Stihl MS261 Rollermatic e bar seized

[SomewhatStock]

Hi everyone. I have an ms261. Only had about 3 tanks of gas through it and today the sprocket froze.

I was cutting a fallen tree and the itrunk was VERY decomposed so I shoveled it out the best I could. When I was cutting it, a lot of the dust from the inside of the rotten trunk got in the bar. I think its the reason that the sprocket froze but I wanted to bring it up here to see what everyone else thought.

I took it apart and moved it forcefully and got some crud out but dont know what to do from here. Do I get it replaced? Or do I try to clear the crud out on my own and slam it back together? I dont want to put unnecessary strain on the engine if this thing isnt spinning as it should.

Thanks for the guidance.

 

[H 2 H]

I have had that happen before on a 361; I just took the bar off and clean grooves and freeing the bar sprocket and I had to take the clutch cover off and clean the clutch area and it was ready to go again. That it was a nasty Cedar tree

 

[lambs]

Hi everyone. I have an ms261. Only had about 3 tanks of gas through it and today the sprocket froze.

I was cutting a fallen tree and the itrunk was VERY decomposed so I shoveled it out the best I could. When I was cutting it, a lot of the dust from the inside of the rotten trunk got in the bar. I think its the reason that the sprocket froze but I wanted to bring it up here to see what everyone else thought.

I took it apart and moved it forcefully and got some crud out but dont know what to do from here. Do I get it replaced? Or do I try to clear the crud out on my own and slam it back together? I dont want to put unnecessary strain on the engine if this thing isnt spinning as it should.

Thanks for the guidance.

I assume you are talking about the nose sprocket on the bar. When I go to the field I always bring along a small ball peen hammer and a small can of WD-40. If the nose sprocket jams, I remove the bar, clean out the rails and oiler receptacle with a depth gauge tool, then tap on the sprocket teeth with the hammer to loosen the sprocket. Tap it in both directions to work the dust out of it. Use WD-40 to lubricate it afterwards and make sure it spins freely. The saw will do the rest of the "loosening up" once it spins it faster.

I always blow out the bar with compressed air when I get home to clean it. Then I spin the nose sprocket with compressed air until it sings. And squirt a little more WD-40 into it after that.

 

[67L36Driver]

Grease it.

 

[GBD]

I assume you are talking about the nose sprocket on the bar. When I go to the field I always bring along a small ball peen hammer and a small can of WD-40. If the nose sprocket jams, I remove the bar, clean out the rails and oiler receptacle with a depth gauge tool, then tap on the sprocket teeth with the hammer to loosen the sprocket. Tap it in both directions to work the dust out of it. Use WD-40 to lubricate it afterwards and make sure it spins freely. The saw will do the rest of the "loosening up" once it spins it faster.

I always blow out the bar with compressed air when I get home to clean it. Then I spin the nose sprocket with compressed air until it sings. And squirt a little more WD-40 into it after that.

I am not sure about that highspeed sprocket spinning. Somebody told me some years ago that the sprocket could easily reach 20000rpm that way, but who knows?

 

[s219]

I had a noodle chip jam the tip sprocket on an E bar once, pretty bad. I was able to douse it with WD-40 and work loose eventually.

I also like using compressed air to clean out the bar and sprocket from time to time. Sounds like a dentist drill...

 

[blsnelling]

Reassemble the saw. At the same time that you go WOT, put the chain on a log and push hard. It may take a couple tries, but will most always come loose.

 

[stihlrookie]

Reassemble the saw. At the same time that you go WOT, put the chain on a log and push hard. It may take a couple tries, but will most always come loose.

Good advice, for someone who knows what they are doing. For someone who doesn't know though, probably burn the clutch up trying this. Or worse, hurt themselves attempting this.

 

[Slamm]

Reassemble the saw. At the same time that you go WOT, put the chain on a log and push hard. It may take a couple tries, but will most always come loose.

I don't think that is not the best way to do that proceedure?

First off you can't get a grip with the chain when you are pushing on the bottom rail, as that is backwards for the teeth, you CAN get a much better grip by hooking the teeth on the bottom and pulling the chainsaw towards you and not doing anything WOT ..... that is just a bad idea.

A fresh cut stump or fresh cut end on a log provides the best opportunity to catch the chain and pull the saw towards you, not pushing it away from you.

Sam

 

[lambs]

I am not sure about that highspeed sprocket spinning. Somebody told me some years ago that the sprocket could easily reach 20000rpm that way, but who knows?

That could be true, but the second it sings, I take away the air and let it spin down. And it does have WD-40 in it, so it doesn't really seem an issue for me.

 

[SawTroll]

The few times similar happened to me, it always worked to force the nose sprocket back and forth on a wooden surface (bar off the saw, and no chain of course).

 

[SawTroll]

That could be true, but the second it sings, I take away the air and let it spin down. And it does have WD-40 in it, so it doesn't really seem an issue for me.

Your advice about compressed air is not good anyway, and WD-40 is not very useful as a lubricant.

 

[SomewhatStock]

Thanks guys. Everything is fine now.

The gooo was getting caked under the chain and in the roller. Since it was under the chain also, it made the chain super tight.

I cleaned it all out and got the roller to move as freely as it would with bar oil on it.

It runs fine now.

 

[SomewhatStock]

The few times similar happened to me, it always worked to force the nose sprocket back and forth on a wooden surface (bar off the saw, and no chain of course).

Exactly what I did.

 

[lambs]

Your advice about compressed air is not good anyway, and WD-40 is not very useful as a lubricant.

I'm just contributing what I do to the discussion. It works for me, and as to WD-40, I think it's plenty of lubricant for the few seconds the sprocket is spinning, almost all of which it is nowhere near 20,000 rpm, if it ever even gets close to that.

 

[Joe Kidd]

I'm just contributing what I do to the discussion. It works for me, and as to WD-40, I think it's plenty of lubricant for the few seconds the sprocket is spinning, almost all of which it is nowhere near 20,000 rpm, if it ever even gets close to that.

It works good for freeing up ****, like **** stuck in your sprocket! I don't think Lambs is using it as a bar lube. :notrolls2:

 

[H 2 H]

It works good for freeing up ****, like **** stuck in your sprocket! I don't think Lambs is using it as a bar lube. :notrolls2:

Yep; air compressed works great for cleaning stuff from your bar grooves and freeing up bar sprocket :cool2:

... :notrolls2:

Like Joe Kid said :notrolls2:

 

[lambs]

It works good for freeing up ****, like **** stuck in your sprocket! I don't think Lambs is using it as a bar lube. :notrolls2:

That is correct. Just to free things up around the sprocket. I guess it may also have some additional benefit in preventing rust by driving out moisture, but that is not my primary motive for using it. You can always spin the sprocket by hand to see if it's still tight.

I take the critiques offered as fair though, and worth thinking about. And I consider all you AS guys my friends. You guys have really accelerated my learning curve over the last few years. Although my wife has not yet found a cure for CAD, she's desperately hoping someone will find it one day.