or shovelling the saw dust off the ground.

 

[Altissimus]

I have pondered the predicament over a Beer. Answer is a dust control system like we had in the mill I worked at. Something smaller and functional to match your waste output. Less Dust will mean More Air w out even touching the saw.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Or at the very least a strategically placed blower idling...

 

[Raj]

Blowers and dust collectors are good ideas, electricity is sometimes not there. Some places are so small, like todays, that the saw was just about spitting saw dust in the neighbour's yard!

 

[SeanKroll]

Tarps make dust and chip clean-up fast and easy.

My old, hand-held stihl blower br65 or something has a leaf-shredder attachment, a plastic intake tube that fastens onto the air intake, shredder is built into the fan, with the output of shredded leaves going to an easy-attach-bag to the blower-output tube that usually blows air.

 

[treebilly]

Peter, just an idea running through my tiny brain at the moment, how close are you to Deevo (Devon)?

 

[Raj]

I think a couple hours away.

I like ideas.....

 

[treebilly]

Hoping you were closer. I meet up with him a few times a year. Can save a lot on shipping that way. Feel like fabbing another mill?

 

[Raj]

Hmmm... What size bar? For your 088?

 

[Magnus]

What's wrong with idling, Magnus?

Idle on a saw that is too hot is not good as its generating way more heat than airflow around cylinder can remove.
That and a low flow of fuel air mix/oil/cooling inside engine will make it get even hotter the first minut of idle.

Better is to flip throttle without load a few times. 5-10 depending on heat and size.

Don't take my word for it... Get a temp guage and look for yourself. Testing is what I do to find out if something work better than something else.