When a chain stretches is it physically wallowing out the holes on the links or somehow wearing out the pins? I'm not sure if this question makes sense, but I'm just wondering what is actually wearing on the chain that allows it to stretch. Figured you boys and girls might know.
Thanks
What is happening???
Here is what I found years ago when I had my dealership and worked on far far too many saws.
Your tie straps where the inner pins of the rivets that hold the chain together are most likely losing their temper? How? By overheating.
Most chains, except for Stihl , are NOT prelubed. Least most I have ran across. If they are not packaged in plastic? They are likely NOT prelubed.
So what happens is this. You mount it on the bar and start sawing. Its new chain. Not impregnated through and through with bar oil and so before the saw oiler can feed enough oil to all the inner parts of the chain it right off overheats. This causes loss of temper and now the inner pins and outer plates will start to have slack.
To test you take the chain off. Grab to tie straps about 4 links apart and jerk it back and forth and see how much clearance(slack) is exhibited. Should be NONE or very very little.
Now you tighten the slack chain and keep on cutting. It gets more slack and so you keep this up. You tighten one last time and lay the saw down. Done with cutting
and as it cools off the chain contracts and now it exerts are large pull on the crankshaft. Enough of that and you start to lose you crankcase pressure and therefore the
carb now is not getting enough pulsing. Hard to start. Why is because the pull on the end of the crankshaft via the clutch causes seals to leak and bearing problems. Tremendous force when the chain starts to contract. Also putting more slack in the chain as well due to that lose of temper.
So what I started doing , even with new prelubed Stihl and others was put the new chain in a large coffee can and pour enough bar oil to cover chain. ,Then heat it slowly just enough so the oil penetrates throughly. Mount and run...problems usually solved.
Think about it.
Kadmon