Stihl 290 Question

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freeburn

freeburn

Feeling the Heat
Jan 5, 2008
391
USA
There is a Stihl 290 for sale for $100 near me, and the guy said that he put gas instead of mix in it. The compression is bad now. Is that worth it? If so, what needs to be fixed? New piston? bored cyl? Is it worth it?
 
Bigg_Redd said:
Buy the time you get a new piston and ring in it you're better off finding a $200-$250 290 in good working order.
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+1
 
Offer him fifty bucks for it if the rest of the saw is in very good shape. Go on E-bay and buy yourself a piston and cylinder, it will cost you right about $80. Changing it is about 4-bolts harder than changing a spark-plug and shouldn't take you over 30 minutes if you have any mechanical ability worth mentioning - there are no special tricks to it. It is a very easy fix and you can buy awfully nice saws all day long that people have done this to.
 
Kong said:
Offer him fifty bucks for it if the rest of the saw is in very good shape. Go on E-bay and buy yourself a piston and cylinder, it will cost you right about $80. Changing it is about 4-bolts harder than changing a spark-plug and shouldn't take you over 30 minutes if you have any mechanical ability worth mentioning - there are no special tricks to it. It is a very easy fix and you can buy awfully nice saws all day long that people have done this to.
Click to expand...

Since the topic here is MS290, I willn't be to far O.T.

Kong in your signature I see your 290 is GONE?

Do you have MS 660 Fever!!
 
I sold the 029 on E-bay about two weeks ago. It brought just a little over $180 and I put a flat rate $23 shipping cost on it. The guy got a good saw at a good price. I also tossed in all the .063/.325 bars and chains I had left - so he got the saw, two 20" bars, a couple of 18" bars, and half a dozen chains with it too.

We just didn't use the saw much. I always thought it was underpowered with a 20" bar on it and the 026 handled an 18" bar just fine, so when I got the 361 there just wasn't any reason at all to keep it. Oh, my son cuts wood with me much of the time, so we generally have two saws running. That works well when one of us gets pinched and of couse we can make short work of just about any tree that grows around here. Anyway, I use the smaller saw most of the time now days (I'm in my 60's) and my son really likes the 361, so there just wasn't any need for the middle saw.

Oh, and I' mentioned this in other posts, I also switched the 026 over to 3/8" chain (16" bar) and just love it, and of course the 361 uses the larger chain - and that is why I got rid of all the .325 stuff.
 
Kong said:
I sold the 029 on E-bay about two weeks ago. It brought just a little over $180 and I put a flat rate $23 shipping cost on it. The guy got a good saw at a good price. I also tossed in all the .063/.325 bars and chains I had left - so he got the saw, two 20" bars, a couple of 18" bars, and half a dozen chains with it too.

We just didn't use the saw much. I always thought it was underpowered with a 20" bar on it and the 026 handled an 18" bar just fine, so when I got the 361 there just wasn't any reason at all to keep it. Oh, my son cuts wood with me much of the time, so we generally have two saws running. That works well when one of us gets pinched and of couse we can make short work of just about any tree that grows around here. Anyway, I use the smaller saw most of the time now days (I'm in my 60's) and my son really likes the 361, so there just wasn't any need for the middle saw.

Oh, and I' mentioned this in other posts, I also switched the 026 over to 3/8" chain (16" bar) and just love it, and of course the 361 uses the larger chain - and that is why I got rid of all the .325 stuff.
Click to expand...

To me after running the 361 the 260 just wasnt worth it I ran the 16in. 3/8 as well on the 260 just really dont like the 260 at all after smokin fast speeds with the 361,and 460.
 
I'm just shocked nobody mentioned that this is your opportunity to make this saw a MS390. With a new piston and cylinder anyway, you could just install the 310 or 390 components. Now your 100$ MS290 just became a 500$ MS390.

Am I wrong? I am fairly certain that the MS290/310/390 are the same saw with different cyl/piston combos. Just like the dolmar 6400/7300/7900.
 
Highbeam, there is no after market piston and cylinder for the 390 so you are stuck with OEM. The price tag is not good. In theory you could find a good used OEM, but there are a lot of people out there who would love to make a blown 290 a 390.
 
I have a 290 that Has a couple of cosmetic issues, I'd buy it for parts for 50.00 if it is close to me - but not worth it if I have to pay much shipping.
 
Highbeam said:
I'm just shocked nobody mentioned that this is your opportunity to make this saw a MS390. With a new piston and cylinder anyway, you could just install the 310 or 390 components. Now your 100$ MS290 just became a 500$ MS390.

Am I wrong? I am fairly certain that the MS290/310/390 are the same saw with different cyl/piston combos. Just like the dolmar 6400/7300/7900.
Click to expand...

I have not heard of anything yet that would work like that on the stihls
 
He's right in theory a 310/390 P/C will bolt right on........ the problem is there is no after market.
 
HittinSteel said:
He's right in theory a 310/390 P/C will bolt right on........ the problem is there is no after market.
Click to expand...

will a 290 bolt on to a oem 390?
 
That is my understanding..... since the only difference on those saws is piston and cylinder size. The pistons of the different saws will obviously not fit unless you have the matching cylinder though.
 
HittinSteel said:
That is my understanding..... since the only difference on those saws is piston and cylinder size. The pistons of the different saws will obviously not fit unless you have the matching cylinder though.
Click to expand...

yep I knew you would need the whole jug very interesting, so there could be some sleeper 290 out there...
 
Exactly, if you want to pay the piper........think I was reading recently that Baily's is working on an aftermarket 390 P/C. Watch out picking fights with what appears to "just" be a 290, never know what might be under the hood. hahahaha
 
HittinSteel said:
Exactly, if you want to pay the piper........think I was reading recently that Baily's is working on an aftermarket 390 P/C. Watch out picking fights with what appears to "just" be a 290, never know what might be under the hood. hahahaha
Click to expand...

lol thats what I was thinking and a couple 50.00 saws could be enough to pull it off....
 
I also forgot to mention the old carb will need a new main jet to make up for the increased need of the larger P/C
 
HittinSteel said:
I also forgot to mention the old carb will need a new main jet to make up for the increased need of the larger P/C
Click to expand...

how about just using the 390 carb
 
If you have the 390 carb that would be ideal...... if memory serves me right the new jet is less than $5
 
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