Spotted this CL ad and for once actualy trolling CL paid off.
Sent a message, was second in line for it, someone else was offering above asking price, but I told him I'd take it immediately for asking price and he just wanted to be done with it.
Met the guy, got the saw and put it on the bench on Friday night.
Its a 2007 346XP OE, original owner wrecked the original P&C and gave it to this guy who bought a kit and swapped out the P&C, looks like a 50cc so its been upgraded to the bigger motor. He said he just couldn't get it to run, but it would pop and start for a second. I suspect it was straight gassed as the intake side of both P&C are seriously scored, but the exhaust side is shiny and smooth.
Gave it a couple test pulls, seems to have good compression, decomp works properly, the linkage is all hooked up ok too it seems. Dumped the gas in the tnak out and put some fresh stuff in and gave it a few pulls, wouldn't pop when trying the mfr recommended start, but when I turned off the choke and applied full throttle it popped once and dies. Took the plug out and it was dripping wet, flipped the saw over and a few drops of fuel came out of the cylinder so I let it sit upside down for a few hours to drain the cylinder.
Plug is a little dirty, but in good shape. I checked the gap and it was over .040, mfr says .020 so I regapped it.
Comparing the fuel lines and other setup between the 346 and my 359 I see the 359 has an extra line coming out of the fuel tank and the hole from the tank on the 346 is an oval large enough for 2 lines but there is only one there, so I'm guessing there is a line missing on the 346. I see a nipple on the intake side of the carb and another in the orange floor there up by the intake manifold. The 359 has a second line that goes to the floor, but in a different location...this could also be a wild goose chase because my 359 is an E-Tech and the 346 is not, so it could be an emmisions thing I suppose.
All photos are of the 346...thats the old piston if its condition is a good diagnostic tool, the backside of it is very smooth as is the inside of the chamber on the same side...intake side of the chamber is just as scuffed up as the face of the piston.
Just checking for other issues like leaky fuel lines and such before I fire it again. In the event it has an air leak and not straight gassed I want to try to find and correct it before I run it. Any suggestions are welcome.
Do I need a new air filter too? I think there are a few different filter types for the 346, not sure if I have the good one or the one that people seem to have letting fine particles through, which could also have led to the death of the old P&C I suppose.
Assuming I get it going, what should I look for for a bar and chain on this sucker? I've got a 20" for the 359, maybe a 16" on the 346 with a loop of Stihl RSC and use as a light saber? The 359 is rated up to a 24" bar and its still breaking in and getting more powerful as I use it, so I think my big wood needs are set for the forseeable future...so use the 346 the way it was indended for limbing and buck medium wood? Drop small trees too I suppose.
Sent a message, was second in line for it, someone else was offering above asking price, but I told him I'd take it immediately for asking price and he just wanted to be done with it.
Met the guy, got the saw and put it on the bench on Friday night.
Its a 2007 346XP OE, original owner wrecked the original P&C and gave it to this guy who bought a kit and swapped out the P&C, looks like a 50cc so its been upgraded to the bigger motor. He said he just couldn't get it to run, but it would pop and start for a second. I suspect it was straight gassed as the intake side of both P&C are seriously scored, but the exhaust side is shiny and smooth.
Gave it a couple test pulls, seems to have good compression, decomp works properly, the linkage is all hooked up ok too it seems. Dumped the gas in the tnak out and put some fresh stuff in and gave it a few pulls, wouldn't pop when trying the mfr recommended start, but when I turned off the choke and applied full throttle it popped once and dies. Took the plug out and it was dripping wet, flipped the saw over and a few drops of fuel came out of the cylinder so I let it sit upside down for a few hours to drain the cylinder.
Plug is a little dirty, but in good shape. I checked the gap and it was over .040, mfr says .020 so I regapped it.
Comparing the fuel lines and other setup between the 346 and my 359 I see the 359 has an extra line coming out of the fuel tank and the hole from the tank on the 346 is an oval large enough for 2 lines but there is only one there, so I'm guessing there is a line missing on the 346. I see a nipple on the intake side of the carb and another in the orange floor there up by the intake manifold. The 359 has a second line that goes to the floor, but in a different location...this could also be a wild goose chase because my 359 is an E-Tech and the 346 is not, so it could be an emmisions thing I suppose.
All photos are of the 346...thats the old piston if its condition is a good diagnostic tool, the backside of it is very smooth as is the inside of the chamber on the same side...intake side of the chamber is just as scuffed up as the face of the piston.
Just checking for other issues like leaky fuel lines and such before I fire it again. In the event it has an air leak and not straight gassed I want to try to find and correct it before I run it. Any suggestions are welcome.
Do I need a new air filter too? I think there are a few different filter types for the 346, not sure if I have the good one or the one that people seem to have letting fine particles through, which could also have led to the death of the old P&C I suppose.
Assuming I get it going, what should I look for for a bar and chain on this sucker? I've got a 20" for the 359, maybe a 16" on the 346 with a loop of Stihl RSC and use as a light saber? The 359 is rated up to a 24" bar and its still breaking in and getting more powerful as I use it, so I think my big wood needs are set for the forseeable future...so use the 346 the way it was indended for limbing and buck medium wood? Drop small trees too I suppose.
