andrethegiant70
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sounds to me like the clutch shoes or the clutch sprocket. I would try changing the sprocket first. At 120 psi. she should run real good yet. If it idles and starts fine it has plenty of compression! Those older saws didn't have as much compression as the new ones! You should be able to pull a 14" hardnose with .404 whether the rakers are that low or not! My uncle used to cut dry frozen oak with his C-5 and ran a 28" bar with skip .404. Worked her hard but she pulled it slow. I have the larger C-7 and C-9. I have ran .404 skip with a 30" roller tip buried in oak and they both pull it without any problems!
+ 1 ...The older reed valve saws seem to tolerate lower compression numbers better than the newer piston-ported designs. 120lbs ought to be ok for that saw. Sounds like the clutch may be getting weak but I have to say I'm thinking it really may be a combinations of factors, that may or may not be limited to clutch, low rakers, and tuning. As indicated earlier, if it was just rakers, the saw would want to yank you over the log. The combination of low rakers and slipping clutch would produce the result you describe. You might also want to do a little tuning work....if you're too lean, the saw would rev like a banshee out of the cut and bog once you're in wood. I'd richen up the H screw and see what happens. Great saw, good luck!