Stihl 028 Super chain tensioning problem

[Jasonrkba]

The drivers are beat/worn badly from that worn out rim drive, a new 60 drive link chain would fit and tension properly. That bar fits all the Stihl magnesium crankcase saws from the 024 up to the 066 , MS260 TO MS 660.

I stand corrected, looks like that bar has definitely gotten hot at some point. I run .325 .063 74DL Stihl bar and chain on mine and it cuts well.

Thats 18 inch.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I stand corrected, looks like that bar has definitely gotten hot at some point. I run .325 .063 74DL Stihl bar and chain on mine and it cuts well.

Thats 18 inch.

That blue you see around the rails is from electro heat treating on Stihl bars, if you were to remove the paint on a new Stihl bar it would have that same heat treated color. No telling for certain what shape the bar grooves are in from the pic provided but I could make that bar work well with any new Stihl chain, the drivers got beat badly from that over worn rim drive and if it were mounted on a new rim drive it would prematurely wear the new one as well. I run 18 and 20" bars on my 028`s but it depends on what type of wood I am cutting when I make a choice which one goes out to the job.

 

[ShawnC]

That new sprocket is AM not Stihl and may be part of your issues. Ir is also not likely to last near as long as an OEM.

Before you invest in a new chain for that bar you should check the bar groove width for excessive wear with a feeler gauge. If the bar groove is worn excessively the chain will flop from side to side causing issues. A new .050" bar should measure about .053" +/- . I have one that is worn to about .058" and is noticeably too loose.

The original worn sprocket is Stihl, and I mainly got the AM replacements just to see if they would help with the slack (they were like 3 for $10). I've not run them at all yet, since the chain is still way too loose to even try.

I'm measuring no worse than .054, so probably not too bad.

The bar I have has apparently been discontinued by Stihl, but I hope to have a little time tomorrow to check a couple of local retailers here to see what they have in stock. Looks like the .325 bar Stihl specifies for this saw is only about $40, so if they don't have a 3/8 chain to fit the old bar I have, I might just go ahead and get a new sprocket, bar, and chain. I usually just order everything, but in this case I'll try to buy local so I can return/swap easily if needed.

 

[HarleyT]

That old chain needs to be thrown away, you do not want to run it on the new sprocket!

Show us a good pic of the new sprocket and the new chain.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Looks like the .325 bar Stihl specifies for this saw is only about $40, so if they don't have a 3/8 chain to fit the old bar I have, I might just go ahead and get a new sprocket, bar, and chain. I usually just order everything, but in this case I'll try to buy local so I can return/swap easily if needed.

If the dealer you use does not have a 3/8 0.050 60 link chain loop in stock, or the ability to make one while you wait- change dealers!
Personally I would be buying a 3/8 chain to suit what you have and then run the new to me saw so I could iron out any more wee gremlins the saw might have, before dropping more money on a drive sprocket, bar and chain to change to .325 and then discover something else was also wrong.
Verify the powerhead is all correct and in order- then experiment with bar and chain combinations- but that is just my methodology.

 

[ShawnC]

If the dealer you use does not have a 3/8 0.050 60 link chain loop in stock, or the ability to make one while you wait- change dealers!
Personally I would be buying a 3/8 chain to suit what you have and then run the new to me saw so I could iron out any more wee gremlins the saw might have, before dropping more money on a drive sprocket, bar and chain to change to .325 and then discover something else was also wrong.
Verify the powerhead is all correct and in order- then experiment with bar and chain combinations- but that is just my methodology.

I didn't have any trouble finding the right 3/8 chain today at our "real" dealer after all. I got it on tonight and tested the saw on some small limbs, and so far it's running pretty much perfectly. I'm going to double-check the oiler before running it any more, but I'm really happy with it so far. Very good compression, easy starting, idles and throttles up nicely, and it even looks pretty nice.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions from everyone, and I'll try to post some pics in a day or two.