Howto: bar from large husky 3/8" .063 to mcculloch/ homelite .404 modification

well i consider this howto more aimed towards the intermediate CAD victim, like myself.

so just recently i become more of an old iron fan one of my saws did't come with a bar (mcculloch 660) after talking to aaron a bit i felt that i could tackle it ..
the frist thing i did was get a hold of a .404 nose
so you can see the bar slot is 8.5MM and the studs are 9.2MM so i just needed to remove .7MM to fit, i added .3MM for a little wiggle room on mine..


i just used a file to widen the slot, just took acuple strokes off the top and bottom each time and checked it till it was right. i lucked out with the oiler hole, it's good for about 3/4 of the travel in the slot.. for a little insurance i drilled a hole from the adjuster hole to the bottom of the rail..


after the bar was done being modified, i took the saw and the bar down to my favorite saw shop.. without saying anything the guy went and trued the rails for free, winch i thought was cool of him.. he mounted the bar on the saw and got the loop right the first time 123DL of stihl .404:smile2: have not got to run it yet, too much to do before the GTG this weekend

Cool thread! Great job on the mod. I just bought a 28" .050 Carlton bar
(new from baileys, on sale), and am going to do the same thing.'it is for husky, but according to my comparisons of the Mac bar, will require minimal fitting for the PM700.

it was very easy to do, i took my time all the way and it was only about 45mins.

if your wondering why i have the cover off the front of my saw it was so i could fix the oil pump..

I am trying to understand why you drilled from the bar groove to the mounting hole? Trying to keep the stud threads lubed on it?

fearofpavement said:

I am trying to understand why you drilled from the bar groove to the mounting hole? Trying to keep the stud threads lubed on it?

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the top mounting hole dose not get used, there's alot of bars out there that use the top mounting hole as a passage for oil. so i followed the same principle. i drilled out both of them so when it comes time to flip the bar i don't have to think about it. i know i said the stock ones work, but i got $75 worth of chain i'd like to keep as long as passable

fearofpavement said:

I am trying to understand why you drilled from the bar groove to the mounting hole? Trying to keep the stud threads lubed on it?

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That's because the later large frame Mac bars oil like an enlarged 10-series bar. They oil into the unused adjuster peg hole (above the bar studs, as the adjuster is below the studs)......and there's a passage from this hole that feeds the rail. If a person has the later large frame Mac bar plates (which look like enlarged 10-series bar plates) then that passage in the bar is needed.

Earlier large frame Mac bars have four round holes in the bar (instead of two oblong ones). Two of those four holes are for the adjuster peg (one used for each 'flip' of the bar), and two are for oiling (again, one for each 'side'). The older style bar plates have a slot to feed those oiling holes. Here's a long, wordy couple of posts I made in the Mac thread a while ago explaining the large frame Mac oiling issues.

http://www.arboristsite.com/stickies/71126-1511.htm#post3689465

http://www.arboristsite.com/stickies/71126-1511.htm#post3689491

Good to know. Been wondering how that would work.

Dave your pics aren't working anymore. I'm thinking that you've moved the pics into an album in your PB account. This kills the links in old posts. When you have time (right now Dave's time is split between work and a 'new addition' to the family folks), could you please quote and repost your first post in this thread with current links for the pics? I've been asked about converting bars..........and I'd like to just refer folks to your thread.

Eccentric said:

Dave your pics aren't working anymore. I'm thinking that you've moved the pics into an album in your PB account. This kills the links in old posts. When you have time (right now Dave's time is split between work and a 'new addition' to the family folks), could you please quote and repost your first post in this thread with current links for the pics? I've been asked about converting bars..........and I'd like to just refer folks to your thread.

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You are complaining about someone not having pics up? oke:

thomas1 said:

You are complaining about someone not having pics up? oke:

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No Tom. I'm telling my friend that his pics that he already put up are no longer working.

You are once again looking like an idiot.....

Yes I'd really like to see the pics as well. I need a bar for my mac 250 and have trouble finding mac bars/chains to fit. Maybe homelite will be easier.

Thomas1's avatar is pretty funny. Hahahahah.