Craftsman project saw - need help

[scottr]

The throttle returns fine, it's just that it can always be depressed regardless of the safety being pushed down (on the top) or not. Looks like I'll be replacing both the chain and bar due to not knowing if it is safe, it's worn quite a bit anyway.

Yes , I understand that the throttle returns fine . The lockout plastic part that holds the throttle from being depressed is broken . If you would download the oregon safety manual from their website it will give you many good tips and a trouble shooting guide . Go to the reference thread at the top of the chainsaw forum and the link is in the first post of that thread .

 

[joecool85]

Thanks for the link to the manual.

I got my parts in today and installed them. The saw fired right up and with a little quick tuning on the carb it seems to run perfect. I'm thinking of running the old bar and just hammering the rails closed a little bit, there is nothing wrong with the bar what so ever with the exception of the groove being worn a little wide. The chain looks good too. If I'm lucky and I can work the bar out then all I will need to buy is the chainbrake at $15 bringing me to a total of $60. I'm not going to bother replacing the drive sprocket until I do the bar/chain, so that saves me some money too. It's good enough to be safe, but may wear at the chain a bit, I don't mind beating up the old chain, but if I'm going to buy a new one I don't want to take any chances.

Regardless, if it cuts real well and whatnot, I will probably go with a new bar/chain/sprocket in the summer. I'll be using it for a few hours here and there this winter to clear some new trails for my snowmobiling addicition .

 

[scottr]

Thanks for the link to the manual.

I got my parts in today and installed them. The saw fired right up and with a little quick tuning on the carb it seems to run perfect. I'm thinking of running the old bar and just hammering the rails closed a little bit, there is nothing wrong with the bar what so ever with the exception of the groove being worn a little wide. The chain looks good too. If I'm lucky and I can work the bar out then all I will need to buy is the chainbrake at $15 bringing me to a total of $60. I'm not going to bother replacing the drive sprocket until I do the bar/chain, so that saves me some money too. It's good enough to be safe, but may wear at the chain a bit, I don't mind beating up the old chain, but if I'm going to buy a new one I don't want to take any chances.

Regardless, if it cuts real well and whatnot, I will probably go with a new bar/chain/sprocket in the summer. I'll be using it for a few hours here and there this winter to clear some new trails for my snowmobiling addicition .

That's a good manual . Glad your back to sawing . Are you going to show us a picture of your new saw ?

 

[joecool85]

That's a good manual . Glad your back to sawing . Are you going to show us a picture of your new saw ?

Not today, but probably tomorrow, I'm pretty stoked it runs so well. Too bad I don't have any wood to cut around here (at my apt). I'll be going back to the parent's to help with some more cutting in 2 weeks though and I'll be sure to have my fiance get some in-action pics.

 

[joecool85]

Took a couple days, I've been busy, but here you go:

**edit**
I wonder how funny it'll look with a yellow side cover...

 

[scottr]

It looks like you're ready to cut . I just saw a yellow handle, gastank/oiltank assembly on ebay to match or you could make a unique four color saw if you wanted .

 

[joecool85]

It looks like you're ready to cut . I just saw a yellow handle, gastank/oiltank assembly on ebay to match or you could make a unique four color saw if you wanted .

Was it cheap? My gas tank is leaking a bit, on the order of 8 or 10 drops of gas a day or so. I think it's leaking along the seal where the halves meet, I might JB weld it, not sure yet.

Here is a photoshop with a yellow chainbrake on it:

I'll try to make sure to get a good pic of it with the purple wild thing brake on it next weekend when I test it out at my dad's place. I don't want to run it without a brake, and since it bolts right on, dad said I could borrow it. opcorn:

**edit**
btw, the bar has markings for which way the chain should turn and when you flip it over they are wrong, does that mean I should not turn the bar? It looks like a symetrical bar, and I ran it like that a week ago on my dad's 2375 and it cut fine...

 

[Cut4fun]

I think I would just run the saw with the hand guard and quit worry about it being one that didn't come with a chain break.

 

[joecool85]

I think I would just run the saw with the hand guard and quit worry about it being one that didn't come with a chain break.

I'm still a novice and it isn't running safety chain. I'd rather have as much precaution as possible. I didn't spend $70 on chaps because they look cool. Besides, for $15 I'd say a chainbrake is worth the money, and that's brand new from ordertree.com.

 

[scottr]

Was it cheap? My gas tank is leaking a bit, on the order of 8 or 10 drops of gas a day or so. I think it's leaking along the seal where the halves meet, I might JB weld it, not sure yet.

Here is a photoshop with a yellow chainbrake on it:

I'll try to make sure to get a good pic of it with the purple wild thing brake on it next weekend when I test it out at my dad's place. I don't want to run it without a brake, and since it bolts right on, dad said I could borrow it. opcorn:

**edit**
btw, the bar has markings for which way the chain should turn and when you flip it over they are wrong, does that mean I should not turn the bar? It looks like a symetrical bar, and I ran it like that a week ago on my dad's 2375 and it cut fine...

Joe , it's $10 to start the bidding and $12 for shipping . Do you know that the fuel cap o-ring is not leaking or the fuel vent in the middle of the cap is not leaking ? Just put a few ounces of fuel in it so that the level is below the o-ring and watch for a leak .

 

[joecool85]

Joe , it's $10 to start the bidding and $12 for shipping . Do you know that the fuel cap o-ring is not leaking or the fuel vent in the middle of the cap is not leaking ? Just put a few ounces of fuel in it so that the level is below the o-ring and watch for a leak .

99% sure it's coming from the bottom of the saw. I have a cup or so of fuel in it right now and I put it up on soup cans so the saw is 3-4" off the table. Now, after it sits a while, I will be able to see where it is leaking from rather than just seeing a small puddle under the saw when I pick it up.

**edit**
And do you have a link for the ebay auction? I couldn't find it. You can PM it to me if you don't want it in thread for whatever reason.

 

[Cut4fun]

Besides, for $15 I'd say a chainbrake is worth the money, and that's brand new from ordertree.com.

Could you show the one on ordertree for $15 please. The only 2250 chain break kits I find there is $25+ then shipping.

One other place I use is list below and are usually cheaper then OT's cost.



530054735 CHAIN BRAKE ASSY $22.28 ea.


Order Subtotal: $22.28
Shipping $10.03
Insurance: $0.67
Grand Total: $32.98

Here is 2 of them that will save you a little money.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Poulan-chain-br...ryZ85915QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

 

[joecool85]

Could you show the one on ordertree for $15 please. The only 2250 chain break kits I find there is $25+ then shipping.

One other place I use is list below and are usually cheaper then OT's cost.



530054735 CHAIN BRAKE ASSY $22.28 ea.


Order Subtotal: $22.28
Shipping $10.03
Insurance: $0.67
Grand Total: $32.98

Here is 2 of them that will save you a little money.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Poulan-chain-br...ryZ85915QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Well, its actually $8.25 plus S/H making it $15-16.

The green chainbrake that fits is $25.86 (2250) #952069662
The other green chainbrake that fits is $22.92 (2050,2150) #530054735
The purple chainbrake that fits is $15.45 (2375) #530054740
And the yellow one that fits is $8.25 (PP220) #530054999

They all fit, so it's a matter of how much do you pay/what color do you want. I want it to be cheap, and yellow looks fine, so $8.25 it is for me.

My saw is a craftsman badged poulan 2250, covers for the 1950, 2050, 2150, 2175, 2375, PP220 and others will fit.

 

[Cut4fun]

Thats a good find on the differences in cover prices. I had a good 220 once so never had to look up the price on it.
I would go yellow too, Good searching on your part.

 

[joecool85]

Thats a good find on the differences in cover prices. I had a good 220 once so never had to look up the price on it.
I would go yellow too, Good searching on your part.

Thanks You learn to research hard and spend less when you are a poor college kid lol. Pretty big savings too. $16 shipped for the yellow one, $33 shipped for the green 2250 one. Less than half price just because it's yellow!

 

[joecool85]

Alright, so some good news and some bad news. I put the 2375 cover on the side and got to cut some wood this weekend, it cut great and the chainbrake functioned perfectly with the exception of two things.

First, when I engaged the chainbrake it would slow the engine down like it was bogging out. But what doesn't make any sense is that the chain wasn't turning, so putting the brake on shouldn't have done anything right?

Second, it (the side cover/clutch) got really hot after 10 minutes of cutting and started smoking some. Later I tried cutting without the chainbrake with the stock cover back on, it still got pretty hot, 3x as hot as the 2375 side cover gets (while on the 2375), so more than a stock saw should.

After it cooled I took the cover off and checked things out. No damage done by the heat. The drive sprocket is wiggly (has been since I bought it) and I think what happens for the first problem is that when I engage the brake, it shifts the drum around just enough so it is dragging on the (constantly rotating) clutch shoes, making it bog down. And second, when just cutting I'm thinking it is getting hot from the drive sprocket being partially engaged/the sprocket at an angle and creating heat from that.

Does this sound like a possibility? And also, why is the sprocket wiggly? Would replacing the sprocket fix that? Is it just loose maybe? Is a different part worn out?

 

[Cut4fun]

1st, Have you checked the clutch drum bearing? 2nd, checked for crankshaft play?

 

[joecool85]

1st, Have you checked the clutch drum bearing? 2nd, checked for crankshaft play?

No, and no. How would I do either? Also, wouldn't crankshaft play make it run like crap?

 

[scottr]

Alright, so some good news and some bad news. I put the 2375 cover on the side and got to cut some wood this weekend, it cut great and the chainbrake functioned perfectly with the exception of two things.

First, when I engaged the chainbrake it would slow the engine down like it was bogging out. But what doesn't make any sense is that the chain wasn't turning, so putting the brake on shouldn't have done anything right?

Second, it (the side cover/clutch) got really hot after 10 minutes of cutting and started smoking some. Later I tried cutting without the chainbrake with the stock cover back on, it still got pretty hot, 3x as hot as the 2375 side cover gets (while on the 2375), so more than a stock saw should.

After it cooled I took the cover off and checked things out. No damage done by the heat. The drive sprocket is wiggly (has been since I bought it) and I think what happens for the first problem is that when I engage the brake, it shifts the drum around just enough so it is dragging on the (constantly rotating) clutch shoes, making it bog down. And second, when just cutting I'm thinking it is getting hot from the drive sprocket being partially engaged/the sprocket at an angle and creating heat from that.

Does this sound like a possibility? And also, why is the sprocket wiggly? Would replacing the sprocket fix that? Is it just loose maybe? Is a different part worn out?

Joe , if you are still running that worn out sprocket that is in the second post of this thread and you have a snug chain then you will be creating a lot of clutch heat .

 

[joecool85]

Joe , if you are still running that worn out sprocket that is in the second post of this thread and you have a snug chain then you will be creating a lot of clutch heat .

Maybe, but the heat isn't the only issue. There is quite a bit of play in the clutch drum and there isn't on my dad's 2375. I'm thinking this isn't normal and I'm not sure if it is the drum or some other part of the saw causing this. Plus, how would a worn out sprocket explain why it bogs down when I engage the brake while the chain isn't moving? I don't mind replacing the sprocket, I just don't want to replace that and then need a whole host of other parts. I'm at the portion of the project where I need to decide whether to put a few bucks into it or ebay it off and break even or so.