Building a Poulan 365.

Well guys I finished up my second PP365. List of things done on this saw.
Opened up the ports. Intake and exhaust.
Ground on the top of the transfer ports to direct them a little more towards the intake.
Opened the bottom of the transfer ports a little.
Thinned the bottom of the divider between the transfer ports to get better flow.
Dropped the cylinder to a squish of .022"
Port matched the intake rubber boot to the cylinder.
Port matched the muffler to the exhaust port of the cylinder.
Installed new crank seals.
Advanced the timing.
Installed a new OEM piston and ring.
The cylinder was a used one I have had hanging around for the last 3 years or so.
I used a ball hone on it to soften all the edges of the ports. Less chance of hanging a ring. Then ultrasonic for getting it really clean.
Changed the carb over from a HDA 49 to the HDA 164. Bigger carb.
Installed a new rubber intake boot for the larger carb.
Put on a used metal plate and gasket that goes between the carb and rubber intake boot. Required for the bigger carb. I got it from a 330 parts saw.
Modified the muffler.
Tuned the saw to 4 stroke at 13,000 RPM's with the bar and chain on.
This is not a race saw but a good running working saw that I will use in the mountains come summer time.
One more thing about the PP365 is that it weighs less than the 3750 but with these modifications it now has the same output power.

Ran the saw today and it will flat get with the program. I really like this series of saws from Poulan and with the right modification can really be made to run.

First a few pics of the cylinder while I had it off and all the work was completed on it.
Then a few more pics of the muffler mod.
The pic with the flat piece of metal laying next to it is what I used to do my muffler mod.

 

Good looking work.

 

Looks good, Roger!

Guys, Roger has also done a 295 that'll really surprise you!

 

Thanks for the compliment.
I got the 365 for free with a scored piston and cylinder. So I am just in it for parts.
Really all I wanted to do by posting this on here is to show that you do not need a very expensive saw to have some fun with our hobby and produce a good running saw
that will get the jobs done. The PP 365 is a 60cc saw open port transfer design and with a 20" bar will handle most job easily. You could do this very same thing on any number of saws that come from Jonsered, Husky, or Stihl and even some of the older Homelites. I am sure there are others also. Have some fun guys.

 

Right, all it takes is a bunch of expensive metalworking tools, and then there will be an entire world of "free" saws at your fingertips! Sounds a lot like all my "free" lumber.

But that does look like fun! That's what it's all about to me. If a guy wants to spend some money to have some nice tools he enjoys, I can understand that completely.

Nice work! That cylinder is shiny!

 

The grinder is a dremel.
The ultrasonic cleaner is a harbor freight.
The bottom of the cylinder was done with sandpaper.
Then there is the ball hone with a cordless drill.
The burrs I used came from ebay and were very cheap.
I did not use a degree wheel for anything.
I used a penny cut down for advancing the timing.
Nothing expensive there for tools.
You do not have to have expensive tools when it just takes a little know how to have some fun.
That is what I was pointing out.
I am not a pro builder like you see for all those Mastermind saws you have listed there.

The only expensive item I used was the welder for doing the muffler mod. But I have done them by just cutting a slit in the side of the muffler and the prying it open. Works just as well.

 

For what you paid to have one of those saws modified by the pro builders you have listed would have more than paid for all the tools I used to work on this 365.

 

You removed .022" from the squish with sandpaper?!? That's impressive.

By no means was I trying to imply that my "professionally" built saws are better than your work. Unfortunately for me, getting a damaged saw to even run is something I have to pay someone else to do, cause it's not in my skill set.

Nor was I trying to engage in a pizzing match over tool purchases (you forgot to question the size of my other tool, BTW). If there was a hint of disagreement, it was regarding your assessment about which tools a man should have to enjoy his hobby. I'm not his wife, so I won't presume to know better.

 

Heck, anything that makes sawdust is fun.

 

+1

 

Actually I think your professionally built saws are better. Those guys have lathes to cut the squish band and degree wheels so they know exactly what the port timing is and they do not sand the cylinder base they cut it on a lathe to precise measurements. They have angle head hand pieces for their flex shafts so they can get into those tight areas for precise work.

Shawn you could learn all that your self it just takes some time is all. Not rocket science.

 

Termites?

 

Looks like you did a good job on your 365. Is that a k095 mount bar on it and did you have to modify it any to get it to work?

 

Yes it is. I believe I originally bought that bar for a Husky 455 rancher. It just so happens to fit the 365 no modifications needed. Good eye.

 

Wow!! I just thought you needed a lathe to do that sort of thing. I thought I could relate with the need for just one more woodworking tool.

You know, Ive got some sandpaper... Hold my beer...

I'm seriously impressed, and I'm sorry if my comment derailed your thread and distracted from your awesome work.

 

Question - I have a Poulan Super 380 60cc beast that I bought new in spring 2000.For many years it was my go to saw doing 80% of firewood duty/general work & every non milling or huge wood job.All I did to it was replace a couple air filters/spark plugs over the years & original 20" laminated sprocket nose bar,clutch/rim sprocket in 2012.

Run like hell,just a screamer with loads of torque for a mid sized saw.Buried that 20" in white oak lots of times barely slowed it down.Mustve cut close to 100 full cord in over 13 years with that beast.Always started 3-4 pulls cold,1 pull warm no matter what the temperature or humidity.

One day in April 2014 I was cleaning up some odds & ends in backyard with it,damm thing just quit on me with no warning.Wasnt a hot day nor was it being worked heavy at all.It had a problem in the past of vapor locking a few times on hot/heavy days after refueling,but that wasn't a common thing.I'd slowly open the gas cap,let the pressure release & it started easily after that.

Still has great compression (well it did last time I tried starting it,the next day or so),but it didn't even fire once.I suppose the coil might've finally died,but I have no idea obviously.Tried a new spark plug,no change.So its been sitting dry in shed minus bar/chain (since installed on my Pro Mac 610)

Been thinking lately about seeing if it would go again,maybe it just needed a rest or something...Sure don't owe me anything but I'd hate to part it out or sell it as a project if its toast.That model don't show up on feebay too often & most that I've seen over years were beat to death also.

 

Yea I tell ya thistle that saw is basically the same as the 365 in this thread. Poulan made a whole bunch of different models that all shared a lot of the same parts but with just different carb sizes and intakes.
The super 380 is one of those that does not show up very often. I have every one of those models except a 380. I would rebuild that saw if I were you. There are still some parts available for them.

You don't have to drop the cylinder by removing material you can just eliminate the base gasket and still get a small increase in compression. I think the crank seals are still available and the piston rings.
I am not sure what carb is on the super 380 but if it is the HDA 49 you can go to a larger carb like the HDA 164. Or you can just rebuild it and keep it stock and still have that same ole great running saw it was before. All those different models of Poulans also had the same oilers on them and were pretty much bullet proof.

I would take the spark plug out and clamp it to one of the fins on top of the cylinder and then give it a good pull to see if you have spark. Pull the muffler and look at the piston to make sure there is no scoring.
If those are good then put a little mix down the carb with the throttle wide open and give it a couple of good pulls and see if it wants to fire off. There is also an external impulse line that goes from the top of the carb down to a nipple on the crankcase that if it goes bad can cause an air leak and the carb not to work. Easy saws to work on I would not hesitate to fix it up if I were you.

I probably have ten saws that are all similar to your super 380 so if you need any help just let me know.

 

I was lookin at the pictures of your saw and it looks just like a Poulan 330 or a 3750.