Issues with my new Husky 346XP

[InTheFlow]

If y'all can help with some or all of these questions, I'd be most appreciative.

1. The sprocket on my bar stopped moving and basically locked everything up in the middle of cutting wood. I took it apart and the only way I could get it to move again was by putting one of the teeth on the edge of my tailgate and using my weight to push down. It moved a little and I was able to loosen it up some but it never easily moved. Did I get a defective bar? The guys with me said that the bar sprocket should move easily with one finger.

2. When taking off the clutch cover, the chain break was engaged. I didn't know better at the time and forced it off. :newbie: So now I have both the clutch cover and chain break disassembled and I don't know how to compress the spring back in there. I've already tried forcing it in with my strength alone. Its going to require a different approach. Any ideas? Incidentally, I also lost the 'C' clip that holds the '3-prong' thing on the post. I heard it ting against something in my garage...its probably worth just getting a new one rather than driving myself nuts trying to find the tiny thing. Where do you recommend I get a new one?

(For any fellow newbs that may be wondering, you have to dis-engage the chain break before taking the cover off. The instruction book says that if the cover does not come off easily, to put everything back together and then engage/dis-engage the chain break again.)

3. What is meant by: "Immediately press and release the throttle when the engine starts. That will disengage the throttle latch."? What latch are they talking about? No matter what I do, I can't get the throttle to stay engaged without holding it in. In turn, that makes it hard to start because it konks out before I can get to the trigger to 'rev' it. I must be missing something here. Shouldn't the saw go to idle immediately when started?

4. After the saw is running, it won't run for long without me pulling the trigger every so often to sort of 'rev' it. Could that be due to needing to adjust the carb's idling (T) mixture?

5. What kind of grease gun do you use for the clutch drum needle bearing and the bar tip sprocket? The drawing of the one in the manual doesn't look like anything I've seen before.

 

[Chaz1]

Sounds to me that you may have gotten some wood chips or fibers caught in your bar rail. Maybe up in the tip.

 

[DEG305]

It sounds to me more like your 346xp has issues with you than you having issues with it! Go back to your dealer, have him put your saw back togather and start the relationship with your saw over again!

 

[mikefunaro]

I agree with the others; provided that you bought this from a nearby dealer you should go back to the dealer and have him take care of any mech. difficulties youre having.

 

[CentaurG2]

Ah the follies of youth. Regarding the chain and sprocket tip stopping in the middle of a cut. Wood chips/sawdust have wedged themselves into the bar grove and sprocket area. To fix, place the saw bar on top of a log and drag the chain back and forth until it moves free. Depending on how tight you jammed the saw, it may take a bit of force to get the chain to move again.

Regarding the clutch cover. Swallow you pride and bring it back to the dealer where you purchased the saw. They should be able to fix it. The springs are a bear to work on and the brake mechanism is like a trap. You really want the chainbrake mechanism working properly on this saw.

Regarding the throttle. On most husky saws, when you pull out/up the choke, the throttle gets put into an advanced position (high idle). If you pulled out the choke to start the saw, the saw will always rev when you first start it and you simply bib the throttle once to get it back down to an idle. If you start the saw without using the choke, it will immediately go to idle.

Regarding the needle bearing and sprocket tip. Use the small grease gun should have came with the saw. If you dealer forgot your grease gun, ask him for one. Lubing the sprocket tip is an optional thing.

If the saw dies at idle, either the L screw or the T (idle) screw needs a tweak. Bring it back to the dealer and have them reset the carb.

Be careful and post up with other questions.

 

[danrclem]

I think that most of your questions have been answered by CentaurG2 but I'll add a couple things.

I've got a rod with a magnet on the end of it just to find small metal pieces that I've lost in the garage, grass or gravel. It usually works pretty good.

You can get your saw to fast idle when starting without the choke on just by pulling the choke out and then pushing it back in before starting.

When the saw won't idle good after running awhile do you have the choke all they way off?

I'd agree with the others that you need to take it back to the dealer, get the clip and let him get you more familiar with the saw.

You've got a very good saw there.

 

[cuttinscott]

Thats the problem with External clutches is they also use External Chain Brakes :deadhorse::bang::bang::bang:


Scott

 

[InTheFlow]

Damn...so back to the dealer I go. Oh well...live, mess up, and learn I guess.

Thanks for the replies y'all. I'll bring it in tomorrow.

So, how do you keep from jamming wood chips in the bar tip sprocket? There has to be a way to avoid that. Otherwise, everyone else would have been taking their saws apart and clearing out their sprockets too. As far as I could tell, I was the only one doing so.

 

[Chaz1]

Damn...so back to the dealer I go. Oh well...live, mess up, and learn I guess.

Thanks for the replies y'all. I'll bring it in tomorrow.

So, how do you keep from jamming wood chips in the bar tip sprocket? There has to be a way to avoid that. Otherwise, everyone else would have been taking their saws apart and clearing out their sprockets too. As far as I could tell, I was the only one doing so.

It happens from time to time especially when the chain is not spinning so fast. Just think back at what you were doing when it jammed up.

 

[SawTroll]

It sounds to me more like your 346xp has issues with you than you having issues with it! Go back to your dealer, have him put your saw back togather and start the relationship with your saw over again!

:agree2: Yep!

 

[InTheFlow]

Hmmm, hopefully the saw isn't trying to tell me something...it needs to like me don't ya know. lol

 

[SawTroll]

Ah the follies of youth. Regarding the chain and sprocket tip stopping in the middle of a cut. Wood chips/sawdust have wedged themselves into the bar grove and sprocket area. To fix, place the saw bar on top of a log and drag the chain back and forth until it moves free. Depending on how tight you jammed the saw, it may take a bit of force to get the chain to move again.

Regarding the clutch cover. Swallow you pride and bring it back to the dealer where you purchased the saw. They should be able to fix it. The springs are a bear to work on and the brake mechanism is like a trap. You really want the chainbrake mechanism working properly on this saw.

Regarding the throttle. On most husky saws, when you pull out/up the choke, the throttle gets put into an advanced position (high idle). If you pulled out the choke to start the saw, the saw will always rev when you first start it and you simply bib the throttle once to get it back down to an idle. If you start the saw without using the choke, it will immediately go to idle.

Regarding the needle bearing and sprocket tip. Use the small grease gun should have came with the saw. If you dealer forgot your grease gun, ask him for one. Lubing the sprocket tip is an optional thing.

If the saw dies at idle, either the L screw or the T (idle) screw needs a tweak. Bring it back to the dealer and have them reset the carb.

Be careful and post up with other questions.

:agree2:You got it right, as I see it.

Regarding the brake/clutch cover issue, I once made the same mistake on my 353 - and it took several beers and most of an hour to correct the mistake.
If memory serves many years later, the clue is forcing the metal "wheel" that grips into the brake handle in the right direction, until you hear a definate "click" - then the brake band will loosen up.

 

[InTheFlow]

If memory serves many years later, the clue is forcing the metal "wheel" that grips into the brake handle in the right direction, until you hear a definate "click" - then the brake band will loosen up.

I was nervous about forcing it because I wasn't sure if I'd mess something up by using plyers in there. When I used the screw driver to force the thing off it dug into the metal so I decided to ask here before making things worse.

 

[InTheFlow]

Got back from the dealer...they fixed the spring for me and checked over the saw thoroughly. Couldn't find anything wrong with it so he went over the chainsaw with me 'from the beginning' and I had an opportunity to ask all the questions I'd been wondering about. I think it would have been good if they had done that with me from the beginning but somehow it got over-looked.

I think that the saw was loading up (on gas) when I was coming out of a log because I was allowing the saw to decelerate on its way out instead of keeping it going full throttle until it completely cleared the log.

My saw evidently didn't come with one of those grease guns but my dealer offered me one for free from a customer who didn't want theirs.

Thanks again for the advice y'all.

 

[Hddnis]

Good to hear you got it going and sounds like you have a good dealer there.



Mr. HE

 

[peterc38]

It happens from time to time especially when the chain is not spinning so fast. Just think back at what you were doing when it jammed up.

I think it is also more likely to happen if your chain is too loose.

 

[spudulike]

I've had it happen on my 345 when cutting a trunk wider than the bar, guess the chips and dust arent cleared as well so are pushed in to the bar tip.

You can usually tell that it has happened from the way the saw wont spin over freely - usually cleared by taking the bar off and coating the tip in bar oil and moving the tip sprocket back and forth.

Spud

 

[04ultra]

:agree2:You got it right, as I see it.

Regarding the brake/clutch cover issue, I once made the same mistake on my 353 - and it took several beers and most of an hour to correct the mistake.
If memory serves many years later, the clue is forcing the metal "wheel" that grips into the brake handle in the right direction, until you hear a definate "click" - then the brake band will loosen up.

Its a real PITA when it happens .............I have seen plenty of them...





.

 

[InTheFlow]

I've had it happen on my 345 when cutting a trunk wider than the bar, guess the chips and dust arent cleared as well so are pushed in to the bar tip.
Spud

Sounds about right...I did have the issues when going through big logs. So, is the way to keep it from happening, to keep the firebird revved full out while on the way in/out of the log? Must be a way to do it because Troll cuts with a 16"er.

 

[ClemXP]

I work with interns who pull the cover off of those type of Huskys all the time, without disengaging the chain brake, its a major PITA, and I am always the one to have to fix it. Im sure there is a sweet tool they make that fits perfectly into that triangular piece and makes it easy, but I haven't seen one yet. Just remember that you dont have to pull so hard to get the cover off!

As for greasing the bar sprocket, and I'll probably hear it for saying this, but don't bother. Either grease it every time or never, same results. The worst thing you can do is grease occasionally, its like recharging a dirt magnet.

:yoyo: