Good news and bad news!

[NYH1]

Good news
I got my 18 inch Arbor Pro "narrow kerf bar" and Woodsman Pro 20NK chain (.325 pitch, .050 gauge semi chisel) for my 029. I put it on and did a little cutting this morning. I had a 20 bar and Stihl RM2 (.325) chain on it before. It definitely cuts faster with the new bar and chain that's for sure. More importantly then that is it handles a lot better now too. Not only is the new bar two inches shorter it's a lot lighter as well. Feels like a different saw all together. I'm going to order a few more loops of chain after the holidays.

Bad news
My front bar stud (stud towards the chain) backs out when I loosen the nut. The nut doesn't loosen the stud just comes out. What do I have to do to keep this from happening? Thanks.

 

[Lakeside53]

First try running an 8mm thread die down the old stud... the threads might be a bit messed up..

Tighten the stud with a stud puller, or, carefully with vice grips. There isn't enough thread to double nut.


If these don't work, there is an oversize stud to wind into the plastic casing...

 

[NYH1]

First try running an 8mm thread die down the old stud... the threads might be a bit messed up..

I can run both nuts all the way down the threads and bottom them out with my fingers then back them all the way off.

Tighten the stud with a stud puller, or, carefully with vice grips. There isn't enough thread to double nut.

Yeah you're right about there not being enough thread to double nut. That's the first thing I tried! I'm going over to my parents tomorrow for Thanksgiving (and beer and football!!!) I'll let my dad check it out. He'll probably be able to come up with something. If not I'll look into the oversized studs. Thanks Lakeside!

 

[cuttinscott]

I might be wrong here but this is my theory.. Lake said their is not many threads on the stud.. if you used a NK bar that is thinner now when you tighten the bar down the nuts are bottoming out on the stud actually trying to make threads onto the shoulder of the stud.. If you reinstall the orig. bar I bet this would not happen.

just my .02
Scott

 

[NYH1]

I might be wrong here but this is my theory.. Lake said their is not many threads on the stud.. if you used a NK bar that is thinner now when you tighten the bar down the nuts are bottoming out on the stud actually trying to make threads onto the shoulder of the stud.. If you reinstall the orig. bar I bet this would not happen.

just my .02
Scott

GREAT point. What can I do so I can still run the NK bar? Put thin washers on the chain cover side of the studs between the chain cover and the bar maybe (not between the bar and the power head)?

 

[cuttinscott]

flat washers under the bar nut should cure it

Scott

 

[B_Turner]

I might be wrong here but this is my theory.. Lake said their is not many threads on the stud.. if you used a NK bar that is thinner now when you tighten the bar down the nuts are bottoming out on the stud actually trying to make threads onto the shoulder of the stud.. If you reinstall the orig. bar I bet this would not happen.

just my .02
Scott

That's and interesting thought. I had a similar problem when I started running that exact bar and chain on my MSE 220 (the bar and chain helped quite a bit because I am running a 20 inch bar on the saw which is a bit weeney because it is electric). I was able to coax the stud in a bit further and it seemed fine, but now I am wondering if the reason I was able to screw the stud in a bit further with the nut itself was because it was on the shoulder of the stud. Nut seemed to then screw on and off okay and I haven't given it much thought since.

I'll check out if the bar nut is snug against the cover in a few minutes. Thanks for the thought.

EDIT: I just check the 220 and it's fine. Still a good thought for the future whenever switching to a thinner bar.