Vintage Stihl O31 AV-E Chainsaw I Can't Believe It!
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- In this video I show what I did to fix a small vintage Stihl chainsaw that had just been thrown in a parts pile. I also give some vintage chainsaw BS on the Stihl 031 and then show it in action cutting some small logs for firewood.
I've been patiently waiting for Tuesday evening ... Thanks 👍😊
Hope you enjoyed it!
My newly restored Stihl 024 got its first cutting assignment, today. I had to cut up an eight inch beech tree that laid over in the American Legion parking lot in a storm a couple of weeks ago. It had not been run in two months but cranked up rather easily. I cut as much on the tree as I was able, because it was over 90 degrees. I got all the major limbs cut off and stacked in the woods. I did not go into the woods and finish cutting off the trunk of the tree because I would have to cut my way in and I was whipped after I got all the limbs off. It burned a half of a tank of gas during the hour I was cutting. I cut it off when I was moving limbs and it was a one pull restart every time. Not bad for a $20 saw that I bought last winter.
It is always satisfying to take a non working piece of equipment and make it into a useful item again. Like I say, One Mans Junk Is Someone Else's Better Junk !
Loved the old 031, O32, O41 models. They were great saws and they had that cool “look.” Thanks for sharing👍🏻
Thanks for the kind mention sir! I love those 031s! Yours sounds really good! I know, It amazes me when you see posts on Facebook showing pictures of piles of saws at the scrapyard, or they were at the dump and somebody was throwing out 2 or three (thankfully they were snatched up) Usually its just carb or starter problem.
Shout outs amongst us smaller channels is one of the best ways to reach new audiences. Having similar but different content is the way to go. It amazes me how much good stuff is tossed, usually for just a minor simple problem. Most of my saw collection came from these circumstances. The saw was not good enough to get fixed, but too good to throw away, so I ended up with them, as the people that had them knew I could fix and use them again.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 oh yeah! Thats usually how I get em...I'm too cheap otherwise, but sometimes I will splurge....lol
Yep I use my 031 quite often. Good little saw!
They are a very good small saw for sure !
My local Stihl dealer Carrie’s lots of older parts. I needed a few parts for my 025 and I just gave them the number and bingo I had the parts in my hand. I would not have expected them to have the throttle rod for an 025in stock, but the did.
You are lucky to find a Stihl dealer that carries older parts. The local dealer we have carries almost nothing in the way of parts, and are snobs to boot !
I found the right color paint which you can use to touch up your Stihl saws. If the paint has not discolored (yellowed out) you can use Rustoleum spray 2X primer and paint, color White Sand. It is almost a perfect match for Stihl white. I got it at my local Walmart. If it has really yellowed out you can use Ace Hardware Biscuit white epoxy.
I spray some in the paint cap and use a Q tip to paint it with. If I have a lot to paint, I clean it with break cleaner, light sand it and spray it. The bottom side of my 024 looks brand new after I painted it. I allow 24-48 hours for the paint to dry. Warm place and sunlight helps.
Good to know.
My 021 got a chance to cut some at my daughters this weekend. They had a bunch of 6-8” oak and maple limbs piled up, so the 021 cut them all into firewood lengths. I struggled a bit on the first day but got progressively better. It’s new cylinder and piston are breaking in well. Should be a good saw in a couple of weeks. What I like is it’s light weight and ease of starting. Can leg start it anytime I want.
Nice to finish up a job and have a good result as well ! My project for today is to put the 025 back together after replacing the carb with one that has adjustable jets and also a muffler mod. As stock, it isn't very good. When the 025's were first introduced, they had the good carb on them, and many have commented that the early saws were good performers. As time marched on, and the EPA mandated changes, with the non adjustable carb and noise reduction modifications made to them, made the saw sub par. The original owner commented about the saw being hard starting, ran hot all the time, and at higher elevations, would just barely cut. There is absolutely no carbon in the exhaust port, and just a tiny bit in the muffler, showing that this saw has been a shelf queen most of its life since it was an inadequate performer.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I have ordered a Walbro WT-215 carb for my 021. They are $40 on EBay. I also have ordered a few mor parts for the 021. It has earned its upgrades. I was going to clean and sharpen it, today, but it was just to damn hot. It is pretty hot where you are, too, from what I saw on the weather this morning. I shut down when it is hot.
We are in the midst of a hot spell here. I don't do well in the heat either. I did get the 025 carb installed and got the muffler mod done also. The saw runs great, has more power and some torque as a result. It turned out a lot better than I expected. The only gripe I still have about this saw is the .325 chain. I really don't like it. Our video on Tues. the 15th will show the things I did and how the saw performs as a result.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I don’t have any problem with .325 chain. They are basically the same as 3/8 chain, both full chisel, full comp. You may need a new chain. I use Stihl RS or Oregon LGX. My MS 260, 250, 026, 025, 024, 021 all have .325 chains on 18” bars. I could put 3/8 chains on some of them but why? I have plenty of 20” saws. My 3/16 round file has gotten a lot of work this year.
I installed a brand new Oregon chain on th 025, as the Stihl chain that was on it when I received it ,wouldn't hold an edge. I believe the Stihl chain was a defective one that didn't have proper heat treatment, and the metal is too soft. Even though I only have two saws with .325 chain, I don't like it, as it doesn't cut as fast as my 3/8th's chain does. The 3/8th's chain I use is some really old stuff I inherited quite some time ago, and is more aggressive than the current production Oregon 3/8th's chain, so that is why I prefer it over anything else. It makes other 3/8th's chains I have look like second rate stuff.
My very first saw was a o31 identical to that one back in 1978. They were a great saw in their day.
I remember when Stihl first came in to the USA. I was in Musselman's apple orchards just outside of Biggersvilleg, PA. They the orchard owner was was pushing out old standard trees and putting in hybrids and the locals were allowed to cut the old for fire wood. My friend and I got tickled at some of the cutters were brandishing their new Stihls and spent more time tinkering with the saws than cutting wood. My friend had a MAC and I had a SUPER XL we cut up and loaded two eight bed pickups and the Stihl fellows were still tinkering with their saws.
My opinion on Stihl saws, Harley Davison and JOHN DEERE is they are about $$$$$$$$!!!!!!!
Stihl, John Deere and Harley all have done an excellent job of marketing. They are selling the customer a Life Style, rather than good products !
Should have saved the apple wood for your smoker. It puts great flavor in smoked meat. I use hickory most of the time because I have access to it but apple or peach is better - a milder taste. Where I lived in the 70’s and 80’s in the South did not even have Stihl dealers. If you wanted a saw it would be a Poulan, which is why I had a stable full of Poulan saws. I now have a stable full of Stihl saws. I won’t say that Stihl saws are better than the old Pro Poulans that I have now,but I understand them a lot better. People bitch and moan about Stihl saws being complicated but I do not think so. If you have seen one Stihl saw, you have seen them all. Everything cranks the same way and they generally come apart the same way.
I bought a used Stihl MS 260, today, off EBay to go along with my other Stihl saws. It probably has a few things wrong with it, like most saws I have gotten, e.g carb, clutch,fuel lines, etc. it will make a nice addition to my Stihl 026 Pro. It was made about 2002-2012 and weighs about 12# with bar and chain.
Man-o-man that thing can cut. Keep 'em coming, I'll be waiting for more.
The bar that came with my 026 Pro has a lube hole on the sprocket tip. All my other Stihl bars do not have this hole because they are Oilimatic. All my Oregon and Husqvarna bars have these lubrication holes. My grease gun has a tip which I can use to lubricate these bars. I use an EP2 grease in my grease gun.
A friend had a couple of 034's that had the non serviceable bars, and the sprockets were partially frozen, so I put in a grease hole, and they work fine now. EP-2 grease is a good choice for the lubricant.
..Disclaimer: I have never really been a Stihl fan...and this saw is one of the reasons why..my dad bought one of these new, around 1978..ran great, nice anti-vibe, powerful and light...until around the time the warranty ran out, then nothing but constant ignition problems...junked it after about 4 years of struggling to keep it running...always says he wished he had bought the Homelite Super XL he had been eyeing instead...years later, as a chainsaw mechanic, I have run into the same problems with these 031's...over-engineered, hard to access and repair ignition, carb and fuel lines hard to service (compared to other vintage saws)...these are on my no-work-on list, along with the McCulloch mini-mac series....
I actually wouldnt have any Stihl,s in my collection, except they were all given to me from close friends, who hoped I would put them back to operating condition, which I have done, and use them in my videos. I always appreciate peoples generosity. Stihl,s and husky,s have a common problem, silly parts prices. The new saws are terrible !
Sounds like a pretty healthy saw
The 031 is an excellent firewood saw. It has a nice balance of hp and torque. It is a 48cc saw. On the other hand, my 025 of 44cc's was a complete weenie saw till I did some minor mods to it. It is now decent, but the 031 is just a much better performing saw. If you haven't seen my fairly recent video (The Day The Earth Stood STIHL) part 1, you will see both the 025 and 031 cutting up a tree. The 025 was completely stock at that point in time, and was a weenie saw for sure. It ran hot, the chain stalled in harder cuts fairly easily, and didn't start the best when hot.The saw is so much better now after I did an upgrade to an adjustable 2 jet carb and a muffler mod.
I am not a friend of Champion, either, but I have used them in the past with no problems. I normally use Bosch WSR6F in my Stihl saws. NGK BpMR7A isok but I like Bosch better. They fire better if I get one wet (flooded)than do NGK plugs.
Since I don't use my saws as commercial cutters, I use NGK BM6A's, as they are one range hotter than what you use, and have excellent results. They last for a long time and are not as prone to fouling because of the hotter heat range. They most likely would not last as long in commercial use.
I never had a bit of starter problems with my Poulan 3400. Don’t even think I had to replace the starter rope on it and I had it for close to 30 years.
I would bet that you didn't have any problems because you maintain your equipment properly, and know how to use them the correct way too.
If there is no lubrication on a chain, soak it in motor oil or old two cycle overnight. If you soak it in motor oil, rinse it off with old two cycle and wipe it dry before using it or you will have oil everywhere. I usually just put them on a saw and crank up the saw and run it at pretty high speed until it is throwing bar oil off the chain unto my work bench with a nice streak of oil. You can tell when it is oiled because it will sparkle in direct sunlight. If it looks dull it is not getting enough bar oil.
On my vintage saws that have set for years, and the chain is stiff, I put marvel mystery oil on them, then let them sit. If that isn't enough to free them up, or dissolve the old oil off, I wash them in gas, let them dry, put them in an old pan with some 90 weight gear oil, then heat the chain up on my vintage Coleman stove, and heat for a half hour. I then take it out and hang it up with the pot underneath to catch the excess oil. I let it sit for a few days, and install and sharpen it on the saw, and it is ready for a lot more work. The heat gets oil into every nook and cranny.
Another good saw saved. Good job sir. Be kind be safe and have a day
The AV Anti Vibration Series Was One of The Best Stihl Saws Made Some Were Made In Germany I’ve Got A Few There Still Using The Points and Condenser Ignition System 😀 And I’ve Got a Stihl O8 S There Amazing Saws Great Score Mr Obsolete 😀😊
The older Stihls were sure a lot better than the ones today
Thank you. Now I know what I'm going to look for! I like my modern MS171, but it's nothing like old school saws.
My "BIG" saw is a vintage Pioneer P41 that my dad bought new. Love it, but it's pretty big for everyday use.
Iuse high temp wheel bearing grease. Stihl recommends white lithium grease. I have used both and they both work.
I have tried numerous greases, and the old long fiber grease lasts longest for me.
Ya parts are getting hard to come by..I have an 032.. great firewood saw. Good video again Sir.
Thanks 👍
Those Stihls were good saws. The E stands for electronic but both the 031 & 032 were available with points. Those were AV so unless someone has put a module on the ignition it has points. Also the 031 has 2 different recoils used, 1 with 1 more attachment point, 2 vs 3 screws. Stihl, like many other brands, doesn't keep parts for older saws sadly.
The 031 is an excellent little saw. From what I could find out, the electronic ignition was introduced in 1978 and the saw was made till 1981. The 031 is nicely made, easy to work on and an easy to use saw. I have an 034 also,and it is cheaply made by comparison. Stihl had too many running changes in the production runs of their saws, and in most cases the parts were not compatible for the earlier models. Having to stock all these different little parts for them would have been a pain in the rear, and Stihl would have to have a massive facility to stock all this crapola, as most all models suffered from non interchangeable parts also. I couldn't believe I couldn't buy a new fuel cap from Stihl for my 031 or 051, even though they sold tons of them, and the fuel caps fit many other Stihl saws and power equipment. A terrible situation !
Nice running rescue for shur
I have had a Stihl 032 AV for about 35 years, and usually cut 2 or 3 cords a year with it. A long time ago it needed a new carburetor but other than it has been trouble free. Hopefully it stays that way...I didn't know that there aren't parts available.
The old Stihls are definitely better than the new ones, but parts availability for the old ones is poor at best.
Love me some ol sthil saws i cant believe sthil dont make the parts for those saws that were such big selling saws.
It really is too bad that they are so bad about the parts situation. They just want us to buy a new saw every 3 to 4 years. No new Stihl power equipment for me !
...Man, that looks like prime Copperhead habitat there in the background!.. :)
No poisonous snakes in this area.
Put an old bath nat down to keep a saw in place. I have one I throw on my outside work bench when I am working on one of my saws. They sit on the mat without moving. I will keep my eye out for an 031.
That is a good tip. I found an old mat and will start using it. If you find an 031, make sure it is complete and in running condition, as parts are super hard to find.
Sweet 031 👍🙂
There was a stihl dealer in Winamac, Indiana for over 50 years, Smith Equip? You might try to contact them. They had all kinds of parts for my old 051.
thanks for the tip.
My first saw. Bought it new in early 1980 for $263 (Australian) which was about one and a half week's wages. Amazing little workhorse (49cc) which I used extensively till the end of 2017 but in the end it was just too hard to keep up the parts. I gave it to my brother-in-law as a parts saw for his 032. I have ''modern' Stihl pro saws but they are rubbish compared to the 031, 038 and 045. Stihl after sales service was never much good here in Australia and mates tell me it's got a lot worse since the 80's. Many years ago a bloke pulled up in a ute when he saw me cutting firewood and asked if I wanted an old saw he was taking to Katoomba tip. I said OK, throw it in the back of the ute on top of the wood. It was a little Stihl 200t arborist top handle saw. When I got home I took off the top cover and the air filter must have had about 1/16" of black gunk covering it, as well as a rusty chain and chipped 14" bar! I washed the air filter in an empty ice-cream container with a bit of petrol, replaced the filter and the saw fired up on the third pull. A bit of tweaking with the carby mixture screws and she ran like a champion! I had to replace the bar and chain as they were beyond redemption. Made a good little wood saw! The owner had obviously never had it serviced or bothered to do it himself.
It is terrible to see once great companies living off their laurels, and start selling junk. Stihl has made the mistake of making way too many models, then only making spare parts for the minimum amount of time they can get away with, so you have to buy a new piece of equipment every few years. I did a video recently on a Homelite XL that had the least amount of maintenance of any saw I have ever collected, truly horrible, but it,s a runner.
Just acquired a Stihl 041, will be getting into it soon. I will order some things I need, the jug n piston are toast, so I will be getting a kit
since great and wonderful Stihl fkd ya on replacement parts I am surprised you turned to them for a bar and chain
I didn't buy the bar and chain from Stihl, got it off fleebay, just like all the used parts I needed to fix the saw, since no parts are available from Stihl. If the saw had not been so clean, and was also a gift from a friend who knows of my excellent mechanical skills, and knew if anyone could put it back into operation, it would be me. My friend also gave me the 051 that I have done a number of video's on. I was given a box full of junker parts that I made into a complete , operational saw, that perform as it should, even though new parts for it are not available from Stihl either. Again my skills as a junk collector and a pro mechanic beat the odds again.
Best saw I ever owned! Current Stihl saws are rubbish by comparison. I continue to use the 034av super and ms230c (c= crap).
That 031 has not been used very much. When you put a STIHL saw on a flat surface and it wants to walk away - it still is not completely broken in. When it is, it will sit there like a slug.
This 031 is a low hour saw for sure, and was put out of action because the starter pawl springs were no good, and new ones were not available anymore. The starter design is kind of cheapo. Another friend that had an 031 used his as his primary firewood saw for many years, and said it was his favorite saw of the many that he used over time. I find the saw powerful, smooth and fairly quiet, probably one of the better home owner grade saws on the market at the time.
got yourself a nice saw
If you notice there's 2 different recoil for those, a 2-screw & a 3-screw.
The 031 had a long production run, and there could have been some changes made on the starters. I don't know. My saw has 2 screws and my parts book shows the same. My 031 is the only one I have owned or used.
Several years ago an 031 came in with a massive oil leak. Low hour saw, good paint & bar/chain. If you'll notice the oil tank breather sits behind the carb. This saw had been stored in a railroad shipping container. Those are sealed units. It got so hot it popped that valve out of the tank thus the leak. That's not a serviceable item. Damn shame! To answer your not yet asked question it popped the body of that breather completely out cracking the tank at that point.
Main difference twixt the 031/032 besides the 032 is just a bit larger bore-size is the flywheel side of the case is different with a different recoil setup. The right side could conceivably used on an 031 but I've never went that far into one.
Now that's a weird failure !
Stihl made too many variations on their saws in my opinion . I am going to do a video showing the major differences between an 031 and an 034, both of which were in the lineup at the same time, and both in the mid size displacement class. I'm spoiled, as my McCullochs, Pioneers and Homelites never changed much, and didn't need to.
I am thoroughly enjoying working on and using old chainsaws and your videos have been helpful and inspiring. Thank You, Mr. Obsolete. I have a Mc culloch 250 that needs a new chain, and I'd like your opinion. .404/.063, 54 d.l. Should I stay with that size chain or switch to a 3/8 inch chain?
Thank you for the kind comment. As for your saw, I would stay with the .404 as you wont have to change any parts on the saw to use it. 54 drive links is a relatively short chain, and therefor not that expensive . I would look for the Oregon brand, as it is easy to find and good quality.
Thank You for the speedy reply, Mr. O. I started with a trash picked Sears badged Roper C110 , now I'm hooked. There is a lot of satisfaction when you raise the dead. Preaching to the choir.
You are off to a good start.@@donkuwik3390
Parts availability for many things is a problem in that even if parts are available they are now China parts rather than OEM. I've seen this with my Jeep, Ariens snowblower, Husqvarna chainsaw, etc.
..yes, and those parts are often of very questionable/consistent quality... :(
So if you don't like Champion spark plugs, what brand do you like best?
I use NGK and ND and sometimes BOSCH
..now the 041's?...I like those, even if the muffler is a bit of a challenge to get off..had much better luck with them than the 031's...
All Stihls are hard to work on, some just a lot worse than others. Im spoiled, as the Mac,s Pioneer,s and XL,s are easy to work on.
Im starting to get some vintage saws and parts availability worries me. Are macs really that much easier to get parts for than Stihls? I would've thought the aftermarket would favor the more popular brand
.
I have a few more questions about vintage vs modern saws. Do you have an email I can contact you at to pick your brain a bit? Thanks and keep making great videos
Stihls and Husky,s parts availability for older saws is poor, as when McCulloch and Homelite were huge sellers, Stihl and Husky were not, and the companies just dont sell parts for older models. Some of the more popular models have Chinese replica parts available, but I dont use them. McCulloch had a vast dealer network, and when they shut down, it happened very quickly, and many dealers bought out the parts stock, so a lot of stuff is still available. Any questions will need to be posted on this forum. I will be happy to answer any questions you have.
I got one i don’t remember we’re I picked it up it was a few years back the funny thing tho is I was just about to tear into it an see if I can get her goin then what do u know your vid popped up freaky how you look up something in goggle an a video pops up in your you tube a day later
I’m hopefully goin get this one goin it’s in great shape real clean
The 031's are nice saws. They were a big seller, and the 032 replacement as well. The later saws based on this platform, were cheapened up and weren't that great. Take good care of yours, and it will serve you well.
Thanks for watching and your comments !
It’s a shame so much stuff is designed to be disposable. So wasteful. Neither of my grandpas threw anything away, always a repurpose, reuse in it’s future.
You don’t order a muffler fix the one u got an make her breathe better
I am satisfied with the performance of the 031 in stock form, after using it a fair amount, so I am just going to leave the saw stock. If I need more power, I just drag out a bigger saw.
It's nothing to make a spring.
I find it difficult to make a small and complex spring, so I found some NOS and used parts to fix the starter on the 031. Results speak for themselves !