The comprehensive homelite 330 tear down guide

[Brennan]

I decided this should get its own thread so that one does not have to look very hard for it. This guide is based on what I learned from Leon’s videos just with detailed pictures and my own findings so here we go

The tools I used are as follows, your mileage may vary:
1/4 in socket
5/16 in socket
9/16 in socket
5/8 spark plug socket
Assorted Flathead screwdrivers
Assorted pokers and scrapers
Needle nose pliers
5/32 Allen key
patience
Music
finest swear words

One could use a flathead for many of the bolts however your chances of stripping heads and marring paint increase greatly, you also can’t get the same amount of torque on a flathead and with a socket. I also found that used dental picks with the ends blunted make for the best scrapers and proders.

A quick note, green circles mean remove now, red X’s are removed later or never.

Step the first
Remove airbox cover and massively expensive air filter(don’t lose it)

(Yes my screws are probably different than yours they are not factory equipment.)

Next, remove the handlebar. Two 5/32 Allen screws of the same length. (Be sure to clean them out first)


Some gentle tapping may be required to loosen the handlebar from the dirt and oil cement.

Next, remove the carburetor and oil pump. 2 5/16 of the same length in the carburetor and 2 1/4 of the same length in the oil pump. Do not remove the silver screw unless you want a puzzle for later. There is also a small line that runs into the oil pump (feed line), remove that from the pump now. Take note of the way the lines run to the carb and copy that for reassembly.


Optional, remove the chain catcher so it doesn’t bite your fingers later. Mine seams to have had a run in with the 300lb gorilla operating it, I’ll fix that later.


Optional but recommended, remove the muffler. 3 5/16 bolts 2 of the same length 1 shorter, short one goes in the single hole looking top to bottom.


Next, remove the starter assembly. 4 1/4 bolts of the same length.

(Very strange starter design)

Next, remove the lower plastic handle brace. 3 5/16 bolts of the same length. Then, remove the lower casing. 4 5/16 bolts (long) of the same size (one hides under the plastic brace if you didn’t follow the directions). 1 5/32 Allen bolt for the av mount.
The lower casing may need gentle prying around the edges to loose it from the tree and oil cement around the gas tank.




You should end up with some thing like this

A lower casing and half a tree worth of dust

Congratulations, physically you’re half way there! Mentally, not even close.

Next, begin taming the beast, the upper casing. Begin by removing 2 1/4 bolts from the carb chamber (watch those gaskets, they’re spendy).


Then remove the 2 5/32 Allen bolts of the same length for the av mounts. One will have cupped washers (2) on it (upper av mount), don’t lose those.



Don’t forget your kill switch wires. (Note the routing for reassembly)


Also remove the gas cap (pretty self explanatory)

Now begin the wrestling match, turn up your choice of music and prepare your finest swears for you are in for a battle.

Begin by clearing as much of the crud out from around the tank as possible especially near where the bar mounts and up the front (I found a junky set of feeler gauges worked good for this)

Next, get everything moving individually, don’t worry about getting the top off yet. The goal is to get everything freed up from each other, also keep scraping out the junk.

Now, the trick for mine was as follows: after getting everything freed up, push the front of the tank on the bar Side towards the back of the saw while gently rotating the upper casing counter clockwise.


Congratulations, you should end up with something like this


Next remove the gas tank, should just slide out


Next, discover the pitiful remains of your intake boot and remove the lines off the bottom of the carburetor base.


Also remove the reed stack. 2 1/4 bolts of the same length.


At this point you are ready to put a new boot in and begin the entire process but in reverse. But... I have the innate need to clean things that will just end up dirty again.

Optional, remove the flywheel cover. 5 5/16 bolts of the same length, one has the ground wire on it.






If your bench doesn’t look like this you either made far less mess than I did or have not been successful in your disassembly

This is as far as I’m taking this teardown and I’m sure most of you will as well. Now begins the ever fun task of cleaning and polishing. Then I get to put it all back together again...

[blythkd]

Great write-up and pix. I've always thought it was all pretty straight forward and simple until you get to the point where you need to remove the upper housing/handle assembly from the engine itself. I was never successful in removing the gas tank from the upper housing while it was still on the engine so I removed them as an assembly from the engine. It wasn't easy and forced the tank to flex until everything cleared and the assembly popped loose from the engine. I want to go take one apart now just to see if I can get the tank neck out of the housing before the upper housing is removed.

[Brennan]

I think what you are running into is the fact the tank “locks” into the upper casing. By pushing the bar side of the tank away from the front of the housing it “unlocks” and lets you wiggle the top off. You can’t really get the neck out first, it’s one fluid motion.
Here’s the interference point

[edju1958]

This is going to come in handy when I tear my 330 down soon.I don't think my saw will have much crud in it as it was owned by a fire dept.& used very sparingly.The boot just disintegrated from time rather than use.The saw looks top be new.Just a quick note,you didn't have to tell me to prepare my best swear words,I kinda make them up as I go along anyway.Lol Very well done Brennan!

                                                                            Ed

[Brennan]

Thanks Ed, my saw doesn’t appear to have been run very hard either. Just lots of big softwood chips and most of the paint is left on the bar.

[edju1958]

OK Brennan,you inspired me & I tore my 330 down today.I don't know if I'll ever get it together again.Lol  There is one slight problem I have & it's how does the reed gop back in?I dropped it (actually it fell out of the seat) & I don't know which way it goes back in.There's a notch on one side,does it go toward the front or rear of the saw?It looks like the saw was only used a few times since it was made.As I said before it was owned by a fire dept.& I could tell they used it to saw through burnt wood,it had charcoal mixed with bar oil on the inside of the housing.

                                                                             Ed

[Brennan]

Notch towards the rear, it only fits one way so don’t force it.

[edju1958]

Thanks Brennan! I don't know if I'll get at the saw till Fri.I have a lot on my plate for the next 2 days & the weather won't cooperate much either.

                                                           Ed

[bradc]

Is there a way to replace the duck bill valve in the gas tank without removing the upper half of the saw? Will the tank drop out enough to get the valve in after you remove the lower assembly?

[Brennan]

No, the upper case must be fully removed to get at the duckbill valve. The task may look monumental but it will only take about an hour start to finish

[bradc]

Thanks for the info.