I started my 372 clone yesterday, with the Hyway big block p+c. It started right up, and runs really strong. The only other parts I use were the highway handle, intake boot and cylinder anti vibe spring.
This looks like a great thing to do with my son when he gets a little older, he will learn how a 2 stroke engine works and see all the parts that make a chainsaw, thanks for sharing
The key to how Hong a saw will survive is based on one thing - how it is operated and maintained, whether a logger is running it or you and me. My equipment like our dogs, live a long time.
I agree 100% about using Farmertec cranks, cases, bearing , cylinders and seals. All of my kit saws are still running fine. My 660 is three years old, my 361 is almost as old. My 360 is a few months younger than the 361 and my 440is working on three years. My 372XP is six months old and my 460 is a year and one half. If they are going to fail, they will fail either early or late in their life time. All have passed the early timeframe. I do have a few oem parts on all of the saws, primarily carbs and throttle control papers.
A very fair summary Walt...I have some farmertec parts ordered to repair cs 2171..got skf bearings today but will use everything else.In the video after your machining the base of cyl, the squish went from zero to gasket thickness (0.5mm) that's how I picked it up and how I would do if I had lathe and practice👍..look forward to nxt saw vid.
The cylinder I got from Farmertec with my ms 460 kit had about the same squish as your 372 cylinder had but mine was slightly larger - about .050. I got another Farmertec cylinder and this one was better - about .023”. I put a HyWay metal base gasket on it for a total squish of .038. It really has lots of compression..
I built 2 of these saws about 1 1/2 years ago and both are still running strong with all the parts supplied, 1 is complete stock with .038 squish the other has mild port work, muffler mod, and base gasket delete with about .026 squish and both are sporting a 24" 3/8 bar and chain. I did have to supply the o-ring behind the clutch sleeve on both saws. The only issue I have with both saws is the oil pickup tube, it won't stay sealed and will start leaking in a period of time after any fix tried. I'm with you I'm now going to try an OEM pickup tube to see if that fixes the issue. Can't wait for the video on trueing the cranks up. I've got another 372 plus an 038 to get put together sometime. Always enjoy all your videos.
just put one together over the weekend,a few minor flaws with the carb plate and clutch drum nothing major....I did spend a lot of time on the cylinder though....intake and transfer timing were off a lot....I have a feeling these kits may become an addiction haha....
For 90 percent of folks out there wanting a saw to actually do work with, OEM is always the best. If you HAVE saws that are "work ready" and are looking for a saw puzzle as a hobby type, these are fun. Same kind of fun as bringing dead saws back to life except all the parts are new and mostly in the box. Have to sub in a better part here and there like the 660's.
I agree, I don’t think some huztl parts are as bad as some might think. I think the extra care you put into these parts goes a long way to making them viable saws. I wish I had your knowledge, tools and equipment that you use to put these parts together, but I don’t.
You have talked me into building a farmertec 372 as my next kit saw. This combined with my recent experience with my new 455. Howa are good guns but a little pricy. I hope the 372 turns out better than the 660 which has been a pita. - it has beat me to death and it broke something in the cylinder, piston are last week. I have not touched it, since, i just put it on the shelf in the shop until we get some warmer weather.
Good video Walt, my problem was the throttle cable wouldn't let the carb settle all the way down.I have been buying from huztl for a couple years.I have used a bunch of there bearings and seals to this point no failures yet. The only bad cylinder was for a 028 stihl it was junk, they offered me 5.00 dollars of my next purchase.lol
Around the 18-minute mark you mention the impulse line fitting okay on some of the cases I have seen the impulse nipple coming out of the case is too close to the intake boot to be able to be hooked up so the thing to do is to swap out that nipple for an oem brass fitting which is offset
Hi Walt. I know this is a old video but im trying to decide for a first kit should I do a 372XP or a MS460 or the MS660? Thanks for the videos and insight.
Did you say that you assembled 4 266s and there were troubles ? Im think about getting the 266 kit mostly because its so friggin hard finding a Husqvarna 266 from 1985 . Nice Work with the assembly and cylinder work ! So the cylinder arrived with to much "squish" yes ? So you took of the bottom a little on the Whats the name ladle never seen that before . Keep the videos coming its Really Cool Done by You! Regards Paul Roger -North Sweden
I rebuild cranks in my shop (mostly for MX engines), and I have to say that a crank that small shouldn't have anything more then .001" Runout if being put into service. That is a excessive amount even for a crank on a CR500(having more ball to race clearance in the crank bearings) and will only put excessive radial load on the bearings and along with more vibration cause both exulcerated wear to the main case bearings and lower rod bearing. Most OEM Specs call for .002" or less on in service Spec and Most of my cranks go out under .001" when finished. Think about it, the main crank bearings don't even have .005" clearance in them so imagine once up to temp what is happening in them at RPM and the oil film in the bearings to protect them? Your total runout is around .0025"(half of your total indicator readout). Just want to give this advice considering my experience working with cranks. Have a great day and thanks for the video!
I 1184 all boots to the cylinder. A light coat but I still put it on the cylinder and then put the boot on the cylinder. I Dirko HT the base gasket to the case and cylinder. The Farmertec base gaskets just love to leak if not glued to the case and cylinder. All my builds include a base gasket. I am saving my money to build a 372 just to get you and Matt off my butt.
Hi, Maybe someone has advice:- I ordered a big bore kit for my Husqvarna 365 from Huztl. I unpacked it and the new piston was very difficult to get out of the bore, it moved freely in the cylinder to the mid and top position, but the skirt seemed to get stuck at roughly the position of the cut-outs in the base of the cylinder. I used some emery cloth to break the edges of the ports that were accessible. Eventually I got the piston out with the aid of tapping a pencil in through the plug hole. I used emery cloth to make sure the other apertures have no burrs. Piston skirt area would still jam when trying it back into cylinder. Have any of you had this problem? What do you think? Regards Alan
Just finished my first build about a month ago. Really like the Videos keep them coming. I have about 4 tanks of gas through my saw and got a Air Leek on the Intake boot. Took me awhile to find it cuz it’s hard to detect in a pressure test with just water drops.
Any new saw will have the St. VITUS dance until it breaks in. This is how I judge whether a saw is broken in or not. When it settles down and will sit on my outside work bench without trying to walk off - it is broken in. Usually, this takes from about 15 to 20 tanks, according to how much hard cutting it has done.
Most of us mere mortals won't have that fancy equipment to turn down the cylinder, it'll have to just be bolt and go :)...one thing a lot of experts like to do that I differ on, is replacing the aftermarket piston pin circlips with OEM ones. Yes, the OEM ones are better, BUT...the A/M ones are usually thicker, and the grooves in the A/M pistons are machined out larger to match. I used to replace them with OEM ones, but I was doing one once and noticed the OEM clips fit looser in the grooves than the A/M ones. I stretched them slightly, and they fit better, but still not that tight. At this point, I thought about just taking them out and installing the ones that came with the piston, but I went against my better judgement and left them in. Sure enough, in about 2 months everyday service, the saw came back seized. After disassembly, it was clear one of the circlips had came out, wrecking the top end. Moral of the story, use the circlips that came with, and were sized for, the piston.....
I've had good luck "trimming" the tabs (you grab onto for installation) on the AM cir clips. I thing all that extra material is subject to the physics of acceleration and adds to the chance of dislodging therefore failure. THAT more than the material is my issue with them. When possible I always use OEM bits and pieces on those more critical places on my AM fun & games saws. Seals, cir-clips, and at least OEM level bearings. SO far have had very good luck on those saws, despite the AM content. The ONLY real failures have been things like bar oil pumps, ignitions, pull starts, and spotty carburetor performance. The only top end failure was with the supposed "Better" AM cylinder that had a bore alignment issue. AND one of the 56mm top ends for a 660 that had spotty plating. Everything else...still running, going strong. On the 372's specifically, my video actually nailed in in hindsight. Pretty much what i found then has proven to be spot on. Have to say those cases are a game changer. I almost prefer to start with them now vs. rebuilding a wasted OEM set after seeing a few with wasted bearing pockets.
Those long tabs sometimes contribute to having the clips come out at the higher RPM's...so if I'm building a sub 13K saw....I don't get crazy on that, but if that saw might be tweaked to rev in it's life time I cut them short.
afleetcommand Thanks for the reply, I wouldn’t have thought of that. I have learned so much about my Husqvarnas watching you. You mentioned at one point that there was no point in you showing all the little details of the build because there’s lots of people online showing that, but something to remember is that you have a lot of trust built in the community, we know that when you say something or do something a certain way that there is a reason for it and that you’re not one of the false expert yahoo’s online who do a “how to assemble a saw” video when it’s actually their first time doing it. I wonder, do you still have all the extra footage you edited out to make this more concise video? Maybe there would be a fair bit of interest in you doing a full rebuild covering the small details, building it the way you like to do it.
thinking about building one for firewood, it wont be used everyday but would be used for about 10 cords a year would you think it will hold up out of the box or is swapping some oem stuff in be worth it im about to order one with the sale going on.
One question how good is that lathe and can you actually get zero on a three jaw chuck with a piece of drill rod, I think 4 thousands of an inch is pretty decent giving what I'm looking at, pretty kool watching you deck cylinder, other than that I'm with you, I've been wanting to try one of these kits on a stihl kit
I've revamped the tooling a bit but worked the lathe out of the channel. Most will never do lathe work and then all I'm doing is showing something either they have to pay for some one else to do or something the viewer can't accomplish....against the policy of my channel :) To your question, It took a little work to true those arbors and I had to get the center rest to support the cylinder or simply the cut would knock the cylinder out of true. What I have now is 3/4 thick steel backing plates for each arbor I turned down ( Now a disc ) then took out a little "pocket" to slip fit the arbor, bolted the arbor to the plate permanently, trued up the OD to slip fit for the cylinders I modify. THEN all I do is put that 6 inch dia. plate flat to the chuck, and index it so the jaws grab the same place ( marked one and corresponding clamp point ). So far haven't had to tap them true again. So I did that for the 3 sizes I usually work on. 47mm, 48,, and 50mm. NOT going to show that on the channel thought and I beat .heck out of 004" now as well :)
Looks good man, I guess I was just stating that putting something in a three jaw chuck turning it and then taking it out and putting it back in It will never be true again, in that case it's really hard to true up anything new to make it 100% perfect in a three jaw, but on the other hand what you were doing was just trimming out the bottom you didn't need to be 100% perfect anyways, and on a side note any Huztl parts I dealt with I have to modify a bit to make them fit a Stihl, Don't get worried man You're doing great job loved the video
Guess there are a few things that come to mind, obviously acceptable tolerances dictate fixturing requirements. On the crank tools I make, while a collet chuck is great I actually need the thread form to be what a manufacturing engineer would see as "class 1" because ANY side load on the typical flywheel side will snap the threaded stub off....so class 1 threads to reduce the chance of a side load. I can achieve that with a three jaw and a tap & do that without "dinging" up the threads. On the cylinders, I would tap the arbor "true" within 2 to 4 thou of runout then put the cylinder on. The only thing that really matters is if the center line of the bore is parallel to the axis of rotation in the (z axis). It can shift around a little in the x-y plane and really it doesn't matter much. So yet again a three jaw chuck works on trimming the base. Trimming the Squish band single point is a different deal. So I use an arbor with a cutting tool. Not the lathe. Self aligning. I took the lathe out of the channel for the most part because I want to do things a hobby type can do. Also my "tooling" has changed YET again for trimming the bases. I don't use the chuck at all any more. I just built a set of arbors that thread right onto the 1-1/2 x 8 spindle the chuck treads on to. Started with 4inch diameter bar stock put the 1--1/2 x 8 hole and thread in, then removed the chuck , threaded the arbor(s) right onto the spindle and turned them down to the sizes I do for my folks, 47mm, 48mm, 50mm, and 54mm arbors as I mentioned before. So the "slop" is defined by the thread form and bearings...its MORE than good enough and very easy to setup as well. I'm a retire mechanical engineer, specialized in Cad/Cam & CNC for a long time. Spend a bunch of more years as an applications engineer traveling around the world helping other ingest that technology from the raw machining to building their own Cad/Cam software products, had to do everything from teaching fixture theory to building c++ libraries to manage code development. Been around machining & two strokes all my life. So while I get the theory, more interested in trying to develop tools and technics a person can use to get acceptable results without having to hire a machine shop. Not interested in sell that service or selling someone else's either. Just want folks to understand this stuff isn't rocket science and have the ability to tweak their hobby saws with smiles being the definition of win.
I think my Farmertec Stihl builds are as good as any of my Stihl saws, but I replaced a few parts to get them that way. Plus, I am a perfectionist when I build and maintain them. My 660 is almost two years old and still doing well and has cut a lot of big wood. I sold my 361 to a friend but I have the rest of my builds and they are doing well. Your 372 should take about 7 tanks before it will develop full rpm if it is like my Stihl builds. I baby my saws until they have 5 tanks on them and gradually use them until they have 15-20 tanks on them. When I throw them to the dogs is a judge mental thing depending on a lot of things.
What size cylinder do these kits come with? 50 or 52mm? The reason I ask is because I always order an extra piston to get the circlips, in case one goes into orbit or gets bent during installation. I also order an extra set of seals, too. I am not going to let you and Bob beat me to death about my Stihl saws, so I am going to build a 372 and see how it compares to my 440. Depending on squish it’s may be a no gasket build.
Hi Walt i got a farmertec 372 and have seem to have a issue , the casing and crank installed easy but went to put on the flywheel and there is a machined keyway in the crank and a woodruff key in the kit , but nothing machined in the flywheel only a tiny bump on casting in the taper , ,did you have a machined slot in the flywheel on your kit ? i dont think it will work as when starting it , it will just have way too much load so will strip
That "bump" on the flywheel is there to time things, it goes into the "key way" slot on he flywheel. Pretty standard...dont over analyse those too much..:)
ok thanks , but it was tiny so thought it was a casting defect , its not started yet as 30thou coming off the base as its 60 thou squish with base gasket so getting done by a mate on his lathe
I understand that this video is 4 years old, but I have a question. Are these Chinese Husqvarna 372 saws no good in it's factory Chinese form and you are making the necessary repairs to make it run correctly, or are you taking an ok saw and making it mechanically better. I am inquiring because I just purchased a Chinese version of the Husqvarna 372xp to replace my 1971 Husqvarna 65 chainsaw. This clone supposedly has meteor piston and rings, genuine walboro carburetor and Italian nikasil cylinder. In dirt bikes years ago, that was very desirable. My old Husqvarna 65, I can't find parts for her anymore
Tough question, but you asked. The clones simply aren't at the same level of quality as the OEM saws. And the ones I had I did modify then put them into a production environment. Most had crank or bottom end failures. But the real question is are they good "enough " for a casual user and for the most part the answer is yes. I've said for a decade now that's a qualified yes. IF you have the right expectation level they are a lot of fun and can be worked into a solid saw. The 372's for one of the two vendors for FT need more than the one offering from their original vendor. So to yours, it probably will be fine for you. BUT don't be surprised if you have to swap out or replace a part or two with better stuff to get it work ready. Like my g395, swapped out the piston and it cut most of last year in my logging adventures. Great saw but it needed a tweak or two. Like the piston & ignition.
@@afleetcommand thank you for your reply. I purchased the g372xp power head to replace my very old Husqvarna 65. It is worn out and I can't seem to find new parts. Being that it is a saw that cuts 3-4 cords of firewood per year, I couldn't justify spending $1500 on a new Husqvarna 372xp. The holzfforma that I purchased has a meteor piston and Italian piston rings, walboro carburetor, nikasil cylinder and carbon fiber top covers. I hope that I won't be disappointed to be using it for a cordwood saw. I run a 32 inch bar and skip chain and I chose this model of clone chainsaw because my current bar and chain are supposed to fit a Husqvarna 372xp. Any thoughts on using this saw for a cordwood saw. I am not planning on doing any race cutting or anything of the like. Question, what do you charge to work your magic once my cutting season is past, ie., Quench height, smooth the ports, etc. This gives me something to consider while I am processing firewood. Is there any special attention to detail that I need to follow while I am breaking the saw in, ie., Synthetic mix oil, rich oil to fuel mixture, ect ect. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my original inquiry. -Otis-
@@afleetcommand please forgive the message that I sent to you. I just realized that I have previously sent you that information. Anyway, I would be interested in doing business with you. I am a retired mechanic, unfortunately chainsaws are a bit out of my league because I do not have the special tools required. I am a diesel mechanic by trade.
I am wanting to build a kit saw but I'm not sure which one to buy. what would y'all recommend for $150 all in and below? as of right now I'm looking at the 372, 660, 440, 361. I have a small 1995 craftsman right now (50cc), but I want something a lot larger. thanks!
Has anyone a comment on this question.. 2171 with main bearings fail (caught in time)can I trust the big end bearing to the point I reuse crank has no play but not like new.
Don't know which you are asking about but suspect its the one on the PTO side between the baring and sleeve the bar oil pump rides on....a very thin o-ring
Won't you are exactly right about the locating pins one other comment about the positioning pins I believe they are a different diameter than the original pins on original cases so the pins themselves are not interchangeable between the aftermarket in the originals
Yeah I saw that cut it out in editing but did mention you can't mix case halves. I'm going to run the nipple for pulse as it is as with everything else. Its going to a logger friends after a week or so...then we will see how it lasts as it will have hours and hours day in day out until things fail....as I did with the 660's. I think my standards are different than most playing this game. I'm not content with just getting it going and fast cookie cutting. As with the 660's, I want to evolve to a working saw as I did with the first Huztl 372 I did in 2014, cyclops next, and the last 5 or 6 660's build towards the end of last year and still in the testing cycle...won't do much with them until this winter...:) And the 372's after development the following winter.
afleetcommand yeah I noticed you mentioned it at the end. I commented when I had only watched the first part of the vid. I'm not happy with the quality of the starters. .. also the tanks are fine but the vents could use a mod. Wrist pin bearings are a good oem upgrade
Walt, I just started one last week. It also have 40 thousand of squish. Do you machine cylinder bases for people? If so I would be interested. I am a few hours east of you in Connecticut.
Haven't got in that business. Mostly because of my other saw activities I simply don't have time to take on work at this point. There are a pile of folks out there who do those type of things.....you shouldn't have any problem finding one.
the kit is a third the price......but the OEM version is no longer available. The closest would be the 372 "X-Torq". But really the right way to see these is cost plus time....and your time is of value as well. Takes a couple of hours. Also tools. Last the top end, crank and bearings, won't last as long as the OEM counter parts. SO to me the comparison would be closer to a saw of the same 200-300 dollar price point....:)
Walt, I see Hutzl is having a huge discount sale right now that makes me tend to think, going out of business? I hope not but sure looks like something is going on. Nice video.
Don't know why you guys are always checking/adjusting the squish. Yeah, I know the theory, but my Huztl 372 ran like a champ with no mods. Saw another guy on YT change his squish and then it ran terrible. Did I just get lucky with the one they sent me? Seems to me the Chinese are smart enough to get it right...a relatively easy control during manufacturing.
The best of this kit is the crankcase (throw out the bearings and oil seals), the aluminum carburetor bracket where the gas cable is inserted, the bar cover. The rest of the quality parts are typical of China ... Checked by years of work in the forest)
I started my 372 clone yesterday, with the Hyway big block p+c. It started right up, and runs really strong. The only other parts I use were the highway handle, intake boot and cylinder anti vibe spring.
This looks like a great thing to do with my son when he gets a little older, he will learn how a 2 stroke engine works and see all the parts that make a chainsaw, thanks for sharing
The key to how Hong a saw will survive is based on one thing - how it is operated and maintained, whether a logger is running it or you and me. My equipment like our dogs, live a long time.
I agree 100% about using Farmertec cranks, cases, bearing , cylinders and seals. All of my kit saws are still running fine. My 660 is three years old, my 361 is almost as old. My 360 is a few months younger than the 361 and my 440is working on three years. My 372XP is six months old and my 460 is a year and one half. If they are going to fail, they will fail either early or late in their life time. All have passed the early timeframe. I do have a few oem parts on all of the saws, primarily carbs and throttle control papers.
Thanks so much for all your videos! I’m learning a lot! I love building these saws!
I just received a brand new pre-built 372 from farmertec. Other than the stickers peeling off already, I think it's a really nice saw.
I got a 365 kit about a month and a half ago and they started putting the bar studs in at farmertec
A very fair summary Walt...I have some farmertec parts ordered to repair cs 2171..got skf bearings today but will use everything else.In the video after your machining the base of cyl, the squish went from zero to gasket thickness (0.5mm) that's how I picked it up and how I would do if I had lathe and practice👍..look forward to nxt saw vid.
The cylinder I got from Farmertec with my ms 460 kit had about the same squish as your 372 cylinder had but mine was slightly larger - about .050. I got another Farmertec cylinder and this one was better - about .023”. I put a HyWay metal base gasket on it for a total squish of .038. It really has lots of compression..
I built 2 of these saws about 1 1/2 years ago and both are still running strong with all the parts supplied, 1 is complete stock with .038 squish the other has mild port work, muffler mod, and base gasket delete with about .026 squish and both are sporting a 24" 3/8 bar and chain. I did have to supply the o-ring behind the clutch sleeve on both saws.
The only issue I have with both saws is the oil pickup tube, it won't stay sealed and will start leaking in a period of time after any fix tried. I'm with you I'm now going to try an OEM pickup tube to see if that fixes the issue.
Can't wait for the video on trueing the cranks up.
I've got another 372 plus an 038 to get put together sometime.
Always enjoy all your videos.
Did the oem oil pickup tube fix the issue?
thanks Walt, it would be interesting if the crank was set up between centers on your lathe and check the runout.
Yes for sure .seeing a 371crank trued would be usefull havin my own v blocks and dial indicator would be also be good.
Ah yes..look forward to watch this one during lunch..👍👍
just put one together over the weekend,a few minor flaws with the carb plate and clutch drum nothing major....I did spend a lot of time on the cylinder though....intake and transfer timing were off a lot....I have a feeling these kits may become an addiction haha....
Lots if parts in a small area good saw just bought a 372 from rons husky very nice saw starts and cuts great
For 90 percent of folks out there wanting a saw to actually do work with, OEM is always the best. If you HAVE saws that are "work ready" and are looking for a saw puzzle as a hobby type, these are fun. Same kind of fun as bringing dead saws back to life except all the parts are new and mostly in the box. Have to sub in a better part here and there like the 660's.
Can you give me the thread sizes of a husqvana 372 crankshaft please.
I agree, I don’t think some huztl parts are as bad as some might think. I think the extra care you put into these parts goes a long way to making them viable saws. I wish I had your knowledge, tools and equipment that you use to put these parts together, but I don’t.
I have a 362 Husky I am going to rebuild the top end with a Hutzl big bore kit,hope it works.
You have talked me into building a farmertec 372 as my next kit saw. This combined with my recent experience with my new 455. Howa are good guns but a little pricy. I hope the 372 turns out better than the 660 which has been a pita. - it has beat me to death and it broke something in the cylinder, piston are last week. I have not touched it, since, i just put it on the shelf in the shop until we get some warmer weather.
Good video Walt, my problem was the throttle cable wouldn't let the carb settle all the way down.I have been buying from huztl for a couple years.I have used a bunch of there bearings and seals to this point no failures yet. The only bad cylinder was for a 028 stihl it was junk, they offered me 5.00 dollars of my next purchase.lol
Around the 18-minute mark you mention the impulse line fitting okay on some of the cases I have seen the impulse nipple coming out of the case is too close to the intake boot to be able to be hooked up so the thing to do is to swap out that nipple for an oem brass fitting which is offset
Nice to watch THANKS!
Hey Walt can you do a video of the crank installation tool please, with numbers as my dad is an engineer so he could make me one thanks in advance
Hi Walt. I know this is a old video but im trying to decide for a first kit should I do a 372XP or a MS460 or the MS660? Thanks for the videos and insight.
660's are the most developed of the saws from there, and there is more AM "better" parts support for those.
Did you say that you assembled 4 266s and there were troubles ?
Im think about getting the 266 kit mostly because its so friggin hard finding a Husqvarna 266 from 1985 .
Nice Work with the assembly and cylinder work !
So the cylinder arrived with to much "squish" yes ? So you took of the bottom a little on the Whats the name ladle never seen that before .
Keep the videos coming its Really Cool Done by You!
Regards Paul Roger -North Sweden
Valid point. Comparing clones to OEM, what can you buy that will give you this much bang for the buck?
I rebuild cranks in my shop (mostly for MX engines), and I have to say that a crank that small shouldn't have anything more then .001" Runout if being put into service. That is a excessive amount even for a crank on a CR500(having more ball to race clearance in the crank bearings) and will only put excessive radial load on the bearings and along with more vibration cause both exulcerated wear to the main case bearings and lower rod bearing. Most OEM Specs call for .002" or less on in service Spec and Most of my cranks go out under .001" when finished. Think about it, the main crank bearings don't even have .005" clearance in them so imagine once up to temp what is happening in them at RPM and the oil film in the bearings to protect them? Your total runout is around .0025"(half of your total indicator readout). Just want to give this advice considering my experience working with cranks. Have a great day and thanks for the video!
All the 372 AM bottom ends failed for one reason or another is the saws I put in a production environment with 6 months of daily use.
I 1184 all boots to the cylinder. A light coat but I still put it on the cylinder and then put the boot on the cylinder. I Dirko HT the base gasket to the case and cylinder. The Farmertec base gaskets just love to leak if not glued to the case and cylinder. All my builds include a base gasket. I am saving my money to build a 372 just to get you and Matt off my butt.
That’s the same way it is with the ms 361 cases - bigger locating pins. I think they both had holes in them, but I do not remember, exactly.
And what happens if you forget to put 1 in?
Hi, Maybe someone has advice:- I ordered a big bore kit for my Husqvarna 365 from Huztl. I unpacked it and the new piston was very difficult to get out of the bore, it moved freely in the cylinder to the mid and top position, but the skirt seemed to get stuck at roughly the position of the cut-outs in the base of the cylinder. I used some emery cloth to break the edges of the ports that were accessible. Eventually I got the piston out with the aid of tapping a pencil in through the plug hole. I used emery cloth to make sure the other apertures have no burrs. Piston skirt area would still jam when trying it back into cylinder. Have any of you had this problem? What do you think?
Regards
Alan
Thank you for sharing Sir.
Which clone is better out of the box? I like both brands and I need a bigger saw.
660
Dose the kit on farmtec website come with piston and ring set or is it separate
Good jobs !!
Just finished my first build about a month ago. Really like the Videos keep them coming. I have about 4 tanks of gas through my saw and got a Air Leek on the Intake boot. Took me awhile to find it cuz it’s hard to detect in a pressure test with just water drops.
That unfortunately is predictable....I would put an OEM boot on vs. any other option,...:)
What's ur opinion of gasket dressing or high tac on paper gaskets?
Any new saw will have the St. VITUS dance until it breaks in. This is how I judge whether a saw is broken in or not. When it settles down and will sit on my outside work bench without trying to walk off - it is broken in. Usually, this takes from about 15 to 20 tanks, according to how much hard cutting it has done.
Thanks
No needle bearing in on piston pin, am I seeing right?
Most of us mere mortals won't have that fancy equipment to turn down the cylinder, it'll have to just be bolt and go :)...one thing a lot of experts like to do that I differ on, is replacing the aftermarket piston pin circlips with OEM ones. Yes, the OEM ones are better, BUT...the A/M ones are usually thicker, and the grooves in the A/M pistons are machined out larger to match. I used to replace them with OEM ones, but I was doing one once and noticed the OEM clips fit looser in the grooves than the A/M ones. I stretched them slightly, and they fit better, but still not that tight. At this point, I thought about just taking them out and installing the ones that came with the piston, but I went against my better judgement and left them in. Sure enough, in about 2 months everyday service, the saw came back seized. After disassembly, it was clear one of the circlips had came out, wrecking the top end. Moral of the story, use the circlips that came with, and were sized for, the piston.....
I've had good luck "trimming" the tabs (you grab onto for installation) on the AM cir clips. I thing all that extra material is subject to the physics of acceleration and adds to the chance of dislodging therefore failure. THAT more than the material is my issue with them. When possible I always use OEM bits and pieces on those more critical places on my AM fun & games saws. Seals, cir-clips, and at least OEM level bearings. SO far have had very good luck on those saws, despite the AM content. The ONLY real failures have been things like bar oil pumps, ignitions, pull starts, and spotty carburetor performance. The only top end failure was with the supposed "Better" AM cylinder that had a bore alignment issue. AND one of the 56mm top ends for a 660 that had spotty plating. Everything else...still running, going strong. On the 372's specifically, my video actually nailed in in hindsight. Pretty much what i found then has proven to be spot on. Have to say those cases are a game changer. I almost prefer to start with them now vs. rebuilding a wasted OEM set after seeing a few with wasted bearing pockets.
Why did you cut down the wrist pin retainer clips at 12:30 ?
Those long tabs sometimes contribute to having the clips come out at the higher RPM's...so if I'm building a sub 13K saw....I don't get crazy on that, but if that saw might be tweaked to rev in it's life time I cut them short.
afleetcommand Thanks for the reply, I wouldn’t have thought of that. I have learned so much about my Husqvarnas watching you. You mentioned at one point that there was no point in you showing all the little details of the build because there’s lots of people online showing that, but something to remember is that you have a lot of trust built in the community, we know that when you say something or do something a certain way that there is a reason for it and that you’re not one of the false expert yahoo’s online who do a “how to assemble a saw” video when it’s actually their first time doing it. I wonder, do you still have all the extra footage you edited out to make this more concise video? Maybe there would be a fair bit of interest in you doing a full rebuild covering the small details, building it the way you like to do it.
Walt can you give a link to the tool setup you use to install the crank? If you covered it in a past video a link to the video?
thinking about building one for firewood, it wont be used everyday but would be used for about 10 cords a year would you think it will hold up out of the box or is swapping some oem stuff in be worth it im about to order one with the sale going on.
Get the OEM intake boot at a minimum...:)
One question how good is that lathe and can you actually get zero on a three jaw chuck with a piece of drill rod, I think 4 thousands of an inch is pretty decent giving what I'm looking at, pretty kool watching you deck cylinder, other than that I'm with you, I've been wanting to try one of these kits on a stihl kit
I've revamped the tooling a bit but worked the lathe out of the channel. Most will never do lathe work and then all I'm doing is showing something either they have to pay for some one else to do or something the viewer can't accomplish....against the policy of my channel :)
To your question, It took a little work to true those arbors and I had to get the center rest to support the cylinder or simply the cut would knock the cylinder out of true. What I have now is 3/4 thick steel backing plates for each arbor I turned down ( Now a disc ) then took out a little "pocket" to slip fit the arbor, bolted the arbor to the plate permanently, trued up the OD to slip fit for the cylinders I modify. THEN all I do is put that 6 inch dia. plate flat to the chuck, and index it so the jaws grab the same place ( marked one and corresponding clamp point ). So far haven't had to tap them true again. So I did that for the 3 sizes I usually work on. 47mm, 48,, and 50mm. NOT going to show that on the channel thought and I beat .heck out of 004" now as well :)
Looks good man, I guess I was just stating that putting something in a three jaw chuck turning it and then taking it out and putting it back in It will never be true again, in that case it's really hard to true up anything new to make it 100% perfect in a three jaw, but on the other hand what you were doing was just trimming out the bottom you didn't need to be 100% perfect anyways, and on a side note any Huztl parts I dealt with I have to modify a bit to make them fit a Stihl, Don't get worried man You're doing great job loved the video
Guess there are a few things that come to mind, obviously acceptable tolerances dictate fixturing requirements. On the crank tools I make, while a collet chuck is great I actually need the thread form to be what a manufacturing engineer would see as "class 1" because ANY side load on the typical flywheel side will snap the threaded stub off....so class 1 threads to reduce the chance of a side load. I can achieve that with a three jaw and a tap & do that without "dinging" up the threads.
On the cylinders, I would tap the arbor "true" within 2 to 4 thou of runout then put the cylinder on. The only thing that really matters is if the center line of the bore is parallel to the axis of rotation in the (z axis). It can shift around a little in the x-y plane and really it doesn't matter much. So yet again a three jaw chuck works on trimming the base. Trimming the Squish band single point is a different deal. So I use an arbor with a cutting tool. Not the lathe. Self aligning.
I took the lathe out of the channel for the most part because I want to do things a hobby type can do. Also my "tooling" has changed YET again for trimming the bases. I don't use the chuck at all any more. I just built a set of arbors that thread right onto the 1-1/2 x 8 spindle the chuck treads on to. Started with 4inch diameter bar stock put the 1--1/2 x 8 hole and thread in, then removed the chuck , threaded the arbor(s) right onto the spindle and turned them down to the sizes I do for my folks, 47mm, 48mm, 50mm, and 54mm arbors as I mentioned before. So the "slop" is defined by the thread form and bearings...its MORE than good enough and very easy to setup as well.
I'm a retire mechanical engineer, specialized in Cad/Cam & CNC for a long time. Spend a bunch of more years as an applications engineer traveling around the world helping other ingest that technology from the raw machining to building their own Cad/Cam software products, had to do everything from teaching fixture theory to building c++ libraries to manage code development. Been around machining & two strokes all my life. So while I get the theory, more interested in trying to develop tools and technics a person can use to get acceptable results without having to hire a machine shop. Not interested in sell that service or selling someone else's either. Just want folks to understand this stuff isn't rocket science and have the ability to tweak their hobby saws with smiles being the definition of win.
I think my Farmertec Stihl builds are as good as any of my Stihl saws, but I replaced a few parts to get them that way. Plus, I am a perfectionist when I build and maintain them. My 660 is almost two years old and still doing well and has cut a lot of big wood. I sold my 361 to a friend but I have the rest of my builds and they are doing well. Your 372 should take about 7 tanks before it will develop full rpm if it is like my Stihl builds. I baby my saws until they have 5 tanks on them and gradually use them until they have 15-20 tanks on them. When I throw them to the dogs is a judge mental thing depending on a lot of things.
Witch tach are you using in this video
Quit worrying about the keyboard experts their idiots anyway. Great video learned a lot!!!
What size cylinder do these kits come with? 50 or 52mm? The reason I ask is because I always order an extra piston to get the circlips, in case one goes into orbit or gets bent during installation. I also order an extra set of seals, too. I am not going to let you and Bob beat me to death about my Stihl saws, so I am going to build a 372 and see how it compares to my 440. Depending on squish it’s may be a no gasket build.
50
Hi Walt i got a farmertec 372 and have seem to have a issue , the casing and crank installed easy but went to put on the flywheel and there is a machined keyway in the crank and a woodruff key in the kit , but nothing machined in the flywheel only a tiny bump on casting in the taper , ,did you have a machined slot in the flywheel on your kit ? i dont think it will work as when starting it , it will just have way too much load so will strip
That "bump" on the flywheel is there to time things, it goes into the "key way" slot on he flywheel. Pretty standard...dont over analyse those too much..:)
ok thanks , but it was tiny so thought it was a casting defect , its not started yet as 30thou coming off the base as its 60 thou squish with base gasket so getting done by a mate on his lathe
I understand that this video is 4 years old, but I have a question. Are these Chinese Husqvarna 372 saws no good in it's factory Chinese form and you are making the necessary repairs to make it run correctly, or are you taking an ok saw and making it mechanically better. I am inquiring because I just purchased a Chinese version of the Husqvarna 372xp to replace my 1971 Husqvarna 65 chainsaw. This clone supposedly has meteor piston and rings, genuine walboro carburetor and Italian nikasil cylinder. In dirt bikes years ago, that was very desirable. My old Husqvarna 65, I can't find parts for her anymore
Tough question, but you asked. The clones simply aren't at the same level of quality as the OEM saws. And the ones I had I did modify then put them into a production environment. Most had crank or bottom end failures. But the real question is are they good "enough " for a casual user and for the most part the answer is yes. I've said for a decade now that's a qualified yes. IF you have the right expectation level they are a lot of fun and can be worked into a solid saw. The 372's for one of the two vendors for FT need more than the one offering from their original vendor. So to yours, it probably will be fine for you. BUT don't be surprised if you have to swap out or replace a part or two with better stuff to get it work ready. Like my g395, swapped out the piston and it cut most of last year in my logging adventures. Great saw but it needed a tweak or two. Like the piston & ignition.
@@afleetcommand thank you for your reply. I purchased the g372xp power head to replace my very old Husqvarna 65. It is worn out and I can't seem to find new parts. Being that it is a saw that cuts 3-4 cords of firewood per year, I couldn't justify spending $1500 on a new Husqvarna 372xp. The holzfforma that I purchased has a meteor piston and Italian piston rings, walboro carburetor, nikasil cylinder and carbon fiber top covers. I hope that I won't be disappointed to be using it for a cordwood saw. I run a 32 inch bar and skip chain and I chose this model of clone chainsaw because my current bar and chain are supposed to fit a Husqvarna 372xp. Any thoughts on using this saw for a cordwood saw. I am not planning on doing any race cutting or anything of the like. Question, what do you charge to work your magic once my cutting season is past, ie., Quench height, smooth the ports, etc. This gives me something to consider while I am processing firewood. Is there any special attention to detail that I need to follow while I am breaking the saw in, ie., Synthetic mix oil, rich oil to fuel mixture, ect ect. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my original inquiry.
-Otis-
@@afleetcommand please forgive the message that I sent to you. I just realized that I have previously sent you that information. Anyway, I would be interested in doing business with you. I am a retired mechanic, unfortunately chainsaws are a bit out of my league because I do not have the special tools required. I am a diesel mechanic by trade.
I am wanting to build a kit saw but I'm not sure which one to buy. what would y'all recommend for $150 all in and below? as of right now I'm looking at the 372, 660, 440, 361. I have a small 1995 craftsman right now (50cc), but I want something a lot larger. thanks!
372
Has anyone a comment on this question.. 2171 with main bearings fail (caught in time)can I trust the big end bearing to the point I reuse crank has no play but not like new.
probably can.
What was that O ring you noted and where did it go?
Don't know which you are asking about but suspect its the one on the PTO side between the baring and sleeve the bar oil pump rides on....a very thin o-ring
Won't you are exactly right about the locating pins one other comment about the positioning pins I believe they are a different diameter than the original pins on original cases so the pins themselves are not interchangeable between the aftermarket in the originals
Walt.... not the word won't darn auto type
Yeah I saw that cut it out in editing but did mention you can't mix case halves. I'm going to run the nipple for pulse as it is as with everything else. Its going to a logger friends after a week or so...then we will see how it lasts as it will have hours and hours day in day out until things fail....as I did with the 660's. I think my standards are different than most playing this game. I'm not content with just getting it going and fast cookie cutting. As with the 660's, I want to evolve to a working saw as I did with the first Huztl 372 I did in 2014, cyclops next, and the last 5 or 6 660's build towards the end of last year and still in the testing cycle...won't do much with them until this winter...:) And the 372's after development the following winter.
afleetcommand yeah I noticed you mentioned it at the end. I commented when I had only watched the first part of the vid.
I'm not happy with the quality of the starters. .. also the tanks are fine but the vents could use a mod. Wrist pin bearings are a good oem upgrade
Matthew, please be quiet. Adults are speaking.
Walt, I just started one last week. It also have 40 thousand of squish. Do you machine cylinder bases for people? If so I would be interested. I am a few hours east of you in Connecticut.
Haven't got in that business. Mostly because of my other saw activities I simply don't have time to take on work at this point. There are a pile of folks out there who do those type of things.....you shouldn't have any problem finding one.
Walt, thank you for the reply. I bought a hyway big bore kit, which is 30 thousand with out a base gasket, a little better.
What is the sealer you used on that intake boot?
1184
"Best kit saw?" It's not like there are different kit saws to compare. 😆
How much difference in price between this saw and an OEM saw that it copies ?
the kit is a third the price......but the OEM version is no longer available. The closest would be the 372 "X-Torq". But really the right way to see these is cost plus time....and your time is of value as well. Takes a couple of hours. Also tools. Last the top end, crank and bearings, won't last as long as the OEM counter parts. SO to me the comparison would be closer to a saw of the same 200-300 dollar price point....:)
Walt, I see Hutzl is having a huge discount sale right now that makes me tend to think, going out of business? I hope not but sure looks like something is going on. Nice video.
stevencroon Not going out of business that i know of, they've had this sale the last few years always around father's day.
Not a lot different than my Stihls is it?
👏👍👌
How can you reset crank or rebalance
I'll do a video on how to "tap" a crank closer to "true" . Takes a fixture, indicator, and patience.
THANK YOU
mine lost compression down to 55psi on the second day of work. would you please check yours an reply please?
Try replacing your compression release with either an oem unit or a plug.
Don't know why you guys are always checking/adjusting the squish. Yeah, I know the theory, but my Huztl 372 ran like a champ with no mods. Saw another guy on YT change his squish and then it ran terrible. Did I just get lucky with the one they sent me? Seems to me the Chinese are smart enough to get it right...a relatively easy control during manufacturing.
You cant check trueness on a 3 jaw chuck... everytime you put it in it will be different this is literally day 1 machining knowledge
52 mm?
You polish get the run out of the crank.
The best of this kit is the crankcase (throw out the bearings and oil seals), the aluminum carburetor bracket where the gas cable is inserted, the bar cover.
The rest of the quality parts are typical of China ... Checked by years of work in the forest)