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Stihl 044 air leak?

Discussion in 'Chainsaws and Power Equipment' started by Andimus Prime, Sep 24, 2019.

  1. dall

    dall

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    the 044 has a bushing on the clutch side that will crack if someone puts the clutch on too tight
    best thing to do is take the clutch side apart and inspect the bushing
     
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  2. Nixon

    Nixon

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    No secret . I put the adhesive side towards the carb ,and muffler ,use an ice pick to locate the holes for the mount bolts .
     
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  3. cnice_37

    cnice_37

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    Oh.... so you bolt on the muffler/ carb as well as the tape? That makes more sense then just applying the tape alone (which might be how I went about it... :whistle:)
     
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  4. Andimus Prime

    Andimus Prime

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    C66A2DE6-537E-48E9-A3D9-A29234F5F58C.jpeg Is this a seal? The circled area looks like there is a spring embedded in it. When I picked at it with a screwdriver, more of it came off which is what the arrow is pointing to. It felt like dry rotted rubber to me.
     
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  5. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Bingo. That seal is JUNK!
     
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  6. Andimus Prime

    Andimus Prime

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    Awesome. So I need a new crank and flywheel seal, a flywheel puller and case splitter, and gasket set. Anything else I should replace while I’m in there?
     
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  7. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    You want to tear it all down? If not I'd just pop that seal out and push a new one in, done.
     
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  8. Andimus Prime

    Andimus Prime

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    I ASSumed it all had to come apart to get to that seal. I’d much rather put a new seal on and get to cutting! :saw:
     
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  9. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Get a new seal, drill a small hole in the metal part of the seal, run a sheet metal screw into the hole, clamp vise grips on the screw, pull seal out. Just be prepared to keep the bit from pulling through into the bearing right when the bit breaks through the seal wall...easy does it! A sharp nail could puncture it too...might actually dislodge the seal when you rap on the nail...if it does then you may not even need to "pull" the seal.
    This is the way the dood in the video posted earlier did it (drilled hole/pulled) and he mentions the hole at one point there...
     
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  10. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    I'm sure there are Youtubes on pulling seals this way too...I can look...
     
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  11. Andimus Prime

    Andimus Prime

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    Don’t worry about it I’ll dig it up. Should I buy oem or aftermarket?
     
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  12. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Either...just don't get ultra cheap Chinese junk...a good seal is only a few bux...
     
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  13. huskihl

    huskihl

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    There is a bushing on the crank that the seal rides on. You can remove it to make the seal easier to get out and back on. There may also be a thin o ring in the larger end of the bushing or still on the crank up against the bearing. I'd remove that too if its still in there and see if its still usable. If not, smear some sealant inside the bushing when you reinstall it after you insert the new seal. If you just tap the new seal in over the bushing, it'll most likely fold the lip out on the seal and the spring will fall out
     
  14. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Yup, its the little details that will getcha...I've never messed with an 044...so good info! :handshake: :thumbs:
    If a seal has to go over a sharp lip on a shaft I like to use Scotch or packing tape around the shaft...slide the seal over the taped lip, remove the tape.
     
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  15. huskihl

    huskihl

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    That works. I use a piece of my favorite smoothie can
     
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  16. M2theB

    M2theB

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    I use the plastic window cut from a box of rigatoni. And I just found a spare on the mini’s

    B7856272-53D1-4A55-B9D2-138ACA1F9895.jpeg
     
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  17. BuckthornBonnie

    BuckthornBonnie

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    Check that bearing, too.
     
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  18. Andimus Prime

    Andimus Prime

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    Does anybody have a repair manual for this saw?
     
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  19. Nixon

    Nixon

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    Check out this post on OPE . I know it has a listing for the MS 440 . So it’ll get you the info you need for the 044 .
    Stihl workshop manuals
    I think it’s in post # 4 .
     
  20. Andimus Prime

    Andimus Prime

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    So I picked up a seal from my friendly neighborhood Stihl dealer, pulled my old seal with the sheet metal screw trick (worked like a charm!), and found this..
    9DB30CFF-3020-418B-93AC-24BBC9DB2D75.jpeg

    Time for a new bearing too, right?