I'm in the process. I bought a used MS290 which had a good engine but I wanted to upgrade as you did. Super job on your 3 part videos. Watching them helped me immensely!
Thanks for the presentation. It just stopped raining and I’ll wait a while for it to dry up a bit and get back outside. You helped me to better understand how my chainsaw is put together
Have 2 , ms290 saws. One needs a rebuild for the exact same reason yours did. I actually didn't know about the conversion, so really informative. Real good video!!
NASA called. They want you back. You've been so helpful! I'll watch your series again a couple of times before I launch into mine, which needs the same work and wants the same conversion. Thanks again~
michael haddan viewers like you are the reason I make these videos. I really do enjoy making these and you just makes it that much more enjoyable. Good luck with the swap, I would love to hear how it goes. ~Mr. C.
@stevenkinnison8044 hopefully you got a good deal on it. It's not bad but does take some time. A lot of little parts to get that new motor in. So far so good. The saw is in a truck right now. When they make it to a truck that means they are fairly well sorted out and reliable. Check out my (neighbor) Doctor Cutter with an update on the saw. Thanks for watching and letting me know. ~Mr. C. ua-cam.com/users/shorts6QI-q8ITtTo?si=d_f9nU5aUk9lwlKS
R G I think you have a very good chance at rebuilding your old saw. Take your time and lay everything out as you go. Keep things clean and organized and you will be done before you know it. I have been running 25:1 mix in mine to help give those aftermarket engine parts plenty of lubrication. Have fun! ~Mr. C.
What did you do about the hole in the top cover for the decompression button? The ms290 does not have a hole or a decompression valve but the 390 does.
@outboardfixer I would suggest installing a decompression valve plug (link below). No hole required after that. I did however drill a 1 inch hole above the valve in the top cover with a hole saw before I plugged the cylinder hole. Excellent question! Thanks for asking. ~Mr. C. amzn.to/43vSmkS
I know this is an older video, I am curious about how well it ran since the upgrade? I am also wondering about the quality of the cylinder and piston assembly? Very good video, and thank you for posting it.
@Mad_Scientist2052 you are very welcome. It is still running great. I have cut a lot of wood with it. I made a quick video today but I need to edit it. I will reply to this comment when I get it finished and uploaded. Thanks for watching and asking. ~Mr. C.
@Mad_Scientist2052 here is a short video my "neighbor" made. He has a really cool chainsaw channel called Chainsaw Hospital. He is building his new channel and would love to get the word out and get some subscribers. ~Mr. C. (David) Stihl MS290 to MS390 Conversion: ua-cam.com/play/PLu0_AVy5sq1RqYOOKgRVrkpeMNBd0GDei.html
@HawtSawz86 stock and in small wood they are very similar. Stock in larger wood the 390 has more grunt. Does way better starting the chain from a stop in the cut. Very noticeable. Throw a pipe on the 390 with the same .325 chain on an 18" bar... Magic! Quicker rev for limbing, plenty of power for buried cuts, smiles for miles. I am thinking about doing a side by side comparison in some bigger wood with same bar and chain. I have a piece of maple I have been whittling on. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! ~Mr. C.
Thrifty Garage I put the cover over the installed valve then eyeballed a pilot hole over the center of the valve. I removed the cover and drilled a hole with a 1" hole saw into the cover. I would love to see a video of yours running or let me know how it went. Good luck! ~Mr. C.
Hey whats up, curious if you had any issues with your starter? I rebuilt using a nice meteor 49mm P&C kit that went together nicely, however I didn't use the decomp, wanted to keep that off to eliminate any possibility of it coming apart and ruining the piston in the future. Problem is I can't hardly pull it over! Have two OEM starters, one for a 290 and one for a 390. Its like I can get one revolution of the motor, and it just binds. Both starters would just fine on my 029. Take the plug out and it pulls just fine. Seems like it has so much compression that the starter just can't lug it. Do they make a starter with 2 pawls? Any ideas? Checked the plug, no slappin there, Bosch WSR6F.
aeridyne I have had no problems with the starter. It does sound like you have a lot of compression. I did not cover this in the video because it is a clamshell design but did you happen to check the "squish" ? it is the measurement between the top of the piston and the squish band. I have not seen any alternatives to the OE style starters. A Husqvarna decompression valve is the only one I would use if I were to use one at all. I agree with your idea of not using a deco valve though. Check out my buddy Walt, he has an awesome video that explains squish. ua-cam.com/video/Lw-XVE7NAjs/v-deo.html Good Luck! ~Mr. C.
May I ask which manufacturer you bought your kit from? Are there differences between the kits, cause they all look the same. Getting ready to do my ms310. Thanks so much! Great videos!
Cameron Fields I purchased it from eBay but that seller is not active anymore. I purchased another engine from Amazon and It appears to be the same manufacturer and packaging. I would suggest capping the decompression valve because the cheap ones are prone to failure. Good luck on the swap! Be sure to check out thrifty garage, he has some videos on the ms290 swap too. See the link below for the engine. Thanks for watching and asking! ~Mr. C. amzn.to/39trvvn ua-cam.com/play/PLMdlp6oxdAjLbVO4YZIaQmSIwKwM0KyMA.html
Hello and thank you for these beautiful videos. I myself have a stihl ms 290 which I will change the carburettor because I have a problem at this level. The start phase with difficulty and once start when I released the accelerator it stops, I cleaned the carburetor but without result even changing the settings. A person told me it was the piston but I have no way of knowing if it is him, on the ignition side, the spark is very good. I came to you to know the reference of the engine you installed and especially where you found it. Looking forward to your reply, thanks again for his videos
alain Gaillard I purchased the MS390 engine from Ebay. I would suggest a compression test. This would be a good place to start to see if in fact the piston is the problem. I appreciate knowing these videos are helpful to you. Thanks for watching! ~Mr. C.
@billhacks glad you liked the series. I had a blast putting it together. Let's start with the first question. Does it still work? That is a resounding YES! I have used it very regularly and have probably felled and bucked up over 100 trees with this saw. That might not be a lot to some but I have other saws to test. I have used her as the primary saw since the rebuild just to test longevity. It owes me nothing. With that being said. Would I do it again? The answer is also YES. It's not hard and for the price of the complete new motor is still very affordable. Excellent questions! Hope this helps. ~Mr. C.
My dad recently picked up a like new 029 and its just a little anemic in my opinion. Is it worth doing this upgrade for more power? ...or am I better off to buy a bigger saw?
Chris Prucha I have been pleased with the performance of the replacement engine. I have a hard time taking apart a perfectly good saw to put non oem parts in it. If you can find a junk saw and swap the engine then put your good easy external parts from your saw on it you can try it out and see if it will meet your expectations. An old mechanic told me a long time ago " There's no replacement for displacement". I would suggest getting a bigger saw if you want to run a 20" bar through some gnarly hard wood. ~Mr. C.
Good video. How’d you know where to locate the opening for the decompression valve and was there a major tuning difference for the bigger displacement.
Russell Simmons I placed the cover on the cylinder and then eyeballed the spot where the hole needed to be. After marking the spot with a nail I used a 7/8" hole saw to make the hole. I did need to make a few adjustments to the carburetor to get it running but I am going to change out to a MS390 carburetor soon so I don't lean out the saw. Excellent observation and question. ~Mr. C.
Wonderful video series here, and very good attitude to do what takes to get it right. The saws all run so lean now that I agree it is a good idea to spend the money for the right carb and then set that thing to run a touch rich just to be safe. My stock 290 is still going but I would consider this upgrade if I ever fry the engine, hopefully, God willing, I won't! It will be fun to see how this saw runs and what you truly think of the swap after 20 hours on the saw or so. Thank you very much and God bless you. @@NaturesCadenceFarm
Kelly Ronaghan I agree! They might be a "homeowner saw" but they are cheap to get parts for and easy to work on. That is why I have three of them. One is a factory MS290, this rebuilt MS290 to MS390, and an old school 029. Thanks for watching! ~Mr. C.
Matt Schaeffer I totally think those parts would work as long as all of the bore dimensions match up. I have a really cool guy I watch that has done the exact process you are asking about. His channel is afleetcommand . Walt knows so much more about the aftermarket and it applications than I do. Excellent question! ~ Mr. C.
William Hamby the easy answer is yes. Those bodies (the 1127 chassis) are the same. The difference I have seen in the two are the carburetors and air filters. If you have a complete setup just use what you have and you will be good to go. Check out some of the test cuts I made with the conversion saw. Personally, I love that saw, it seems to be getting better and better. Excellent question. ~Mr. C. ua-cam.com/play/PL9e-N4NEgHNugVR3FhAPMhAS23fPoHIW2.html
I did the same thing on my MS 310 by installing a Stihl brand 390 cylinder on it. The only thing you might want to be careful of is the carb. on a MS290 has a smaller main jet in it than the carb. on a MS390. So it could possibly cause a lean fuel mixture in the MS390 cylinder and lean seize. I would suggest purchasing a MS390 carb. for it. They are only like $40.
Glenn Roemer Thank you again for your advice. I will make a video in the future of the carburetor swap and explain why I decided to make the change. I really appreciate viewers/commenters like yourself that are willing to take a few moments from their busy day to help a fellow repair person do things properly. ~Mr. C.
Timidater I try to not run it out of a cut at full throttle for the first three fuel fill ups. After that, it's game on and time to treat it like a chainsaw. Excellent question. ~Mr. C.
Bob T I used an NGK BPMR7A, it was what the Stihl manual calls out (page 56). Hope this helps. ~Mr. C. www.stihlusa.com/webcontent/cmsfilelibrary/instructionmanuals/stihl-ms-290-310-390-owners-instruction-manual.pdf
What is a upgrade like this for a ms260pro? She runs 18in bar good but like lot men out there wd want more power faster it cuts faster to get to corner bar for happy hour. Lol stihl dealer wont tell me crap and it is all right there in book and saw is old no warranty idk why he doesn't want me to hot rod my chainsaw with my money lol he acts like its one of his kids or he personally built saw or something. I ordered books for my model idk how much it will tell me though.
John White I understand your desire for a little more punch from a nice to handle package like a ms260. I have a worn out 026 on the list of videos to make. This will be another rebuild with an aftermarket set of parts. I have found a wealth of information from this really cool guy on youtube. He generally only works with Husqvarna but the information about hopping up your saw is pretty universal. His channel is afleetcommand . Look back to some of his older stuff where he covers the basics. Good Luck. ~Mr. C.
Timidater the conversion is working great! The only thing I changed was I ordered up a factory Stihl ms390 carburetor from my local dealer and tuned it up. I have about 5 hours on the saw now. I tried a 20" bar with my carbide chain and it cut good. I swapped out for my 18" bar and a fairly new sharp oilomatic chain when I got into some cleaner wood and... WOW it pulled like no tomorrow. So far so good. I am pleased and you can't beat the price even if I have to do it again. If there is a next time I have a nice video series to watch to help me. :) ~Mr. C.
I'm in the process. I bought a used MS290 which had a good engine but I wanted to upgrade as you did. Super job on your 3 part videos. Watching them helped me immensely!
John Parson glad you liked it. I would hold onto the old factory Stihl engine. If it looks good inside it might come in handy one day. ~Mr. C.
“Hasn’t been started in a week or Two?” Lol.
Its never been started crazy.
Just picking at you. Great explanation walkthrough throughout.
@Stephen Faulkner lol thanks for the comments! Glad you enjoyed the videos. Thanks for watching! ~Mr. C.
Thanks for the presentation. It just stopped raining and I’ll wait a while for it to dry up a bit and get back outside.
You helped me to better understand how my chainsaw is put together
Bee Bob no problem. Glad I could help! ~Mr. C.
Have 2 , ms290 saws. One needs a rebuild for the exact same reason yours did. I actually didn't know about the conversion, so really informative. Real good video!!
NASA called. They want you back. You've been so helpful! I'll watch your series again a couple of times before I launch into mine, which needs the same work and wants the same conversion. Thanks again~
michael haddan viewers like you are the reason I make these videos. I really do enjoy making these and you just makes it that much more enjoyable. Good luck with the swap, I would love to hear how it goes. ~Mr. C.
I just recently got an 029 with bad crank bearings and I was looking at this exact same engine kit you used for mine.
@stevenkinnison8044 hopefully you got a good deal on it. It's not bad but does take some time. A lot of little parts to get that new motor in. So far so good. The saw is in a truck right now. When they make it to a truck that means they are fairly well sorted out and reliable. Check out my (neighbor) Doctor Cutter with an update on the saw. Thanks for watching and letting me know. ~Mr. C.
ua-cam.com/users/shorts6QI-q8ITtTo?si=d_f9nU5aUk9lwlKS
Thanks to your video I think I might have a chance of rebuilding my ms 290 .
R G I think you have a very good chance at rebuilding your old saw. Take your time and lay everything out as you go. Keep things clean and organized and you will be done before you know it. I have been running 25:1 mix in mine to help give those aftermarket engine parts plenty of lubrication. Have fun! ~Mr. C.
I just ordered 2 they will be here on the 8th of this month I will start rebuilding my two 290s thanks for the video very informative
Diamond family Homestead thank you for watching and commenting. Glad you liked the videos. Good luck! ~Mr. C.
The crank case where the bar bolt goes in was not drilled deep enough so I ordered two stihl crank case pans
What did you do about the hole in the top cover for the decompression button? The ms290 does not have a hole or a decompression valve but the 390 does.
@outboardfixer I would suggest installing a decompression valve plug (link below). No hole required after that. I did however drill a 1 inch hole above the valve in the top cover with a hole saw before I plugged the cylinder hole. Excellent question! Thanks for asking. ~Mr. C.
amzn.to/43vSmkS
I know this is an older video, I am curious about how well it ran since the upgrade? I am also wondering about the quality of the cylinder and piston assembly? Very good video, and thank you for posting it.
@Mad_Scientist2052 you are very welcome. It is still running great. I have cut a lot of wood with it. I made a quick video today but I need to edit it. I will reply to this comment when I get it finished and uploaded. Thanks for watching and asking. ~Mr. C.
@Mad_Scientist2052 here is a short video my "neighbor" made. He has a really cool chainsaw channel called Chainsaw Hospital. He is building his new channel and would love to get the word out and get some subscribers. ~Mr. C.
(David) Stihl MS290 to MS390 Conversion:
ua-cam.com/play/PLu0_AVy5sq1RqYOOKgRVrkpeMNBd0GDei.html
I just have one question, how would you compare the power difference between your 290 and 390 conversion? It sounds really fantastic
@HawtSawz86 stock and in small wood they are very similar. Stock in larger wood the 390 has more grunt. Does way better starting the chain from a stop in the cut. Very noticeable. Throw a pipe on the 390 with the same .325 chain on an 18" bar... Magic! Quicker rev for limbing, plenty of power for buried cuts, smiles for miles. I am thinking about doing a side by side comparison in some bigger wood with same bar and chain. I have a piece of maple I have been whittling on. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! ~Mr. C.
I am doing this upgrade also. How did you add the decompression hole?
Thrifty Garage I put the cover over the installed valve then eyeballed a pilot hole over the center of the valve. I removed the cover and drilled a hole with a 1" hole saw into the cover. I would love to see a video of yours running or let me know how it went. Good luck! ~Mr. C.
Good 3 part series thanks and God bless.
1tommyandtammy1 thank you for the kind comment, glad you enjoyed it! ~Mr. C.
Hey whats up, curious if you had any issues with your starter? I rebuilt using a nice meteor 49mm P&C kit that went together nicely, however I didn't use the decomp, wanted to keep that off to eliminate any possibility of it coming apart and ruining the piston in the future. Problem is I can't hardly pull it over! Have two OEM starters, one for a 290 and one for a 390. Its like I can get one revolution of the motor, and it just binds. Both starters would just fine on my 029. Take the plug out and it pulls just fine. Seems like it has so much compression that the starter just can't lug it. Do they make a starter with 2 pawls? Any ideas? Checked the plug, no slappin there, Bosch WSR6F.
aeridyne I have had no problems with the starter. It does sound like you have a lot of compression. I did not cover this in the video because it is a clamshell design but did you happen to check the "squish" ? it is the measurement between the top of the piston and the squish band. I have not seen any alternatives to the OE style starters. A Husqvarna decompression valve is the only one I would use if I were to use one at all. I agree with your idea of not using a deco valve though.
Check out my buddy Walt, he has an awesome video that explains squish.
ua-cam.com/video/Lw-XVE7NAjs/v-deo.html
Good Luck! ~Mr. C.
May I ask which manufacturer you bought your kit from? Are there differences between the kits, cause they all look the same. Getting ready to do my ms310. Thanks so much! Great videos!
Cameron Fields I purchased it from eBay but that seller is not active anymore. I purchased another engine from Amazon and It appears to be the same manufacturer and packaging. I would suggest capping the decompression valve because the cheap ones are prone to failure. Good luck on the swap! Be sure to check out thrifty garage, he has some videos on the ms290 swap too. See the link below for the engine. Thanks for watching and asking! ~Mr. C.
amzn.to/39trvvn
ua-cam.com/play/PLMdlp6oxdAjLbVO4YZIaQmSIwKwM0KyMA.html
Hello and thank you for these beautiful videos. I myself have a stihl ms 290 which I will change the carburettor because I have a problem at this level. The start phase with difficulty and once start when I released the accelerator it stops, I cleaned the carburetor but without result even changing the settings. A person told me it was the piston but I have no way of knowing if it is him, on the ignition side, the spark is very good. I came to you to know the reference of the engine you installed and especially where you found it. Looking forward to your reply, thanks again for his videos
alain Gaillard I purchased the MS390 engine from Ebay. I would suggest a compression test. This would be a good place to start to see if in fact the piston is the problem. I appreciate knowing these videos are helpful to you. Thanks for watching! ~Mr. C.
Awesome video series! I was wondering if it still works and would you do it again?
@billhacks glad you liked the series. I had a blast putting it together. Let's start with the first question. Does it still work? That is a resounding YES! I have used it very regularly and have probably felled and bucked up over 100 trees with this saw. That might not be a lot to some but I have other saws to test. I have used her as the primary saw since the rebuild just to test longevity. It owes me nothing. With that being said. Would I do it again? The answer is also YES. It's not hard and for the price of the complete new motor is still very affordable. Excellent questions! Hope this helps. ~Mr. C.
My dad recently picked up a like new 029 and its just a little anemic in my opinion. Is it worth doing this upgrade for more power? ...or am I better off to buy a bigger saw?
Chris Prucha I have been pleased with the performance of the replacement engine. I have a hard time taking apart a perfectly good saw to put non oem parts in it. If you can find a junk saw and swap the engine then put your good easy external parts from your saw on it you can try it out and see if it will meet your expectations. An old mechanic told me a long time ago " There's no replacement for displacement". I would suggest getting a bigger saw if you want to run a 20" bar through some gnarly hard wood. ~Mr. C.
Good video. How’d you know where to locate the opening for the decompression valve and was there a major tuning difference for the bigger displacement.
Russell Simmons I placed the cover on the cylinder and then eyeballed the spot where the hole needed to be. After marking the spot with a nail I used a 7/8" hole saw to make the hole. I did need to make a few adjustments to the carburetor to get it running but I am going to change out to a MS390 carburetor soon so I don't lean out the saw. Excellent observation and question. ~Mr. C.
Cool. Let us know how it runs after ya get that done. Thank you.
Wonderful video series here, and very good attitude to do what takes to get it right. The saws all run so lean now that I agree it is a good idea to spend the money for the right carb and then set that thing to run a touch rich just to be safe. My stock 290 is still going but I would consider this upgrade if I ever fry the engine, hopefully, God willing, I won't! It will be fun to see how this saw runs and what you truly think of the swap after 20 hours on the saw or so. Thank you very much and God bless you. @@NaturesCadenceFarm
Great video! Thanks
Gina Borcherding you are very welcome. ~Mr. C.
I think the 290's are really easy to rebuild, 😎👍
Kelly Ronaghan I agree! They might be a "homeowner saw" but they are cheap to get parts for and easy to work on. That is why I have three of them. One is a factory MS290, this rebuilt MS290 to MS390, and an old school 029. Thanks for watching! ~Mr. C.
Do you think the cross performance piston with the caber rings would work with this eBay engine?
Matt Schaeffer I totally think those parts would work as long as all of the bore dimensions match up. I have a really cool guy I watch that has done the exact process you are asking about. His channel is afleetcommand . Walt knows so much more about the aftermarket and it applications than I do. Excellent question! ~ Mr. C.
Can I do the same swap on a 029. People say the 029 and the 290 are the same saw
William Hamby the easy answer is yes. Those bodies (the 1127 chassis) are the same. The difference I have seen in the two are the carburetors and air filters. If you have a complete setup just use what you have and you will be good to go. Check out some of the test cuts I made with the conversion saw. Personally, I love that saw, it seems to be getting better and better. Excellent question. ~Mr. C.
ua-cam.com/play/PL9e-N4NEgHNugVR3FhAPMhAS23fPoHIW2.html
I did the same thing on my MS 310 by installing a Stihl brand 390 cylinder on it. The only thing you might want to be careful of is the carb. on a MS290 has a smaller main jet in it than the carb. on a MS390. So it could possibly cause a lean fuel mixture in the MS390 cylinder and lean seize. I would suggest purchasing a MS390 carb. for it. They are only like $40.
Glenn Roemer Thank you again for your advice. I will make a video in the future of the carburetor swap and explain why I decided to make the change. I really appreciate viewers/commenters like yourself that are willing to take a few moments from their busy day to help a fellow repair person do things properly. ~Mr. C.
Nature's Cadence Farm. No problem glad that I could help out. You do good work. Where are you from?
any special break in for this build?
Timidater I try to not run it out of a cut at full throttle for the first three fuel fill ups. After that, it's game on and time to treat it like a chainsaw. Excellent question. ~Mr. C.
Did you keep the oem 6 spark plugs? Or move to a hotter 7?
Spark plug
Bob T I used an NGK BPMR7A, it was what the Stihl manual calls out (page 56). Hope this helps. ~Mr. C.
www.stihlusa.com/webcontent/cmsfilelibrary/instructionmanuals/stihl-ms-290-310-390-owners-instruction-manual.pdf
Awsome job
Daniel Padgett thanks! Stay tuned for a video of me running the saw in some hard. dry, knotty oak. ~Mr. C.
How does it run after a few months of the engine being replaced
Monte Barnes It is running great! I will try to make a video of it in operation soon. ~ Mr. C.
What is a upgrade like this for a ms260pro? She runs 18in bar good but like lot men out there wd want more power faster it cuts faster to get to corner bar for happy hour. Lol stihl dealer wont tell me crap and it is all right there in book and saw is old no warranty idk why he doesn't want me to hot rod my chainsaw with my money lol he acts like its one of his kids or he personally built saw or something. I ordered books for my model idk how much it will tell me though.
John White I understand your desire for a little more punch from a nice to handle package like a ms260. I have a worn out 026 on the list of videos to make. This will be another rebuild with an aftermarket set of parts. I have found a wealth of information from this really cool guy on youtube. He generally only works with Husqvarna but the information about hopping up your saw is pretty universal. His channel is afleetcommand . Look back to some of his older stuff where he covers the basics. Good Luck. ~Mr. C.
How did this conversion work out for you??
Timidater the conversion is working great! The only thing I changed was I ordered up a factory Stihl ms390 carburetor from my local dealer and tuned it up. I have about 5 hours on the saw now. I tried a 20" bar with my carbide chain and it cut good. I swapped out for my 18" bar and a fairly new sharp oilomatic chain when I got into some cleaner wood and... WOW it pulled like no tomorrow. So far so good. I am pleased and you can't beat the price even if I have to do it again. If there is a next time I have a nice video series to watch to help me. :) ~Mr. C.
Nice
Ray Secoy thank you for watching. She is still going, just used her the other day to clean up some brush. ~Mr. C.
God bless you thank you for this video
Norberto Castillo it is my pleasure to make these videos for appreciative viewers like you. Thank you for watching and commenting. ~Mr. C.