Stihl 038 Magnum advice

Northshoremb

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Hello I just bought a used Stihl Magnum 038 for $50 that needs to be cleaned up and some parts changed. Tore it apart last night and the crank/PISTON/cylinder look pretty good but need to split case cause the bar side has cracked case where oiler is.
I'm new to Stihls and even chainsaw repair but hear the Bing carb on it is hard to find as well as finicky. So should I sell the carb for cash and get an updated carb that has more replacement part options and rebuild parts. I seen someone suggest a Zama C3-S148 carb and they are available for $15-30 so cheap to replace if easier to adjust.
Anyone else have suggestions on a carb that is easy to adjust and what is a good condition Bing worth just to sell?

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Bob Hedgecutter

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First priority perhaps is to find a good condition set of cases.
Then if you are that deep in, new crank bearings and oil seals, new rubber- especially manifolds that often tear unseen on the bottom not helped by worn AV's.
Get that all going and then you can think about carbs.
Does the saw run as is? Do you know the carb is faulty- or is it just an impression you get of Bing carbs from internet forum research?
I believe Oregon offer (or used to offer) kits for the Bing carbs- so they are rebuildable or can be refreshed.

Possible replacements are the Zama C3S 148 as you say- or the Tillotson HK42B found on the 038AV's, or HE 5A as used on some 038AVMEQS's.
No idea what an untested Bing is worth on the open market.
 

Dennisthemenace

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OEM Carb off the younger brother, ms 381, bolts straight on.
It's a compensated carb so it's best to use the 381 filter. I reckon it's better than the original Bing and I think kits for the Bing were hard to get
 
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