Saw shootout/ MS 440, ported MS 460, MS 461, and Solo 681

Heck Id save alil under the hood for my own if I was racing!! Lol! Secret weapon!!

 

There's going to be a small difference in saw to saw even if you do 10 of the same. They'll be one better than all the others.

 

I know the carb on my 461 is opened up alil. Its a strong saw that has alota grunt in bigger wood and noodling. 7.2hp at 10500rpm aint too shabby!! Im wanting another bigger saw but hadnt made my mind up on husky or wait for the 661. I saw last night on facebook Brad had got a 661c and cranked it up. Throttle response sounded instant. Im interested to see how it stacks up against a ported 390 and a 660. I would love to see one ported on Chads dyno

 

Depends on wood size. 8x8 the leaner tune will probably win. 20" log the lower tune probably will win.

 

The saw just needs to be "good enough".
The chain you run is many times, the deal maker or breaker..

 

Chain is still more important than power unless everyone is running the same chain. I've known people with pretty well stock saws beat ported ones with good chain.

 

Now thats the theory in my mind!! So in bigger wood if racing would the higher rpms be benefical or would mtronics not be able to be adjusted higher be a handicap when racing in anything other than a small cant?

 

I can buy that too Dex!!

 

And dex thats been my question right there. A saw without the neccessary carb mods will not benfit from excessive rpms unless it can process the demand the load is pulling on the saw?

 

Port timing will play more into that than carb mods.

 

But what if the porting and load is calling for more than the stock carb can give?

 

That's correct! Pauls TM390xp and Jakes Princess TM385xp was the fastest in the cant that day.... Dont remember the numbers but IIRC Randy cut a 24 something winning cut with his 066.

My 066 placed 8th out of 15-16 saws if I can remember right, if not that's close. It was in the 28 second range. My 372 cut a 27.xx... It was right between Pauls TM660 and my 066.

Also, JD had a TM Dolkita 7900 that cut in the 26s in the cant. It was a damm runner for sure!

 

Then you've finally reached a point a bigger carb is needed. Rich/poleman has done some good stuff with carb mods to zamas. I put one on a 7900 I messed with and it had great throttle response. I have one more carb from him to try on my 7900 when I get time.

 

True story. A lot of variables in each chain, and a good race chain is built to the saw, as every saw is different.

People don't realize how important the chain really is. they think the saw is 90%, but in reality the saw is only 10-20% of the equation. The chain is what makes a strong saw stronger, or a weak saw look good. Or a strong saw look bad.

People don't realize how much chains differ from one saw to the other, the stronger the saw is, the more depth gauge can be lowered to take a bigger bite, whereas a saw that is peaky and is less torquey can have higher rakers and still carry the chain speed to get the job done. I ruined a dome pistoned 372 by raising the exhaust duration too much, but with a chain with the depth gauges in the .015-.0.17 would eat and eat all day long, get up to .020 and it fell on its face.

 

Hey Bud! how ya been? I still have that 550 and it still rips!

 

So will the stock carb most saws have thats been ported to their full potential and tuned to a high rpm for racing be sufficient or will they require jetting/ drilling, main nozzle mod??

 

It seems even a stock saw benefits from some drilling of the Jets from what he tested.

 

This is all making more sense fellows and I already knew alot of it but needed to get it all straight in my mind. Appreciate all the advice and help

 

I think Ive seen stated somewhere that the 461 was one of the saws that was restricted with its stock main? I pretty sure Randy opened mine up when he ported it but Im not sure how much he opened it but it performs very well. Alota torque