Stihl 880 mods

[Silverbackarb]

So I ran into some huge cottonwoods that are going to be an ongoing project. One base I cut this week was well over 6' across. I ran a 36" bar on the 441 and had to dice it up a couple times... Anyway as I have a lot more of these to do around a high end property I ordered an 880, from my readings I think I can replace the coil with one off a 441 and the saw will be unlimited? I plan on doing a coil swap, muffler mod and retune while this project is going. Then at the beginning of the year sending it off to be ported, am I correct in my thinking or dis I miss something a long the way?

 

[squisher]

I'll be interested to hear the responses. I just got a new 880 yesterday. My first. If you don't have one already I'd say you'll get a lot more use out of a 660. I have two and one's ported by Ed Heard, that saw isn't being gained on much by the 880 in 3' cottonwood rounds my employee and I were racing the two against each other at the end of the day today. A modded 660 is pretty hot.

I plan on doing a lot of milling with my 880 but also using it for felling/bucking on the pumpkins. I'm sort of on the fence about modding it?

 

[woodworkingboy]

On my milling 880 it seems to get hot, running wide open for an extended time. No alterations to it yet, or maybe I took out the screen. I might like the old 076 better, more torque or something.

 

[squisher]

My 880 only has a tank through it, but it seems to really heat up too while cutting cookies. Have you done a lot of milling with yours Jay?

 

[woodworkingboy]

I can't say a lot yet, Squish, a couple of large logs, probably getting around ten gas tank fulls run through by now. It sure sucks gas. I've been running it fairly rich. I suspect that your heat will lesson after break in, somewhat.

 

[squisher]

Yah I wondered if it was just giving that 'impression' because it was so new, like just burning off the bits of dust/oil that it may have shipped with.

It's sure satisfying to lean into. I tell yah, there's no replacement for displacement. I think this saw will pay for itself on bigger jobs, because I just have a mini to load wood out with, unless it's a real big job and we can hire in a truck or something. But at times there's some bucking so the mini can load trees out. I can see it saving a lot of time in that department.

 

[FireFighterZero]

That much fuel being burned in that small of a space is bound to generate a lot of heat. I would think that the heat would be normal, but I agree it should lessen as she breaks in. Sounds like a hell of a machine! My arms hurt just thinking about it!

 

[squisher]

It's a knuckle dragger for sure. But not bad once you've hoisted it around a bit.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Ya, with the mill on it is some weight. The first time I used my 880 when cutting a tree, the chain got hung up and I got thrown on my butt. The only time that has ever happened.

 

[HolmenTree]

Like Jim said it will produce less thermal heat when fully broke in. Lot of friction going on there with the cylinder smoothing out with the piston rings, crank bearings loosening up.
But this is a inboard clutch saw and it's surprising how much heat comes off the clutch drum when pulling a long b/c in big wood, and that heat is trapped inside right next to the crankcase under a cover that surrounds the drum.
I remember back in the late '80s at our Prince Albert Saskatchewn modified chainsaw speed cutting event my skidder operator bought a brand new 084 Stihl woods ported by Madsen's with a tuned exhaust pipe. He thought he was going to clean up, but my piped 064 Stihl put it to shame.
Even after he broke it in with about 10 tanks or more , it never really came on strong. Sometimes displacement is not always the answer....unless your lugging through BIG wood , which it's designed for.

I frequently use my out board clutched Husky 395XP-32" to noodle split oversized rounds to help out the firewooders when they haul my tree removal wood away. 395 is well broke in and has put my Stihl 090AV on the shelf.

 

[woodworkingboy]

When milling, I'm for taking off the sprocket cover and using a metal plate to hold the bar in place. I don't see it as much a safety factor. You get better chip/dust clearance, and now that Willard has pointed out about the inboard clutch, I suspect better heat relief as well. It was shown in Will Malloff's book, and easy to make. I use a wood block with metal inserts, but steel or aluminum is better, I think.

 

[Dave Shepard]

I used my 394XP for splitting big logs for the mill.

44" small end sycamore, 32" bar with RSLK chain. Square chisel rips well.

 

[Silverbackarb]

I have had a 660 and hated it. I've ran a ported and milled 660 and although it would spank a stock saw I'll take a 390 or 395 any day of the week over a 660. So I ordered a 41 and 59" bar with the 880, and a 441 coil hopefully fixing the limited part. But this winter I plan to send one 90cc and the 880 out for porting. Pretty much everything else I run is ported besides my top handles.

 

[HolmenTree]

Nice work Dave!
You can't beat square ground chisel bit chain for ripping.

Jay, I remove the side cover when I mill with my 090 too, gets rid of alot of sawdust fast and keeps things running cooler too, even though the 090 has a outboard clutch.
I just use flat washers under my bar nuts for spacers. Only if your bar's oil holes are drilled through boths rails would you need the bar pad.
All my bars have blind holes.

 

[HolmenTree]

I have had a 660 and hated it. I've ran a ported and milled 660 and although it would spank a stock saw I'll take a 390 or 395 any day of the week over a 660. So I ordered a 41 and 59" bar with the 880, and a 441 coil hopefully fixing the limited part. But this winter I plan to send one 90cc and the 880 out for porting. Pretty much everything else I run is ported besides my top handles.

Not sure if you have milling in store for the 880. But decide what type of mods you want to do.
Cookie speed cutting is one thing for a strong work saw but milling is another.

For big long cuts a governed saw does have a purpose to keep engine destroying heat at bay.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Willard, good point about the oil holes. mine go all the way through.

 

[squisher]

I have had a 660 and hated it. I've ran a ported and milled 660 and although it would spank a stock saw I'll take a 390 or 395 any day of the week over a 660. So I ordered a 41 and 59" bar with the 880, and a 441 coil hopefully fixing the limited part. But this winter I plan to send one 90cc and the 880 out for porting. Pretty much everything else I run is ported besides my top handles.

Ok I figured from your original post that maybe a 441 was your biggest saw, I'd have been running a 395 over that 441 in that giant wood for sure.

 

[flushcut]

3120 forever! My bad I just had to say it.

 

[Silverbackarb]

I usually would have used the 395 as well but I was in my "logging truck", an '84 Chevy dually with an 8,000 lb PTO winch dragging pines out from some hazard falls by cabins that day. I built a saw holder on the headache rack so I can carry two regular saws and two top handles. So I had the 441(flush mount handle) and the 460(3/4 wrap handle).
So to get closer to the ground I used the 441. I have a very wide variety of saws, I even have a 3120 that I've been battling with for four years. It will literally fill the crank with fuel if you shut it off and sit it down. I usually can figure out what's up with a saw but that thing just gives me one problem after another.

 

[Silverbackarb]

Not sure if you have milling in store for the 880. But decide what type of mods you want to do.
Cookie speed cutting is one thing for a strong work saw but milling is another.

For big long cuts a governed saw does have a purpose to keep engine destroying heat at bay.

No milling for this saw, I have an Alaskan mill but have never used it. Got it through a trade for taking some hangers out of a tree. But I don't plan on using this saw for much other than the large cottonwood and willows I run into here and there. In particular I have been stacking up jobs of properties with lots of cottonwoods that are all getting taken out. Just overgrown creek and ditch banks used for irrigating.

 

[Mick!]

Lots of good info here.
I hear what people are saying about the relative speed (or lack of it) of a 88 compared to a 66/395/288.
I have all these saws (unmodded btw)
When it comes to bucking (ringing up as we call it) big hardwood you cannot beat the 88. It's in it's element.
"No replacement for displacement" I like it!

 

[Al Smith]

If the thing is running hot on long cuts like milling it might help to fatten up the high speed jet just a tad bit .In addition to that a highly restrictive muffler doesn't help the cooling either .

 

[HolmenTree]

Good points Al. I remember there was a aluminum cast muffler available , can't remember if it was available for the 084, 088 or the 880 .
Maybe all 3 , open it's outlet up a little and with that good heat dissipating aluminum you'd have a winner.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Another thing about the heat is having a good cutting chain.

 

[HolmenTree]

So so true Jay. I take for granted my chain will always be sharp for the job at hand......
But what I've seen what others call sharp..........