This is for all of you thinking of either doing or hiring someone to replace main bearings in your saw..

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weimedog

weimedog

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A Montage Of "Clips" from past videos instead of some long lecture. Want to show the tools MOST shops and/or hobbyists will need to tear down saws to the cases and replace bearings and seals, then assemble and build their saws. THIS video "touches" on the tear down and case splitting, but FOCUSES on bearing replacement and subsequent assembly of case halves. I HOPE the take away is some basic tools and skills will allow MOST saws with metal cases as most pro level saws have be worked on. I'm real curious what "message" gets through to the enthusiast after watching this...I hit a couple of "theme's" really hard. And the SAME technique's that work with Husqvarna saws work with Stihl , Dolmar or any other with that two halve metal case construction. SO from the archives....from 2014 and forward picked a few video's to take clips and add them to this video. And I was told ( in the messages ) I said something really controversial :(

Also while I happen to use a lot of my own tooling, especially with Husqvarna the OEM tools to pull cases and drive seals are the LEAST expensive option and have the BEST quality material on the market. A typical Husqvarna OEM case fitting (puller) tool for a given saw is an engineered tool FOR that saw and run in the $50 dollar range. They are available on eBay and from places like HLSupply.

 
weimedog said:
A Montage Of "Clips" from past videos instead of some long lecture. Want to show the tools MOST shops and/or hobbyists will need to tear down saws to the cases and replace bearings and seals, then assemble and build their saws. THIS video "touches" on the tear down and case splitting, but FOCUSES on bearing replacement and subsequent assembly of case halves. I HOPE the take away is some basic tools and skills will allow MOST saws with metal cases as most pro level saws have be worked on. I'm real curious what "message" gets through to the enthusiast after watching this...I hit a couple of "theme's" really hard. And the SAME technique's that work with Husqvarna saws work with Stihl , Dolmar or any other with that two halve metal case construction. SO from the archives....from 2014 and forward picked a few video's to take clips and add them to this video. And I was told ( in the messages ) I said something really controversial :(

Also while I happen to use a lot of my own tooling, especially with Husqvarna the OEM tools to pull cases and drive seals are the LEAST expensive option and have the BEST quality material on the market. A typical Husqvarna OEM case fitting (puller) tool for a given saw is an engineered tool FOR that saw and run in the $50 dollar range. They are available on eBay and from places like HLSupply.

Click to expand...

Why would you go to cool it down with water? Would that not warp the case halves?
 
Andrew Finley said:
Why would you go to cool it down with water? Would that not warp the case halves?
Click to expand...
Nope not at those temps, they aren't hot enough. Also I don't "dunk" them like a "quench" ,I carry them to my sink and spray them. the point is I don't want the nylon in the bearings to cook, so try and get them under 200 degrees asap. Don't have to do anything when the Steel caged bearings are put in, just let them cool on their own. And from the metallurgy, u have to be way past the 300-325 to worry much.
 
weimedog said:
A Montage Of "Clips" from past videos instead of some long lecture. Want to show the tools MOST shops and/or hobbyists will need to tear down saws to the cases and replace bearings and seals, then assemble and build their saws. THIS video "touches" on the tear down and case splitting, but FOCUSES on bearing replacement and subsequent assembly of case halves. I HOPE the take away is some basic tools and skills will allow MOST saws with metal cases as most pro level saws have be worked on. I'm real curious what "message" gets through to the enthusiast after watching this...I hit a couple of "theme's" really hard. And the SAME technique's that work with Husqvarna saws work with Stihl , Dolmar or any other with that two halve metal case construction. SO from the archives....from 2014 and forward picked a few video's to take clips and add them to this video. And I was told ( in the messages ) I said something really controversial :(

Also while I happen to use a lot of my own tooling, especially with Husqvarna the OEM tools to pull cases and drive seals are the LEAST expensive option and have the BEST quality material on the market. A typical Husqvarna OEM case fitting (puller) tool for a given saw is an engineered tool FOR that saw and run in the $50 dollar range. They are available on eBay and from places like HLSupply.

Click to expand...

If and when necessary, can I just send my stuff to you "dog"? Don't care what it costs, I don't have the experience.
 
REJ2 said:
If and when necessary, can I just send my stuff to you "dog"? Don't care what it costs, I don't have the experience.
Click to expand...
I guess first thanks for the vote of confidence! I'm a retired guy, this is really a hobby My modus opporendi has been only to deal with stuff that walks in thru either my local dealer or the shop.... I think the only way I would do stuff thru mail is if I had clean & striped cases and I would split them and install what ever someone sent to put in them vs. an entire saw all dirty. Really don't have lots of time any more. But there are a LOT of folks who are more than willing to do that stuff, And the point of my video's is to take the mystery away so you CAN do those things without having to pay anyone or wait for their schedule.
 
Walt, it seems to me the "plastic" cage composition is different in stihl saws than other brands. Color and design is different. Lots of older higher output stihls are on original bearings with lots of hard hours. 036 and 044 come to mind. Not saying they don't fail, but I don't see near as many failures on them.
 
weimedog,

Thanks for the instructional video, I think you may have accomplished what you set out to do, strange how some are just unable or unwilling to share their knowledge. You certainly are not that way. Thanks again
 
albert said:
Walt, it seems to me the "plastic" cage composition is different in stihl saws than other brands. Color and design is different. Lots of older higher output stihls are on original bearings with lots of hard hours. 036 and 044 come to mind. Not saying they don't fail, but I don't see near as many failures on them.
Click to expand...
A lot of 385/390's running for a long time with their nylon caged bearings as well. I think it is about heat, a lot of those older saws designs ran cooler on the bottom ends, more case material and surface area to rid the heat and not one of these goofy eco designs trying to keep heat in the saw. My bet? Like with the newer 372 x-torq's, bearings aligned right, running cooler and they last. But here is the thing .... the steels survive where the nylons didn't on those older pre 2016 X-torqs in the saws I rebuilt. I've seen a few 461's towards the end of their service life looking just like early X-torq's so its going to be real hard to convinces me that there are "special" nylon cages from one brand to the next :) Like the newer 390's and 372 X-torq's, the Stihl's running right and keeping the temps right those nylons are more than adequate, and even have some benefits. I am curious over the next few years what happens with both brands as they take material out of the bottom end for weight savings and try to meet emission regulation with these more "efficient" cylinder designs. I have a bunch of 441's and a 461 in the shop now....a change of pace I think. U saw the 461 in the video :) I happen to like them and think the066/660 are among the most rugged saw designs ever. So this isn't a "brand" thing for me.
 
We know that the 372xt heavy piston is a factor. They should have put a steel insert in the case pocket to stop the pocket from ponding out.
I think the swedes cheaped out on the nylon type and cage design also.
 
Hey now ! Don't go making the ms441 popular now! I trying to find another junker to build.
Definitely tell everyone how terrible they are to work on when putting them together... maybe that will dissuade people from snatching them up?
The videos have helped me tremendously and I'm not educated enough in bearing design to speculate about how they hold up , the only saws with bad bearings I've seen were so abused that they are destined to fail in those conditions.
 
I have seen enough plastic cage failures in all makes but came to the conclusion that it is heat that ruins them. In saws that run shorter bars and rev freely most of the time there were very few failures, on or two were caused by continually running the saws lean mix. The saws with the most failures were long bar saws that ran for extended cut times that caused heat buildup in the case and cylinders. Good thing about plastic caged bearings is they cause far less damage to the saw internals when they do let go. Steel caged bearings will take more heat but really like more oil in the mix, run them lean a lot and they too will fail.
 
albert said:
We know that the 372xt heavy piston is a factor. They should have put a steel insert in the case pocket to stop the pocket from ponding out.
I think the swedes cheaped out on the nylon type and cage design also.
Click to expand...
Neither brand "cheaps" out on bearings that way, they have a design requirement and bearing manufactures who supply those do that design. But careful as u look too close to your chosen brand u might not be as enamored. ALL of them try and build to both meet design and durability parameters for the lowest possible cost. When I do my 461, it's loosing it's nylon seven ball bearing as surely as my 372's loose their nylons.
 
pioneerguy600 said:
I have seen enough plastic cage failures in all makes but came to the conclusion that it is heat that ruins them. In saws that run shorter bars and rev freely most of the time there were very few failures, on or two were caused by continually running the saws lean mix. The saws with the most failures were long bar saws that ran for extended cut times that caused heat buildup in the case and cylinders. Good thing about plastic caged bearings is they cause far less damage to the saw internals when they do let go. Steel caged bearings will take more heat but really like more oil in the mix, run them lean a lot and they too will fail.
Click to expand...
Ditto that in my experience as well. BUT a lot of the failed nylons left their outer race behind and both the nylons AND the ball rattle around in the saw ruining every thing, I might drag one of those out of the archives.
 
albert said:
Walt, it seems to me the "plastic" cage composition is different in stihl saws than other brands. Color and design is different. Lots of older higher output stihls are on original bearings with lots of hard hours. 036 and 044 come to mind. Not saying they don't fail, but I don't see near as many failures on them.
Click to expand...
Lost crank bearings in my 036 Pro at 13 years, shop got me for about $450. Probably try to find me a crank tool if it happens again.
 
pioneerguy600 said:
In all my years I have never seen the ball bearings fall out but I dealt with PRO users that had enough sense to shut a saw off at the first sign of a bearing failing.
Click to expand...
In the early days on X-torq, most 372 ownered would never expect or anticipate those pto issues.. didn't have them in the earlier 372's. So some in my group were more stubborn trying to work around their new saws being temperamental. The first two in that video notice had just the inner race left in the cases being case (punny right) and point .....but after a little education as soon as a saw went lean it came to the shop. I was able to put steels in before things went really bad and some of those saws are STILL out there earning money. Far out lasting their OEM selves. I have seen only one 461 came apart that bad where a ball dropped out and even thought the 576's had their share I haven't seen them go catastrophic that way either. I credited the fact those "users", especially with the Stihl's were pickier and if the saw wasn't right it went right to the shop. And to one of the folks posting here's point, I have never seen a 066/660 either OEM or Chinese have a bearing fail due to the Nylon crumbling. Ever. Why I think it's heat related.

(BTW this saw is STILL running at an Amish Farm doing firewood and occasional logging duty. AND I learned a LOT sense then about making both 372 xt to xp oe conversions and helping the X-torqs last as is. ALSO I have to note that after 2016-17 the X-torqs had to have gone through some changes as I haven't seen a later than 2017 built X-torq with a bearing failure. Nylon and all...they seem to be lasting. )

 

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