Stihl flippy caps in the cold

[mudfly]

I have a 261 I was using for trail maintenance this weekend. The high was -5 today. I could not for the life of me get the oil cap to close. I messed around with it for 10 minutes, hands going numb, then finally had to walk a 1/4 mile with the saw to get inside and finally get the cap closed after letting it warm up for 15 minutes. It just wouldn’t grab the 1/4 turn threads. Never had trouble with it before. And ran thru 2 more tanks of fuel and oil after that, no issues.

Has anyone else had this issue?

Can you put a real screw in cap on the saw if you want?

I was about ready to chuck the 261 in the woods and go get my 2152 jred it 5100s but took the 261 since it would auto tune for the cold weather.

 

[Old Grunt]

Yes sir I've had same problem with my 391 when it gets to low teens or colder, I started topping off fuel and oil when done cutting,by time I run tankful its warm enough the tank rubber gaskets are pliable enough to get stupid caps on if I dont fart around to long while refueling.

 

[Marley5]

Yes I have but only on the oil side.
None of mine have ever leaked but still have a love hate relationship with them.

 

[cookies]

Pee on the cap

 

[farmer steve]

I learned not to fill it to full. I keep it about a 1/2 inch below the bottom of the hole. Coldest I've cut is probably in the mid teens.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Coldest I've cut is about -10ºF.

Haven't experienced this issue.

 

[Cycledude]

I don’t own a Stihl Chainsaw but have used them many times, those flippy caps definitely ain’t something I like, I bet they cut down Stihl sales pretty significantly

 

[mudfly]

I don’t own a Stihl Chainsaw but have used them many times, those flippy caps definitely ain’t something I like, I bet they cut down Stihl sales pretty significantly

I am not a fan. It seems like a solution in search of a problem.

 

[Old Grunt]

Pee on the cap

Never peed on chainsaw caps but I have peed on 4x4 lockout hubs a few times to get them to turn when they got little ice in them.

 

[altatim]

Never had an issue with Stihl caps down to -30F. Worked perfectly and never broken one in that temp either.

 

[pioneerguy600]

The first year I got my first new MS440 was a very cold winter for us. It froze fresh water down to 4 feet and we could drive a 20 ton excavator across the pond to a tall stand of hardwood that could not be reached for more than 40 years previous. It was cold every day for two weeks running, -18 to -20 every day and never had one problem with the new flippy caps, actually I like them as I can handle/open and close them with gloves on even at very cold temps. I now have 10 or so MS series saws with flippy caps and not encountered one problem opening or closing them, like farmer steve stated ,do not fill the tanks completely to the top, stop a bit short as the caps do not like compressing overly filled with either fuel or oil.

 

[Chainsaw Pete]

Never peed on chainsaw caps but I have peed on 4x4 lockout hubs a few times to get them to turn when they got little ice in them.

Parked my car overnight near a bar and in the morning, it was obvious that some of the patrons had mistaken my Toyota's wheels for your lockout hubs. Fifty five years ago, my friend found more 'gas' in his motorcycle's tank in the morning than had been there the night before. Yup, he had parked it near a bar. Must have been the same folks.

 

[Marley5]

Parked my car overnight near a bar and in the morning, it was obvious that some of the patrons had mistaken my Toyota's wheels for your lockout hubs. Fifty five years ago, my friend found more 'gas' in his motorcycle's tank in the morning than had been there the night before. Yup, he had parked it near a bar. Must have been the same folks.

Since we're on the topic of pee.
Was riding around with a buddy of mine drinking beer and he was upset because his GF broke up with him and found a new man.
We found his car at the bowling alley with his windows down and my buddy peed all over the seats and on the dash and down the vents..... after a 6-pack of beer
This was in the late 70's but remember it like yesterday.

 

[Chainsaw Pete]

Was riding around with a buddy of mine drinking beer and he was upset because his GF broke up with him and found a new man.
We found his car at the bowling alley with his windows down and my buddy peed all over the seats and on the dash and down the vents.....

Sounds to me like she was smarter than he was.

 

[Del_]

Sounds to me like she was smarter than he was.

No doubt it wasn't difficult for her to find a smarter man.

 

[mudfly]

do not fill the tanks completely to the top, stop a bit short as the caps do not like compressing overly filled with either fuel or oil.

With the cold oil it’s more than possible that I filled it ‘too full’, however cold oil doesn’t like to pour and it also doesn’t like to stop pouring once it starts.

I didn’t get a manual with that saw, does it mention in the owners manual to leave room in the tank?

Never had an issue with a screw cap closing even if oil was oozing out.

 

[pioneerguy600]

With the cold oil it’s more than possible that I filled it ‘too full’, however cold oil doesn’t like to pour and it also doesn’t like to stop pouring once it starts.

I didn’t get a manual with that saw, does it mention in the owners manual to leave room in the tank?

Never had an issue with a screw cap closing even if oil was oozing out.

Not certain about the owners manual but just experience with the MS series with flippy caps since my first one around 1990 has taught me a thing or two.

 

[oldfortyfive]

I had a 261 oil cap that I never did figure out. It would not reliably engage at any temperature. Dumped my oil more than once. Replace the cap and problem went away.

 

[Marley5]

With the cold oil it’s more than possible that I filled it ‘too full’, however cold oil doesn’t like to pour and it also doesn’t like to stop pouring once it starts.

I didn’t get a manual with that saw, does it mention in the owners manual to leave room in the tank?

Never had an issue with a screw cap closing even if oil was oozing out.

Once you figure out the function of the Flippy cap, no problem.
BUT the body of the cap penetrates deeper into both tanks creating back pressure if filled to full.
Not the case with screw caps so to keep from using bad words...... don't overfill those tanks with Flippy caps.