Running Makita Electric Saw Dry: Damage to Oil Pump?

[Paul Bunions]

The oil cap on my Makita XCU04 36V saw fell out, and I didn't know it until the oil was gone. It ran dry for a while. I just replaced the cap and the oil, and no oil is coming out when I run the saw.

Is it likely the oil pump is damaged? They're cheap, so I could put a new one in.

 

[Paul Bunions]

I cleaned it up and ran it without the bar. I set the pump at the highest setting. It's pumping oil, but not like a gas saw. Maybe that's normal.

 

[ballisticdoughnut]

Make sure the oil hole in bar is clear, also clean the groove out.

 

[pioneerguy600]

The chain oil pumps I have worked on, not specifically Makita though were displacement types. When all the oil from the tank is drained in through the pump not all the oil can be put out through the line to the chain, what is in the pump when the tank runs out stays in the pump so I doubt any damage happened to your pump if you did not run it that way for days on end.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Electric saws don't use nearly as much oil as gas saws. If you're pumping oil but not as much as a gasser, that sounds about right.

I've run my Kobalt 80v out of oil a couple times, easy to do when you're not refueling and it doesn't need the oil refilled with every battery. Refilled and carried on, no harm done. Now I make sure and at least glance at the oil level when swapping batteries.

 

[Paul Bunions]

I made a few cuts. Maybe 20, I would guess. If it's okay, I'm down to, let's see...FOUR tools I can't use right now. Progress!

 

[Paul Bunions]

Looks like it was not okay. The bar got hot.

I found something interesting in the saw.

When I took it apart earlier in order to clear out the oil channel, I missed something. It turns out fine dust somehow combined with bar oil and hardened like wood filler. It formed kind of a gasket that fit against the slot on the bar the oil should have been coming out of. The slot was fine until the bar was clamped to the saw, and then very little oil could get out.

Nearly every tree I cut is at least partly rotten, and the rotten bits turn into dust instead of flakes. The saw wasn't dull, but the sprocket cover had a ton of dust in it.

I had no idea wood dust could harden like that. Never seen it before. I had to scrape it off. I wonder if it's one particular kind of tree. I haven't seen this with oak before, but I have been cutting magnolias, too.

I tested it by running it while pointing the bar at the workshop trash, and oil started spraying off the end of the bar and onto the can liner. Doesn't seem to oil as much as a gas saw, but at least it's not dry.

 

[Philbert]

I love my Makita corded electrics. Have some other brands of battery saws.

Oiling issues are similar: keep the path clean from the bar oil tank to the hole in the bar. Some saws have a bar oil filter, similar to a fuel filter, than can be replaced.

Special issue with battery saws: no internal combustion to warm / thin bar oil in colder weather. Even ‘winter grade’ bar oil can be too thick at cooler temps.

I try to keep the saws warm, indoors or in a vehicle (near heater outlet *NOT with gas powered saws!*), and thin with 25% kerosene.

Philbert

 

[Paul Bunions]

WHAT? WHAT? "FILTER"? Please tell me I didn't buy an electric saw so I could change filters.

Let's see. I'm looking at a parts breakdown. I don't see a filter in there. Dodged that bullet.

I'm used to cleaning stuff off saw bodies and sprocket covers, but finding out a gasket had created itself and stuck itself to the BAR was not something I expected. I cleaned everything out, wiped the bar off, stuck it back on, and didn't know the oil was still blocked.

 

[huskydave]

Before using a chainsaw aim the tip towards the wood and make sure it is throwing oil before your first cut, check this every so often. This will prevent damage to the chain/bar and clutch. The bar groove has to be cleaned periodically, I use an old hacksaw blade for this and as mentioned above check the feed hole and make sure it is clear.

 

[Paul Bunions]

Think my bar is done? It definitely has some blue.

 

[Paul Bunions]

Let's see. The web claims it's normal for a bar to have some blue along the outside.

I did use this to chop up an oak, but it was not a hard job.

 

[huskydave]

I have overheated bars when I was younger and as long as you catch it before it starts to smoke really bad they are usually ok. The rails are heat treated, some bars will get a little blue just from normal operation. You should be able to sharpen the chain and keep cutting once you get it oiling correctly again. When the bar isn't getting enough oil the saw will act up like its struggling, if you continue to run it like this for a long time then it can damage the bar and stretch and dull the chain. If you have more questions just ask.

 

[Paul Bunions]

I sharpened all my dull saws today. All except two that are in the shop. I decided to try my Pferd sharpeners. I'm used to a file, but these looked pretty cool.

Thanks for the help. I plan to keep running the saw and watching the chain.