Are flippy caps prone to leaking?

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had that problem and i thought it was where the cap was molded together.took it back to my dealer and he said never had one like that but put a new cap on NO CHARGE. no more leaking unless "operator error" occurs.:dizzy:
 
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I have the same saw plus an 017 and an 026. They all have oil under the saw. It is not the cap unless you overfill. It is residual oil that remains after use. It slowly works its way to the bottom of the saw. I place a piece of cardboard under each saw. The oil collects on the cardboard. If left unused, the cardboard will have an oil mark which will not grow once the oil stops. My 441 has a small oil spot, the 017, which is the worst, has a 6-8" circle of oil. The 026, in a case, always has a bit of oil in the case. I just clean it periodically. The oil comes off the bar, chain and drive gear. It is a pain but not a problem. Put your saw on cardboard and see what you get. As for the caps you cannot fill to the top. I fill to about 1/4" below the cap.
 
I have the same saw plus an 017 and an 026. They all have oil under the saw. It is not the cap unless you overfill. It is residual oil that remains after use. It slowly works its way to the bottom of the saw. I place a piece of cardboard under each saw. The oil collects on the cardboard. If left unused, the cardboard will have an oil mark which will not grow once the oil stops. My 441 has a small oil spot, the 017, which is the worst, has a 6-8" circle of oil. The 026, in a case, always has a bit of oil in the case. I just clean it periodically. The oil comes off the bar, chain and drive gear. It is a pain but not a problem. Put your saw on cardboard and see what you get. As for the caps you cannot fill to the top. I fill to about 1/4" below the cap.

So you are saying that the oil is there from the saw being used? I can understand that for a few days after but this saw has set for months without being used. In my case, I don't think the oil is from the saw being used.
 
I have four saws that have those caps and none of mine leak ( yet ) if I put them on correctly. However on my MS192 they don't seem to fit as well as the others ; almost like they have deformed over time. Would not be suprised to see a leak develop on that one.

Now ; do I like them , I think not.
 
The only time our sthils have leaked bar oil it was because the part of the oil reservoir where it's got a seam has cracked a tiny bit. I'm pretty sure our old climber dropped it real good one time and created a hairline fracture at that spot.

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Some saws are more prone to lose bar oil than others while sitting. When it gets hot outside & the oil expands it is not uncommon especially with older saws for the built up pressure to push oil out. If you have been idling the saw before turning it off, pressure may have built up & again oil leaks out relieving the pressure. If you have an adjustable oiler & have it set to be liberal, oil happens. :D

Up in northern Minnesota where my father cut pulp wood, 1960's, most of the loggers would have the idle set to where the chain would barely creep to ensure the bar was well oiled & the chain wouldn't have the opportunity to freeze to the bar. Needless to say we always had cardboard or feed sacks under the saws. ;)
 
Let me clear something up. I am not talking about the cap coming completely off because of not installing it right. The cap seems to have seated properly but maybe a bad o-ring is to blame.

And I am not 100% sure that is where the leak is coming from. After I filled it up and put the cap back on, I could see a little oil running down from the cap but that could have been the excess oil from filling it up.

If is not the cap at all, any ideas where it could be coming from? If it is not the cap and something more serious, then I will take it in to the local shop for warranty work.

A lot of saws will leak bar oil from where it comes out to oil the bar. Just sitting there..drip..drip...drip. It's pretty common really.
 
The only time our sthils have leaked bar oil it was because the part of the oil reservoir where it's got a seam has cracked a tiny bit. I'm pretty sure our old climber dropped it real good one time and created a hairline fracture at that spot.

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Let me clear something up....

If is not the cap at all, any ideas where it could be coming from? If it is not the cap and something more serious, then I will take it in to the local shop for warranty work.


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I've got one that has to be stored on its side otherwise it has a puddle surrounding it the next day. And its not that old. I would rather sell the saw than put a new cap on, if that tells you how I feel about flippy caps.
 
I bought a used 361 with the same issue I just store it on its side, yes its on right but the area around the cap acts like a catch all and it accumulates gunk and saw dust,(poor design IMHO) that eventually gets in the o ring. If you look at Huskys design its smooth around the oil and gas area allowing dirt not to collect.
 
L-O-L
Since I don't have any "flippy" caps I can't weigh in... I'm just thankful I can't.

I love these threads!

Six flippy caps, full tanks, not a drop!
6umyve5e.jpg


I know, I know, my saws aren't old and beat. However, my old MS 260 PRO that lives out in the wood shed is pretty beat and it doesn't leak a drop either. Over the years I've bought a couple of flippy caps for older saws, they're only about five bucks.
 
The simple fact that this brilliant innovation merits discussion says it all to me. Per J Boehner: "No way in hell!"
 
I've had the leaking problem once when I used a smaller Stihl MS250. On this particular saw I learned the oil tank has pressure in it while the saw is running. When the saw is shut down the remaining pressure forces the oil out. The solution to this problem is to unsnap the cap and let the pressure out. This might help on the larger saws too.

Nosmo
 
Nosmo: I've tried that too, but my saw doesn't seem to know about the laws of pressure, it still leaks, and my shop floor can prove it. But, this is typical of all my saws, so it's nothing new to me.
 

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