McCulloch Chainsaw Thread

[Jacob J.]

Question: Has anyone overhauled a McCulloch Super 797 chainsaw lately? Any helpful tips? Suggestions? Etc?

What kind of advice are you looking for? They're relatively easy saws to work on - getting the carburetor and intake sealed up can be the hard part. For tear-down, you'll need a variety of tools - brass hammer, 5/16" and 7/16" sockets (depending on if the fasteners are stock), needle-nose pliers, 7/16" open-end/boxed-end wrench, 9/16" + 11/16" sockets, piston stop, 1/4" midget wrench for the points, small/medium/large flat-head screwdrivers, razor blade or gasket scraper, and a plan of some sort to clean all the parts.

For fasteners - I put them in an old 1-quart oil bottle and fill it with straight gas and shake it around for about 3-5 minutes. For body parts, I do a heavy crud scraping by hand followed by compressed air, then wash them in straight gas, let them dry, and then wash them in straight Purple Power and hot water.

 

[Alaskan Stihl]

Jacob J: Thanks for the tips! I am also looking for any/all suggestions or any “tricks discovered” from anyone who may have overhauled one of these particular models in the past.

Reason being, is that I like to do research before I start turning wrenches. I always like to say “Better to learn from other peoples mistakes, rather than to make them on my own”!! Haha!

Luckily, (as you mentioned)…it sounds like overhauling this old McCulloch is pretty straightforward, problem is that I have only done an extensive overhaul on (1) chainsaw in my entire life (changed out piston & cylinder on Stihl MS290). And…although I had some snags along the way…the end result was a total success! Pretty Cool

Next up is this Super 797 (wish me luck )

 

[Ivan_The_Fearsome]

I have a power mac 310, 12-xxxx that I got from my dad. I bought a parts power mac 320 (I wasn't paying attention and bought the 320 by accident)11-xxxx off eBay for 40 bucks. Its all but seized (which is fine because I bought it for the carb, clutch/sprocket, and plastic bits anyway). I'm trying to find what the difference is between the two. So far they seem identical besides one says 310 and the other says 320 on it. The specs (which I haven't found much of) don't show any difference ether.

Edit: I forgot to mention my dads runs fine, other than needs to be serviced and tuned properly. Since theses aren't made anymore figured it'd be best to have a spare. Hence the parts from eBay.

 

[Learning to Live]

This will be the start of the McCulloch brand specific thread.

is this thread locked or something, or do I have to reach some level to be able to post as a new member?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

is this thread locked or something, or do I have to reach some level to be able to post as a new member?

Not locked- and yes you do, of the top of my head I am not sure how many- 5-10 posts before you are allowed the privilege of posting photos (if this is what you are meaning?) Just proves you are serious and not a robot.

 

[Learning to Live]

No, i was talkingabout just posting in this thread without having to do it by replying on someone elses comment. I think I figured it out though, lets see.

I've actually bought two chainsaws now. The first one was a 39 cc McCulloch, in a yard sale for 20 bucks, it ran and oiled. My expectations were really to high for this chainsaw. I just bought another saw on Saturday, after watching some YT videos and gaining a little knowledge. It's a McCulloch 3.7 ci Eager Beaver It loookd likr the one they call a brick or PM 610) from a pawn shop for 50.00 dollars. It started and ran so I bought it.
I got it home and started it, I was letting it warm up when it died. I tried to restart it, after about 15 pulls i had gas come out of the muffler, did some research and found that i nee ded to rebuild the carburetor. I got a rebuild kit from a service and repair shop but when i took the carb apart, the gaskets didnt look anything alike. The shop told me that that saw came with a Walbro carb.
When I got the carb out it said it was a Zama sideways 4 and C2S on it. Can not find a rebuild kit for it or a new carb. Will the walbro interchange ?
I lke the way the old stuff is built and how long it lasts (not just for chainsaws). Any help or guidance will be appreciated....

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Not familiar with the 3.7 model, but played with a couple of 610's in my time.
Zama C2 is correct for the carb and by my reckoning- repair kit- RB15.

 

[Learning to Live]

I think I'm already done with my forray into Mac and only after a month. Theres no one making parts for them, cant get a carb or a carb rebuild kit. Just not a good choice for a chainsaw that i need to work or be able to fix when it wont work. I thought I'd save some money from buying a new saw and save a good chainsaw from the junk pile. Mac and Zama have chainged hands too many times. Dissapointed....

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I think I'm already done with my forray into Mac and only after a month. Theres no one making parts for them, cant get a carb or a carb rebuild kit. Just not a good choice for a chainsaw that i need to work or be able to fix when it wont work. I thought I'd save some money from buying a new saw and save a good chainsaw from the junk pile. Mac and Zama have chainged hands too many times. Dissapointed....

Every online saw place in little old New Zealand sells RB 15 carb kits and Mac's were never that popular here.

 

[Learning to Live]

Every online saw place in little old New Zealand sells RB 15 carb kits and Mac's were never that popular here.

I took the power head down to a place called classic turf, they looked in their big book and said that it calls for a RB-15 but that was discontinued but the RB-16 or RB-17 rebuild kit will work on it. I've had so many people tell me different things. One shop told me that it came with a Walbro carb so i bought the kit, wasnt a walbro, when i removed it, it said Zama on it. It also has C2S on it but apparently, that has nothing to do with telling you the rebuild kit or replacement carb needed.
When i dissambled the carb it didnt have a metal disc that is part of with a pin that attaches to the metering needle fulcrum. It had a plactic disc with a shaft on it that pushes down on the fulcrum (but doesnt attach to it). Also from what i can gather is that there are different types of those

All the kits that i see either have that metal disc or dont show one at all, just a diaphram and three gasket looking things. Mine had Three that stack on top of each other on one side and the diaphram with the plastic disc with the little molded in pin on the diaphram side of the carb.

I dont deal with Ebay, too many rip offs. I cant go down to a service shop and grab one, no one so far has been able to tell me exactly what i need. I cant find any service or tech diagram shhets that show me what I'm supposed to have in that carb. I'm also not sure that someone hasnt been in there before me and put the wrong thing in in the first place. I'm eager for my 3.7 eager beaver to chew on some wood.

I see RB 15-186 for some kind of vehicle (looks the same), an RB 15 for PM 800's (it also looks the same) looks the same as what is in my carb at the moment i dissassembled it, except for the metal disc attached to the diaphram and the lack of the plastic disc that was in my carb. https://www.jensales.com/products/o...5kmobvEFQN0f5znbeDlN66f4NG8GtaqhoCpKgQAvD_BwE

Is the carb on the PM 800 the same used used on the eager beaver 3.7? I would assume it would at least be bigger to flow more fuel than the 60cc eager beaver?

Just frustrated. If my hair wasnt already thinning, I'd be pulling my hair out right now LOL

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I took the power head down to a place called classic turf, they looked in their big book and said that it calls for a RB-15 but that was discontinued but the RB-16 or RB-17 rebuild kit will work on it. I've had so many people tell me different things. One shop told me that it came with a Walbro carb so i bought the kit, wasnt a walbro, when i removed it, it said Zama on it. It also has C2S on it but apparently, that has nothing to do with telling you the rebuild kit or replacement carb needed.
When i dissambled the carb it didnt have a metal disc that is part of with a pin that attaches to the metering needle fulcrum. It had a plactic disc with a shaft on it that pushes down on the fulcrum (but doesnt attach to it). Also from what i can gather is that there are different types of those

All the kits that i see either have that metal disc or dont show one at all, just a diaphram and three gasket looking things. Mine had Three that stack on top of each other on one side and the diaphram with the plastic disc with the little molded in pin on the diaphram side of the carb.

I dont deal with Ebay, too many rip offs. I cant go down to a service shop and grab one, no one so far has been able to tell me exactly what i need. I cant find any service or tech diagram shhets that show me what I'm supposed to have in that carb. I'm also not sure that someone hasnt been in there before me and put the wrong thing in in the first place. I'm eager for my 3.7 eager beaver to chew on some wood.

I see RB 15-186 for some kind of vehicle (looks the same), an RB 15 for PM 800's (it also looks the same) looks the same as what is in my carb at the moment i dissassembled it, except for the metal disc attached to the diaphram and the lack of the plastic disc that was in my carb. https://www.jensales.com/products/o...5kmobvEFQN0f5znbeDlN66f4NG8GtaqhoCpKgQAvD_BwE

Is the carb on the PM 800 the same used used on the eager beaver 3.7? I would assume it would at least be bigger to flow more fuel than the 60cc eager beaver?

Just frustrated. If my hair wasnt already thinning, I'd be pulling my hair out right now LOL

Honestly- without checking, I do not know if they ran the same carb- might have- might not have- a lot can be done with jet sizes to feed bigger engines and larger bore venturi to flow more air/fuel mix- but same carb body size and basic function- so they may well use the same kit.
We don't have E fuel over here so do not have many of the problems you guys have regarding carb and fuel delivery issues.
I would be on the look out for other parts saws in the 605- 650 bracket- should be plenty of them and they should be cheap. May get a good enough carb from the like of those and other hard to get parts.

 

[Learning to Live]

I fanally got the carb rebuilt!!! Its running doesnt die on me but has a weird little quirck. When I give it full throttle it responds quick and revs high (normally?) then kicks in like it has a turbo, which we know they didnt. These are stout "and heavy LOL" little chainsaws. Every minute and two weeks worth of trying to figure it out was completely worth it. Now I want an old Homelite red and a baby blue Super XL 12, I just like the old styling of those. Guess Im a glutten for punishment LOL.
Thanks for yalls help, much appreciated.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

That weird little quirk is probably an air leak- they are terminal for pistons and rings- not so kind to cylinders neither.

 

[Learning to Live]

oh crap, ok , I'll look into that. thanks

 

[MelonBoi1]

I have a couple questions about the rebuild of my McCulloch Mac 10-10 Automatic.

1: Since I had to take the points stuff out to remove the cylinder I will have to put it back together, but I’m not at all experienced with points and condenser, I know it had spark and it started with some 2 cycle mix poured into the carb but besides that I know you have to gap it and time it and do some other things, but I’m not sure how to do that.
Help would be appreciated, also can I skip that and put an ignition chip in it or is there more to it.

2: I honed the cylinder but this was my first time honing and I am really paranoid if I did something wrong, I know I had the right size hone because it matched the size of the bore but I just want to know if there is anything related to the cylinder or honing that I should be worried about.

3: How do I remove the oil line?

4: when I put the new oil seals back in is there any kind of paste or sealing I should put in it? If so, what should I put on it and where?

5: Is there specific gaskets I should put some kind of sealant on? If so, what should I put on it and which gasket should I put it on?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Showed up here Friday- for around $120-125 USD.

 

[mr_g]

Hi All,

First post here so bear with me. I just picked up my first Mac and I’m excited to have a gear drive on its way. It’s a 1-80, and I’m told that it was running not long ago and may need a recoil spring.

Curious of a few things:

-Does anyone have an IPL for the 1-80?

-Any insights on this saw in terms of quality, likely issues, pitfalls, etc.?

-What other models have compatible parts? 55, 55a, 1-70?

I’ve worked on several old saws but this will be my first Mac so I’m gathering info. Not much out there surprisingly on the 1-80 specifically.

Thanks all,
MG