Stihl MS250 chainsaw not oiling?

[bjdonovan]

Hi all,

Am new to posting in this forum but I have found this site very useful in the past so I'm hoping someone can help.

I have a Stihl MS250 chainsaw, purchased in March, 2011, that I have used for less than 10 hours. I am having a hard time figuring out if the bar/chain is being lubricated enough. I did the trick of running it full-on with the tip of the chain pointed toward something to see if the oil hits it. I get some really dark colored oil but it doesn't look like much. I decided to clean everything to make sure none of the oil holes were blacked, etc. While I had the chain and bar off I ran the saw and clean golden bar oil oozes from the correct hole. When I put the bar and chain back on and ran it this is what it looked like (see attached picture). I only ran it for 30 seconds and did not cut any wood. This looks like the the really thin gas/oil mixture and not the clean viscous bar oil.

Thoughts? Help!

Thank you in advance for your help!

Kind regards,
Brian
Chapel Hill, NC

 

[Philbert]

Welcome to A.S. and congrats on figuring out how to post a photo in your first post!

If you are sure that the bar oil is coming out of the correct hole, it has to be an issue with the bar, or the way it is mounted. E.g, if it was not the correct STIHL bar the holes may not line up. If the bar does not mount up flush to the hole (dirt, bent plate, burr, etc.) the oil will not flow to the bar groove. If the oil hole is blocked, etc.

Fuel mix will smell very different than bar oil. Your saw's motor is separate from the plastic case, so the only way that the fuel could be getting to that area would be from a defective crank seal.

Since your saw is still new, take it back to your dealer to have them take a look.

Philbert

 

[stihlrookie]

Fuel Odor?

Yeah, check to see if it is fuel by smelling it. If it just smells like oil then it is your bar oil. You say you cleaned it? Did you clean the groove in the bar? Did you use any solvents during cleaning? And finally, did you clean the chain as well? I ask these questions because if you didn't clean the bar groove then it will hold up the oil and also contaminate it, make it not golden. If you used solvents they too could contaminate your bar oil and cause the discoloration. Same with the chain, if it wasn't cleaned spotless it will discolor the bar oil. As long as it is throwing bar oil it is fine but if you suspect otherwise then take it to your dealer, its still under warranty.

 

[ncfarmboy]

This model is known for being stingy with bar oil. The oil pump is barely marginal for a 20" bar. There are 2 oil pumps for the 017-MS250. Std, pump 1123 640 3200 .55 and higher output 1123 640 3201 .65. Brian I found the prefixes. I had a customer with oiler problem like yours MS250 20" bar. I removed the oil pump and enlarged the suction and discharge hole by 4 drill sizes using numbered drill index should have gone larger but it was better. The 3201 pump is pricey if I remember around $32-35.
Shep

 

[bjdonovan]

Hey guys,

I did clean the entire saw, including the bar - made sure the oil holes were clean and clear and scraped a whole bunch of gunk from the chain groove with an old paper clip. After wiping and scraping I sprayed some WD40 to clean the stuff I could not get off - only used it on the bar and plastic cover that holds the bar to the saw. Is there a better cleaner to use?

Maybe it is left over WD40 combined with the heat of the bar that is changing the color of the oil?

Shep, your repair may be beyond my ability but I am curious how you did it. I assume there is a hose of some sort that carries the oil from the tank to the pump and then from the pump to the bar. How did you account for this when you increased the size of the holes?

Has anyone seen a diagram of this saw's parts (like an exploding view)?

Thanks so much!

Brian

 

[stihlrookie]

Chainsaws come with their own cleaning solvent.....50:1 mix. Just put a bit of your mix onto a rag for cleaning, that will cut just about anything that could be stuck on the bar or elsewhere. Again, if you are getting oil to spray off the bar, point it at a sheet of paper and rev it up a couple times, then I wouldn't worry about it. You shouldn't need any cleaners for the bar groove, just an old pocket knife is what I use, scrape it down the groove until you get rid of the gunk in there. I think it is best to clean from the tip of the bar to the back, keeps gunk from embedding in the nose sprocket. New saws, like yours is, have a break-in period for the bar/chain. Small bits of metal will be removed as you work with the saw, completely normal, this would show as dirty looking bar oil, IMHO. I clean my MS362 meticulously and as long as oil is thrown off the bar when I rev it and the chain is nice and wet with oil then I don't see a problem. Take it to your dealer?

 

[bjdonovan]

Rook - thanks for the info. You nailed my issue - the chain appears to be bone dry. I used the saw Saturday for about an hour or so - was a new Stihl chain - and the next day it was starting to show signs of rust. Should the chain appear to be greased?

It almost seems like the saw is oozing enough oil but it's not making it to the chain/bar. I am going to flip the bar over to see if it does anything different in case there is a problem with the holes aligning.

Regarding the break-in period - how long would say would be appropriate?

Brian

 

[Philbert]

Has anyone seen a diagram of this saw's parts (like an exploding view)?

Exploded view - a.k.a. Illustrated Parts List (IPL) is available on some other threads. There is a plastic gear with a long wire sticking out, that sits behind the clutch. The spur sprocket turns the wire, the wire turns the plastic gear, the plastic gear turns a small gear on a post that looks like the thing you use to wind a watch. That is the top of the oil pump. Acess is from the bottom of the saw (have to remove the handle first).

If you are getting oil from the hole, the pump is probably not an issue, and I would not mess with it - JMHO.

Philbert

 

[s219]

Rook - thanks for the info. You nailed my issue - the chain appears to be bone dry. I used the saw Saturday for about an hour or so - was a new Stihl chain - and the next day it was starting to show signs of rust. Should the chain appear to be greased?

I would be surprised if the chain was rusting that quickly unless it was exposed to the perfect combination of moisture and air. More likely the chain is brown from overheating (causes wood to bake onto the chain, especially the cutters, and give it a brownish tinge). That could be caused by poor lubrication, but can also be caused by being dull. No amount of lubrication can compensate for a dull chain. Hopefully you have sharpened the chain recently, and the saw is throwing good chips and cutting easily.

 

[bjdonovan]

S219 - the chain is brand new and was throwing off big juicy wood chips and was ripping right through what I was cutting (3 small trees all about 6-8 inches in diameter). Just looked at the chain and there appears to be black caked-on stuff (bar oil + wood dust??) toward the back of the cutting blade itself.

 

[ncfarmboy]

The file too large gremlin won't let me download the IPL for your saw. Maybe someone else has a smaller file.
Shep

 

[stihlrookie]

10 hours of use on the saw should be sufficient to get past the break-in. I call it break-in, but really it is just small burrs of metal from the bar and chain both being ground down/knocked off. The bar and chain just take a bit to mesh with each other, completely normal to see a spark from the chain within the first hour or two on a new bar or chain. A bar and chain will wear as you use the saw and most likely will be causing the bar oil to take on a grayish color, I thinks anyway. Yes the chain should be wet with oil. Are you certain the chain is sharp still? Even a touch in the dirt will dull it, as will dirty wood/bark. Clean the bar again, pay particular attention to the oil hole area, get a good light in there to ensure no gunk is left. I usually wipe the chain as best I can too. If your chain is not wet with oil and you have done all this its time for the dealer to look at it. You don't need to continue beating your brains in trying to fix this, the saw is under warranty still, 1 year from date of purchase, 2 if you bought the six-pack of ultra oil when you got your saw.

 

[Stihl-Pioneer]

Here is the IPL

 

[Slackerjpt]

Hi all,

Am new to posting in this forum but I have found this site very useful in the past so I'm hoping someone can help.

I have a Stihl MS250 chainsaw, purchased in March, 2011, that I have used for less than 10 hours. I am having a hard time figuring out if the bar/chain is being lubricated enough. I did the trick of running it full-on with the tip of the chain pointed toward something to see if the oil hits it. I get some really dark colored oil but it doesn't look like much. I decided to clean everything to make sure none of the oil holes were blacked, etc. While I had the chain and bar off I ran the saw and clean golden bar oil oozes from the correct hole. When I put the bar and chain back on and ran it this is what it looked like (see attached picture). I only ran it for 30 seconds and did not cut any wood. This looks like the the really thin gas/oil mixture and not the clean viscous bar oil.

Thoughts? Help!

Thank you in advance for your help!

Kind regards,
Brian
Chapel Hill, NC

Brian, I am having the same problem with my new MS 440. Do you have an ES bar? The oil port on the ES bar is angled and quite small. Some have suggested that it is a new EPA guidline to reduce oil in the environment. I don't know if that's true or not. What I did was to open the hole with a drill bit to allow more oil in, and to ensure that the oil can find the hole I haven't run her since, but with quick revs it appears to be slinging more oil as well as the chain for the first time, appears to have oil on it as well. Good luck. P.S. if you look up my threads you will find a post by me with great answers from the guys on this forum.

 

[Tankpants]

I have an oiling problem on my ms250 too. I've already cooked a 2 bars! I've had the oil pump replaced and fitted another new bar and chain. When I run it up without the bar and cover on plenty of oil flows from the groove but the bar and chain stay dry when re fitted. The bar is brand new so is not clogged and the oil hole is clear. Local fitter couldn't solve this problem either.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks.

 

[Philbert]

I have an oiling problem on my ms250 too. I've already cooked a 2 bars! I've had the oil pump replaced and fitted another new bar and chain. When I run it up without the bar and cover on plenty of oil flows from the groove but the bar and chain stay dry when re fitted. The bar is brand new so is not clogged and the oil hole is clear. Local fitter couldn't solve this problem either.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks.

Follow the path of the oil. If it is coming out of the hole and not getting to the bar, either the hole is not lined up or the bar is not seating against the groove.

With a new oil pump and new bar you have eliminated some of the other possibilities. If it is not a STIHL OEM bar, you may need to 'adjust' the size or location of the hole.

Philbert

 

[Fish]

Can you put up a pic of the bar or give us all of the numbers off of it?

 

[pioneerguy600]

You can`t properly clean a bar groove out with a paperclip, a broken off hack saw blade works great, use the sharp corner from where the blade is broken off to really scrape deep down an to either side of the groove. The oil supply holes on the Stihl bars are undersized and clog easily, drilling them out to 1/8" on the same angle the new bar has will really improve oiling to the chain. 025`s can hardly flow enough oil for 20" bars at the best of times, shorter bars are better on them but I have a couple owners out there running 20" bars with the holes enlarged that get by but they really need to keep the bar grooves clean and the oil supply holes free from sawdust and hardened oil residue.

Also wanted to add, the bar oil needs to be thin for these saws to flow properly, winter grade oil is a must when the temps are below 45F . I recommend using winter grade in these saws all year round to my customers, even if it means they use a little more oil it will make their bars and chains last longer. If you cannot find winter grade bar oil you can mix regular bar oil with 10W30 weight engine oil 50/50 to reduce the viscosity and tackiness of the bar oil.