023 with a decompression valve!?

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Found what I thought to be a cheap 025 yesterday, it was online and within easy driving distance, NZ$30 so about US$20 for a complete saw that stopped going and had not been run for about 4 years.
So I went and picked it up, pulled the muffler, piston looked okay, no spark- new plug, mediocre spark, primed and it fired, fresh fuel in the tank and it fired and ran...... like a runaway train!
So obviously had a pretty good air leak, like torn manifold, loose crank cap bolts or blown seals. Tear apart to investigate.
Flywheel channel and coil are packed with oily gunk, clean them up and spark will get remarkably better I feel.

Now this say is missing any form of decal or plate defining the model, so I assumed 025 as it has a decompression valve- but no, it is a 40mm 023.
Don't recall ever seeing one with a decomp before, but I seem to remember them putting one on MS180's at one stage, so guess the 023 got one as well- I do not usually have a lot to do with consumer clamshells, but an 025 is an 025..... until it isn't!

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

So, pulled this wee saw down to the bare bones, cleaned it up, Yamabonded the cap on to the rest of the crankcase/cylinder unit of the clammy shell, did the bolts up tight this time and put it all back together.
Saw runs like a wee champ.

You might be able to see below, why the saw suffered from a weak spark initially and the interesting added extra I pulled from the squish band inside the cylinder. Looks like a bit of line trimmer line, but stiffer- maybe a WD40 fine spot application tube?

 

[Nutball]

I wonder how the red thing got in there? I can't think of any sensible reason other than intentionally placed by a dummy, or maybe something was being sprayed into the carb, and the straw shot off, got chopped by the piston in the intake port, and flew up a transfer port where it got smashed up top.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Could all be, I was thinking maybe a WD40 type spot spray tube on a can of engine start to reach the inner workings?
Hillbilly solder to measure squish?
Who knows? It is an old saw and they are always a lottery as to who has been poking at what.

Was a one lady owner saw and she told me she had had a friend look at it, but had not taken it to the Stihl shop.
Now there are some dodgy goings on under the covers, spring that connects with the wire to kill the saw was under the master control switch rod- the purge valve is busted, but that is just as well as there is no Tee in the line and no fuel tank breather, just a straight line from purge to tank return, just wee things like that- plus the fact it has flippy caps purge and decomp tool less chain adjuster , yet the cylinder marked 023, so I am thinking early MS230- but someone swapped the soft start recoil starter and flywheel to the older 023 style. Serial number begins with a 1, so German, but the starter cover has STIHL and made in USA on it, not the circular MS230 badge a saw of that vintage should.
So it has been muddled with.