Let my stupidity be a lesson...

I am beating myself up pretty good right now so for anyone feeling like posting what you should have done posts, save it.

First off; Warning, this is the same seller!

Stihl Chainsaw 026 Pro

The 044 I bought from this guy is as advertised.

The 026 I bought is not.

Where did I go wrong? I forgot my scrench. I brought everything else T27, compression tester. When I looked at the 044 I got the top cover loose and could see that it had a KS cylinder. But could not check compression with no scrench. It started up, oiled, and ran fine so took a gamble that ended up fine. No scrench meant no flat head to take the top cover off the 026. The guy said it was a low hour saw and all OEM like the 044 and it started, oiled, and ran fine and the exterior looked good so I bought it as well. Interestingly he said the 044 was all original and the 026 was all OEM.

Well, I took it apart to give it a going over and when I took the top cover off my heart sank.



Yup, cheap chinese top end.

And on top of that when I took the spark plug off what did I see through the hole on the piston but an Arrow!



Yup, piston was in backwards!

To cut a long story short the seller actually initially responded to my texts insisting that the work had been done by a shop and it was supposed to be an OEM top end and he was going make things right, but as the day progressed he stopped responding to my texts.

Remember your tools, look close, remember your tools,look close,remember your tools,look close...

 

Sorry foragefarmer to like, but a good lesson for all.

 

Dang. That sucks.

 

Dude....sorry man Hey..alot of us have been there.....so ur in good company lol !

 

That sucks! Luckily 026 top ends are readily available and reasonable cost wise.

 

I took a saw in from TN. Piston was put in backwards and banged itself pretty good where the pin was in the exhaust. Even had wrong small carb on it.
I take saws in all the time without checking them now days. But not for that kind of money.

 

I don't understand why some people have to be dishonest. Just tell the damm truth

Sorry you got screwed. Here in ky we would find him and thump his skull a little

 

Did you drive all the way to West Virginia to get it?

 

better check to make sure he at least installed the circlips!

not to throw more mud in your eye but you can usually spot the chinese cylinder by their color alone... Just a future tip

 

I didn't pay near that for the 026 but it wasn't trivial either.

 

Gary, I think 026's are like kryptonite to me. You know what I am talking about.

 

After I figure out what toasted the first top end. Cause I bet someone who didn't put a piston in right didn't do a good job of diagnosing or fixing what caused the problem in the first place.

 

I sold a 026 pro with new Dozerdan Dan Henry ported oem topend was new too for $300. Most around I see are in the 100-250 range stock.

 

I'd just port the snot out of that china top end and run it till it blows up... Then get a better top end. Turn the lemon into lemonade!

 

That is right. Same here.

 

I have been thinking on that. I might put it on another carcass I have though and use the good top end from that on this saw since the paint and plastics are much better on this one.

 

I paid $175 for this barely used MS260 PRO, just as it sits. I sold it for $300.

 

Dude....that was a steal lol ! Niiiiiice

 

That sucks. At least it doesn't look like it was ran very much with that piston.