Chain loosening

[Bludenz]

Cleaned bar sprocket etc today and dressed the bar. Cleaned out bar rails as well.

Put bar on, took chain out of oil and put it on, supported the tip of the bar and tensioned the chain, put on clutch cover and finished tensioning with the tip of the bar being supported. I think that this was my problem. A few test cuts and the chain was still as I set it. Previously by this time it would have been hanging down.

Will test it in the tree on Monday so hopefully it doesn't play up. Thanks again.

 

[PapaWhitebeard]

Cleaned bar sprocket etc today and dressed the bar. Cleaned out bar rails as well.

Put bar on, took chain out of oil and put it on, supported the tip of the bar and tensioned the chain, put on clutch cover and finished tensioning with the tip of the bar being supported. I think that this was my problem. A few test cuts and the chain was still as I set it. Previously by this time it would have been hanging down.

Will test it in the tree on Monday so hopefully it doesn't play up. Thanks again.

Woot! Yay !

 

[J D]

There is enough wear on your spur sprocket that if the chain isn’t centrally located in the wear grooves when you first tension it the chain will become loose after it rotates a few times & finds it's way into the wear marks. You may also find if you have any inconsistency in your drive links & the clutch drum has movement in & out the chain may ride in & out of those wear grooves (getting tighter & looser as it does).
The advice to clean & dress the bar is valid but as others have mentioned, the bar tip has wear around the nose sprocket that shouldn't be there & indicates an issue.
If it's working well enough now (& you're not using it a lot or concerned greatly about it's reliability) I would run it until that chain is spent & then replace the clutch drum with a rim drive type, replace the bar, & buy 3 new chains to rotate through it. When all 3 chains are done it'll probably be time to replace the rim drive & buy a few more chains.
There are likely to be Oregon kits with a bar & some chains suitable for your saw that are reasonable quality & will save you some money. Other brands are likely available too so it pays to shop around a bit

 

[Bludenz]

There is enough wear on your spur sprocket that if the chain isn’t centrally located in the wear grooves when you first tension it the chain will become loose after it rotates a few times & finds it's way into the wear marks. You may also find if you have any inconsistency in your drive links & the clutch drum has movement in & out the chain may ride in & out of those wear grooves (getting tighter & looser as it does).
The advice to clean & dress the bar is valid but as others have mentioned, the bar tip has wear around the nose sprocket that shouldn't be there & indicates an issue.
If it's working well enough now (& you're not using it a lot or concerned greatly about it's reliability) I would run it until that chain is spent & then replace the clutch drum with a rim drive type, replace the bar, & buy 3 new chains to rotate through it. When all 3 chains are done it'll probably be time to replace the rim drive & buy a few more chains.
There are likely to be Oregon kits with a bar & some chains suitable for your saw that are reasonable quality & will save you some money. Other brands are likely available too so it pays to shop around a bit

Thanks for your detailed reply. I mainly need this saw to trim up 1 tree, and then I should be fine.

Will be buying a big saw to fell trees soon, so then this saw will be basically out of action, until it is needed the next year to trim trees again. I personally can't justify the cost of 3 chains that will be rarely used, although for my big saw I will have a couple.

I'll see how it handles in the tree and then I'll see if I need anything.

 

[JimR]

The bar pulled up is the key when tightening up the chain. There is no need to grease the front socket. Your bar oil will lube that for you. Keeping the edges off of your bar will make cutting easier. Trueing up the two working surfaces of your bar will make the chain run smoother and last longer.

 

[pioneerguy600]

The bar oil will lube the sprocket tip. Grease is entirely unnecessary. This seems to be debated by some, yet pros in the field discovered this a long, long, long time ago. The first time I saw someone grease their tip (it was a brand new stihl solid bar), I had no idea what was going on. That fellow stopped doing that before the end of that project. He realized his tip was running too hot.

That's why Stihl stopped putting grease ports in their tips. Not necessary whatsoever.

A snow ski edge sharpening file holder works well as a bar dresser file guide. I flat filed mine for years before I went "duh", I have a perfect tool for this already.

I also have had the same experience with not greasing the tips but just letting the bar oil lube them. When I started out in the woods all the saws were running solid tip bars and only had 30wt oil for lube. Most guys that have stayed with running chainsaws still only use new 30 wt in their saws,they scoff at buying bar oil and ever since the bars came out with sprocket tips I don`t know of anyone that actually runs their saws for commercial uses that grease the tips. Since I run mostly Stihl bars these days I don`t even consider greasing them. I did however use bar oil by the case for a few years but stopped that 3-4 years back and run diesel engine oil now, a cheap product sold by Walmart it does everything I want from it and no sticky mess all over the saw and bar.

 

[John Walsh]

I also have had the same experience with not greasing the tips but just letting the bar oil lube them. When I started out in the woods all the saws were running solid tip bars and only had 30wt oil for lube. Most guys that have stayed with running chainsaws still only use new 30 wt in their saws,they scoff at buying bar oil and ever since the bars came out with sprocket tips I don`t know of anyone that actually runs their saws for commercial uses that grease the tips. Since I run mostly Stihl bars these days I don`t even consider greasing them. I did however use bar oil by the case for a few years but stopped that 3-4 years back and run diesel engine oil now, a cheap product sold by Walmart it does everything I want from it and no sticky mess all over the saw and bar.

Do you use the 30wt or 15w40 diesel oil? I also have used 30 wt motor oil w/ a splash of STP as a substitute bar oil when out of the genuine product. I could even see the 30 as a summer lube and the 15w40 as winter.

 

[Mad Professor]

I also have had the same experience with not greasing the tips but just letting the bar oil lube them. When I started out in the woods all the saws were running solid tip bars and only had 30wt oil for lube. Most guys that have stayed with running chainsaws still only use new 30 wt in their saws,they scoff at buying bar oil and ever since the bars came out with sprocket tips I don`t know of anyone that actually runs their saws for commercial uses that grease the tips. Since I run mostly Stihl bars these days I don`t even consider greasing them. I did however use bar oil by the case for a few years but stopped that 3-4 years back and run diesel engine oil now, a cheap product sold by Walmart it does everything I want from it and no sticky mess all over the saw and bar.

The 15W40? I use that in my tractors. It's still ~$15/5-qts here

 

[pioneerguy600]

Do you use the 30wt or 15w40 diesel oil? I also have used 30 wt motor oil w/ a splash of STP as a substitute bar oil when out of the genuine product. I could even see the 30 as a summer lube and the 15w40 as winter.

straight 30 wt cheap diesel engine oil about $18 a gallon here bought in bulk quantities.. Super Tech I think its called , I wouldn`t use it in a diesel engine but as bar lube it works fine..

 

[PapaWhitebeard]

straight 30 wt cheap diesel engine oil about $18 a gallon here bought in bulk quantities.. Super Tech I think its called , I wouldn`t use it in a diesel engine but as bar lube it works fine..

Husky bar oil is 24 bucks a gallon on Amazon… but saving six bucks is still six bucks… I suppose 33% more expensive on a percentage basis is pretty compelling… but I just can’t bring myself to walk into a Walmart

 

[PapaWhitebeard]

straight 30 wt cheap diesel engine oil about $18 a gallon here bought in bulk quantities.. Super Tech I think its called , I wouldn`t use it in a diesel engine but as bar lube it works fine..

Oooh I found this brand called “Mag 1”
30 weight diesel oil on Amazon—2.5 gallons for 23 bucks ~$9.20 a gallon… that’s almost 2/3’rds less expensive than husky bar oil and about half the price of pioneerguy’a bulk oil… any thoughts? I’ve never even heard of this brand but for lubing a chain maybe oil is oil is oil….

(I run Stihl bar oil but (shrug) I don’t need to waste money and this saw absolutely *drinks* fuel and bar oil with the oiler cranked up…

 

[pioneerguy600]

Oooh I found this brand called “Mag 1”
30 weight diesel oil on Amazon—2.5 gallons for 23 bucks ~$9.20 a gallon… that’s almost 2/3’rds less expensive than husky bar oil and about half the price of pioneerguy’a bulk oil… any thoughts? I’ve never even heard of this brand but for lubing a chain maybe oil is oil is oil….

(I run Stihl bar oil but (shrug) I don’t need to waste money and this saw absolutely *drinks* fuel and bar oil with the oiler cranked up…

View attachment 1206781

Amazon is convenience it will always cost more, Walmart is no worse than pumping septic tanks.

 

[PapaWhitebeard]

Amazon is convenience it will always cost more, Walmart is no worse than pumping septic tanks.

Walmart is no worse than pumping septic tanks… oh geez gotta catch my breath I just had an actual laugh-out-loud… phew… exhale. Yeah you’re right. And I’m no fan of Jeff bezos taking over the world. But I live in the sticks and even Walmart is at least an hour away from here… no traffic… no weather etc.

So I’m like super surprised to find diesel oil for $9.20 a gallon on Amazon. That’s even cheaper than the Walmart bulk at 18… I mean… is it too good to be true? I’ve never heard of Mag1 brand *anything*

I suppose theoretically I could run olive oil as bar lube once and the world won’t end… (shrug) maybe I’ll try it.

 

[wildwes]

Walmart is no worse than pumping septic tanks… oh geez gotta catch my breath I just had an actual laugh-out-loud… phew… exhale. Yeah you’re right. And I’m no fan of Jeff bezos taking over the world. But I live in the sticks and even Walmart is at least an hour away from here… no traffic… no weather etc.

So I’m like super surprised to find diesel oil for $9.20 a gallon on Amazon. That’s even cheaper than the Walmart bulk at 18… I mean… is it too good to be true? I’ve never heard of Mag1 brand *anything*

I suppose theoretically I could run olive oil as bar lube once and the world won’t end… (shrug) maybe I’ll try it.

Hydraulic fluid works well too, just a little thin

And walmarts around here smell more like weed than a septic tank.

 

[Philbert]

I suppose theoretically I could run olive oil as bar lube once and the world won’t end… (shrug) maybe I’ll try it

Canola oil is often used. 1/6 the price of olive oil yesterday at Costco! (I needed both).

But it hardens / polymerizes over time. So flush it out of your saw with dino oil if you are not gonna use it for a while.

Philbert

 

[PapaWhitebeard]

Canola oil is often used. 1/6 the price of olive oil yesterday at Costco! (I needed both).

But it hardens / polymerizes over time. So flush it out of your saw with dino oil if you are not gonna use it for a while.

Philbert

Yeah for sure good call. I put that in the “if there’s another Katrina/mini apocalypse kind of deal category”

Grab up all the canola oil!!!! (Among other things)

But thanks for the heads up on it hardening up after it sits… last thing you want is it clogging up the channels… (I’m using safety wire to clear sawdust and sap grime out the oil channels as it is )

 

[Philbert]

I know a guy who drove his Mercedes diesel sedan across the country, stopping at Sam’s Club locations, because vegetable oil was cheaper than diesel fuel at the time.

*I am not encouraging this*

It was an older model, and his Dad was a mechanic, so they knew some stuff that I don’t.

The back of his car was also covered in soot when he reached us.

There are also guys who ‘reprocess’ old french fry oil for this.

Philbert

 

[ZeroJunk]

I usually have between 10 and 20 gallons of used Rotella T6 . I give it to the diesel shop behind the house to run in their furnnace. Back in the day all we used was old black oil for bar oil, and Quaker State 30 weight mixed 1/2 pint to the gallon for fuel.

Just on a side note , the new training video for Stihl's new stuff just came out. It is 31 hours.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I usually have between 10 and 20 gallons of used Rotella T6 . I give it to the diesel shop behind the house to run in their furnnace. Back in the day all we used was old black oil for bar oil, and Quaker State 30 weight mixed 1/2 pint to the gallon for fuel.

Just on a side note , the new training video for Stihl's new stuff just came out. It is 31 hours.

Between my farm tractors and the diesel pickup truck, my little buggy and my wife's Suburban, I tend to go through about 20 gallons of T6 as well and adding in the hydraulic oil from the tractors, total is about 90 gallons every year so I purchased a while ago, a smaller waste oil furnace and I burn my own for heat and always looking for more actually.

I run T6 5-40 in everything with an engine. Gas or diesel makes no difference. Been doing that for years now and never had an issue with any of them, despite what the Internet says about using diesel oil in a gas engine. I believe that is just Internet phooey.

I do use top quality filters however, no Walmart or discount parts filters here. Kubota's get Kubota filters and the buggy's get premium Wix.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I’m using safety wire to clear sawdust and sap grime out the oil channels as it is )

I use an expired credit card myself.