Stihl MS 361 Not oiling bar/chain well

[2-StrokeDude]

Got my MS 361 running again and it runs great after a bunch of carb adjustments, but after checking to see if the oiler was working by seeing if it will sling some oil on the concrete, it did pretty much nothing.

I looked at the chain and it’s got some oil on it but it’s not much and when pulling the chain off the bar, I would expect there to be some stringing from the bar to the chain.

I’ve checked the obvious, I have the oiler screw turned all the way to the max, full tank of bar oil, new oil line and filter, and made sure that the hole on the bar is clear, as well as where it is connected to on the saw, and the grooves in the bar are all clear as well as the sprocket. Anybody had issues with their MS 361 not oiling well? Maybe I just need a new oil pump? Or is this just typical on these saws with them not oiling much?

Only running an 18 inch bar so it’s not a huge thing that needs a lot of oil, just find it weird that it’s not oiling well.

 

[cookies]

if the oil pickup is not clogged and its hose is solid replace the oil pump, they do wear out or get clogged with very fine trash causing wear to the pump shaft and pump housing. On stihls I have learned that when their pumps start leaking its time for a new one, there should not be a wet mess behind the pump or a wet case. After replacing the leaking/seeping pumps output increases and the majority of the oil leaks stop.

 

[PV Hiker]

Take the bar and chain off, leave the cluch cover off, then run the chainsaw up in RPM to see if you have oil coming out. Make sure the pump wire is properly in the groove of the sprocket drum. Then you can move toward the oil pump being faulty if no oil being pumped out.

The oil tank vent is behind the thin metal bar plate. You can drain the oil tank, leave the cap off and lightly blow air into the vent to clear the vent line. This also stops some oil leaks when sitting.

 

[junglejohnny28]

Got my MS 361 running again and it runs great after a bunch of carb adjustments, but after checking to see if the oiler was working by seeing if it will sling some oil on the concrete, it did pretty much nothing.

I looked at the chain and it’s got some oil on it but it’s not much and when pulling the chain off the bar, I would expect there to be some stringing from the bar to the chain.

I’ve checked the obvious, I have the oiler screw turned all the way to the max, full tank of bar oil, new oil line and filter, and made sure that the hole on the bar is clear, as well as where it is connected to on the saw, and the grooves in the bar are all clear as well as the sprocket. Anybody had issues with their MS 361 not oiling well? Maybe I just need a new oil pump? Or is this just typical on these saws with them not oiling much?

Only running an 18 inch bar so it’s not a huge thing that needs a lot of oil, just find it weird that it’s not oiling well.

Make sure oil passages are clear a lot of time the worm on the pump wears out they are cheap enough to just replace whole pump and drive wheel

 

[muddy42]

I've had this issue recently with two Stihl saws. In order my approach is as follows:
1. The first and obvious thing is to check that the oiler hole is clear on the bar.
2. Then check the adjustable oil speed is at max (if you have this). Remove clutch ensuring that the worm gear is turning and engaged. Remove oil pump and wash it in hot soapy water. They I force some type of solvent through the pump whilst turning the gear. If its particularly bad, I strip the pump and clean the spindle, by removing a small spindle with a homemade drift using a tack that has been ground flat. Then I spray solvent or carb cleaner down the oil pipes (back to the oil tank and on to the bar). You should hear the fluid bubbling out in the right place and check the rubber hose for leaks..
3. Reassemble saw, flush out the oil tank with petrol and refill the oil tank and run without the bar on. Be careful doing this incase the clutch spins off. Or run the saw with a bar on first and use the chain brake to tighten the clutch.
4. If all of this fails, sometimes you just need to replace the worm gear. They are plastic and so could wear. There is a well known issue of the metal part arm detaching from the plastic.
5. If that fails, I replace the pump. This has worked a few times. Its hard to know, but I suspect the inside surfaces of the pump can wear over 10 years or so, so they no longer pump properly.