rta01
ArboristSite Lurker
Hope someone can help me figure out where the bar oil is coming from.
Backstory: Bought a used HD Makita 6400 several years ago. Got it home, couldn't get it to start, replaced a bunch of parts and cleaned it up real good. Finally figured out I was flooding it on startup. Have to be extra careful on cold start not to flood. Half the time or more have to pull the plug and clear excess fuel before I can get it to start. Other than that, runs fine.
About 6 months ago, went to use it, filled with gas and with the first pull found gas leaking out the bottom. Ordered both seals and gasket for the cylinder. Started trying to track down where the leak was coming from. was dripping out the bottom, but could not see any leak around the cylinder housing. Took the starter side apart first and found that seal was leaking. Replaced that seal, reassembled and took the clutch side apart down to the oil pump. Cleaned up all the oil and debris and set it upright for a couple of days. No gas leaking, but oil was leaking. Gas problem appears to be solved.
Couldn't tell where the oil was leaking from, so took off the oil pump and cleaned and reassembled and sealed hose connection with Permatex Ultra Black. Let it sit for a couple of days and bar oil was still leaking out. Not bad, but enough to be irritating. Decided to get the oil pump rebuild kit to see if that would solve it. I cleaned up all the leaked oil so that I could hopefully better see where the leak was coming from and then set it with the clutch side up so that it would not leak until I could get it sealed back up.
That was about 3 months ago and the saw has been sitting with the clutch/oil pump side up the entire time. It has continued to leak bar oil. It look like it is coming out of the oil line at the oiling slot where it would go into the bar and running down around the oil pump. It has leaked enough oil that it has filled up all the little cavities in the case to the bottom of the oil pump. Still haven't installed the oil pump rebuild kit.
So, my question is, how is oil running uphill from the oil tank? Even if it's leaking from the pump, wouldn't oil still have to run uphill? And, before anyone asks, no, I did not loosen the oil cap to let off pressure, but I figured that over 6 months of not running, any pressure would have dissipated. My only thought is that the bar oil is thick and sticky enough that it is being drawn up by capillary action. Seems like a reach, though.
Any ideas?
Backstory: Bought a used HD Makita 6400 several years ago. Got it home, couldn't get it to start, replaced a bunch of parts and cleaned it up real good. Finally figured out I was flooding it on startup. Have to be extra careful on cold start not to flood. Half the time or more have to pull the plug and clear excess fuel before I can get it to start. Other than that, runs fine.
About 6 months ago, went to use it, filled with gas and with the first pull found gas leaking out the bottom. Ordered both seals and gasket for the cylinder. Started trying to track down where the leak was coming from. was dripping out the bottom, but could not see any leak around the cylinder housing. Took the starter side apart first and found that seal was leaking. Replaced that seal, reassembled and took the clutch side apart down to the oil pump. Cleaned up all the oil and debris and set it upright for a couple of days. No gas leaking, but oil was leaking. Gas problem appears to be solved.
Couldn't tell where the oil was leaking from, so took off the oil pump and cleaned and reassembled and sealed hose connection with Permatex Ultra Black. Let it sit for a couple of days and bar oil was still leaking out. Not bad, but enough to be irritating. Decided to get the oil pump rebuild kit to see if that would solve it. I cleaned up all the leaked oil so that I could hopefully better see where the leak was coming from and then set it with the clutch side up so that it would not leak until I could get it sealed back up.
That was about 3 months ago and the saw has been sitting with the clutch/oil pump side up the entire time. It has continued to leak bar oil. It look like it is coming out of the oil line at the oiling slot where it would go into the bar and running down around the oil pump. It has leaked enough oil that it has filled up all the little cavities in the case to the bottom of the oil pump. Still haven't installed the oil pump rebuild kit.
So, my question is, how is oil running uphill from the oil tank? Even if it's leaking from the pump, wouldn't oil still have to run uphill? And, before anyone asks, no, I did not loosen the oil cap to let off pressure, but I figured that over 6 months of not running, any pressure would have dissipated. My only thought is that the bar oil is thick and sticky enough that it is being drawn up by capillary action. Seems like a reach, though.
Any ideas?
