Makita EA4300F Dolmar 421 Oiling Question/Problem

[CR888]

Check where the oiler slot meets your bar oil hole and check its within spec. You may need to add/remove a drive link to get it where it should be. A good way to do this is wipe oil over oiler washser/rubber seal and the fit a cleanly wiped bar where it would be when cutting, with bar nose raised like when you position it to cut. Then take it off and under light check where things marry up. Also check your drive tangs & make sure there not to pointy, use a round file to square them up, they push the oil. Clean out bar rails too but it sounds like the oil is not flowing into the bar like it should.

 

[ncfarmboy]

@fordf150 and @166 both are dealers and very knowledgeable. Noticed saw kit has a metal saw box outstanding. Over here it's plastic not included sold as an extra. Been told the plastic Dolmar/Makita box not up to snuff.
Shep

 

[fordf150]

excuse me if this has been addressed already, i read most of the first post and page 2, skipped everything in the middle.

came up with one oiling problem immediately, 363SL2 is a K095 mount bar, 421 requires K041 so if you havent addressed the oil hole location yet, start there

 

[166]

Does your bar look like this? Unless this bar has double oiler holes it is the wrong bar.

The K041 style mount oils through the upper bar adjuster hole.

 

[fordf150]

page 1 and 4 in this thread show 2 different ways to mod the K095 bar to oil on a K041 saw.

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/dolmar-ps-421-mods.259725/

 

[AlfA01]

Most saws run out of fuel way before oil, unless you tune the saw crazy rich. You said the dealer adjusted the oiler, sounds like he turned it down, go ahead and max it out and leave it there.

I'm familiar with the saw and the way it normally behaves. The consumption of oil and fuel is something I am very familiar with. The sudden change in oiling didn't occur right after the bar change, which is why I decided to ask my question here after trying the most common fixes that I know first. It isn't because of an adjustment problem, as I said in the op, I maxed out the oiler.

I would tend to argue that this saw is fuel efficient enough to exhaust the fuel and oil somewhat commensurately. Nothing to do with running it rich and wasting fuel. I get fairly long run times on a fill-up. Yes, there is some oil left in the tank when I normally fill up with gas, but not that much.

.325 bars have a larger radius nose then 3/8lp, has everything to do with chain throwing. in his first post he said he did set the oiler to max.

Thanks for reading the posts thoroughly....its a big help in diagnosing the actual problem I'm having with the saw. I agree, the larger radius nose on the bar has helped from slinging chains. As I said above, I haven't thrown a chain since I put the Tsumura bar on.

Now for the good news: @sugarbush had the right idea about the bar oiling holes being the problem. The Tsumura has oiling holes on the side of the bar, whereas the stock Makita has them running vertically from the chain tensioner holes to the chain rails of the bar. The Tsumura holes align with the oiler ducts of the saw, but when blocked caused the oil to push around the outside of the bar and fall to ground and collect inside sprocket cover. So, I cleaned up the bar and it worked well, but I wasn't quite happy with the results, so I decided a little modification was in order.
I took a 1/16" drill bit and while holding the bar vertically, drilled three small holes downward to intersect with the chain tensioner mount holes to replicate the stock bar oiling pattern. Reinstalled the bar and chain and its really oiling well after that little mod. Had to turn the oiler down to about midrange.

So, for any guys that are running other than stock bars on a 421/4300, or would like to upgrade their stock config, this is a great 5-minute mod that greatly improves oiling.

I appreciate all the replies and suggestions.

Cheers
Dan

 

[AlfA01]

excuse me if this has been addressed already, i read most of the first post and page 2, skipped everything in the middle.

came up with one oiling problem immediately, 363SL2 is a K095 mount bar, 421 requires K041 so if you havent addressed the oil hole location yet, start there

page 1 and 4 in this thread show 2 different ways to mod the K095 bar to oil on a K041 saw.

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/dolmar-ps-421-mods.259725/

Bravo @fordf150 I just got done posting that I had drilled out my bar to match and saw your post. I was able to use a 1/16" drill bit which is tight enough to brace itself in the chain groove. You can drill three holes very close together without the drill bit slipping and forcing its way into the previously drilled hole. I was able to essentially remove the remaining material between the three holes and have a wide open flow of oil that will be less easily clogged than having individual 1/16" holes.

 

[Andyshine77]

I'm familiar with the saw and the way it normally behaves. The consumption of oil and fuel is something I am very familiar with. The sudden change in oiling didn't occur right after the bar change, which is why I decided to ask my question here after trying the most common fixes that I know first. It isn't because of an adjustment problem, as I said in the op, I maxed out the oiler.

I would tend to argue that this saw is fuel efficient enough to exhaust the fuel and oil somewhat commensurately. Nothing to do with running it rich and wasting fuel. I get fairly long run times on a fill-up. Yes, there is some oil left in the tank when I normally fill up with gas, but not that much.


Thanks for reading the posts thoroughly....its a big help in diagnosing the actual problem I'm having with the saw. I agree, the larger radius nose on the bar has helped from slinging chains. As I said above, I haven't thrown a chain since I put the Tsumura bar on.

Now for the good news: @sugarbush had the right idea about the bar oiling holes being the problem. The Tsumura has oiling holes on the side of the bar, whereas the stock Makita has them running vertically from the chain tensioner holes to the chain rails of the bar. The Tsumura holes align with the oiler ducts of the saw, but when blocked caused the oil to push around the outside of the bar and fall to ground and collect inside sprocket cover. So, I cleaned up the bar and it worked well, but I wasn't quite happy with the results, so I decided a little modification was in order.
I took a 1/16" drill bit and while holding the bar vertically, drilled three small holes downward to intersect with the chain tensioner mount holes to replicate the stock bar oiling pattern. Reinstalled the bar and chain and its really oiling well after that little mod. Had to turn the oiler down to about midrange.

So, for any guys that are running other than stock bars on a 421/4300, or would like to upgrade their stock config, this is a great 5-minute mod that greatly improves oiling.

I appreciate all the replies and suggestions.

Cheers
Dan

Glad you figured it out. Seems like the bar is K041 not K095 as I thought. So you have the wrong bar, easy enough mod though.

 

[AlfA01]

Does your bar look like this? Unless this bar has double oiler holes it is the wrong bar.

The K041 style mount oils through the upper bar adjuster hole.

View attachment 630590

That's the one. Already solved and oiling like new. Thanks for the reply!

 

[CR888]

Also it may have previously worked when chain was new & now that bits stretched some it's not right. Obviously you have a close but not correct bar mount pattern that needs modding but with simple checks you can see what's going on.