Lube of the Needle Bearings under the Clutch Drum

[Husky77]

grease my bar tip and clutch bearing end of day so its ready for next time. BUT, my friend who cuts much more than me has never done so.
And we both have never had anything fail so I guess the folks out there that say your bar tip gets oil from the chain is right and the clutch bearings must be made out of good stuff. My saws are looked after and pampered

 

[JMCK]

Use quality bearings and get quality results(usually) I did have one let loose on my 391 but that easily had 100 cords on it.

 

[sand sock]

 

[thenne1713]

Changing your oil or greasing your ball joints isn't close to the same thing.
The clutch bearing is used so little and the tolerances are so sloppy to begin with they essentially last indefinitely with not maintenance. When you greasing them the grease is expelled almost instantly anyways. Same story for greasing bar tips.

YET, the HUSQVARNA MANAUL SAYS GREASE WEEKLY

 

[bwalker]

Did you see Mike Gadberry's comment? "I have not done this in 43 years of cutting". Mike has cut more timber than Gordy has dreamed of.

 

[bwalker]

YET, the HUSQVARNA MANAUL SAYS GREASE WEEKLY

Manuals say alot of stuff. I can only say that for years I never greased them and wore out saws logging without a single bearing failure, crank wear or any other issue.
I no longer fall timber so I will give the nearing a shot of grease to prevent corrosion more than anything else. As soon as you cut that grease is gone.

 

[thenne1713]

If they were meant to be greased often the manufacturer would have made a provision for this I believe. On a 2165/365 I don’t think the hole on the end of the shaft actually does anything.

Well, if it opens under NB, it is for the NB?

 

[Brushwacker]

I have seen them fail a time or 2, maybe more. Don't recollect it being a saw I had been using for long. If I have them off I usually do a light film of grease as not to use any excess that could fling out and end up on the clutch . Sometimes I will put a drop or 2 of oil on the end of the crank and position the saw so it penetrates to the bearing. I don't want it dry. I have seen the grease dry and the bearing stick to the drum, probably from not being used for a long period and the chain would spin at idle. Usually puttting oil on the end of the crank and letting it penetrate to the bearing frees it.

.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Depends on the saw to some extent. All I work on is Stihl for the most part. The bearings on the MS250 and that series is a tiny affair. I suspect I have had a dozen in the last year with the clutch side of the crankcase just cooked out and the saw ruined. I always check if the saw looks like it has had heavy use.
Good Lord, put a drop of oil on it every now and then. How much trouble is it.

 

[lone wolf]

Some guys can break an anvil...

That takes a really special kind of stupid!

 

[lone wolf]

And how long do you think the grease will stay there?

 

[North by Northwest]

A drop of oil every few years is more than enough . If i'am replacing sprockets or refurbishing a clutch or anything extensive , I will check & clean the bearing & give it a lick of moly grease .

 

[sand sock]

And how long do you think the grease will stay there?

I hit it every few weeks on my Stihl, when I'm cutting all the time. 3-4 times a year. I hit my husky every few times out to cut.

I grease driver links every other fill up. I hit my nose also, which spills into the channel. Bars last longer

 

[bwalker]

I hit it every few weeks on my Stihl, when I'm cutting all the time. 3-4 times a year. I hit my husky every few times out to cut.

I grease driver links every other fill up. I hit my nose also, which spills into the channel. Bars last longer

I'm calling BS on bars lasting longer. Any grease you put on the bar is gone the instant the saw starts cutting. Same story for bar tips.
You grease the links too? WTF.

 

[bwalker]

A drop of oil every few years is more than enough . If i'am replacing sprockets or refurbishing a clutch or anything extensive , I will check & clean the bearing & give it a lick of moly grease .

I'd bet you a case of Labatt's that any lube you add is gone within 30 seconds of cutting.

 

[bwalker]

And how long do you think the grease will stay there?

In minutes it's gone...

 

[dmb2613]

2 things will wreck a clutch bearing, running with the brake on and a dull chain. That powder that is generated from a dull chain gets in the bearing and dries it out.
I see it all the time in home owner saws. small bearing and dull chains and most likely run with the brake on.
You dont see it much in saws that are run by people with a little common sense

 

[North by Northwest]

I'd bet you a case of Labatt's that any lube you add is gone within 30 seconds of cutting.

I use crown mixed with molybdenum disufide , the oil is the carrier and the molybdenum provides a microscopic barrier against friction . I use it as a adder in all our sled chaincases & our dirt bike chains as an antifriction treatment . Anyhow as discussed very little load on this application & most oils & lite greases are displaced rather quickly . I use the mixture on all my snowblower chain drives assemblies , once every few yrs is all that is needed with them , so I new it would be efficient on the clutch bearing application . However yeah I agree grease & oiling is like pissing in the wind !

 

[North by Northwest]

I hit it every few weeks on my Stihl, when I'm cutting all the time. 3-4 times a year. I hit my husky every few times out to cut.

I grease driver links every other fill up. I hit my nose also, which spills into the channel. Bars last longer

Hope you have very short bars brother

 

[oldbuzzard]

I believe that the early model MS261 saws (pre 2015) had softer cranks where the bearing rides. Making them prone to wear. Lack of lubrication didn't help the issue.

I bought this saw as a non runner. It is in great condition except for this worn crank. It is sitting in my shed waiting until I have the time and motivation to put a new crank in it.

Same here. I work on a lot of 261s and I‘ve got one with a worn shaft. When I first took the clutch off some of the needles were out of the bearing. On this particular saw there was another problem - when you pulled the hand brake back off it would sometimes pop back forward on. I assumed that what tore up the clutch was the hand brake being suddenly applied at high rpm.