Husqvarna 350 blowing bar oil

[customcutter]

I recently rebuilt a 350 by putting a new cylinder and piston kit in it, and crank bearings and seals. It has been sitting in the garage for several years, and I had forgotten that it was also leaking bar oil. I also did some porting and some other mods with the help of Weimedog and Mattyo's video's on youtube. I filled it with fluids and finally got it started after putting the old plug back in it.

However, it is blowing, and I mean blowing bar oil. It completely emptied the tank in about :30 seconds. It's leaking so bad I can't tell where it's coming from, the saw is covered in oil, bottom and both sides, under the muffler. I've been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now, and today I finally tore back into it thinking it must be a loose hose connectiion on the oiler. But, there is no hose on the oiler, simply a square block of rubber that presses into the frame. I cleaned the area up and the piece of rubber on the oiler that contacted the frame and put a gas/oil proof gasket material around it to hopefully seal it if that is the problem.

Is the oil reservoir pressurized somehow from the crankcase? The saw only leaks minimally when sitting I think. There is some case damage due to heat from the muffler, but nothing that comes close to puncturing the case. Whoever split the case last time used a white gasket sealant on it so I'm worried about how to split the case. Can I use a heat gun and tap on the crankshaft like some of the utube video's show when splitting the metal cases ? Or do I need to make a case splitter and push on the crankshaft while bolted to the plastic case??? (Not sure how strong that plastic case is?) I've googled splitting a 350 case and there's nothing to be found on youtube or any of the forums that I could find.

thanks in advance,
Ken

 

[Westboastfaller]

Only thing I can think of that would drain that quick would be a bar stud fell through into the oil tank or a hole punched from a chain throw.
No the case is sealed off from the oil compartment.

 

[s sidewall]

Does the engine it self smoke real bad when it is running?

Steve, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

 

[customcutter]

Westboastfaller, no the studs are present and accounted for. (Did have a guy give me a 450 that one had fallen into the reservoir though and was missing bar and chain. LOL) Like I said I recently rebuilt the top end of the saw and had it completely tore down except for splitting the case. The only visible damage was some slight melting of the plastic near the bar, but nothing near the reservoir. No chain strikes, however the chain catch is missing. I wonder if the bolt hole goes through into the reservoir, need to check that out.

s sidewall, no engine does not smoke. Don't remember if it did before the rebuild or not.

Thanks for the replies,
Ken

PS, nope the chain catch is molded plastic and part of the case.

 

[Westboastfaller]

That's the other thing I was thinking.
A bolt drilled through
None should go through unless it was drilled and rethreaded for a longer bolt by something? unless a longer bolt punched it? Idk.
Still hard to believe it could drain that quick.
Does it matter if it is running?
Clean it and put a little in oil to start tilt it one way and hold it, tilt it the other way?

Yes I've knocked in my fair share of bar studs. It's one of my
hi-ball signatures. I like to run just the front one to speed things up.
It really originated from not tightening then much and loosing one. Then with the wrap handlebars with the likes of the 372, it can be hard to get at the one if the wrench is too deep or the handle is tweaked.
You can never lose the second one without noticing it's loose.
At least not on the saw you can't.
after about 120 days it will drop in on a saw. I've tried to put the nut on once in a while to set the press again but it just fell in again quickly.
I just run them both after that time frame. Easy fix on the hill though.
I would carry dental floss often anyway. Have used forestry hip chain thread that can sometimes be found or teflon as well forestry flagging ribon. I just stretch it and wrap it on the bottom of the threads and melt it. Get a long twig and feed it through both holes and out the cap. tie to the stick and pull through.
sometimes I had to get the nut on and turn it to raise it more then put bar on and nut then pry it up so they are level. Hillside redneck 'Mechanic' here..lol

 

[customcutter]

Yes, I'm going to put a little oil in it this morning and see if it leaks while sitting. If not I'll try cranking it and see what happens.

On the 450, it only has one bar bolt, when I ordered the bolt from the dealer I asked how to install it and they said I had to split the case. I said to myself there's got to be a better way. When I got home I got my extendable magnetic pick-up and inserted the bolt, (you can guess where the old one was LOL), I just pulled it through using some small needle nose vice grips and washers stacked up till it was seated. I told the tech how I seated it, he said he would remember for next time he had to do one. Always like redneck engineering, usually better and cheaper....

 

[Westboastfaller]

Lol.. 'magine that, it was in the oil tank
Right on! Good for you. I can't believe he said split the case?
WOW. I do that for fun on my 'break'..lol as well throw dry saw dust all over my falling pants...lol
I was thinking about starting a redneck 'Mechanic' thread the other week actually. May just be me and you though..lol Everyone is pretty advanced with all the bells & whistles. A lot of the old school stuff has gone out the door unfortunately. I think they think I fell off the the turnip truck..lol
I used to go to a buddy's shop and work on my stuff and help him. He would set me up with a bench & tools and he would see me working on the floor...lol..said I reminded him of a Vietnamese worker or something. Long time habit's. When that's all you know...that's all you know.

 

[customcutter]

Well I tore it back down, and the leak is in the seam between the two halves of the bar oil reservoir. I can't see anyway to get them apart. The two halves only go down to the front of the crankshaft bearing cup. Apparently when I pried the bearing cap off I used the front left side of the case for leverage and made the leak worse. It's leaking from about 1" under the muffler, all down the backside, and about 1/2" along the bottom. No wonder it's pouring out.

I tried prying the 2 sections apart, but no go. So I placed some acetone in the tank, hoping it would degrade the glue that they used to put it together, another no go. There's no where to place a jack bolt arrangement that I feel confident with. It would probably break something off the case. It looks like I've got 3 options. 1 try to glue the leaking areas up with some type of epoxy (JBWeld), melt them together with a high temp heat gun or soldering gun, or 3 replace the case. At this point I've got a lot of time porting the cylinder, decking the crankshaft bearing cap, and making a pop-up piston. I wasn't planning on the last 2 but it's a long story...

 

[s sidewall]

You don't split the case of a plastic saw, only mag cases. You have a three piece clamshell engine.

Steve, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

 

[customcutter]

So how do I seal the leak? There is a seam all the way around the oil reservoir.

 

[Westboastfaller]

I guess glean it , rough it up and 24 hour JB

 

[customcutter]

I guess glean it , rough it up and 24 hour JB

Yes, that's the battle plan for now. Some acetone, then 100 grit, then JBWeld.

 

[customcutter]

Well no way to JBWeld it, so I tried welding it up with my hot air gun. There is really no way to get to the back seam, nearest the crankcase. So it's trash now, looked good, but when I added oil it was leaking out the back. Top and bottom sealed, but it's like they say close is only good at horse shoes and hand grenades.

 

[Westboastfaller]

^^^
and sex & chainsaws I say....but not when it comes to fixing them.
Well that's a shame. Very sorry to here that.
We'll have to see what we can do to finding you a case.

[Welcome to the site]
@svk ? @chipper 1 ? Anything boys? What other case does it fit

 

[chipper1]

We'll have to see what we can do to finding you a case.

@chainsawman2011

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Well no way to JBWeld it, so I tried welding it up with my hot air gun. There is really no way to get to the back seam, nearest the crankcase. So it's trash now, looked good, but when I added oil it was leaking out the back. Top and bottom sealed, but it's like they say close is only good at horse shoes and hand grenades.

Wish I could remember who makes it, might even be JB, auto parts stores carry a 2 part epoxy like JB that is made for petroleum contact.

 

[drumbum]

See if you have some plastic on the saw you can sacrifice. Cut a tiny piece off the handle area and use a soldering iron to weld the seam (add the tiny piece as filler), think welding rod of plastic.

YOU CAN DO IT!

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Well no way to JBWeld it, so I tried welding it up with my hot air gun. There is really no way to get to the back seam, nearest the crankcase. So it's trash now, looked good, but when I added oil it was leaking out the back. Top and bottom sealed, but it's like they say close is only good at horse shoes and hand grenades.

When you have it mixed and ready to apply take a small piece of nylon mesh, like window screen, fold it over and slip an end down into the seam crack with some sticking out of the seam, then apply the mix. Make sure you try to have the surface as Oil free as possible.

 

[Westboastfaller]

@chainsawman2011

Hahhhaaha buddy. I forgot that I edited in the bottom and pushed "save changes" I was thinking I just posted for the first time. I was thinking ..*OK now that guy is getting freaky even for Brett.
Thanx
PS I didn't realize you had those saws up. Looks to have sold fast.
I didn't know you were 'giving saws away'.
You made a couple people very very happy friend.
Good for you.

 

[chipper1]

Hahhhaaha buddy. I forgot that I edited in the bottom and pushed "save changes" I was thinking I just posted for the first time. I was thinking ..*OK now that guy is getting freaky even for Brett.
Thanx
PS I didn't realize you had those saws up. Looks to have sold fast.
I didn't know you were 'giving saws away'.
You made a couple people very very happy friend.
Good for you.

I'm giving a couple more away, just listed.
I can call you around the site like a puppy dog to, that's kinda fun, watch and be freaked out.