Stihl MS250 oiling problems

[a. palmer jr.]

I've been tinkering with this 250 Stihl for some time now and never could get it to oil the bar enough. I said enough but I'm not sure it's oiling at all. I put a new pump in, new oil line and filter and plugged the hole up by the muffler that had the cap missing and it seems a small amount comes out with the bar off. I also checked the oil holes in the bar and they didn't quite line up so I re-drilled the bar with bigger holes that line up, still the chain doesn't look oily. What did I miss?
By the way, it does oil the clutch real good and also oils the table under the saw when you leave it sit for a while but not the bar.

 

[cre73]

I never have liked the oiler on the 250. I have always thought it was weak. Sucks that isn't adjustable.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I just checked it a bit ago and it appears oil is getting to the bar mount but none on the chain or in the bar groove. Looks like I may need another bar to try. I have a spare but it's 3/8 LP and the one that's on there now is a .325 so I'd need another chain and sprocket..maybe I have one around here if I look hard enough.

 

[Stihlofadeal64]

Did the area around the pump and the clutch look burnt?

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Did the area around the pump and the clutch look burnt?

A little singed but not as bad as some I've seen, it definitely hadn't been run with the chain brake on, for very long anyway.
I went ahead and ordered another sprocket for it, a 3/8 LP so I can try the shorter Stihl bar on it, not sure the bar I have is a Stihl but it seems to fit good. I like a 3/8 LP better on these saws anyway.

 

[Chainsaw10]

I've been running 025's and 250's for OVER twenty years for my full time carving business. Early on I always had oiler issues....over and over again. I started using Canola oil for bar oil about 7 years ago and I haven't had a single oiler issue since....ZERO....NONE AT ALL. There is no need for thick, gooey, tacky bar oil. It's a bunch of BS. Canola keeps everything lubed better.
I currently have four 250's and they're used almost daily. Haven't had any oiling problems in these years since I started using canola.

I've tried 3/8 lo pro on these saws too...but nothing cuts smoother and faster than Stihls 1/4" .050 "special" carving chain. ...even in non-carving situations. It is awesome chain. Puzzles me why I see nobody using it ...it will blow 3/8 lp away

 

[a. palmer jr.]

The reason I wanted to change on this saw is because I don't have a 1/4" clutch or bar for it. I found a cheap sprocket on ebay for it and I already have the 3/8 bar and chain. I'll try the lighter oil. Also I think the previous owner tightened the bar nuts too tight for too long and the bar mount plastic isn't flat anymore...may try to straighten that out a bit.

 

[Chris-PA]

Also I think the previous owner tightened the bar nuts too tight for too long and the bar mount plastic isn't flat anymore...may try to straighten that out a bit.

Bingo. If you think of how the bar/oiler interface works, it's a sandwich construction with a lot of surfaces that must seal. Any gap and the oil will flow down between the bar and the case (or the bar and the cover), hit the chain returning on the bottom of the bar and be flung off to the inside of the clutch cover. So if you have oil all over the clutch cover but little in the bar, that's the place to look.

 

[dugide]

how did you plug the hole by the muffler?

 

[a. palmer jr.]

how did you plug the hole by the muffler?

I tapped it and put a 1/4-20 set screw in it and a little Dirko on the threads. I've since ordered a 3/8 sprocket so I can run the Stihl picco chain and bar on it. Maybe the oil holes in the bar didn't match up but sure looked like it did. I couldn't find any numbers on the bar or a brand name so can't be sure it was a Stihl bar. Got it used so you never know...

 

[sugarbush]

you plugged the hole going to the bar pad if you went to deep. I plug them with small plastic rod glued in.

 

[Khntr85]

I've been running 025's and 250's for OVER twenty years for my full time carving business. Early on I always had oiler issues....over and over again. I started using Canola oil for bar oil about 7 years ago and I haven't had a single oiler issue since....ZERO....NONE AT ALL. There is no need for thick, gooey, tacky bar oil. It's a bunch of BS. Canola keeps everything lubed better.
I currently have four 250's and they're used almost daily. Haven't had any oiling problems in these years since I started using canola.

I've tried 3/8 lo pro on these saws too...but nothing cuts smoother and faster than Stihls 1/4" .050 "special" carving chain. ...even in non-carving situations. It is awesome chain. Puzzles me why I see nobody using it ...it will blow 3/8 lp away

How much canola oil do you buy at once and how much is it.. Thanks kyle

 

[a. palmer jr.]

you plugged the hole going to the bar pad if you went to deep. I plug them with small plastic rod glued in.

I probably went in about 1/4 inch. I ran a wire through the oiler hole while I was screwing it in. I may still back it out some just to be sure. There is some oil coming out the oiler, just don't think it's enough..I also thinned the oil a bit to try later. Got to wait on my sprocket to get here right now, be about a week or so. I made a new chain for it today.

 

[Chainsaw10]

How much canola oil do you buy at once and how much is it.. Thanks kyle

I find it on sale at the grocery store or Walmart sometimes for $4 to $5 ...and I take everything on the shelf, as long as there's not a limit.
More often normal price is about $7 a gallon.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

you plugged the hole going to the bar pad if you went to deep. I plug them with small plastic rod glued in.

I'll try backing it out to the last couple of threads and see if that makes any difference..

 

[Lux]

I have a 210/250 and I had the same problem. I was thinking of ordering the bigger oiler. (I have the part #) it oils but just barely. I'm going to try thinning my bar oil a bit.

 

[Chainsaw10]

A little blast with an air compressor into the side oiler hole sometimes clears things up. ..but empty oil first and leave the oil cap off.

 

[Lux]

i had it clogged once and did the shop-vac into the oil reserve thing. i guess it's the same?

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I had a few (more) spare minutes and went out and looked again at the 250 and found a small crack around the oil pump, slightly below it and oil was leaking out of it so I got my soldering iron and melted the plastic together then filled up some of the area with epoxy. That will either help it or hurt it, don't know..

 

[Lux]

I think these are thermoplastic. JB Weld is awesome. I fixed a hole in my oil reservoir with it. Scuffed it up, put a stainless faucet screen over the hole and voila. Oiler part # is 1123 640 3201 .65 . . . . I think the oem is .50 . . . . I think I think too much.