New to pro (stihl) saws NOT A GOOD START!

[drcolfelt]

ok thanks for all of the replies!

john bud- i am going to check the bar number tomorrow, i did clean the oil ports on the bar

locust cutter- i cleaned the pickup with brake clean/ carb cleaner when the saw was apart, the clutch does seem to spin freely, but i will check for any pints of contact tomorrow

fearofpavemnt - that is great info! what is that bearing supposed to be lubricated by? i put some assembly lube on it when i put it in. I will check carefully for band contact tomorrow. I was assuming the damage was from the lack of clutch bearing..but that's not to say i am not a horses ass and left the break on (im rather sure i did not, but never say never)

treemonkey- the saw was not damaged when i bought it, i believe i damaged it running it with no bearing in the clutch drum. i am going to check the case..

so my new questions to all are- what should i put on the clutch bearing for lube? a high temp grease? nothing? oil?
and this is a total newbie question but can i run the saw with no bar and chain to inspect it during operation?

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR REPLYING

 

[Locust Cutter]

ok thanks for all of the replies!

john bud- i am going to check the bar number tomorrow, i did clean the oil ports on the bar

locust cutter- i cleaned the pickup with brake clean/ carb cleaner when the saw was apart, the clutch does seem to spin freely, but i will check for any pints of contact tomorrow

fearofpavemnt - that is great info! what is that bearing supposed to be lubricated by? i put some assembly lube on it when i put it in. I will check carefully for band contact tomorrow. I was assuming the damage was from the lack of clutch bearing..but that's not to say i am not a horses ass and left the break on (im rather sure i did not, but never say never)

treemonkey- the saw was not damaged when i bought it, i believe i damaged it running it with no bearing in the clutch drum. i am going to check the case..

so my new questions to all are- what should i put on the clutch bearing for lube? a high temp grease? nothing? oil?
and this is a total newbie question but can i run the saw with no bar and chain to inspect it during operation?

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR REPLYING

High-temp Lith grease. I know that you can buy it at a Stihl dealer, comes in an orange and white tube, about the size of smaller pharmaceutical squeeze tubes. I'm sure other brands will work just fine, but the cost was negligible and the dealers usually always have a few on hand. I re-lube generally after every outing, after I remove the clutch drums to clean the gunk out of them... I've only lost one bearing ever and that was because I didn't get the e-clip securely fastened before running it again... Oh well.

 

[Locust Cutter]

ok thanks for all of the replies!

john bud- i am going to check the bar number tomorrow, i did clean the oil ports on the bar

locust cutter- i cleaned the pickup with brake clean/ carb cleaner when the saw was apart, the clutch does seem to spin freely, but i will check for any pints of contact tomorrow

fearofpavemnt - that is great info! what is that bearing supposed to be lubricated by? i put some assembly lube on it when i put it in. I will check carefully for band contact tomorrow. I was assuming the damage was from the lack of clutch bearing..but that's not to say i am not a horses ass and left the break on (im rather sure i did not, but never say never)

treemonkey- the saw was not damaged when i bought it, i believe i damaged it running it with no bearing in the clutch drum. i am going to check the case..

so my new questions to all are- what should i put on the clutch bearing for lube? a high temp grease? nothing? oil?
and this is a total newbie question but can i run the saw with no bar and chain to inspect it during operation?

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR REPLYING

If I'm still here next Saturday I might be able to come help you troubleshoot it. I'm TDY currently to Langley AFB in Hampton VA just South of you.

 

[KodiakKen]

if the bar turned blue...that would tell me no lube on the bar and chain especially if not in wood. chain on backwards..(sorry..not meaning to put anyone down..I have done it in a hurry myself) start the saw without bar and chain without the cover...DO NOT REV IT HARD..at idle or just above it should be pushing oil out..if not..you figured it out..bad pickup or plugged up oiler. if it pumps oil. you have bar and chain issues. clean the groove and oil holes in the bar. make sure the chain and bar are right for the saw and rev it up over a piece of cardboard.. if you don't get oil on the cardboard don't hit the wood..still have an issue. My first Stihl saw was a 025 and that is one workhorse with a 16" bar. never had an issue with mine and sold it for $50 less than I bought it new 13 years later..to a co-worker. He is an occasional cutter and still uses it 7 years later. Great saw. Hope you get it worked out. YES SIR STIHL anything is a pro saw if you shop at k-mart or home depot or big box stores. Good luck and let us know what you figure out

 

[modder]

I didn't see anyone else mention it, and if they did, sorry for repeating what someone has already said. It sounds like a bad clutch. I've seen a couple homeowner saws that burned up clutches from over tightening the chain or getting them stuck in wood and still giving lots of throttle to try to get it out. Also I've seen a couple that were only engaging on one side of the clutch. Take a look to see if there is uneven wear between the clutch and drum, or if there is more than 1.5mm gap between the two. If the chain is sharp and stops very easily in the cut, your chain is lubed well, not too tight and the brake is not on, I'd say, go get a new clutch. Especially since the bearing was missing, it would cause the clutch to wear very quickly and get VERY hot. It can only wear so far before the springs will prevent it from applying enough pressure against the drum.
I hope you get it figured out.

 

[BULLSPRIG]

Stihl bars have a blue band all the way around from the heat treat when they are made.

 

[MindFork]

Also make sure that the little "grub" screw is in the oil tank vent next to the muffler, at its bottom left. If that grub screw plug came out, oil will come out of the vent and not on the bar. Make sure to get the right grub screw to replace it, don't just shove something in there to plug it.

 

[gilfish]

I am with modder Clutch shoes worn beyond limit, my 046 has the clutch measure a dia. of 72 mm and drum 76mm so 4mm dia. 2mm either side, and stihl tech says it should be ok, and it is. my 08 had 8mm clearance 4mm either side and it slipped heaps got very hot, got new shoes and it cuts like a champ, only very warm due to dead and dry ironbark hardwood . As a side note check the groove of the bar is not worn to its limits and shagging your drive links, I have found all second hand saws require some work.

 

[motoman.5150]

had same problem lately not with 025 but anyway pull bar off and sight down it, top and bottom, small crook or bend will do exactly what your describing

 

[BigDaddyR]

Hey DR. I'm in Westminster myself. I'll be in my gorage today working on some things. I don't have the experience level most of these guys do but sometimes two heads is better than one. I'll PM you my # since we are close and if you want to hook up I can stop by or visa versa. Nice to have a hometown boy on the site. Give me a buzz.

 

[dl5205]

since the saw was ran without a clutch bearing, the clutch drum has rubbed a hole in the case, this is your oil leak and lack of oil going to the bar/chain. you will need a new case.

Sounds to me like the voice of experience.

 

[rocketnorton]

I knew that was coming, I am aware that it a a homeowner saw, it is more pro to me then most saws ( poulan, remington, homelite ect..)
I apologize for the misrepresentation!

hopefully, you get to meet a couple guys that offered to help. saws named above all have "pro" models that yer not gonna find in a box store... support yer local saw shop...

 

[drcolfelt]

OK so today I had family stuff all day, and got no chainsaw time.

I am off tomorrow and my plan (among other household activities (chickens, pour a concrete pad for propane tanks) is to check the saw for the following -

Oil leaks from the case with saw running
Sight and check the bar for bend, crook (thanks motoman!)
Lube the clutch bearing with high temp lithium grease
Check the clutch for any contact spots
Check the oil "grub" screw

Thanks again to everyone!

Also I sent you a pm big daddy, sorry i couldn't contact you toady!

 

[Locust Cutter]

OK so today I had family stuff all day, and got no chainsaw time.

I am off tomorrow and my plan (among other household activities (chickens, pour a concrete pad for propane tanks) is to check the saw for the following -

Oil leaks from the case with saw running
Sight and check the bar for bend, crook (thanks motoman!)
Lube the clutch bearing with high temp lithium grease
Check the clutch for any contact spots
Check the oil "grub" screw

Thanks again to everyone!

Also I sent you a pm big daddy, sorry i couldn't contact you toady!

If you have a long square or level, you can use that as a straight edge to check you bar for straightness. If not they can be worked back into a semblance of straightness, but they are very much like springs, so once they're sprung, it's a PITA to get them back into functional order. It can be done, but it's much easier and often times worth your money to simply buy a new bar especially on the lower-medium end bars which will still be equal to or better in quality than the stock bar on that saw. At some point you have to decide what your time and sanity are worth to you. Another good indicator in addition to heat and binding is an abnormally frequent tendency to throw chains. If you experience many of these, check your bar. Replace as necessary.

 

[gilfish]

Not all worn bars will show scalloped out, bent and burred rails, my last 12"(009L) stellite tip sthil bar was 20 years old and showed no outwardly visible signs of wear yet the groove measured 4.5-5mm deep and the limit for a 3/8 picco is 5mm I only noticed as cutting attachment was getting hotter than normal. If the po has taken care of his cutting attachments it will look good, get a 6" steel rule and put it in the groove and run it all the way along watching the measurement, then compare it with the stated limit for that size chain I know 404 is 7mm limit and 3/8 rapid 6mm.

 

[drcolfelt]

Success!

I hate to say it but i think it may have been a combo of me being paranoid and not the propitiate lube on the clutch bearing. I put a high temp lithium grease on the bearing and ran the saw and it got warm , but not so hot that the bar got hot ar affected the performance of the saw. Thanks so much for everyone's help! I do still get a small (about the size of a quarter) drop of oil from the bottom of the saw after it runs. Im not sure if this is abnormal or just a accumulation of the oil that was in/around the bar.


THANKS TO ALL!!!

 

[Jimmy in NC]

Have you checked to see if it is oiling? I just skimmed this whole thread and didn't see any mention of it. I pull the bar and clutch cover, and run them for a second to see if it is pumping oil. Then clean the bar groove and oil hole. A hacksaw blade or sawzall blade works well for this. Cures a BUNCH of saw issues that come to me. Then put it all together, setup a piece of wood or cardboard, and wind the saw up with the tip over this cardboard or wood. Look for a line of oil to appear that is being flung off the tip.

025's are nice little saws. Great with a 16" Bar and .325 chain.

 

[modder]

It is normal to see a bit of chain oil under the saw after it has been running. Many saws will weep a bit. Glad you got it figured out. Happy cutting.