Stihl MS 211 Slow Oil Leak FIX?

[mikefunaro]

I have a fairly early MS 211 which has a slow oil leak from around where the oil feed tube exits the chain oil tank. The tube is flexible and has a flange. The oil can be seen leaking from the tube in the pictures below:




I believe that this was a fairly common problem in these saws. Is there a fix that anyone's aware of? Is it just a matter of cleaning, degreasing, and sealing the mating surface between the tank and the hose? Or were there changes to the hose etc???

Any input from anyone familiar w the situation would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ratman36]

Mine does the same thing.I guess nobody else owns one of them. I have heard replacing hose rubber bushing(plug) will help,idk. I will tackle mine this week.Might try some kind of oil resistant sealer on plug.

 

[blue924.9]

i own one and conveniently work at a John deere and stihl dealer, there is supposedly an updated design fitting and hose, idk mine was leaking and still under warranty so i took it in, about 2 weeks later it came back with the updated line and fitting and hasnt leaked since, (knock on wood) and i have used it a few times as well, its also a good idea to tip the saw so the caps are facing up and take the cap off for a few seconds, this helps release pressure that can be built up from the temperature difference in the reservoir.

you are correct this is a common problem on the 211. besides the oil leak which is no longer a problem i love mine, it replaced a ms 170. and is the saw weight and chassis as a 170 but the most powerful in that chassis size.

 

[1Alpha1]

Chainsaws leak bar / chain oil.

It's what they do as well as anything.

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

I've noticed with all those plastic Stihl saws up to about the ms250 where the oil and the fuel tank can let the oil and fuel seep.
One fuel leak cause I've noticed is from draining the tank and letting them dry out after old or ethanol fuel has been in contact for a period of time. The fuel line will harden and it shrinks enough to lose the seal.
Another problem causing both the oil and fuel leaking is from lack of quality control at the factory. You'll notice a tiny burr inside the hole where the grommet seals and it needs smoothed out very carefully.

 

[Andyshine77]

Common issue with that saw eventually it will start dripping out. Replace the line, and or seal it up with some rtv type sealant.

 

[AKDoug]

It's pretty common. I just replace the hose and that fixes it. I haven't had any come back with the problem again, but I imagine it's only a matter of time.

 

[Dan Forsh]

I rebuilt this fairly lightly used one a couple years ago and it had the same problem.

I replace it with a new hose and wiped a bit of sealant into the area of the grommet on the tank (Dirko I think) and then left it to cure for a few days before refilling. That seemed to solve it. I sold this saw to a guy I know and I've never heard of it being a problem to him, so assume it's still okay.

At the time I was asking the same question as you on the forums and some people suggested that boiling the existing hose could swell it a little to stop the leak.

 

[HarleyT]

I have a fairly early MS 211 which has a slow oil leak from around where the oil feed tube exits the chain oil tank. The tube is flexible and has a flange. The oil can be seen leaking from the tube in the pictures below:




I believe that this was a fairly common problem in these saws. Is there a fix that anyone's aware of? Is it just a matter of cleaning, degreasing, and sealing the mating surface between the tank and the hose? Or were there changes to the hose etc???

Any input from anyone familiar w the situation would be greatly appreciated.

It has the same part number, so I don't think that there have been any changes in the hose.