Should a saw run without a tension screw?

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JAKEarbor

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The bit of the tension screw that engages the bar on an old stihl I'm fixing is badly worn and I haven't got the new part yet. And when I ran it the chain became loose very quickly.

I wondered though should I expect the new screw to fix the issue, or once it's tensioned and the bar nuts are tightened down should it not hold tension regardless of the screw's condition?
 
The bar nuts are what hold the bar. Were they tight?

On our stroke delimber it doesn't even have a tension screw, just bar nuts. You pull on the bar to tension it. It doesn't loosen up and that's probably 30+ hp to the bar.
 
The bar nuts are what hold the bar. Were they tight?

On our stroke delimber it doesn't even have a tension screw, just bar nuts. You pull on the bar to tension it. It doesn't loosen up and that's probably 30+ hp to the bar.

Cheers that's what I needed to know. The nuts seemed tight but I'll try tighter - bar oil was pumping ok and chain wasn't over tensioned when I started it, so I don't know what else it'd be.
 
Cheers that's what I needed to know. The nuts seemed tight but I'll try tighter - bar oil was pumping ok and chain wasn't over tensioned when I started it, so I don't know what else it'd be.

It might not be the bar moving, but the chain and drive sprocket that is causing the chain to come loose, be kind to the bar nuts and those studs, have just replaced a set that were over tightened from previous owner who thought it was the bar becoming loose, but it was the chain / sprocket not matched that caused it.
 
Cheers that's what I needed to know. The nuts seemed tight but I'll try tighter - bar oil was pumping ok and chain wasn't over tensioned when I started it, so I don't know what else it'd be.
You know if your nuts aren't tighy you're not doing it right. [emoji16]

Sent from my H8216 using Tapatalk
 
No adjuster of any kind.
91bb7ab254dd04c5157d847c30f4d934.jpg
 
Had a 1990s Poulan with broken tensioner. I'd stick a phillips screwdriver in the hole near the nose sprocket and hold metal rod. Let saw drop and tighten bar nuts. Pretty good tension.
 
The bit of the tension screw that engages the bar on an old stihl I'm fixing is badly worn and I haven't got the new part yet. And when I ran it the chain became loose very quickly.

I wondered though should I expect the new screw to fix the issue, or once it's tensioned and the bar nuts are tightened down should it not hold tension regardless of the screw's condition?

By "bit" do you mean the slot for the screwdriver on the screw head, or the tang that en-gauges the bar? If screw head, the take a thin kerf hacksaw blade and cut a new slot on the head.

BTW, was model saw?
 
Without the chain tensioner the bar will slide rearward loosening the chain. You can get the new chain tensioner on eBay.
 
I have had to run my 262 with no adjuster a few times in the early '90s
My experience is the same. That I needed the peg to hold it from slipping back all the time. I am not one to put them very tight. Much to my surprise, it slipped quickly. Held longer when I tightened the bar nuts more but what a pain. I lot of lost time. I had a lot of hook and low rakers back then too so that didn't help.
 
Tensioners are only $10, not $100. Why in the world would you run a saw without it? It saves you from constantly retightening the bar nuts. If it breaks and you're in the woods thats one thing, but to constantly run one without it is foolish to me.
 
Tensioners are only $10, not $100. Why in the world would you run a saw without it? It saves you from constantly retightening the bar nuts. If it breaks and you're in the woods thats one thing, but to constantly run one without it is foolish to me.

When you don’t have the ‘daisy wheel’ part of the quick adjust, you make do.
9d4a0c79daa46322a56ab38acb09691f.jpg


This is for testing and tuning purposes only.

Now this:
f652c6b67ac9d00ee715537216ae7307.jpg

Was just for a trial fit.
 

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