Another Rehab, Husqvarna 142

[AustinPSD]

I picked up another saw today, a freebie that was off rusting in the corner of a landowner/client's barn - this one is an unknown vintage Husqvarna e-series 142 saw.

It had a completely rusted-frozen OEM guide-bar and chain, 16" but was otherwise mostly intact. The left-hand/rear-most bar mount stud had an SAE thread nut on it, slightly cross-threading the bar mounting stud, along with a washer to make up for the lack of shoulder on a proper bar mounting nut.

I slotted the bar mount stud with a Dremel tool, and carefully removed the SAE nut.

I will still need to split the case, and replace/refurb the bar mount stud, but I was able to get the saw up and running with a replacement bar and chain from Lowes, a cleaning, and carb clean-out.

It does a respectable job limbing, bucking, and felling light wood. I lack a tach to tell what the RPM's are, but it is cutting, rather than "burning" its way through brush with the aftermarket Oregon bar and chain. I replaced the OEM 16" bar and chain with a 14" Oregon off the rack from the local Lowes.

Husqvarna seems to do a pretty good job with its IPL and manuals on-liine, so I got what I needed to order new bar studs, and a few other odds and ends (air filter, housing screws) and should be able to have this saw back to nearly new by the middle of next week.

I'm still looking for a higher displacement Sthil or Husqvarna rehab saw locally that will run an 18" to 20" bar... free, or nearly so. I still have more time than money, so a lot of rehab doesn't really bother me if the saw is worth the elbow/finger grease.

 

[rupedoggy]

don't split the case to put in bar studs.

 

[AustinPSD]

I'm not sure how else to replace the bar stud - the head of the stud is behind the plastic housing. I may be missing something, but there isn't any other obvious way to remove the stud...

 

[nanuk]

I'm not sure how else to replace the bar stud - the head of the stud is behind the plastic housing. I may be missing something, but there isn't any other obvious way to remove the stud...

they have a one piece case.

you don't split them ever.

I think you replace the stud by driving them backwards with support behind, into the oil tank, then drive the new ones from the inside of the tank.

there should be a washer/s of some sort to support them.

I'm trying to find a Workshop manual.. but the parts manual is fairly clear.

 

[AustinPSD]

A rant...

First and foremost, thanks to "nanuk" and "TRI955"...

What amazingly bad, piss-poor engineering and design... like many automotive designers and engineers, I someday hope to meet the designer/product engineering team of the Husqvarna 142 in Hell.

There, I will beat them more senseless than they already must be...

I have a freebie 142 that some dolt replaced the metric bar nut with an SAE/inch near-equivalent and flat washer with. In rehabbing the saw, I slotted the original bar stud with a Dremel, and removed the frozen on/spinning SAE replacement from the stud. Admittedly I am anal retentive, and don't like the fact that the slotted stud is still there, and spins in the saw housing at proper torque. So naturally I want to replace it with a new stud.

A kind soul here sent me the link for a shop manual for this saw, which confirms the hard to believe truth - replacing the bar stud, and almost certainly the stud plate involves driving out the bar studs into the oil tank, along with probably the stud plate, and then blind driving the replacement studs and bar plate from INSIDE the oil tank.

What kind of abject, scum-sucking moron would design something this way? I've always wanted to know...

When I looked at the IPL for this saw, I decided to go ahead and order two bar studs, the stud plate, and the (optional?) replacement stud plate gasket on the assumption (but with disbelief) that these had to be pressed in from the back-side of the saw's plastic housing. So I have the parts in hand...

Having said that, feedback from a knowledgeable site member suggested that the replacement involved the blind driving process. And, he's definitely right. Now its personal, and I will put myself and the saw through this specific agony/idiocy just in principle.

What the Hell? Who in their right mind would design something so foul and evil? In looking at the replacement parts, aside from having no apparent positive capture, as well as off-90 degree angle for the bar stud plate, there are no back-up or hold-down nuts for the plate, or other positive connection between the plate and plastic housing. The bar stud plate protrusions for capturing the stud heads is minimalist, like some sort of sick Nordic joke, it isn't even a "positive" mechanical forging, rather a stamped part which almost seems to guarantee the stud head(s) will rotate against the plate.

Designers of the 142, I will await thee in Hell...

 

[MaddBomber]

Yup, Gotta love them throw-away saws. I've sworn at an orange Wildthing many times. Real frustrating saw to work on.

However, when running they are very light, and make decent power for what they are. Those saws were not designed to be servicable..... They were designed to be as cost effective as possible for both Husqvarna and thier distibutors. The 142 was made to be sold at retailers with no tech or part support. If any warrenty issues ever arose, the entire saw would be replaced with a "factory reconditioned" saw.

Good thing is that you will learn alot, and when you get your hands on a pro saw, you will appreciate it so much more.

 

[scottr]

First and foremost, thanks to "nanuk" and "TRI955"...

What amazingly bad, piss-poor engineering and design... like many automotive designers and engineers, I someday hope to meet the designer/product engineering team of the Husqvarna 142 in Hell.

There, I will beat them more senseless than they already must be...

I have a freebie 142 that some dolt replaced the metric bar nut with an SAE/inch near-equivalent and flat washer with. In rehabbing the saw, I slotted the original bar stud with a Dremel, and removed the frozen on/spinning SAE replacement from the stud. Admittedly I am anal retentive, and don't like the fact that the slotted stud is still there, and spins in the saw housing at proper torque. So naturally I want to replace it with a new stud.

A kind soul here sent me the link for a shop manual for this saw, which confirms the hard to believe truth - replacing the bar stud, and almost certainly the stud plate involves driving out the bar studs into the oil tank, along with probably the stud plate, and then blind driving the replacement studs and bar plate from INSIDE the oil tank.

What kind of abject, scum-sucking moron would design something this way? I've always wanted to know...

When I looked at the IPL for this saw, I decided to go ahead and order two bar studs, the stud plate, and the (optional?) replacement stud plate gasket on the assumption (but with disbelief) that these had to be pressed in from the back-side of the saw's plastic housing. So I have the parts in hand...

Having said that, feedback from a knowledgeable site member suggested that the replacement involved the blind driving process. And, he's definitely right. Now its personal, and I will put myself and the saw through this specific agony/idiocy just in principle.

What the Hell? Who in their right mind would design something so foul and evil? In looking at the replacement parts, aside from having no apparent positive capture, as well as off-90 degree angle for the bar stud plate, there are no back-up or hold-down nuts for the plate, or other positive connection between the plate and plastic housing. The bar stud plate protrusions for capturing the stud heads is minimalist, like some sort of sick Nordic joke, it isn't even a "positive" mechanical forging, rather a stamped part which almost seems to guarantee the stud head(s) will rotate against the plate.

Designers of the 142, I will await thee in Hell...

I'd bet that replacing only the bad bar stud would be about 1/3 as difficult.

 

[rupedoggy]

No offense intended but it seems you get an idea about something and can't think of other ways to do a project. Yes, put the studs in from the oil tank but don't attempt to drive or press them into place. Pull them into place by stud nuts and spacers. Think outside the box. Mike

 

[AustinPSD]

No offense intended but it seems you get an idea about something and can't think of other ways to do a project. Yes, put the studs in from the oil tank but don't attempt to drive or press them into place. Pull them into place by stud nuts and spacers. Think outside the box. Mike

No offense taken.... I'm going to try this approach first, and replace only the hosed-up bar stud, leaving the existing stud plate and good stud in place. I figure if the old stud comes out, and the head is rounded, there's a good chance the stud plate material is harder than the stud itself, and therefore possibly good.

It'd be even better if I had a small inspection mirror, and could examine the stud plate while its in place inside the oil tank.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

No offense intended but it seems you get an idea about something and can't think of other ways to do a project. Yes, put the studs in from the oil tank but don't attempt to drive or press them into place. Pull them into place by stud nuts and spacers. Think outside the box. Mike

:agree2:

They were put in place while the case was still 2 halves. "Press" it in like you would the lugnut on an axle.

It worked just fine till it had a defective operator.

 

[scottr]

No offense taken.... I'm going to try this approach first, and replace only the hosed-up bar stud, leaving the existing stud plate and good stud in place. I figure if the old stud comes out, and the head is rounded, there's a good chance the stud plate material is harder than the stud itself, and therefore possibly good.

It'd be even better if I had a small inspection mirror, and could examine the stud plate while its in place inside the oil tank.

I've had a good view of the square headed bar studs and retaining plate with the oil tank drained out in the sunlight.

 

[Miles86]

To replace bar studs, tie a thin wire around the thread end of the (new) bolt and feed the wire through oil filler hole, then pull wire from bar plate side to seat bolt.

Repair is the same for the small saws or the large metal case saws, when you don't want to separate the case halves.

I would not attempt a muffler mod on the standard kat muff everything is welded and it's not worth the hassle. The standard kat muff is super restrictive fyi. Think husq 41 IPL.

 

[AustinPSD]

The bar stud replacement project is complete.

Upon inspection, I determined that only the hosed-up bar stud needed replacement, as the stud plate was undamaged, and the other stud was in good shape.

I was able to see inside the oil tank well enough through the filler hole, using my Surefire light and it was readily apparent that the damaged bar stud had a rounded head, and was thus spinning past the stamped flat on the stud plate.

The damaged stud tapped out easily with a small ball-peen hammer, and dropped readily out of the oil tank.

I used 10lb. test mono-filiment line tied within the second-to-last thread of the new stud to pull it through the stud hole from inside the tank (used a stiffer piece of wire to fish the mono-filiment through first).

Initially, I tried using a hollow steel spacer and a bar nut to pull the stud into place and seat it, however there was no way to stop the stud from rotating, so I used a long punch and the ball-peen hammer to seat the replacement stud correctly against the stud plate. Now all's well again with the saw.

All in, it was about twenty minutes worth of work to get the replacement stud installed. Probably about as much effort as my initial rant over how the assembly is designed. I'm relieved about not having to replace the stud plate, as that would've been a little trickier...

 

[Taxmantoo]

However, when running they are very light, and make decent power for what they are.

Is this pretty much the same saw as the 41?
I've got no complaints with my 36. It's my heaviest 35-40cc saw, but it handles nice and seems plenty zippy. Of course, I'd rather have a 41.

 

[DSS]

Dude.........................you need a hug.

Blood pressure must have been incredible there for awhile.
Glad you got her fixed up.

 

[SawTroll]

they have a one piece case.

you don't split them ever.

...... .

An axe probably could split the case, but hardly advicable....:jawdrop:


Joke aside, this is a cheap Poulan-built saw - but not a rebadged Poulan.

Those saws were seriously EPA-strangled, so a muffler mod probably will help a lot!

 

[badski78]

What amazingly bad, piss-poor engineering and design... like many automotive designers and engineers, I someday hope to meet the designer/product engineering team of the Husqvarna 142 in Hell.

A kind soul here sent me the link for a shop manual for this saw,

Any chance you can pass along the link to the shop manual? I have the parts manual PDF already. I have my Brother in laws 142 e series and need to replace the bar bolt. The info supplied above is great, but the manual would be a nice addition for future use.
Thanks

 

[Miles86]

Hey:

You can use the shop manual for the Husqvarna 41, its included in a big manual for all the saw models. Saw Troll has posted the link to it several times, try searching his posts for a download copy of the manual. Definitely use the muffler from a husqv 41 (Bailey's Online has these). I love mine for smaller jobs around the house and limbing in really dense overgrowth.

 

[AustinPSD]

Any chance you can pass along the link to the shop manual? I have the parts manual PDF already. I have my Brother in laws 142 e series and need to replace the bar bolt. The info supplied above is great, but the manual would be a nice addition for future use.
Thanks

Check your PM's...