# Stihl 290



## Michael Golden (Jan 20, 2013)

I made a mistake today while starting my 290. After I cold started the saw I left the brake on with the throttle still wide open and walked away for a minute to grab my bar oil, and when I returned there was smoke a rolling. I hurried and shut the saw down and let it cool, but once I restarted it, if I was to put the brake on it would die immediately. I'm just wondering what I messed up, I ran the saw the for couple hours cutting up a maple. I am going to open it up tomorrow just not sure what I'm looking for, I'm hoping I didn't mess it up to much. Any opinions on what I may have messed up? 

Thanks Mike


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## cygnus (Jan 20, 2013)

I've never seen it happen, nor am I sure it's possible, but I'd say the clutch weights welded themselves to the outer drum.  Can you move the chain by hand when it's off?  If the piston cranks when you move the chain then you need a new clutch.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 20, 2013)

Well I took the chain off immediately to cool thing off and it did pump the piston like you said, but I realized the break was on. I thought I weld it up in there, but after things were cooled down I put the chain on and it spun freely! The problem is though that when I would go the throw the break on to stop the chain while I moved around the saw would die? It really was a dumb screw up and I new better, but the saw was cold so I just left for a minute or two to grab the oil.


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## welderboyjk (Jan 20, 2013)

Honestly not trying to start an argument but would you start your car cold and stand on the throttle? Why do it with your saw? Just seems wrong to me. Pistons can cold seize/scuff.
Now that that's out of the way when you pop the bar off you should be able to see what's not "right" I'd imagine.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 20, 2013)

Took the bar off and nothing looks messed up. I was wondering though what would make the saw stall once the break is on? Thought maybe the break was plastic inside and melted or that someone may have experienced this and would know what I may have burnt up. Also, I appreciate your response, but that is not the advice I was looking because I already no I messed up.

Thanks Mike


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## ScotO (Jan 20, 2013)

Sounds to me like possibly you have a bad clutch shoe spring, or something jamming between the clutch shoes and sprocket.  You're gonna have to remove the clutch sprocket to even see it (that's an inboard sprocket).


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## Michael Golden (Jan 20, 2013)

Thanks for weighing in Scotty, I was hoping for a little knowledge on it. I will open it up tomorrow and take a look. Saw ran good while I finished cutting, but I know something ain't right with it. Thanks


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## ScotO (Jan 20, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> Thanks for weighing in Scotty, I was hoping for a little knowledge on it. I will open it up tomorrow and take a look. Saw ran good while I finished cutting, but I know something ain't right with it. Thanks


Whatever it is (I'm thinking it's a clutch shoe), it's an easy fix. You'll get it figured out, get some pics and if you have questions there's lots of good guys on here that will help you out.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 20, 2013)

I appreciate that, and if I get snagged I will look here for help.


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## MasterMech (Jan 21, 2013)

Really common for the plastic housing around the brake to melt too with that kind of "failure" .

I'd count on replacing the clutch, drum, and needle bearing all in one shot.  That much heat is bad juju.

Buy a clutch and rim sprocket kit for it.  You'll get the drum and bearing in the rim sprocket kit plus wind up with a rim sprocket setup that will last much longer than a spur sprocket that the saw came with.  New rims are 5-8 bucks instead of replacing the whole $30-40 drum/sprocket.

Don't bother replacing 1 or 2 clutch shoes either.  That much heat has ruined the springs as well and you may as well just replace the clutch assembly.

Maybe snap a pic of the sprocket side of the saw (cleaned up if possible) and we can see better what may or may not have survived.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

I will see if I can get a picture today once I get it cleaned up and apart.

Thanks


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> Really common for the plastic housing around the brake to melt too with that kind of "failure" .
> 
> I'd count on replacing the clutch, drum, and needle bearing all in one shot.  That much heat is bad juju.
> 
> ...



I have the saw apart, and was wondering how to get the shoes off? When I popped the the top off the needles scattered, I was able to gather most of them but two went down under the shoes. Also, it did melt a little plastic, not bad though just kinda charred it. I don't really know all the official names for these parts, it there a replace where I can k
Find a exploded diagram on this kit you are saying to get?


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

Just walked out and tried again to take the shoes off, I just don't want to force anything. I took off a cover, not sure what its called, but it allowed me to take off a stainless band. I thought maybe this was what was hold them shoes on, but it wasn't.  When I put the saw break on I see how this all operates, but with the break on, the stainless band does not reach the shoes? I'm guess that it is suppose to squeeze them like a break?  The center piece holding the shoes has nut head on like you should be able to unscrew it but it just spins freely? I will just wait for some advice before continuing.

Thanks, Mike


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

Here's a picture:


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## HittinSteel (Jan 21, 2013)

I haven't worked on an 290 in a long time, but I think you need to take the spark plug out and insert a piston stop. Then put a socket on the nut holding the clutch on. It should be reverse thread so turn the nut CLOCKWISE. Then you can take the whole clutch off and access the sprocket and needle bearing.

* I'd await a confirmation from a stihl guy before doing the above.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

HittinSteel said:


> I haven't worked on an 290 in a long time, but I think you need to take the spark plug out and insert a piston stop. Then put a socket on the nut holding the clutch on. It should be reverse thread so turn the nut CLOCKWISE. Then you can take the whole clutch off and access the sprocket and needle bearing.
> 
> * I'd await a confirmation from a stihl guy before doing the above.



Alright I will wait, thanks for the info.  Where do I find a piston stop?


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

Well I just watched a YouTube video, should have done that earlier. Looks pretty easy to take that all apart, but I don't see what I need to replace other than the bearing.  The shoes show some sign of heat, but I still don't know why the saw would stall when applying the break?


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## StihlHead (Jan 21, 2013)

Yah, that's the way to remove a Stihl clutch. Most saw shops will have piston stops. They come in the tool kits on some Stihl saws. They are an offset bar that you stick into the spark plug hole. That locks the piston in place so you can remove the flywheel and/or the clutch. You can also get them online, here is one on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OEM-STI...100?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25797464ec

BTW: Frying a clutch housing with the brake on is pretty common on the smaller Stihl 1123 series of saws (021-250). That is the most common way that I have seen them nuked after straight gassing. I bought several toasted that way to salvage the engines. The 1127 saws (029-390) are more tolerant of the heat but they can also melt. The oil lines can get damaged that way as well. When you pull the clutch check the oil feed line/galley is not melted through.

Needless to say, starting and leaving a saw running unattended at WOT with the brake set is a bad idea. Actually it is a collection of three bad ideas:
1) Do not leave a chainsaw running unattended.
2) Do not run a chainsaw at WOT (wide open throttle) out of the wood for anything longer than for brief testing with a tach to set the H screw on the carb, or revving just before a cut. You can overheat your saw engine really easy by running it WOT out of the wood.
3) Do not rev your chainsaw to WOT with the brake set, or you can damage the clutch/brake/housing assembly, as you have done. The clutch will not engage at low RPM and so the brake will not cause friction on the clutches. Above about 2500 RPM the centrifugal force will cause the clutches to fly out and engage the brake drum. At that point you want the chain to run free as it was designed to do, unless you are in a situation that you want the brake to activate, like in a kick-back situation.

Let your saw warm up while idling. If it does not idle right after starting, clean the saw and retune the carb so that it does.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

Well I will check the oiler when I get it apart tomorrow. I saw immediately the roller bearing was toast, the bearing just fell out. I have never done that before with the throttle, it was a total brain fart just hope things can be fixed.  I have it down to the clutch and I will get that off tomorrow and check for any melting around the oiler.  I think the smoke was coming from the bearing.  I saw there in a video a guy using a nylon rope to lock the piston, is this recommended?


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## HittinSteel (Jan 21, 2013)

I've used rope before without a problem......just make sure none of the rope or fibers stay in the saw when you pull it out.


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## fabsroman (Jan 21, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> Well I will check the oiler when I get it apart tomorrow. I saw immediately the roller bearing was toast, the bearing just fell out. I have never done that before with the throttle, it was a total brain fart just hope things can be fixed. I have it down to the clutch and I will get that off tomorrow and check for any melting around the oiler. I think the smoke was coming from the bearing. I saw there in a video a guy using a nylon rope to lock the piston, is this recommended?


 
Things can almost always be fixed. Only a matter of how much it will cost in parts, and labor if you do not know how to do it yourself. I'm interested in hearing what the culprit part actually is.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

HittinSteel said:


> I've used rope before without a problem......just make sure none of the rope or fibers stay in the saw when you pull it out.



Ok thanks, I have found all the parts that were listed that I may need. It is amazing all knowledge online if you just look around!


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

fabsroman said:


> Things can almost always be fixed. Only a matter of how much it will cost in parts, and labor if you do not know how to do it yourself. I'm interested in hearing what the culprit part actually is.



Well the culprit was me! But, the problem with the stalling from everything I've read is coming from the clutch assembly and inexpensive from what I've seen. I figure if everything else checks out I will just get the clutch assembly and drum sprocket assembly. Just hoping the oiler checks out!


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## fabsroman (Jan 21, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> Well the culprit was me! But, the problem with the stalling from everything I've read is coming from the clutch assembly and inexpensive from what I've seen. I figure if everything else checks out I will just get the clutch assembly and drum sprocket assembly. Just hoping the oiler checks out!


 
Notice I said culprit part, not culprit person. I already know you screwed up, and you admitted it in your very first post. No need to beat a dead horse and lecture you about starting a saw and walking away from it while it is WOT. Think the others have beat you bad enough about it, and you are learning your lesson even moreso by having to spend money for the parts and time on the repair.


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## StihlHead (Jan 21, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> Well I will check the oiler when I get it apart tomorrow. I saw immediately the roller bearing was toast, the bearing just fell out. I have never done that before with the throttle, it was a total brain fart just hope things can be fixed. I have it down to the clutch and I will get that off tomorrow and check for any melting around the oiler. I think the smoke was coming from the bearing. I saw there in a video a guy using a nylon rope to lock the piston, is this recommended?


 
Rope works fine, as does some torn red rag in a jiffy. I used it for several jobs on several types of saws, including Stihl, Echo, Husky and Olympik. Just make sure not to use too much rope and keep the piston near TDC so that not much torque is applied to the piston rod. You can bend a rod pretty easy levering the clutch threads the wrong way (like normal threads). See, it is easy to get buried even deeper in your brain fart with more brain farts to come!

If the bearing is that toasted that was some amount of heat and wear that you applied. Clean the plastic around the area and look closely for melted leaks in the oiler galley and look at the bearings/seals on the crankshaft. You may have smoked the crank seals as well, though it is less likely. I have salvaged a lot of clamshell engines from some saws with clutches that were smoked and had completely melted through the oil galley and melted all the plastic around the clutch area.

All 2-stroke saws are only a brain fart away from being straight gassed and scored, or run with the brake on and smoked. You have to be carful when to say, "Here hold my beer while I try something" with a chainsaw in your hand.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

StihlHead said:


> Rope works fine, as does some torn red rag in a jiffy. I used it for several jobs on several types of saws, including Stihl, Echo, Husky and Olympik. Just make sure not to use too much rope and keep the piston near TDC so that not much torque is applied to the piston rod. You can bend a rod pretty easy levering the clutch threads the wrong way (like normal threads). See, it is easy to get buried even deeper in your brain fart with more brain farts to come!
> 
> If the bearing is that toasted that was some amount of heat and wear that you applied. Clean the plastic around the area and look closely for melted leaks in the oiler galley and look at the bearings/seals on the crankshaft. You may have smoked the crank seals as well, though it is less likely. I have salvaged a lot of clamshell engines from some saws with clutches that were smoked and had completely melted through the oil galley and melted all the plastic around the clutch area.
> 
> All 2-stroke saws are only a brain fart away from being straight gassed and scored, or run with the brake on and smoked. You have to be carful when to say, "Here hold my beer while I try something" with a chainsaw in your hand.



Well I will check for any more melted seals after work tomorrow! You got me really wondering now, if it wasn't so cold out in the garage I would be out there right now checking it all out. Hopefully get some parts ordered tomorrow night, if anything comes out of this it would be me learning a little more about the saw. I am already planning on taking the 028 apart and checking it out, I know my dad bought it around 1980 and he is terrible about maintenance! Could be interesting.


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## fabsroman (Jan 21, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> Well I will check for any more melted seals after work tomorrow! You got me really wondering now, if it wasn't so cold out in the garage I would be out there right now checking it all out. Hopefully get some parts ordered tomorrow night, if anything comes out of this it would be me learning a little more about the saw. I am already planning on taking the 028 apart and checking it out, I know my dad bought it around 1980 and he is terrible about maintenance! Could be interesting.


 
Just noticed the 192 TC in your sig. Thinking about getting the 192 c-e with the "normal" handle on it instead of the top handle. Planning on using it for limbing and the really small stuff. What do you think of the saw overall?

So, you have a dad like that too. Man, my dad is horrible about maintenance, as are my brothers. We kid him and one of my brothers that if the 1995 F150 survived him and my brother, it should be inducted into the truck hall of fame. Truly, it is a miracle that truck still runs 18 years later. Granted, the way it is kept on the road is rather amazing, but I guess that is just how my dad and brother are.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

fabsroman said:


> Just noticed the 192 TC in your sig. Thinking about getting the 192 c-e with the "normal" handle on it instead of the top handle. Planning on using it for limbing and the really small stuff. What do you think of the saw overall?
> 
> So, you have a dad like that too. Man, my dad is horrible about maintenance, as are my brothers. We kid him and one of my brothers that if the 1995 F150 survived him and my brother, it should be inducted into the truck hall of fame. Truly, it is a miracle that truck still runs 18 years later. Granted, the way it is kept on the road is rather amazing, but I guess that is just how my dad and brother are.



I really like my 192tc, I like to carry it when splitting to cut off those pesky limbs you missed while bucking.  I originally bought it for fencing and almost sold because lack of use, but after getting this wood burner I am glad I kept it! It is real handy, I really like the one handed operation.


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## Boog (Jan 21, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> I really like my 192tc, I like to carry it when splitting to cut off those pesky limbs you missed while bucking. I originally bought it for fencing and almost sold because lack of use, but after getting this wood burner I am glad I kept it! It is real handy, I really like the one handed operation.


 
Wooooo there partner! One handed operation? I don't want to lecture you either because I know you know better, and also because I have a 191T, that in my younger foolish days would "one hand too". I admit that I did it on occasion myself years ago, but I do not now cause I know its really asking for trouble. Please, kick the habit before you become a statistic.

From one Mike to another!


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

Boog Powell said:


> Wooooo there partner! One handed operation? I don't want to lecture you either because I know you know better, and also because I have a 191T, that in my younger foolish days would "one hand too". I admit that I did it on occasion myself years ago, but I do not now cause I know its really asking for trouble. Please, kick the habit before you become a statistic.
> 
> From one Mike to another
> 
> Never really thought I was doing anything wrong with it. It has a 12" bar and really has never thought about kicking back, I guess the possibility is there. I thought the whole purpose of the top handle saw was for tree trimmers to be able to reach out one handed to cut a branch? Anyways it is a real handy saw though, kinda pricey but it has its niche!


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

Kinda messed up that reply.....


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## welderboyjk (Jan 21, 2013)

Mike, I agree with what stihlhead said, look closely at your crank seal. If it's toast your top end will soon look like your clutch.
The "shield" you pulled off should be the clutch drum itself. The "band" clamps on the drum NOT on the shoes.
Looking at the pic you posted, WOW, that did get hot didn't it.
Hope you get the rest of it apart and don't find any major issues with it.


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## StihlHead (Jan 21, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> Well I will check for any more melted seals after work tomorrow! You got me really wondering now, if it wasn't so cold out in the garage I would be out there right now checking it all out. Hopefully get some parts ordered tomorrow night, if anything comes out of this it would be me learning a little more about the saw. I am already planning on taking the 028 apart and checking it out, I know my dad bought it around 1980 and he is terrible about maintenance! Could be interesting.


 
Well, that is the bane about the orange handle plastic Stihl homeowner saws, they have plastic engine housings that can and do melt. Some melting of the case is OK, but more is not. I fixed one melted plastic case oil galley in a 250 with a straw and JB weld once, but I would not recommend doing that. I also fixed a broken fin on a 021 flywheel with super glue, and it is still working. I do not recommend that either, but it worked. The 028 is old school and more in line with a Stihl pro saw, in that it has a split metal engine lower case and thus is less prone to damage when doing things like smoking the clutch. They are built better, with better plastic (white) and they have more pro features. The top ends are easy to work on, but the oil pump and the areas where you are working on with the 029 are a different story.

With 2-stroke saws, use good gas and good premix oil and tune the carb right and you are 90% of the way to a long life with your saw. _The_ #1 way to cook them is straight gassing them. I did manage to straight gas one of my 361s once, but I caught it right after I noticed the revs going up after refilling it with the gas, and lo... it was the lawn mower gas. I dumped the gas out and popped the spark plug and put in some premix oil and yanked on the starter rope a few times, and then filled it with mixed gas and re-started it. I pulled the muffler later and checked it, and there was no scoring. The pro saws will usually burn a full tank of straight gas or more before scoring badly, whereas the homeowner models will not.

The #2 way to score a saw is running it too lean and/or overheating them, and there are several ways to do that. Running them WOT all the time will overheat them, which is a common problem with chainsaw milling. Running them with the H screw set too lean will score them over time. Running them out of gas all the time will cause them to run lean at the end of the tank of gas. Also tuning them at a higher elevation and then running them at a lower elevation will cause them to run lean (I know people that have blown saw engines that way) . Similar issues come from tuning them with a long bar and then swapping to a shorter bar, which can cause them to over-rev at WOT. And of course if you open up the muffler, you need to richen up the saw, or you will smoke it in a hurry by running it super lean. The EPA has mandated that the carbs on all new saws be set with limiter tabs on them to prevent you from running them richer. As a result the new factory saws are usually set right at the point of running too lean. On any saw that I buy, I pull the limiters, cut the tabs and then reset the limiters back in place, and then tune them richer. The saws run better that way and are less prone to overheating and scoring. NOTE: if you remove a limiter tab and later have your saw worked on at a shop, they are required by law (EPA) to restore the saw to its original EPA condition, meaning they will replace a modified muffler with an original one, and/or replace any trimmed limiters with new limiter caps. They have to do that by law... just keep that in mind with any saw that you happen to modify. There is no law against you modifying the saw yourself though.

Then there is the running the saw with the brake set issue, which is about 3rd in the reasons that I see the homeowner saws being smoked. Those saws are commonly sold on Ebay, along with straight gassed saws. Crappy gas is a another common cause of engine failure. Low octane (_old or bad_) gas will cause flaring and uneven burning and uneven pressure on the piston, and that can cause scoring when the piston tilts a tad on the downstroke. Ethanol gas can cause problems, but usually only when it is exposed to water, and then the gas separates from the ethanol and water. Using pure gas, or E10 with a stabilizer (or premix oil with stabilizer in it) will help prevent that from happening. Using TCW marine premix oil will usually gunk up an air cooled 2-stroke engine, as will using cheap multi-use premix oil. Use a JASO certified premix oil, preferably FC or FD grade. Using too much oil can also gunk up the engine and cause more carbon to build up faster, but usually that is not an issue. I use about a 45:1 gas/oil mix ratio, as there is some evidence that slightly more oil will create a better ring seal, and thus more power in the saw.


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## StihlHead (Jan 21, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> Kinda messed up that reply.....


 
You can revise your posts by hitting the edit button, and changing the post... I do that all the time to correct errors, and revise posts to make more sense.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 21, 2013)

Well I can't say I'm not worried about this oiler and seal, but time will tell. I am careful about the gas as I only mix a gallon at a time using the best grade gas I can get at the station (thinking 92).  Well I don't have much in the saw, but I also planned on getting many years out of it. Fingers are crossed and I only have 40 bucks get it fixed up.


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## MasterMech (Jan 21, 2013)

In your picture I see a good bit of melted case below the clutch.

Rope in the cylinder and turning the clutch clockwise will work fine for removing the clutch.  Forty bucks is a tight budget considering you need the entire clutch/drum/bearing setup.

If anything beyond that is damaged, I'd be looking for a parts saw or a replcement.  Might be worth the time to get your local dealer/saw repair shop to look at that case and say wether it is good to go or not.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 22, 2013)

Well just went it out and took off the clutch..........fried! So what is the next step here? Tips?


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## Michael Golden (Jan 22, 2013)

Guess I will just hold off on this repair, not sure if it is worth spending the money on all the parts. I think I will just wait on a parts saw to come up like said above. I will just learn from this mistake since I have very little money invested in this saw and move on. On a lighter note, do all new saws have plastic cases like this one?


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## StihlHead (Jan 22, 2013)

Well, the new lower end/homeowner saws tend to have plastic engines cases and housings, at least on Husky and Stihl saws. The more expensive pro saws tend to have magnesium lower engine cases. At least you have a good engine? You could buy a scored engine 290/310/390 and swap in your engine. I did that kind of swapping on several of my 025/250s. Or you could unload it on Ebay 'as is' and someone else could use the parts, or you could tear it down and sell it on Ebay as parts.

The 290 parts will fit a 310 and 390, only the carb and engine is different.


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## Michael Golden (Jan 22, 2013)

Well maybe I will part it out and sell some other things I have laying around and look into a pro saw.  I appreciate all you help Stilhead.


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## MasterMech (Jan 23, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> not sure if it is worth spending the money on all the parts. I think I will just wait on a parts saw to come up like said above.​


 
Generally not worth the $$ using new parts but there are plenty of nasty dirty old 029's, 039's, MS290/310/390's out there that would clean up good and take your engine no problem.


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## fabsroman (Jan 23, 2013)

Boog Powell said:


> Wooooo there partner! One handed operation? I don't want to lecture you either because I know you know better, and also because I have a 191T, that in my younger foolish days would "one hand too". I admit that I did it on occasion myself years ago, but I do not now cause I know its really asking for trouble. Please, kick the habit before you become a statistic.
> 
> From one Mike to another!


 
We are all statistics. Just a matter of which column you fall under during the statistical anaylsis.


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## fabsroman (Jan 23, 2013)

Michael, sorry to hear the saw is a complete mess and not worth fixing. That sucks, and it is a hard way to learn that lesson. Luckily though, it was a lesson where only property was damaged and not person. Look forward to your next thread about what saw you should buy next.


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## StihlHead (Jan 23, 2013)

Boog Powell said:


> Wooooo there partner! One handed operation? I don't want to lecture you either because I know you know better, and also because I have a 191T, that in my younger foolish days would "one hand too".


 
I gave up trying to persuade people to not one-hand top handle saws. They really do not want to hear about it. I decided to sell my top handle saws a few years ago simply because if you have one, you will wind up one handing them, not matter what. Especially when climbing. So I no longer have a Stihl 020T or an Echo 3000cs I think it was. The 211 is my smallest saw, and it is a rear handle saw.


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## nate379 (Jan 23, 2013)

Or an impact gun will buzz it off without a piston stop.  That's how I get them off.



HittinSteel said:


> I haven't worked on an 290 in a long time, but I think you need to take the spark plug out and insert a piston stop. Then put a socket on the nut holding the clutch on. It should be reverse thread so turn the nut CLOCKWISE. Then you can take the whole clutch off and access the sprocket and needle bearing.
> 
> * I'd await a confirmation from a stihl guy before doing the above.


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## BigDBoots (Jul 9, 2013)

Hey fellas, I have been lurking in the shadows for a few months reading since Sandy.... Anyways I want to revive this thread as I did the exact same thing, except I was finishing putting my chaps on instead of grabbing oil.  Here in NJ we had an EF-0 touch down two weeks back and I fried my ms290.  What I know I need: oiler hoses, clutch bearings, possible oiler (will check if it is spewing in the morning).  here are the pics:


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## BigDBoots (Jul 9, 2013)

Sorry here is the pic

Also, I cannot get the chain brake to engage/disengage... Any thoughts on what to do... I fix as much of my own stuff as possible and have not taken a saw apart this far before.... 

EC


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## MasterMech (Jul 10, 2013)

The brake band may have melted into the case.


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## BigDBoots (Jul 10, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> The brake band may have melted into the case.



The band moves free.... 1. When working properly does the brake band just squeeze and hold the sprocket? 2. Should I purchase a replacement?


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## MasterMech (Jul 10, 2013)

BigDBoots said:


> The band moves free.... 1. When working properly does the brake band just squeeze and hold the sprocket? 2. Should I purchase a replacement?


They are cheap enough if there is any doubt.  It's possible the drum took most of the wear and that should definitely be replaced if you have not already done so.  Excellent opportunity to convert the saw to a rim sprocket setup with a kit from Stihl.


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## Michael Golden (Jul 10, 2013)

BigDBoots said:


> Sorry here is the pic
> 
> Also, I cannot get the chain brake to engage/disengage... Any thoughts on what to do... I fix as much of my own stuff as possible and have not taken a saw apart this far before....
> 
> EC



I thought that was my picture! I got good advice from here and parts are easy to find on ebay or you can even find a donor saw for under a 100 bucks. I also scored a 310 off the tree trimmer and still have a good engine from my burnt up 290, so this fall I will have another 290. It all worked out thanks to the guys on here!


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