All of my OEM parts come from www.partstree.com Original Shindaiwa's like ones you see in my videos, and yours, are worth saving.

The M231 and M242 Power Heads both use the 65000 series of attachments. The challenge now is that Shindaiwa has been absorbed into Echo, and both the Echo and "Shindaiwa" badged power heads now use Echo's system of attachments, which are 66000 series. Echo/Shindaiwa has stopped manufacturing the upper drive tube and it's drive shaft, that fit the M231 and M242, and their 65000 series attachments. So while you can still purchase just the articulating hedge trimmer head, which fits the AH and AS hedge trimmers, and the M power heads, you'd need the drive tube from your old hedge trimmer attachment in order to use it. Be careful purchasing something like this from Amazon, because it may be a cheap replica, so it won't fit, and/or won't last. There are sellers on ebay, both here in the US and in the UK, who occasionally have the 65000 series hedge trimmers, or the correct short drive tubes.

@@austinado16 must appreciate the feed back man. Big thanks

@@Efffshams You're welcome! I looked at the one on Amazon. The brand name that starts with a "Y" and it appears to be an exact replica of the original Shindaiwa 65003 articulating hedge trimmer attachment. If you're using the machine as a homeowner, I'd go for it. When it arrives, use a grease gun and via the 2 zerk fittings, pack the gear case and the pivot gears with a good quality grease of your choice, give the blades a shot of TriFlow, and see how it does. The factory units all suffered from the same wear damage: Right at the opening of the upper aluminum gear box housing, where the blades come out, that aluminum opening would get worn really wide, because the blades want to move sideways as they exit and enter that opening. So keep the Amazon unit greased, and don't let the blade bolts get worn thin in their shanks (or purchase the hardened OEM bolts) in order to keep the side thrust of the blades to a minimum. You might get years of use out of it with a little extra care. Cool find, and I appreciate you telling me about them. I always try to rescue the M231/M242 powerheads when I can find them, along with any 65000 series attachments, but it's getting more and more difficult. Handy combination of tools, especially for a homeowner, and especially here in CA with battery junk being the only thing that's available now.

@@austinado16 Thanks again sir. Big help.

@@Efffshams Happy to help. If you wind up getting that unit, I hope you'll report back on the fit/quality/function.

Hahaa!! This one came from Minnesota, and the emissions label says 2008, but that's only a very general indication of it's age. These were still being sold until 2021 or 2022. They are the very last of the big, Japanese made, Shindaiwas before the merger with Echo. There was also a C344 model, that was even bigger, and configured with the bicycle handlebars as a brush cutter. These 2 versions (the T282 and C344) along with the smaller T242 were the Shindaiwa line up for decades, and all 3 are suitable for commercial use. I purchased this one via ebay, because I thought it might make good video content. The Kawasaki badged equipment, and the equipment that used their engines, back in the day, was always top quality. Very tough to repair them now, as you've discovered. They're old enough now that for me, they are no longer worth working on, because without the availability of crankshaft seals, pistons and piston rings, and critical engine gaskets, it's a risky proposition to think they would ever run well. Good luck with yours, and as always, I appreciate your comment!

Thank you! I appreciate the comment.

You're very welcome! They're great machines, and I'm glad you were able to repair it.

I'm glad you were able to get it fixed!

Thanks for the video request. If you're asking for a video for this particular model, this is a machine that I worked on in mid-November of 2022, so it's not available. Replacing the blade engagement ("Roto Stop") cable, requires that upper handle to be taken apart so that the cable can be installed and connected inside, and then the other end of the cable has a one-way barbed mounting head, and a metal ball at the end of the cable. The easiest method of replacement is to do the disassembly of the handle, removing the old cable, disconnect it from the hub lever at the blade/crankshaft, and then reverse that procedure to install the new cable. In other words, connect the new cable to the blade hub first, because with the other end of the cable not connected to anything, you'll have enough slack in the cable to pull the cable through the jacket and easily get it connected at the blade hub. Once your connection is complete at the blade hub, finish the job by installing the cable into the handle and re-assembling all of that area.

Hi Dug! People sure are hard on their equipment! They're lucky to have you as their mechanic!

@austinado16 thank you. I try my best, but recently, I've noticed a lack of quality in machinery compared to when I started up 14 years ago.

@@DugatDizzyLizzys I see it also.

Wow! Thank you! I always appreciate your comments, and your input. That's an excellent suggestion; "maintenance" and "storage." I touch on those things a small amount on occasion, but it's not regularly, and certainly not something that a viewer could easily find. I haven't made videos like that (yet) and wasn't intending to, figuring that there was probably a ton of that content on YT already. I've focused on what I do the most of, which is diagnostics based on "automotive theory" and the repair that returns the equipment to service. I also don't get very many machines in that need a service, because I've learned that "can you service this" is an attempt to get free work. I learned long ago to ask, "Does it even run?" Rarely do I hear, "Yes. Runs AND operates perfectly. I'd just like to have the filters, plug(s), and oil changed." Regarding service for the equipment that you ladies operate, it'll depend on frequency and severity of use, as to the time period between filters, plugs, and (if it's 4 stroke equipment) oil changes. You'll have to inspect, and see how fast things start to look bad, get packed with dirt, etc. Same with blades on mowers and hedge trimmers. Re: storage procedure: If something is used about once a month, there's no need to do anything with the fuel. 2 stroke equipment should be run on Echo Red Armor oil mix, year round. Other mix oils don't perform as well. For items used less frequently, SeaFoam should be put into the fuel in their tanks, and the engines ran for a moment prior to storage, so that fuel containing SeaFoam is in the carburetor and fuel lines. For items used seasonally, the best result will be had by draining the fuel (on the 2 stroke stuff), putting a few ounces of Echo's (non-ethanol based) Power Fuel into the fuel tank, and then running the engine for a moment. For larger 4 stroke equipment, generators, SeaFoam in the fuel, and if possible, turn the fuel off to the carburetor, and run the machine until it dies. This won't completely empty the carburetor, but at least the small amount of fuel left over, will be treated with SeaFoam.

You're welcome!

I have had it happen, which is why I hold the saws facing away when I run them.

@@austinado16 I've seen one disappear up in the clear blue sky - never found it again.

@@leifvejby8023 Haven't lost any parts during an "self-disassembly" yet, but have certainly the opportunity.

I would do a crankcase vacuum test first, and then the pressure test (doing the pressure test first will push the crankshaft seals outward, and make them appear to be good). If it has good crankshaft seals, and good crankcase sealing/gaskets etc.....in other words, I prove it has an air tight bottom end... I would replace the coil (because you've tried 2 carburetors with the same result, of no change) under the assumption that the electronics in the coil have failed. Prior to ordering the coil, I'd pull the flywheel and confirm it wasn't damaged where the key (separate key on this saw) that sits in the crankshaft, engages the aluminum hub of the flywheel. These have an engine with an aluminum pan that is sealed to the upper cylinder, and it's not uncommon for that sealant to fail. Extremely common in all Stihl products. Sealant failure creates a crankcase leak, so they will run lean, which at idle will cause a high rpm, until they lean out and die. The leak isn't enough to affect the rest of the running range, because the carburetor is supplying sufficient oil in the fuel mix, to seal up the leak. They'll start fine cold, because the carburetor gets primed, and then the full-choke function "wets" the crankcase, and seals up the leaking sealant area of the pan, as well as the crankshaft seals(if they're leaking). So "you" wind up with a saw that may start and run fine, but either won't idle, or idles high and dies. Additionally, this saw uses a rubber boot as an intake duct, between carb and cylinder. Because it's a cheap saw, it simply has a plastic ring holding the boot onto the mounting hub on the cylinder. A failure in this area would create the running that you are experiencing. This is why I suggest proving the bottom end is air tight, as the first step of the diagnostics.

True! They are great little saws, and Echo has been building them for a couple decades, dating back to the years when the machines were gray, not orange.

Probably just running a mix that was too light for the amount of work being done with it. I encourage customers to run their mix in the realm of 40:1, because oil is cheap, and engines aren't. Most of the machines aren't operated by the owner. They're handed off to "workers" who are very hard on them, both in how the machines are used, and how they are fueled. True testament to the quality of Shindaiwa, that their machines survive it, let alone are still around 20-30yrs later. I have 3 T282's to go through next, and the big EB802 backpack blower.

You're welcome!

Thank you! This one was particularly fun because it was in really good "home owner used" condition, and I'm a huge fan of these big, old-school, models.

You're welcome!

@@austinado16 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJmak3eIntJ7jrssi=SAd434oV5FPpAqQR Mine is fixed now! Tnx again

They're fantastic machines, and definitely worth the expense and time to repair. I purchase my parts from www.partstree.com

Your local dealer. There are also dealers selling on ebay.

@austinado16 I tried looking at ebay and couldn't find any. Maybe I'm not looking it up correctly. I'll try asking the local stihl dealer

@@stephenpawking Parts diagram an part numbers for reference: www.diyspareparts.com/parts/stihl/diagrams/ht-131/abb23c06-0f21-4089-b9f3/

In diagnostics, always start with the basics (the most simple solution) and work toward the more complex. So prove spark, and prove compression. And just because you have spark in the Lisle tester that you seem me frequently use in my videos, and have spark from a spark plug that's outside the cylinder, does not mean that you have spark with the spark plug installed, under the "squeeze" of compression. The spark test also doesn't prove timing, and ignition coils can fail, so they'll produce spark, but not at the correct time... and of course, air gap between the coil poles and the flywheel magnets is also key. Re: your question about the fuel tank vent, a non-functional vent (either blocked and not venting, or the one-way function no longer works, won't flood an engine during starting. If the vent is blocked, the engine will start and run fine, but die in X amount of time, depending on level of fuel in the tank, because no air is getting into the tank to replace the volume of fuel used by the engine... so fuel stops flowing. Loosening the cap is the temporary cure and test, because the saw will start back up (with the cap re-tightened, of course) and then die in the same amount of time. A blocked vent will typically cause fuel pressure in the tank to eventually over pressure the tiny spring on the carb metering needle, and fuel will syphon from the tank up into the carb throat, and then run out into the air filter, and into the engine crankcase, creating dripping from the filter, and usually from the muffler, and of course, the saw will be very flooded, and possibly hydro-locked, so it can't even be pulled over. It's not uncommon for these saws to never get the starter assembly removed, and the internals of the saw thoroughly cleaned out, either by pressure washing (from a reasonable distance) or using compressed air and a powerful gun. So they fill up with oily sawdust, blocking air flow through the starter assembly over the cylinder and crankcase, and this eventually causes crankcase pan seal failure, and crankshaft seal failure due to overheating when in use. This is magnified when the saws are run with dull chain, used has hedge and brush trimmers, and used to cut wood much larger than they are built to handle. All of this is death of the saw, due to the high engine heat. Good luck with it.

You're welcome!

They get used as weed mowers and field mowers around here, and I've seen them much worse. I've actually seen brand new machines destroyed over a weekend, and brought back early the next week for warranty, "I just purchased this last Thursday. Used it once this weekend, and now the drive system doesn't work."

Thank you!

Yes, and this is the 3rd machine that's been seized, in the same manner, and repaired the same way.

The original (or maybe it was a replacement original...I've owned the truck for 30yrs and probably replaced it back when I found the truck) Master Cylinder was failing due to me not flushing the brake fluid every couple years. During the replacement process, that rubber bushing fell out of position, and I didn't notice it was missing, because I didn't know there was even a bushing down in that cup. When I was finished installing the Master, I couldn't get a good pedal, whether doing a vacuum bleed, or a 2-person bleed. Initially, I blamed the replica Master (OE Masters are NLA), but then discovered that there's supposed to be a black rubber spacer in that cup... and when I shined a light into the Booster, I could see the cup was just empty, and silver metal was showing. Of course the rubber bushing was laying in the bottom of the Booster. Hopefully this video is helpful to other owners of the Westmoreland era Rabbits.

That's a cool way to do it!

Nice score. Very bulletproof machines, and around here, they were purchased by the thousands, and put into commercial service by all of the local mow-and-blow companies. I snap them up whenever I can still find them, along with their big brother, the T282. Just purchased a T282 a couple weeks ago for 10 bucks, and parts should be here in a couple days. That rebuild will be in a video, soon.

Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad the video was helpful!

Very common for these to pull in debris, and suck it through the carburetor into the reed. They're a fiddly little saw to work on because of how everything is packed down into that plastic box area.

@@austinado16 so very true!

Wow! You made my day! Thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad the video was helpful.

You're welcome! Thank you for watching and leaving a comment!

Happy to help! Thanks for watching, and for the comment!

I just pull start the saws. I don't use the decompression valves, even if they have one.

The first HTO surgery was Jan. 23, 2023. The second HTO surgery was Mar. 23, 2023. I had both plates removed on Dec. 11, 2023.

@@austinado16 legs again will become bowed after removing plates??

@@riddhiiparab No

At 5:55 you'll see that the upper drive tube and driveshaft are not part of this repair, and I begin to assemble the lower driveshaft and tube after that point in the video. The upper section was fine, and didn't need repair.

@@austinado16 I’ve got one that was brought to me in pcs. The splined shaft had a bow in it and was chewed up when one of the extender springs broke into two pcs. The springs wore flats on the spline about a third of the way around. I straightened out the shaft and took a dremel and mini cutoff wheel and recut the spline so the bushings would slide. The clamps are bad and your rework is a good idea. Parts are expensive or non existent for this model. Thanks for the video.

@@ReedSevitts-rh7hy You're welcome. Parts are readily available, and generally the solution when they have this much damage, is put purchase the entire upper and lower drive tube/drive shaft assembly from Stihl. This is a better value than spending umpteen hours of shop labor, for a marginal result, or to have a machine that vibrates badly because driveshafts are no longer true. While the entire assembly is expensive, labor to install is under 30min, and the result is a machine that is 100% and ready to go back into service. The only reason why I didn't do that to the machine in the video, is because I'd determined that the upper assembly was perfect, that there was no other damage, and only minimal internal parts were needed.

Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you found the channel and the video series, and have found it helpful. For both of my surgeries, the first 5-6 days were brutal, and up until day 10 or 11, there was only a small improvement. After day 11, it was much better. 1) The repaired leg should be elevated above your heart, basically at all times, unless you're up moving around on crutches for some reason. If this isn't done, the hydrostatic pressure in the leg will cause major swelling, and major pain. 2) A battery powered leg compression cuff should be on the calf of the unrepaired leg, all day and all night, for the first few weeks, in order to avoid blood clots. This should have been given to you as a pair of them, post-op (or pre-op, so you could be shown how to use them, and have them ready for the drive home) 3) The repaired leg shouldn't be in a brace that prevents movement of the knee, because the knee becomes really stiff and causes issues with recovery. Although in your case, with the meniscus trimming, maybe you're in a brace now? 4) You can take one ibuprofen and on acetaminophen at the same time, and get nearly the same pain relief as an Oxycodone (Percocet), plus you get relief from the inflammation. 5) The fall-out from Oxy, and probably muscle relaxer, is really bad constipation. Be sure to counter this early using Miralax and stool softener, or you will not only be miserable, you could wind up with a hernia tear in your abdomen from trying to push out a brick... or wind up in the hospital, having the brick removed. You want to avoid this at all cost, so take the products mentioned, at amounts that result in soft-serve. 6) If you don't eat in a non-inflammatory way, I encourage you to look up the Dr. Gundry Yes and No Food List, and start eating only from the yes side. This is a fantastic life change, and will benefit you greatly, now. 7) If you live where CBD products are legal, the gummies with a very low level of THC (5mg or less, per piece) and very high level CBD and CBN, will probably give you quite a bit of relief, and will definitely help you get to sleep. Worth doing, if you have access. Don't buy products without THC because the CBD and CBN will not actually be "active." They both need the THC in order to be active. 8) I would encourage you to be eating a ton of jello, taking quite a bit of algae based calcium each day, and eating a lot of citrus, pineapple, kiwi, etc, in order to be getting in as much "whole vitamin C" as possible. "whole C" is very active in healing tissue. I regrew my 18mm bone gap in 4 weeks on the first leg, and 3 weeks on my second leg, and I hope you have the same quick healing process. Hang in there through this initial, very daunting, stage. If you have other questions, etc. feel free to email me using the email address located on the home page for the channel. All the best to you!!!

Thanks a lot Todd, had a slightly better night of sleep compared to the previous nights, total of 3-4 hours but with max 1.5 hour intervals. I’m taking it easy on the Oxy, already went through the constipation issues during my two days in the hospital. Was wondering if you also experience similar sleep depreciation in the first week? This right now is my main concern..

If you purchased a carburetor that came with a fuel filter, I'm gonna hazard a guess that it's a cheap replica. As such, it probably won't work. If it does, you got lucky. A Honda factory carburetor for this machine is typically about $25 now. They used to be $18 just a couple years ago. Throw the fuel filter away. There is a built-in fuel filter, located in the fuel tank, and that's all the mower needs.

Thank you for the feedback! These are nice saws and seem to last forever.

You're welcome!

You made my day! Thanks!

Correct. It's not always an exact process creating the videos and I have to go back and reshoot a section, or a section is missed completely because I didn't press and hold the camera button long enough, thought the camera was filming, and it wasn't, blah, blah, blah. I realized after-the-fact that I put the pulley was on upside down.

I use an impact driver on them, and I have a couple of bits that reach down in, and also fit the heads of those screws correctly. Otherwise, yes, the heads strip out, have to be drilled off, etc.

I’ll snag a few impacts in that size to add to my collection of bits:)👍🙏🙏👋✌️

@@freezerburn04 You'll find the best fit with a "Pozi" bit, which is what these screws actually are, and why a standard philips will strip them. I re-install with copper anti-seize, and the screws come out easily in the future.

I had assumed jis because of my vintage Honda stuff but the fit was as you say, wrong. I’ll be picking up a set of pozidriv drivers. I wonder when Honda transitioned to the pozi’s?

@@freezerburn04 When you see a philips head with a tiny dot stamped into, that's a pozidrive. I have a motorcycle from '86 and it has them, so I'm guessing that these companies started using them decades ago. But I'm no authority on them.

Outstanding man!! Great job fixing it yourself, and thanks for reporting back, because that'll likely help others.

👍🙏👋

The Stihl engines are glued together with a red silicone product, at the factory. The only gasket is the cork gasket under the valve cover, and of course the base gasket for the carburetor, and base gasket for the intake block. They're tough little engines, but not without their faults, and straight-gassing them is always going to destroy them.

The chain should not move when the engine is running at idle. Make sure you have the idle speed set correctly, and turn the large idle adjustment screw counter-clockwise, to decrease the idle, if the engine is idling too fast. If the engine is actually idling correctly, (and the chain still moves), remove the side cover, chain, and bar, and inspect the clutch assembly for debris build up, and/or rust. Clean the assembly if need be, and you should be able to spin the clutch drum very freely once debris or rust is removed. I don't recommend starting a chainsaw with the chain brake engaged, because saws start at high rpm until the user squeezed the throttle trigger and cancels that function. While they are running at high rpm, the clutch has engaged the clutch drum, and is trying to power the chain, but the brake bad is engaged, and holding the drum stationary. This creates wear in the assemblies, and it's not uncommon for me to see side covers melted, and channels worn in the outer surface of the clutch drum, from the brake band, and the inner surface of the clutch drum, from the clutch shoes. If saws are started correctly with the saw turned at an angle, so that the pull starter rope handle points at the user's right shoulder socket, the rear handle clamped between the user's lower thigh area, and the left hand holding the apex of the curve, of the front handle on the saw, the saw can be safely started without worry of being hit by a spinning chain. In this style of starting procedure, the left hand pushes the saw downward as the right hand pulls up on the rope, and pulls that right hand toward the right shoulder socket. So the user benefits from the weight of the saw moving downward, and actually making it easier to pull the starter rope.

🤣How else is the customer supposed to know it's been worked on?

Travel speed is controlled by 2 things: Engine speed at full throttle position on the throttle lever, and the amount of cable "pull" created by the orange travel speed change lever. The first step in your repair process would be to confirm that the engine is not running too fast, and adjusting it, if it is. Many commercial users of these machines (aka; the workers of the landscape mow-and-blow companies) have figured out how to tweak the machines in order to make them faster, and be able to mow people's lawns faster... literally at a fast walk/slow jog pace. The goal being, get more customer's finished in a day's worth of work, and/or, finish with each day's accounts, and go home several hours early. I see it all the time, and I'm frequently asked, "My guys are complaining that their mower is too slow and they want it to be faster." Especially back when these were still sold new in CA. The new machines were typically returned within a day, or two, "My guys say it's too slow..." So make sure your engine speed isn't too fast. If it's correct, the adjustment for the transmission travel speed, is located where you see the drive engagement cable attaching to the metal bracket, at the front of the lever housing on the handle bar. The cable terminates in a long, threaded, end piece, with a 6mm nut (takes a 10mm open end wrench) on that threaded end piece, and the nuts are on either side of the metal bracket. Simply loosen both nuts, and thread both of them, "down" (towards the engine) the threaded end piece, and this will cause the orange speed change level to "pull" a lesser amount on the cable. Typically, you can thread the nuts "down" until the mower will no longer travel, when the speed change lever is fully reward. Then thread those nuts "up" just until you have travel with the orange lever fully reward, and make your final adjustment from there. It's about a 2 minute process (as long as the engine speed IS ACTUALLY CORRECT). Be sure to fully tighten the nuts against the metal bracket when you're done, and also make sure that the metal bracket it's all bent up and sort of toward the engine, which makes the cable get pulled further, and falsely increases travel speed. The bracket gets bent by user dragging the grass bag up out of the machine, and bashing it against the handlebars and the cable mounting area. Thanks for watching and for the comment.

@@austinado16 Could you pls. show a view of exactly which cable is to be adjusted. Ths.

@@EdmondMcKamey In this video, I show the exact cable, how it's installed, and how it's adjusted. There's no need for a repeat video.

This is a major surgery to recover from. I trained really hard prior to the first surgery, ate and supplemented in a specific way to grow bone fast, did early weight bearing to stimulate and strengthen the new bone growth, and did my own PT. I regrew my 18mm bone gap in 4 weeks, started walking on day 1 of week 4, and middle of week 5, I put the crutches away for good. On day 1 of week 6, I was back on my very heavy, "training" mountain bike, and returned to that portion of my normal training, in prep for the 2nd surgery, 2 weeks later. I've become a bit of a case study. All the best to you. I hope all of the healing goes really well. You're welcome to email me if you have any questions.