galde
Addicted to ArboristSite
Right. The top plate rakes the kerf, and the drive link notch rakes the bar groove.
This is just a thought. The 261 pulls pretty hard for a 50cc saw, maybe .325 in soft wood isn't the best setup. .325 has more teeth, less tooth height and less space between each tooth, which isn't great when you're pulling big long chips in soft wood. On top of that it's safety chain, and the oiler likely isn't maxed out. Crank the oiler up and see how things go. If you still have issues you may to give 3/8 chain a try, if you're going to be cutting the same type of wood.
Take a dremel and remove that ridge that runs across the middle of the inside of the chain cover,worked for me and no probs. With the ridge there it just doesn't allow it to clear out quick enough.
I noticed the same condition cutting some cedar this afternoon, chips are not being cleared from the chain sprocket. The ridge you mentioned seems to be keeping the chips from clearing the saw. Mine clogged to the point I thought the chain brake was on. Any pics of your mod to the cover
That seems like a different issue than the bar itself clogging with sawdust. Does stihl offer a larger "noodling" cover for this saw?
However, when I clean-up after, I still find guck in the groove, which I clean out with a low E or A guitar string.
Take a dremel and remove that ridge that runs across the middle of the inside of the chain cover,worked for me and no probs. With the ridge there it just doesn't allow it to clear out quick enough.
Sounds like its time to reprofile the chains and crank up the oiler? Try leaving just a bit more slack in the chain as well.I bought a ms261 last fall, great saw except now the bar and chain keep getting pluged up with sawdust.
On my new MS193T, it used to do the same thing. It also had piss-poor oiling characteristics, where it would take about 5 seconds of WOT for even a faint oilline to show up with Stihl brand oil. It took about half a gallon of oil put thru it before it started oiling like it should - I have heard a capful or 2 of SeaFoam dropped into the oiltank can help expedite the process, something about the oil/grease they use when assembling the oilpump&nipple is very thick and likes to block the flow. Once I started getting OCD about making sure the bar mating surfaces were completely free of debris, it didn't tend to do it anymore because the oil was going into the groove, instead of running down the side of the bar and getting flung under the sidecover, making a nice sticky pad for chips to get stuck to. The paint they use on the sides of their bars tend to be a culprit as well - it likes to stick to the crankcase and sidecover until it is lightly scraped off with the adjusting screwdriver. When you tighten your chain, make sure you only knock it loose, not any more than where you can shake the bar up and down, then adjust the tension so dust doesn't make its way in there and prevent a proper seal.I've noticed that my saw will occasionally spit out big globs of chips from the clutch cover instead of a steady stream.
I know this is an old thread, but maybe this will help someone. I too had problems with chip clearance with a 20 inch bar buried or when cutting curls in a wood longer than 10-12 inches. This is my 261, 462 and other similar saws with this kind of cover can be modded in the same way. Wanted to do it in a way that also keeps the aesthetics and the angles, while getting rid of that stupid lip and removed some of the thickness of the lip's edge. Runs flawless so far, not even one plug with sawdust or wood curls.I noticed the same condition cutting some cedar this afternoon, chips are not being cleared from the chain sprocket. The ridge you mentioned seems to be keeping the chips from clearing the saw. Mine clogged to the point I thought the chain brake was on. Any pics of your mod to the cover
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