The Engine

With all of the cover plates removed, what you have is the naked engine, as seen in these two photos:


Top view of the engine


Bottom view of the engine

What you can see in these photos is that a chain saw is really just an engine with some cover plates bolted onto it, a handle to hold it, and a chain and bar to cut with. The engine is the main structural member that everything bolts onto!

In the photos above you can see all the major components:

  • The engine itself, visible mainly as the aluminum combustion chamber covered with cooling fins
  • The flywheel, which also contains the blower to cool the engine and the magnets for the magneto
  • The magneto
  • The air intake (which connects to the carb)
  • The spark plug
  • The spark arrestor/muffler
  • The centrifugal clutch
  • A small oil pump that lubricates the chain

These three videos are helpful in understanding the engine: