GitWood
ArboristSite Member
I've wanted, but not really needed a 346xp for quite a while now, so I finally pulled the trigger and bought one. I didn't even bother installing the factory bar and chain, but instead swaped out the .325" drive sprocket with a 3/8" sprocket so that I could use 3/8" chain, which I use on my other saws and make up from a 100' roll. Although some may disagree with this decision, This is not the dumb part, or the question which I almost hate to bring up.
Anyway, I put everything back together and fired saw up for the first time. I let it run at fast idle for a little bit and then let it idle for a couple of minutes to warm up. Everything seemed to be working great. I reved it up a couple of times to see how it was running and then decided to cut of a piece of a 1 X 6 that I laying around, just to tighten up the clutch. Apparently I was too late in doing this. Once I cut through the board, the chain would not stop. I took the bar cover off and sure enough, the clutch was stuck, but I still didn't know why. After removing the clutch again, I found that the plastic oil pump drive sprocket was stuck to the sprocket rim drive splines. It appears that when I reved the throttle without the clutch being tight and then let off, the clutch loosened enough to come out of the splines on the oil pump drive. Then when I cut the board, it tightened back up and drove itself against the oil pump drive while mis-alligned with the splines. Other than this being a stupid mistake, I am wondering if this would have damaged anything that I didn't notice. I was specifically wondering if this would have put pressure/friction against the crank seal and damaged it in some way. The oil pump seems to be working fine now, so I don't think I hurt it. So how much damage am I likely to have done?
Thanks.
Anyway, I put everything back together and fired saw up for the first time. I let it run at fast idle for a little bit and then let it idle for a couple of minutes to warm up. Everything seemed to be working great. I reved it up a couple of times to see how it was running and then decided to cut of a piece of a 1 X 6 that I laying around, just to tighten up the clutch. Apparently I was too late in doing this. Once I cut through the board, the chain would not stop. I took the bar cover off and sure enough, the clutch was stuck, but I still didn't know why. After removing the clutch again, I found that the plastic oil pump drive sprocket was stuck to the sprocket rim drive splines. It appears that when I reved the throttle without the clutch being tight and then let off, the clutch loosened enough to come out of the splines on the oil pump drive. Then when I cut the board, it tightened back up and drove itself against the oil pump drive while mis-alligned with the splines. Other than this being a stupid mistake, I am wondering if this would have damaged anything that I didn't notice. I was specifically wondering if this would have put pressure/friction against the crank seal and damaged it in some way. The oil pump seems to be working fine now, so I don't think I hurt it. So how much damage am I likely to have done?
Thanks.