Today I acquired...........

[Memmeddu]

Not entirely sure yet about what I will get for free or cheap but contacted my Stihl retailer and asked him if they have something broken and if they need someone in the shop
Waiting for for an answer
I hope more to work there than get something but why not ,I made an attempt
I will be happy if the give me a completely broken Stihl Ms 360 (they have a shelf full of broken Stihl chainsaws ) or a ms180T ,even more happy if they give me a komby

Got an answer right now
They essentially throw away what they don't repair.
They asked me if I do collect scrap metal ,I said them that I don't , I'm just a guy who likes work on small engines seeking for a work and since they don't need another "mechanic" I'd like if they give me something that they normally throw away to increase my knowledge/experience with these kind of equipment
They wanted my telephone number

 

[Olderisbetter]

After an escape of smoke from the copper wire fairy's i had to get a new upright light weight upstairs vacuum cleaner.

 

[Sammy7]

I never knew they did specific upstairs vacuum cleaners. I presume it’s due to the rarified air at altitude?

 

[DAPPH]

Not entirely sure yet about what I will get for free or cheap but contacted my Stihl retailer and asked him if they have something broken and if they need someone in the shop
Waiting for for an answer
I hope more to work there than get something but why not ,I made an attempt
I will be happy if the give me a completely broken Stihl Ms 360 (they have a shelf full of broken Stihl chainsaws ) or a ms180T ,even more happy if they give me a komby

It is worthwhile breaking up a Sthil spark plug or any different size spark plugs in common use on two strokes to remove all the ceramics & electrodes. So you just have the shell then braze a couple of drilled through bolts in the top hole so that you can connect a cylinder pressure testing gauge by screwing it on , think I brazed on a short stumpy adaptor neck and ordered several more to do the same on different sized plugs .

That way you can remove any air filters etc , clean around the plug hole with an air line , remove the plug , screw in the tester rig and use both hands to hold and pull the machine over . It's a very quick way of deciding the degree the barrel & piston are worn. If the reading is low remove the tester give a couple of oilcan squirts in the cylinder re-attach the gauge & pull over again . The wet test should give you almost if not better than when a new barrel & piston is in place .

This is the point you stop working on the machine and ask the customer what they want you to do . Then the customer can decide whether to spend out on getting an old machine back in service or a for not much more money get a fully warranteed new machine that won't have worn or blown crankshaft seals . That saves you wasting an hour or more for the customer to walk away leaving you with the scrap machine and not pay you .
I used to get the reasonable condition but knackered barrel & piston machines and in my own time fully refurb them up to about 1/2 of the cost of a new machine then sell them locally via the newspaper ads for about 2/3 of the price of new one . Often getting secondary work ( chains & sharpening ) & sales as a result.

When the barrel & piston wear for whatever reason , there is a lot of gas & fine bits of carbon build up in the crank case and it's this that starts to wear the crankshaft seals & cause a warbling back pressure noise at the carb .

I used to have a self & home made chart with all manner of two stroke plant for fail or pass compression figures . Headings of machine type & model , PSI new , PSI dry PSI wet .
Any test info was written on a bit of cardboard & attached to the machine awaiting the customers decision . It was useful to actually show a lot of customers what the test figures should be and what they actually were by you showing them you doing the tests . No arguments most of the time & lots of recommendations for good service & honesty which in turn made for more customers .

 

[Olderisbetter]

I never knew they did specific upstairs vacuum cleaners. I presume it’s due to the rarified air at altitude?

Rather than cart the vacuum cleaner from downstairs we keep one upstairs, Also it stops people here making up an excuse not to clean up.

 

[badabec]

"Rather than cart the vacuum cleaner from downstairs we keep one upstairs, Also it stops people here making up an excuse not to clean up."

Which one do you use for the stairs?

 

[Shox Dr]

"Rather than cart the vacuum cleaner from downstairs we keep one upstairs, Also it stops people here making up an excuse not to clean up."

Which one do you use for the stairs?

Both

 

[Olderisbetter]

"Rather than cart the vacuum cleaner from downstairs we keep one upstairs, Also it stops people here making up an excuse not to clean up."

Which one do you use for the stairs?

I use a brush on the stairs and push the dust down from the top step and then it is not my problem up here

 

[Memmeddu]

It is worthwhile breaking up a Sthil spark plug or any different size spark plugs in common use on two strokes to remove all the ceramics & electrodes. So you just have the shell then braze a couple of drilled through bolts in the top hole so that you can connect a cylinder pressure testing gauge by screwing it on , think I brazed on a short stumpy adaptor neck and ordered several more to do the same on different sized plugs .

That way you can remove any air filters etc , clean around the plug hole with an air line , remove the plug , screw in the tester rig and use both hands to hold and pull the machine over . It's a very quick way of deciding the degree the barrel & piston are worn. If the reading is low remove the tester give a couple of oilcan squirts in the cylinder re-attach the gauge & pull over again . The wet test should give you almost if not better than when a new barrel & piston is in place .

This is the point you stop working on the machine and ask the customer what they want you to do . Then the customer can decide whether to spend out on getting an old machine back in service or a for not much more money get a fully warranteed new machine that won't have worn or blown crankshaft seals . That saves you wasting an hour or more for the customer to walk away leaving you with the scrap machine and not pay you .
I used to get the reasonable condition but knackered barrel & piston machines and in my own time fully refurb them up to about 1/2 of the cost of a new machine then sell them locally via the newspaper ads for about 2/3 of the price of new one . Often getting secondary work ( chains & sharpening ) & sales as a result.

When the barrel & piston wear for whatever reason , there is a lot of gas & fine bits of carbon build up in the crank case and it's this that starts to wear the crankshaft seals & cause a warbling back pressure noise at the carb .

I used to have a self & home made chart with all manner of two stroke plant for fail or pass compression figures . Headings of machine type & model , PSI new , PSI dry PSI wet .
Any test info was written on a bit of cardboard & attached to the machine awaiting the customers decision . It was useful to actually show a lot of customers what the test figures should be and what they actually were by you showing them you doing the tests . No arguments most of the time & lots of recommendations for good service & honesty which in turn made for more customers .

I never thought I might do that .
But what about the pressure gauge it requires a check valve and a pressure release valve .
What about the seals how to check them (I usually rip off them and replace on mine equipment)
Pressure testing ok but how to do without specialty tools ?
I usually look through the exhaust port to check for scores , and pull the recoil starter to check compression
About the crankshaft seals , isn't better replace them even if them still good? Those parts are cheap
Also thought to use a clutch nut welded to a threaded rod to split the difference between crankshaft and crankcases (useful when it's time to change bearings)

 

[Memmeddu]

Corrige
A compression tester costs 20 euros
I think it's worth the cost

 

[DAPPH]

.

Corrige
A compression tester costs 20 euros
I think it's worth the cost

Most test gauges have the check valve in the stem , just had a look ..put " compression tester " in to Amazon UK , most have a range of adaptors there might even be one for various two stroke machines .

Perhaps this may explain things better

Two stroke small plant stuff......

When things get worn in the cylinder , gasses under a slight pressure find their way into the crankcase . This has the effect of causing the machine to pulsate/ undulate in RPM when on full throttle , it often blows fuel mix back through the carb onto the air filter .
So running a two stroke chainsaw , disc cutter on full tilt without the air filter on is a quick way of seeing & hearing evidence of crankcase compression .
Doing the wet & dry compression tests will confirm things either way .

The picking up/ scratching you see in the bore through the exhaust port usually happens when things have either been run on the incorrect fuel mix resulting in little or no cylinder wall lubrication ( common), big lumps of spark plug deposits break free , the machine has been run without an air filter ( common ) or the normal engine wear over time has worn off the hardened coating on the cylinder wall and picked up the softer metal the hard lining was sprayed on.

A well looked after machine that simply was worn out often used to be brought in for a service as the used noticed it was not running as well as usual despite a new plug & air filter being used then there would be a light grey area on the thrust side of the cylinder and a low compression reading .

Leaking crank seals is also an indicator ..where you cannot set the tick over in a normal manner ……. slow enough to not bring the clutch into play .

 

[FoxZulu]

Thanks to @Hood & @fizzy I now have £366 less in my bank account. I do however now own an Optrel Crystal 2 welding mask. It says on the box 'you won't believe your eyes'. Well I tried it out last night and I was absolutely amazed. I can now actually see what I'm doing so clearly.

Will be back out in the workshop tonight wasting more ally and argon

Ps thanks @fizzy for the heads up on the sale price from Inverter Fusion. Very good people to deal with.

 

[fizzy]

Thanks to @Hood & @fizzy I now have £366 less in my bank account. I do however now own an Optrel Crystal 2 welding mask. It says on the box 'you won't believe your eyes'. Well I tried it out last night and I was absolutely amazed. I can now actually see what I'm doing so clearly.

Will be back out in the workshop tonight wasting more ally and argon

Ps thanks @fizzy for the heads up on the sale price from Inverter Fusion. Very good people to deal with.

I hunted around a lot to find that price!
Yes they were very helpful.
The mask is so awesome I might even get the hang of tig

 

[DAPPH]

.
Most test gauges have the check valve in the stem , just had a look ..put " compression tester " in to Amazon UK , most have a range of adaptors there might even be one for various two stroke machines .

Perhaps this may explain things better

Two stroke small plant stuff......

When things get worn in the cylinder , gasses under a slight pressure find their way into the crankcase . This has the effect of causing the machine to pulsate/ undulate in RPM when on full throttle , it often blows fuel mix back through the carb onto the air filter .
So running a two stroke chainsaw , disc cutter on full tilt without the air filter on is a quick way of seeing & hearing evidence of crankcase compression .
Doing the wet & dry compression tests will confirm things either way .

The picking up/ scratching you see in the bore through the exhaust port usually happens when things have either been run on the incorrect fuel mix resulting in little or no cylinder wall lubrication ( common), big lumps of spark plug deposits break free , the machine has been run without an air filter ( common ) or the normal engine wear over time has worn off the hardened coating on the cylinder wall and picked up the softer metal the hard lining was sprayed on.

A well looked after machine that simply was worn out often used to be brought in for a service as the used noticed it was not running as well as usual despite a new plug & air filter being used then there would be a light grey area on the thrust side of the cylinder and a low compression reading .

Leaking crank seals is also an indicator ..where you cannot set the tick over in a normal manner ……. slow enough to not bring the clutch into play .

Testing a crank case for compression is not usually worth it time wise & because of the customers way of financial thinking ...............… but if you want to make one :-

You can make up a carb plate & and exhaust silencer plate with a bit if old inner tube rubber for a sealing gasket , the carb plate has a lorry tyre inflation valve stem brazed in it , pump it up to about 8 psi and do a 20 second leak test . As I said it's not usually worth your time . Occasionally I had a chainsaw brought in that others had " repaired " & found the big end bearings & crank seals well worn but someone had put a new barrel & piston on the machine fairly recently but, "The machine would not run well " . That's when I did an occasional crank case pressure test so I only had to slip the carb & silencer off .

Yes I know 99 times out of a hundred you can pick up a machine pull it over once and be right about it's state of repair , sometime you need the extra 1% info & bits of kit , especially when your hire fleet is 70 plus machines and you are the authorised dealer / repairer for several different brands of machine .

 

[Memmeddu]

Testing a crank case for compression is not usually worth it time wise & because of the customers way of financial thinking ...............… but if you want to make one :-

You can make up a carb plate & and exhaust silencer plate with a bit if old inner tube rubber for a sealing gasket , the carb plate has a lorry tyre inflation valve stem brazed in it , pump it up to about 8 psi and do a 20 second leak test . As I said it's not usually worth your time . Occasionally I had a chainsaw brought in that others had " repaired " & found the big end bearings & crank seals well worn but someone had put a new barrel & piston on the machine fairly recently but, "The machine would not run well " . That's when I did an occasional crank case pressure test so I only had to slip the carb & silencer off .

Yes I know 99 times out of a hundred you can pick up a machine pull it over once and be right about it's state of repair , sometime you need the extra 1% info & bits of kit , especially when your hire fleet is 70 plus machines and you are the authorised dealer / repairer for several different brands of machine .

I'm always concerned about air leaks on a engine because can cause it to run lean and you know what this can cause
Thanks for all the details and advice you gave me ,if you have other to share with me I'm happy to learn more

 

[Maker]

Among some other components, I got some thermocouple amplifier (Digitiser perhaps, output over SPI) ICs.

I'll admit, I didn't realise a SOIC package was so small when I ordered.

 

[Dr.Al]

Among some other components, I got some thermocouple amplifier (Digitiser perhaps, output over SPI) ICs.
View attachment 215327
I'll admit, I didn't realise a SOIC package was so small when I ordered.

SOICs are HUGE! Try a DFN for size...

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

A few days away.
A few freebies.

This is what I got "gifted" to me.



The book is new and the sounds work.
The fire logs, again new.
The chain saw oil is opened. But full.



A Jar, good for solvents.
Croc clips.
Brass hose thing.
Pliers.
Blue Ring crimps.
2 small G clamps.
Solder.



A almost complete RC components Key way kit.


Best for last.


Oregon Chain saw, half a tank of fuel. But no chain oil.

Oh wait, I have some.

Yes it does work.

All because I helped a couple dump heavy items in a recycling centre, as the staff were to lazy to help.

 

[Matchless]

I once helped someone at the tip dispose of a 110v transformer, 110v light on a tripod and a 110v splitter, how do these peoples brains work! not even hard of ebay…….

 

[Mick Annick]

Some steel - this is half of it, forgot to take a photo until I’d put the rest away