# Disassembling siezed piston in Stihl 044



## Wood Butcher (Oct 4, 2014)

Hi. First post here. 

I inhereted a Stihl 044. Unbeknownst to the owner, it had a siezed piston, most likely caused from sitting in a garage for 5 years.

I took the pull cord off to make sure it was not stuck. I could not turn the flywheel when the pull cord was off, further confirming the siezed diagnosis.

How do I take the cylinder off with a siezed piston? If I beat on the piston, do I risk damaging the crank bearings? If I pry on the cylinder, the same thing could happen, right? 

I sprayed PB Blaster in the plug hole a few days ago. So far, nothing.

Since I'll be buying a new piston/cylinder, I was thinking of cutting the cylinder in half, and prying it apart. But that would throw metal chips into the bottom end...something I'd like to avoid.

Maybe I could cut the head off and pound on the piston. Stick a dowel through the spark plug hole and whack it?

Any suggstions?


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

I doubt it's seized from sitting up for 5 years, probably was already seized when it was put up from lack of oil mixed with the fuel. 

You won't hurt the bearings if you tap on the piston to knock it out of the cylinder as long as the cylinder in not bolted to the crankcase. 

If replacing the cylinder and piston, be sure to install the piston with the correct orientation and it would also be a good idea to replace the crankshaft seals.

Best of Luck....:thumbsup:


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Wood Butcher said:


> Hi. First post here.
> 
> I inhereted a Stihl 044. Unbeknownst to the owner, it had a siezed piston, most likely caused from sitting in a garage for 5 years.
> 
> ...


I suggest putting more PB in the cylinder let it set overnight, insert a dowel in the plug hole and pound on it a while then repeat the sequence the next day, it will come loose it just takes time. Have a good one. Geo


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## Wood Butcher (Oct 4, 2014)

*Freed the piston and fired it up*

Thanks for the replys.

I took off the pull-start cover and exposed the flywheel. Put a socket on a breaker bar and carefully broke the piston free by rotating the flywheel.

I kept rotating it until it felt smooth. Then I fired it up and it started right away and ran fine at full throttle, but won't idle. It's most likely a carb issue. No surprise since it sat so long. 

The guy who owned the saw was a topper in Alaska after the Vietnam war. Yeah, one of those guys who climb 300 foot lodgepole pine and cut the top off. He moved to Chicago and ran a tree service in Chicago 'burbs for 35 years. I don't think he put the wrong fuel in an 044.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Wood Butcher said:


> I don't think he put the wrong fuel in an 044.


Probably not, and the piston was not seized in the cylinder either. More likely it was rust on the flywheel magnets, or possibly one of the crankshaft bearings. If it sat up for 5 years, the carburetor will almost always need new diaphragms.


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## Wood Butcher (Oct 4, 2014)

*flywheel magnets looked ok*

I didn't see any rust on the magnets or anywhere else on the flywheel. It's an early 044 and I can't find a carb that fits. I'll have to rebuild the one on it. It's a Zama. I'll try to take it apart tonight. Maybe the needle's just stuck or the jets need a shot of air and some gumout.Can't be any harder than my old Harley Carbs were.


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## chuck_thehammer (Oct 24, 2007)

rust can form at the piston rings to cylinder.. causing a stick to free to stick issue.
rust cam form under the piston rings .. on the cylinder. as upper part is sealed from the air... but the underside is open by carburetor. 


if cylinder was seized and you were able to free it up.. the piston ring sealing would be almost none. from ring to wall damage.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

This saw will have a chrome plated cylinder, and an aluminum piston. It's run with oil mix and when shut down will have oil residue all over the inside components of the engine. 

It's unlikely that any rust formed on the rings and caused the piston to seize in the cylinder. I have seen engines that have been submerged in water with rusted and seized crank pin bearing and support bearings and the cylinder came off easily. Whatever was binding this saw, it's doubtful that it was the piston binding in the cylinder.

And if it was the piston stuck in the cylinder, as previously stated, would almost certainly caused some damage from freeing up that would have affected the compression.

Diaphragms become stiff over time and a stiff metering diaphragm can cause a carburetor to run lean, rich and flood.


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