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Post by winkangrin on Mar 2, 2023 1:26:09 GMT -5
So,I got into two cycle repairs about a year ago out of necessity. The necessity turned into a hobby, and now it looks as if it’s taking a darker turn towards an obsession LOL! I started with a weed wacker, figure out it was pretty easy to rebuild a carb, then a friend gave me a couple of derelict saws- a Ryobi Homelite and a McCulloch 610. (TheRyobi is garbage IMHO). But I like the 610, and now have four or five of the Mac 3200 series, and a couple of Mini Macs. Don’t hate on me, the mini Mac are great for what they are.
Today, I stumbled across an odd bird that I’ve never seen before. The Tag says XL Automatic and bears serial #1930280, Homelite Division Textron Port Chester NY. It’s red with a green handle and white decals. It appears the oil line is metal, brass maybe, and is on the outside of the tank. The carb says Homelite and has SDC8 stamped on the top and the number 49 at the bottom.
Is there an available parts list for this? I’d like to e build the carb if necessary-the previous owner said it did, but I haven’t fired it up. It’s definitely going to need a good scrubbing down, but it appears to have compression and looks to be all there. I’ll post some pics of it, my intent is to restore it to what it once looked like,I’ve got some headroom for that since it only set me back $10.
Any idea how old this is? Since it does not smell of fuel at all, I’d say it’s been a very long time since it was last ran.
Thanks for any advice and helping to enable my obsession. 😀
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Post by undee70ss on Mar 2, 2023 1:49:28 GMT -5
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Post by ronaldt on Mar 2, 2023 5:40:15 GMT -5
I wonder if the carburetor has been switched? It just seems like a saw that age would have had a tillotson.
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Post by undee70ss on Mar 2, 2023 5:44:11 GMT -5
I wonder if the carburetor has been switched? It just seems like a saw that age would have had a tillotson. Anything is possible with vintage saws |
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Post by blythkd on Mar 2, 2023 7:06:06 GMT -5
I wonder if the carburetor has been switched? It just seems like a saw that age would have had a tillotson. First thing that struck me too. Pretty sure the Homelite SDC carbs didn't come out until later, like on the red XL-12's and SXL's. So mid-70's? Should run fine though. Maybe a previous owner/mechanic had an aversion to Tillotson carbs? |
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Post by winkangrin on Mar 2, 2023 13:23:19 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. I’m hoping to tear into it Saturday, went ahead and ordered the rebuild kit for it. It looks like the choke linkage appears jury rigged with an inch long piece of modern yellow fuel line that has a bit of copper wire attached - there’s no way that this is original. It’s definitely got some miles on it, but I concur that this may be a replacement for the original. I’m not looking to make it a museum piece, but I will reengineer something more appropriate for it. I believe that tools I intend to keep should work as they should, because that’s what they were designed to do. I have three Farmall Cubs that I keep running, they are all for specific purposes. It’s a labor of love, and there’s something to be said for keeping these things out of the landfills. As noted before, this saw has no evidence of being started in many years. I’m wondering if I should fog the cylinder before just starting it cold.
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Post by charles on Mar 2, 2023 15:59:56 GMT -5
Yes , lube the cylinder before you try to start it . I use Marvel Mistry Oil which should help loosen the rings plus it's
an ashless lubricant which will burn off when you start it . I usually lube the cylinders on any saw that has sat awhile before
I turn them over , do a compression or spark test
Charles
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Post by nimrod55 on Mar 2, 2023 18:00:41 GMT -5
I have a 1962 XL12 with a wick type gas tank. The fuel line is brass tubing but the last three inches connected to the carb is modern yellow fuel line. Is this what you are seeing?
My 1974 Super XL AO has an SDC carb marked Homelite but it's really a Walbro. There are 2 welch plugs on the needle valve side of the carb. One of them covers a check valve made out of rubber. Don't get carb cleaner on the rubber or it will dissolve it. Ask me how I know. The check valve can be replaced. If you want to remove the welch plugs then remove the mixture screws first or you will damage them.
Pull the muffler and clean out the carbon in the exhaust port before turning the motor over. Otherwise carbon chunks can score the piston and cylinder walls ruining them. Do put a bit of oil into the cylinder before turning it over.
The crankcase on a 2 cycle engine undergoes compression and vacuum cycles as the piston moves up and down. This cycle is used to draw fuel/air into the crankcase, force the fuel/air into the combustion chamber, and power the fuel pump in the carb. The engine won't run properly unless the crankcase is sealed up, crank shaft seals, gaskets, reed valves, and piston rings. It has to hold both compression and vacuum. Leon has a very good video on Youtube showing how to check the crankcase with a Mityvac. Also a Mityvac hooked to fuel input on the carb can pressurize the carb. The carb should hold pressure. If not it could be the needle valve is not seating properly or the gaskets are leaking. Soapy water test for gaskets.
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Post by rarefish383 on Mar 3, 2023 17:43:32 GMT -5
Some times old saws that have been sitting for many years with old fuel in them will start after you dump the crud out. I bought 19 old saws, all but one over 70CC's, from a Stihl dealer in WV. One of the saws was a Mac 1-40. He said the saw was sitting on the shelf when he first started working for his dad in 1975. His dad was a Homelite dealer till they went down the tubes. The saw had no plug in it. One day I was trying to find out what saws I had would run. I took it off the shelf and put a little Echo blower plug on the wire and pulled it over. it had great spark. Found the proper plug for it, checked the fuel tank, it was dry and spottles. Put a shot of mix in the carb and it fired, did that several more times and it kept firing right off, put half a tank of fuel in it and it drew from the tank and idled and revved fine. Just bought an old Mac 33B and a Blue XL12. They both had nasty funky fuel in them, but after a good rinse started on a prime. Haven't gone any farther on them yet. Last fall a friends land lord gave me an old Sachs-Dolmar KMS4 Rotary that had been sitting under his bench since the late 70's and it started and runs fine. That's the lucky side of collection. I have at least 50 that just sit on the shelves looking pretty. I just get a kick out of picking up and old saw and having it start right up.  youtube.com/shorts/wUgcNbAk3p4youtu.be/GA15bEyw7t8youtu.be/vWreaoxS8LQ |
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Post by winkangrin on Mar 6, 2023 22:49:48 GMT -5
An update on the 1965 XL.
Saturday morning, I gently broke the news to my wife that I’d returned from travel with two more saws. She took it better than I expected lol.
When I showed her the XL, she was smitten, and asked if it would run. I said of course- I hope. She’s actually very supportive, and shares the same passion for reusing items that are already manufactured instead of disposing of them. She actually did the electrical harness on one of our cubs and rebuilt the carb. She’s a keeper. So’s the wife.
Anyway, I pulled the air box cover off and discovered that the weird jury rig on the choke was obviously done because the previous owner replaced the carb and lost the cotter pin or whatever held it to the rod. I don’t currently have one that small, so I made a temporary one with a paper clip.
I pulled the muffler, and the piston looks good. No scoring, and no outlandish carbon deposits, so I added a drop or two of two cycle oil and put it back. I slowly pulled the rope and it felt ok, so I blew some dust out of the air box, fueled it halfway with ethanol free 40:1 and followed the instructions which are printed on the underside of the cover, and began pulling on the rope. And pulled. And pulled. Just as I was about to give up- the old girl roared to life! It blew out a good amount of blue smoke, for about twenty seconds, probably the 2 cycle oil. After it warmed up, it purred along at idle with no issues. I was, and still am amazed.
I detected a weird occasional knock when I’d throttle up. So, when i went to take the plug out, I found that it was literally finger tight. It was very clean no sign of heating distortion or any carbon buildup. Tightening it down took care of the knock.
Next, I filled the oil tank and fired it back up. No oiling happening, so I took off the bar and chain, and proceeded to pick out petrified wood chips from decades ago, used a spray on gunk degreaser and a pick to get all visible passageways clear. Sat it on a piece of cardboard and started it up. Lo and behold, she started drip drip dripping at idle and it increased with the throttle- looks like it’s working as it should to me. The manual oiler also works as it should.
I’m going to tune the carb next weekend. It’s almost there as it is, but it bogs down a little on acceleration, but I guess that’s to be expected with the modern fuel and all. Heck, I was expecting it to not run, or at least to have an issue that I could learn from (having an itty bitty cotter pin on hand doesn’t count 😉).
I do have a couple of questions about the saw that perhaps I could ask of the members here.
The first relates to a hole that exists on the starter side of the air box. It is threaded , so something goes there. If you look at a picture of the XL from 1965, it kind of reminds me of a drag link in that it that it has a slotted head. My thought is that it may be because that handle/air box was used on a variety of saws and this provides for different attachment of the handle? I dunno, but I think it should be replaced. There’s another similar but larger on the top of the saw in the fuel tank area, but that is still on the saw although it looks like it’s been taken out before or at least an attempt was made.
The second question relates to a very small thing-a-ma-bob in the floor of the air box. It appears that it is some sort of spring loaded relief valve. It’s a little guy, and it appears springy, just wondering it’s exact job is.
Lastly, what spark plug is supposed to be in this? The one that’s in it is a Motorcraft. I’m certain it’s not original.
I’d love to find a parts list and schematic for this machine that would answer a lot of these questions without annoying everyone on the board.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2023 23:46:08 GMT -5
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