I thought Sthil made a good saw?

[sd455dan]

That's the purpose of building it up before welding the washer then a nut on it. As long as you don't go haywire building it up, you won't have a problem as the steel weld won't stick to the magnesium.
If you're not comfortable welding, go the easy out route first, you then have welding as a back up method..........Mike

As long as the bolts are indeed steel, Don't know on Stihl but some Husky saws are made of something much lighter than steel. Maybe why the local husky dealer gets about $5 per exhaust bolt.

 

[ericm979]

All the Stihl exhaust bolts I've seen have been steel.

Use a center punch or a dremel with a carbide bit to spot the center of the bolt so you drill the center. Be very careful with the cheap ez-outs you can get at the hardware store. They have a tendency to snap because they're very hard. Then you have a very hard piece of ez-out stuck in your bolt. I've been there. It's not much fun.

A reverse drill bit often removes the stuck part.

The best extractors I've used were Snap-ons I borrowed years ago from a friend who'd been a motorcycle mechanic. I normally don't worship at the Snap-on altar like some guys but these were far better than the regular extractors. They had a splined shaft that you drove into the stuck part and a collar that slid down on it that you could use a wrench on. I haven't been able to locate them since.

 

[5030]

Actually, it will probably run better with no muffler. Stihl has succumbed to the noise police. First thing I do with a late model saw is take a die grinder and abrasive stone to the muffler and let the motor breathe.

I'd go with drilling it and an easy out. You might be able to back it out with a sharp center punch and a small hammer too.

 

[ArlyA]

Sorry you are having greif with your saw. I'd say Stihl does make good products.

 

[daman1]

Did Stihl make that bolt, forged in their foundry? No they get it from a supplier that probably had a bad run with wrong tempering, **** happens, stihl has a very quality saw.

 

[TMGT]

Did Stihl make that bolt, forged in their foundry? No they get it from a supplier that probably had a bad run with wrong tempering, **** happens, stihl has a very quality saw.

Stihl seems to have a problem with hardware though, my dads BG86 was notorious for having bolts back out or break.
The worse was when a case bolt backed out and jambed the flywheel locking the engine up. Luckily the damage was minor and I was able to fix it. Replacing missing bolts has been an ongoing problem.

 

[5030]

Only thing I have against newer Stihl saws is the amount of plastic used in them. My older ones are all magnesium. Not a plastic person.

 

[Cougsfan]

Spray it down with penetrating oil and let it set overnight before trying to use an easy out. It might help.

I have several Stihl products. They are OK, but not that much better, if any, than other top of the line products from other companies. Like everyone else, their products are getting more cheaply built all the time. I get a kick out of how Stihl's latest ad seems to try to make a quality point to say their product is not sold at Lowes or Home Depot. As if where who the retailer is establishes the quality? It probably has more to do with Lowes and Home Depot tried unsuccessfully to get a volume discount, or something similar.

 

[dieselscout80]

Use a left hand drill bit when drilling it and it may come out while drilling it. I would heat it enough first to melt a candle and let the wax get in the threads.

Good luck.

 

[scaredychicken]

I have one of these, tiny but tough machines. Not for heavy work --- I have friends for that, with "real" chainsaws. It is light enough for me to use to limb fallen / downed trees, reasonably safely. Good little unit, and it is on hand if someone decides to give me a hand with yardwork.​

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STIHL MS180C-BE 32cc 16 in. Lightweight Easy2Start Gasoline-Powered Compact Chainsaw​