Needle Bearing / Clutch Drum Bearing Lubrication ??

Vernon Tull · Sep 5, 2006

A point of maintenance that the manual for my Husqvarna saw notes is to oil or lube once a week the needle bearing or clutch drum bearing. This is something I've never done with any Stihl or Homelite XL-12 I've used over the years; in fact, I don't recall the manuals for my Stihls ever mentioning that procedure.

The problem is, where the Husky manual says to drip bar oil into the clutch drum, well . . . there is no place for oil to seap in internally. The oil just sits there and runs out. I've studied the manual, but this procedure doesn't make sense to me.

I truly dislike this awkward, inconvenient, protuberant "outboard clutch" design on the Huskys; I much prefer to have that hidden and out of the way as you find on Stihl saws. I'm sure as a homeowner saw user I simply don't use a saw enough to know what the advantage of that exposed, in-the-way clutch really is.

Anyway, help me to understand what I need to do for this point of maintenance. Many thanks.

Urbicide · Sep 5, 2006

Hi Vernon. What model Husky do you have? I have a 359 with the outboard clutch. The 359 has a drilled hole in the end of the crankshaft. All you have to do is take off the clutch cover and press the tip of your grease gun to the hole and give it just alittle squirt. Saw Troll has stated that this feature is common to the newer model Huskys with the outboard clutch. Hope this helps you out. It is not real clear in the owner's manual.

Take care
Vince :cheers:

Here is a link to a similar recent thread:http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=36232

Vernon Tull · Sep 5, 2006

Thanks, Urbicide, for the reply. I have read and studied that thread a couple of times, but I'm still uncertain what's going on here. Mine is the 350. Right in the center of the clutch, there is somewhat of a hole where you might put the tip of a grease gun, but it does not go down and through to anything -- it bottoms out 5 or 6 mm deep. It seems not to be a passage way to any other moving part but rather just a recess in the steel.

I'll be interested to see if any clearer information shows up on this thread. I'm particularly interested in having LAKESIDE53's suggestion that it's the bar oil that lubes this bearing interpreted or explained. Does he mean the bar oil naturally does the work in the course of traveling towards the bar, or does he mean you take bar oil and drip it onto something as my Husqvarna manual confusingly shows?

coveredinsap · Sep 5, 2006

The manuel states that you should put a few drops or so of "engine oil" (which I interpret to mean 2-cycle oil) in the clutch area. I put a few drops in the gaps between the 'shoes' and a few drops in the center and call it good. I'm assuming that it has something to do with extending the life of the clutch mechanism by applying a little direct lubrication rather than relying on indirect lubrication from the bar/chain oil.

I also lube other outboard clutches such as those found on old Macs in the same manner....with a few drops of 2-cycle oil.

THALL10326 · Sep 5, 2006

Vernon Tull said:
A point of maintenance that the manual for my Husqvarna saw notes is to oil or lube once a week the needle bearing or clutch drum bearing. This is something I've never done with any Stihl or Homelite XL-12 I've used over the years; in fact, I don't recall the manuals for my Stihls ever mentioning that procedure.

The problem is, where the Husky manual says to drip bar oil into the clutch drum, well . . . there is no place for oil to seap in internally. The oil just sits there and runs out. I've studied the manual, but this procedure doesn't make sense to me.

I truly dislike this awkward, inconvenient, protuberant "outboard clutch" design on the Huskys; I much prefer to have that hidden and out of the way as you find on Stihl saws. I'm sure as a homeowner saw user I simply don't use a saw enough to know what the advantage of that exposed, in-the-way clutch really is.

Anyway, help me to understand what I need to do for this point of maintenance. Many thanks.

Vernon I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about Huskies nor do I speak much about them either. However from what your describing there I bought a mini oil gun just for that purpose, for lubing up things that are hard to get at. This oil gun is the size of a ink pen. You fill it full of oil and it has a small barrel on the end of it about a inch long. You put the barrel down into most anything you want to oil and merely push the top button to force the oil out of the tool. Works great in tight areas. I got it a Home Depot for 9.99
I believe this little tool would solve your bearing lube problem with ease..

Vernon Tull · Sep 5, 2006

Thall10326 -- Thanks for your help and reply. Your idea would certainly work if I could find where to inject the oil. My issue is more elementary in that I can find no place to inject or squirt oil on this model.

I know you deal more with Stihls. On a Stihl, does the bar oil naturally take care of the needle bearing lube? Is that why I've never seen this maintenance requirement in the manual for my 021, 025, or 028?

Coveredinsap -- Yes, I believe you are right. Maybe the manual says engine oil rather than bar oil, but I still have a hard time figuring out what exactly is supposed to be oiled. This is an extra step that my Stihl saws don't require, and it's an inconvenience. Do you like that awkward, in-the-way outboard clutch design?

THALL10326 · Sep 5, 2006

coveredinsap said:
The manuel states that you should put a few drops or so of "engine oil" (which I interpret to mean 2-cycle oil) in the clutch area. I put a few drops in the gaps between the 'shoes' and a few drops in the center and call it good. I'm assuming that it has something to do with extending the life of the clutch mechanism by applying a little direct lubrication rather than relying on indirect lubrication from the bar/chain oil.

I also lube other outboard clutches such as those found on old Macs in the same manner....with a few drops of 2-cycle oil.

Hot Dayummm Sap the world is gonna come to a end now,lolol. The little tool I bought for oiling in tight places, I fill it with, you guessed it, 2 cycle engine oil. Seems to me if that oil is good enough to lube a engine at 12-14,000 rpms its surely good enough to oil anything else. Good post Sap.

THALL10326 · Sep 5, 2006

Vernon Tull said:
Thall10326 -- Thanks for your help and reply. Your idea would certainly work if I could find where to inject the oil. My issue is more elementary in that I can find no place to inject or squirt oil on this model.

I know you deal more with Stihls. On a Stihl, does the bar oil naturally take care of the needle bearing lube? Is that why I've never seen this maintenance requirement in the manual for my 021, 025, or 028?

On the Stihl's the clutches remain dry, no oil whatsoever that I know of. The clutches are in-board behind the sprocket. As for the needle bearing Stihl makes a needle bearing grease for that. You merely pop the clip on the sprocket, pull it off, grab the bearing, give it a GI grease job and put it back. The whole process takes 2 minutes at most. Once greased up its good for months on in. In fact those bearings rarely get greased at all by customers. They run them for years and then one day Kaboom, out goes the bearing and I lick my chops,lolol

TopJimmy · Sep 5, 2006

Sap, that is a new one to me. I would never have thought to oil the clutch shoes, I am not saying that it is wrong, but I have never considered it.

Anyone else with any thoughts on oiling clutch shoes.

BTW, I use sprocket nose grease (EPO or something like that I get from Bailey's) on my needle bearings. I think all of my newer Husky's have the hole in the end of the crank. A couple of pumps with a needle zerk is all it takes. Look at Bailey's for their little grease gun, I got one and really like it.

Jim

RaisedByWolves · Sep 5, 2006

I dont think this is advisable, at least not with clutch shoes with the lining on them.

Kneejerk Bombas · Sep 5, 2006

The clutch bearing falls into the same category as the bearing on the tip of the bar, oil or grease dosn't matter, the centrifugal force is so high any lube is gone in about two seconds.

Lakeside53 · Sep 6, 2006

RaisedByWolves said:
I dont think this is advisable, at least not with clutch shoes with the lining on them.

LININGS??

you're showing your age (or of your saws) :clap:

manual · Sep 6, 2006

Lakeside53 said:
LININGS?? you're showing your age (or of your saws)

Glad you said something about that. I was just thinking. "what linings"
Maybe he was talking about Saps' old saws.

Lakeside53 · Sep 6, 2006

They go hand in hand with Depends :laugh:

manual · Sep 6, 2006

Lakeside53 said:
They go hand in hand with Depends

I'm going to leave that one alone.

RaisedByWolves · Sep 6, 2006

Lakeside53 said:
They go hand in hand with Depends

Do you use the ones with or without wings?

BTW, I dont care about saps old saws, Im talkin about MY old saws.

And you mean to tell me them newfangled plastickity things have plastic clutch shoes Too?

And just for the record, Scott just hooked me up with a nice 6shoe for my 925 with SOLID Bronze shoes! :rock:

Adds a whoppin 1.6lbs for a total of 23.4lbs

My gut may not be much to look at when Im on the beach, but I Am the only guy with a 6pack Back!

Lakeside53 · Sep 6, 2006

RaisedByWolves said:
My gut may not be much to look at when Im on the beach, but I Am the only guy with a 6pack Back!

Make sure you wear the bikini backwards then!

champoeg · Nov 25, 2007

I emailed Husky about this. To paraphrase the reply:
1. A couple of drops of 30W engine oil can be used.
2. The recommended grease is Husky part 502 51 27-01, which can be applied with a grease gun through the hole.
3. You can also use heavy weight automotive grease.
4. The bar and chain oil will supply some lubrication, but it is not sufficient.
5. For heavy use, pull the clutch and directly lube the bearing once a week. For lighter use, do this once every 6-12 months. (I would interpret this to mean every 40-50 hours of use.)

Being thoroughly confused, I will use bar tip grease every time I change the chain and flip the bar. I will pack the bearing once a season, about 300 hours.

Fish · Nov 26, 2007

It really is not even worth worrying about. The only times I see one of those
bearings fail, is when something plastic gets wound up in there, and that is
very rare.

flatbroke · Dec 1, 2017

Good thread the 440e II the kids bought me today says to do this with motor oil "frequently "

Needle Bearing / Clutch Drum Bearing Lubrication ??

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