Hardest repair ever, chain brake assembly

[johncinco]

Decided my chain brake for the 394xp should finally get put together. I own 3 of the saws, and not a one has ever had a operating chain brake. I pieced together a complete one, and bought a spring off someone around here. Tried to get it together for about 40 minutes by myself and had no luck. There is a out of business husky dealer down the street so I took it to him and asked for some help. About 30 minutes later I really didnt feel that inept any longer. 2 of us couldn't get it together! He pinched a finger. I took the spring to the neck once. Numerous near misses and plenty of subversive language. He tried a monster size pair of channel locks to squeeze it into place, which ended up breaking a mounting tab off my side cover. I gave up and went back to having no chain brake. I guess I will break down and buy a complete set up with a working one and sell my 3 for parts to pay for it. Let some other sucker try! I have assembled pistons, cranks, rebuilt carbs. Never have I had this much trouble getting something together.

 

[Fish]

Stihl has some easy chain brakes, and the clutch on the correct side too.

 

[goatchin]

I agree with ya on the chain brakes being a PIA to put back on.

I cant really remember having a hard time with my husky 372 brake mechinism, but i really do remember my stihl 036 chain brake. I ended up wrapping some 12 or 14 ga. wire around the spring loop and then wrapping the wire around a screw driver handle and then pulling the spring to the peg that way...only busted one knuckle in the half hour it took me to figure out the wire deal.

 

[excess650]

I was struggling with a Husky 2xx chain brake yesterday. It was a PITA compared to reassembling the MS660 brake. I think that I now have it figured out....

 

[Fish]

Actually, loading the spring on a Stihl is not too bad, if you are familiar with
a generic auto brake spring caliper, and make something along that line, just
a tad smaller. A cheap flat bladed screwdriver can be easily fashioned into
a spring intstaller.

 

[nilzlofgren]

I fixed the chain brake on my BIL's Husky 340. I was able to wedge a regular screw driver behind the cam mechanism. Than, I used slip joint pliers, with one jaw on the cam, and the other on the edge of the of the cover, and compessed the spring that way. It wasn't to hard actually.

 

[parrisw]

Hmm, I just did a 394 and a 272 the other day, they are both assembled the same, I had no problem at all??? Whats the issue??? Send it to me I'll do it for ya, LOL, shipping might not be worth it though.

 

[Jacob J.]

There's a real trick for sure to the older Husky chain brakes, but they're not that bad. The Stihl brakes are relatively easy- like Fish said, make a hook out of a small flat-bladed screwdriver and you're good to go.

The hardest brake I've ever assembled hands down was a Dolmar 9000. You have to compress the spring and move two other parts into place at the same time.

 

[Saw Dr.]

John, how close are you to Grand Rapids? My brother is driving up there later this week. I have some brake assy's for smaller husky's. Does the 394 brake fit other saws? Hate to see you have an accident while I have a good brake laying in the basement.....

 

[Kemper]

I have never assembled one but heard they can be a pita..

 

[glennschumann]

I had to replace the band on my 3120xp brake. I used my wood working vice that opens to about 9 inches to compress the parts, and then the drive the retaining pin in. With that vice, and patience, it wasn't too hard, but without it, I couldn't see doing it without fabricating quite a blue streak. Good thing the vice was handy... I had to take it apart and put it together 3 times before I got it adjusted properly...

 

[flashpuppy]

My husky 455 is a pain as well.... Made the fatal mistake of disassembling for cleaning one time. Just used the butt of a hammer. Don't know how, but made it work.

 

[belgian]

I have exactly the same problem with the brake on my 268xp !!! Tried several times and finally gave up on that ####### spring. My conclusion was that the spring I had might be oversized but apparently not....

the 268 still gives me the evil eye for not finishing this little detail..:monkey:

 

[andrethegiant70]

Glad someone brought it up... I have figured out a shtick for each chainbrake setup I have, but.. dang. I dread working on chainbrakes more than any other part of the saw.

 

[IndyIan]

I know it was a pain to do on my 372, but I can't remember what I did to make it easier...
Oh well, I guess I'll figure out something again for the next time. I would make a crack about getting old, but I'm not old! Maybe just dumb like the wife says...
Ian
ps, I think I partially loosened the brake handle to let everything slide in place but that's mostly a guess.

 

[clintb]

I don't know if everybody already knows this but the brake has to be on to make it easier. It may help if you take the clutch drum off too. If that doesn't work there's the auto brake pliers at the auto parts stores made to put the brake springs on.

 

[parrisw]

I guess I'm just used to dealing with stiff springs at work working on cars. I just did it with a screwdriver, held the clutch cover down on the bench with one hand, used a flat blade screwdriver in the other put the screwdriver in-between two coils in the spring and just pushed to compress the spring and popped it in.

 

[johncinco]

Geez, I gotta stay on top of things I get started!

I dont think a smaller saw brake would fit on here, it would have to be the 394 or maybe the 395 spring and assembly.

I tried the screwdriver, tried a spring puller I use to set snowmobile exhausts on with, long faced needle nose pliers, vice grip type locking pliers, nothing worked too good. We did get in place a couple times, but before I could get all 3 screws into the cover it all popped apart. Now with it broken, I am just gonna buy a complete one. Baileys has them, right around $59 for all saws, EXCEPT the 394, which is $129, there is an aftermarket one fo 59, I might give that a try.

If anyone has one for sale complete, drop me a message.

 

[pioneerguy600]

You guy`s got me quaking in my boots, I just bought 2 of 394`s and will be dealing with the brake springs on the teardown and rebuilds so I will have to invent a tool that makes this job easy. I make all my tools as I tear down each different saw that I pick up for near nothing and then do a rebuild on them. I will post back on what I find.
Pioneerguy600

 

[parrisw]

I've never had a problem, just using standard hand tools. I really don't know what the issue is?????