Went to the township recycling center on Saturday morning to get rid of some cardboard, plastic and tin cans. When there I like to look in the open top dumpster for metal and see if there is anything useful for me. Low and behold there was a Stihl 038AV Super laying there! Well that is just something I couldn't pass up. Got it home, wiped off the cobwebs, dirt and grime, gave it a few pulls and it had compression but didn't fire. Set it on the work bench 'cause had get going to make brats wtih some friends. Sunday morning while waiting to get light out I pulled the plug which looked good, checked over the fuel lines and added some fresh fuel. A few more pulls and no go. Gave it a shot of starting fluid and away it went much to my surprise. Cold started it several times through out the day and it fired right up. Need to get it on some wood to see how it does. 20" bar, oiler looks like it is working well, hopefully see what it can do this week.

If anyone has any experience with this model feel free to add things I should take a look at. Would love to know the units history and how it ended up in the dumpster. Maybe after I try cutting I'll have a different opinion of it but so far might be the best thing I brought back home from a dump run.

Dave

Nice. 61cc.

awesome find.
I am sure others will chime in. I have a couple stihls. Fuel line replacement is common. Bought my 360 cheap because the guy could not keep it running. The older saws are known to need new crank seals. Once they get hard it will suck in air. Cheap and easy fix. Pop of the sprocket and flywheel. Run a screw in the seal and pull them out. No need to strip them down.

Calling all Motrin in Alex's house

he will be needed soon some of those blue pills

SWEET will make some SWEAT

It wouldn't pay me to work at a scrapyard, I'd be dragging more stuff home than the recycle, lol.

Sweet find. Hope it turns out as good as it seems to be. I've gotten lawn mowers and Coleman stoves from our recycling center.

Thanks ack!

Dave

Good deal !!!

X2

Nice find

pull the muffler and turn it over slow see if it has scoring on the cylinder , if it does but isn't too bad you can just replace the cylinder and hit it with a hone

if it is bad you can get a jug and cyclinder

when they run lean they score all around , when they run rich you can get carbon scoring on the exhaust side

definitely replace fuel and vacuum lines

if you have a compression tester try putting it on , when they drop to about 60psi you can get them to start and run and when you put them in a log working hard they overheat quick

not specific to that model , just my somewhat limited experience with stihls having rebuilt mine then got another 2 years out of it before I had the same issue decided to sell mine for parts at that time

Carburetor needs going through. Diaphragms probably gotten stiff, not moving fuel well. The shot of ether provided the fuel for it to run, which makes the diaphragms work better than you pulling the rope. A carburetor kit, and a sprayout with carburetor cleaner will do wonders. Don't use compressed air, you can popout the fuel check valve in the bottom, or one of the little welch plugs.

Many years ago, when you took your own garbage to the local dump, my wife would get mad because I'd come back with more than I left home with.

That person probably just bought a Husqvarna and needed to ditch the Stihl as quickly as possible so no one would see him with it.

I figured it was in the trash by way of a vengeful ex-wife or girlfriend... Can't imagine a man tossing something like that away when it can be fixed.

Mike

I hauled trash for 21 years.....I don't even know where to begin. My best find was a Beretta over-under 12 gauge in a carrying case. Sometimes you don't even care to know the story.
I bought a new Stihl 028 40 years ago. It was a lemon and was finally left at a job site and stolen. Best day of my life.
I now have a new Stihl 250 that may be the best saw I've owned.

Little johnny sold the preacher a lawn mower,,, little while later preacher came back and said it wont start >>>> johnny said ya gotta cuss at it !! preacher said i cant cuss im a man of the cloth.... johnny said go pull on it a few more times youll learn !!

i had that same model stihl given to me by a neighbor who's dad had passed on. he had no use for it. it would run good till it got hot & then lean out. brought it to a local saw shop & was told crank seals were bad, i gave it to a friend who's dad parted it out. i occasionally have to work at a tranfer station & have scored tons of stuff like ladder stands, 4 chainsaws (3 ran), a brand new in the box honda mini rototiller, cutlery, tools. the only explanation i can come up with is when older people pass on if the family hasnt got use for the stuff they pitch it. i see people "cruising" the scrap metal pile all the time!

Someone probably tossed out that heavy boat anchor and bought a newer one.

I have two sthil 361s that I doubt will leave the garage after I bought the new 400 a few months ago.

I am jealous of your find. Good deal

Showoff! When you are ready to sell a 361 you let me know.