Convert 2010 Craftsman from factory Intenz to normal? (or toolless wheel)

[squidtamer]

First post. I'm just a 55 year old home owner with some property. Not a collector or day to day user. Had both my old saws go 'missing' during a move we made when a few garage boxes vanished. Lost a vintage Poulan and a super reliable little Husqy. Very sad but we used the insurance $ to buy a tiller, and a decent used chipper.

Got a saw for free off one of the new neighbors when we moved in, finally getting around to resurrecting it. ~2010 craftsman 358.351901 Came with a factory 18" Intenz bar that just doesn't seem to hold tension worth a darn.
saw has other issues with the carb and fuel system, but I'm almost done with that. Rebuilt numerous 2 cycle carbs in my days and this Zama seems easy to work with. Blasted out the carb (looked great but diaphram was a little bit stiff) Got the motor running today, hopefully just needs some tuning to stop smoking on 1/2 choke and get it to not die on no choke. Otherwise it's carb parts kit time.

Is there a way to convert this thing back to a normal tensioning system, or even that late 90s/early 00s tension wheel thingy? I've done a good bit of searching all over the net but I cannot seem to find an equivilent 42cc saw with "normal" tensioning that has the same parts from parts sites, etc. Sears sold a 358.350990 that had that "wheel" tensioning system (Tool less chain tensioning system like a PP 545027703 cover) the year before this model I have (2009) but that's as close as I've come to figuring this out. If I understand newer poulan numbers it would have been a saw like PP4218AV or PP4218AVX maybe? Neither seems like exactly what I'm looking for.

One of the other neighbors has bet me his dead late 90s Jonesred 2077 that I cant make this thing run and work. (City boys can't fix things he says) He says it's missing a few bolts but "used to run well". heh. Probably worth the effort I would guess, but I've never even seen a Jonesred. I'm only out a case of beer if I fail, and I DO need a saw either way. Couple acres I need to clear over the next couple months. I get the impression that both neighbors tinkered with this in the past.

Thoughts? I'd love some guidance on a conversion.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

The intenz bars came on many saws that didnt have provisions for a tensioner from the factory. They worked really well, loosen the bar nuts, insert a T handle scrench into the slot, hold the end of the bar up and turn until you feel it "pop". Then firmly tighten the nuts. The nuts are what holds the bar in place.

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[squidtamer]

They worked really well,

Interesting that it's still a niche thing then. and gets little to no love on this board from what I've searched. Could just be the 'only unhappy folks post' problem. *shrug* doesn't matter, it's broken.
I understand how it SHOULD work. This one is damaged in some way and doesn't. Spins freely without engaging the extension arm that should slide out. arm falls free back/forth. stripped teeth on one or the other I assume.

So, again... Anyone have an idea whats needed to convert this?

 

[sean donato]

Dont know if you can really, but here's. Link you can use to fine another bar that will work.
https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/s...in-&-guide-bar-combos/intenz-combo/c/01_03_08

 

[OM617YOTA]

I had a Craftsman/Poulan with the Intenz bar and couldn't get it to work either, closer to year 2000 though. That Intenz thing was a frustrating piece of garbage. The plastic bosses were all in place in the side cover for a standard tensioner and screw screw, and I can't remember if I replaced the entire side cover with one that had a tensioner, or drilled out the holes that should have been in the side cover and added a separately ordered tensioner.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Interesting that it's still a niche thing then. and gets little to no love on this board from what I've searched. Could just be the 'only unhappy folks post' problem. *shrug* doesn't matter, it's broken.
I understand how it SHOULD work. This one is damaged in some way and doesn't. Spins freely without engaging the extension arm that should slide out. arm falls free back/forth. stripped teeth on one or the other I assume.

So, again... Anyone have an idea whats needed to convert this?

Eh, they had one weakness, not unlike a conventional tensioner....if the bar nuts arent tight enough and you get a kick...it can break parts. People either crank the nuts so tight they pull thru the case...or not tight enough and the tensioner takes the hit.

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[RED-85-Z51]

To swap you'll need a conventional bar and either swap the entire cover to a similar model with a normal tensioner or see if yours is able to be retrofitted

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[scottr]

Interesting that it's still a niche thing then. and gets little to no love on this board from what I've searched. Could just be the 'only unhappy folks post' problem. *shrug* doesn't matter, it's broken.
I understand how it SHOULD work. This one is damaged in some way and doesn't. Spins freely without engaging the extension arm that should slide out. arm falls free back/forth. stripped teeth on one or the other I assume.

So, again... Anyone have an idea whats needed to convert this?

Hey squidtamer , if the drive sprocket on your saw is worn the intenze bar will need continous adjusting . If the drive sprocket is worn the tooless clutch cover will also need continous adjusting .
If I were in your situation I would buy a regular clutch cover that uses two bar nuts a bar adjust screw and pawl .
I have one in poulan pro gold color but don't have the adjust screw or pawl for it .
I looked up your saw (358.351901) and the parts list said your clutch cover was no longer available . It did show one in a red color but it was for the troublesome tooless system .

 

[m21bmr]

The model 358.351901 appears to be just another version of the common Poulan-built Strato-charged chainsaw of the 2010 era.
You could look at a Poulan P3314, P4018, etc. for comparable parts. I believe that a clutch cover from one of those models would fit your saw, or you could likely just order Poulan part number 530069611 that is the tensioner screw assembly that would fit in your existing clutch cover.

 

[squidtamer]

Sadly I haven't had much time to work on this in the last couple of weeks. Got the saw running at 1/2 choke, but it's acting like air is getting in somewhere and won't come off 1/2 choke. So I need to yank the carb, etc and make sure everything is nice and snugged up and the fuel/air pathway isn't leaking somewhere. Take a little time and find the carb tuning post I see everyone reference, and see if I learn anything.

However the neighbor has admitted I won the bet so now I have a few year old Poulan Pro 415. Not a Jonesed as he said. Guess it IS really a Jonesred under the plastic from what I've searched? No clue how old it is.
It's deader than disco however, and the fuel lines are completely rotted away. But that's a long cold winter kinda project. Missing adjusters, missing screws, the brake doesn't work, etc.

So I have an Oregon spare bar/chain combo I got for $5 at a local thrift store(new!) with an A041 tail so it ought to fit. (this intenz is T041) Bit short (14") but hey, $5! Just need clutch cover and tensioner now.
I had been thinking about a standard side like a poulan 530058935 (red) kind of standard looking cover, or an intermediate age one with tensioner thumb wheel.

-Do most brands have standard distance center-to-center on their bolts? I know bolt diameter determines tail type, but I don't think I've ever head squat about CTC on the bolts. These seem like 1 inch.

I suspect that Red-85-z51 is right, and this internal tensioner on the bar has some teeth floating around in it from a big kick. there is a dead spot in the middle of the adjustment range where it just spins.
So sitting around looking at this intenz bar a week or two back, I thought of a few things to try to get the adjuster to catch better. Third try was soaking the end in a can of carburetor dip. That seems to have done the trick.
Now I can mostly get the chain tensioned up, but it's acting like it's run out of adjustment before it isn't too loose. Then again, no clue how beat the chain was before it came my way.
I think I have a spare chain around here I got with the saw. Have to look around for it this week.

 

[scottr]

Hey squidtamer , I googled 530058935 clutch cover and searspartsdirect has a replacement 586531401 (maroon/red) standard clutch cover that uses the two bar nuts and a bar adjust screw and pawl for $6.14 .

ereplacementparts.com has three 586531401 clutch covers in stock . ($6.95)

If you are not worried about matching the color the local small engine shop might have a tooless clutch cover that you can modify to use two bar nuts and a bar adjust kit .

Yes the 1" center to center bar stud is common on many saws that use the A041 bar .

If the women don't find ya hansome ya gotta get handy . : )