Stihl 500I Aftermarket parts question ( s )

[HP MACHINE]

Hello fellow saw enthusiasts , This is my first post on here . I will try to keep it short . I recently purchased a 500I and need some advice regarding changes to the
saw . I'm using a Stihl 24" light bar and std chain . I love the performance but man this thing looks and feels like a cheap " pos " to be honest . I'm getting older and purchased it for it's small ( er ) size and weight so that I wont tire as fast . My question is , will the stiffer suspension kit ( spring etc. ) , muffler cap ( I'm considering the Egan version ) just speed up the demise of the saw ( as in falling apart ) ? . Also is the aluminum clutch cover necessary ?
There sure are a lot of " experts " on Youtube and the web , much to the point that my head is fried from all of it - LOL !
Thank you .

 

[huskihl]

Stock suspension works good if you only want to run 20 and 24 inch bars. Or for the occasional longer bar. The 661 front spring and buffer is a cheap upgrade and works well if you do want to stiffen it up. The stock muffler isn’t what I would call restrictive. Adding the weight of the aftermarket front discharge covers has been linked to vibrating the mufflers loose until they crack, so I would skip that part. The West Coast Saws clutch cover isn’t necessary but it does a good job of blowing the chips down, as opposed to straight out the back like the standard cover does. If the wind is blowing at your back and you do some overbucking, it’s pretty easy to be engulfed in sawdust. The 500R clutch cover is also a worthy upgrade at half the price of WCS

 

[HP MACHINE]

Thank you so much for your reply . I'm going to heed your advice and skip the muffler cover ( I never thought of the added weight ) and just install
the 500r clutch cover as you recommend . The mount system I think I can live with . It sure is nice for low vibrations and I doubt I will go much past a 24" bar anyway . Addressing the top cover and air filter housing " tightness " is needed but other than that the power to weight ( and size ) ratio
of the saw is sweet in My mind . Can't wait to attack the pile of logs I've been looking for too long .
Thank you again and Happy New Year .

 

[Farmer_Nate]

500i standard version has weak dogs in my opinion, probably put there to save weight. There are a set of titanium dogs for the 500i available which fit the small clutch cover, keep weight to a minimum, look cool, but extend down further than OEM dogs. These allow use of the Stihl chain catcher which is generally used on larger saws.