Help me with 357/cs2159 part number

[Pincher]

Since the latest craze is .325 narrow kerf, I am attempting to change my cs2159 from 3/8 pitch to .325. Saw has the clutch drum for the large rim and 9 tooth is the only .325 rim option. I decided to order the small rim sprocket drum, rim and bearing from HLSupply. HL however did not stock the oil pump drive worm needed for the conversion.

I contacted my local Husqvarna dealer and ordered a 503 91 27-03 worm. For some reason that number didn't work in there system so they offered to look it up for me. I explained to them I needed a worm gear for a 359 chainsaw that was fitted for .325 pitch chain, not 3/8". He looked it up and found that I needed a 503 91 27-02. Part was ordered, came in, I paid and took home and found the worm has 3/8 marked right on it. Checked the fit and found that it was indeed for the large rim drum. I looked up the part on Husqvarnas website thinking the dealer screwed up. To my surprise, it was the same part number they ordered. I took it back to the dealer and showed them the 3/8 markings and explained my findings. They ordered another and came in the same a week later. They told me they contacted Husqvarna parts and came up with the idea of ordering a 503 91 27-03. When that part arrived it also was marked 3/8. The parts guy said he contacted husqvarna and they ran a "bin check" and said they were all the same as they had received. They also told him that even if it is marked 3/8 it will probably work. I picked it up but they did not have a large or small rim to check size. Got home and found it to be wrong.

Looked up part on Jonsered website and get 503 91 27-03.
Looked up part on Husqvarna website and get 503 91 27-02.
Had both, both marked 3/8, both were wrong.

Any suggestions on what I should try next?

 

[jacob j.]

Looking in the latest 359 ipl, I'm pretty much seeing the same numbers - 503 91 27-03 for a worm gear compatible with the regular drum.

Maybe you need to order the worm gear for a 346/353 that would be compatible with the smaller-spline drum? @Spike60 would
probably be able to get you set up correctly.

 

[Spike60]

One of the deals here is that there are 16 357 IPL's from the various years and they can conflict with each other. Only the older ones even show the .325 parts, as the saws could be ordered in .325 back in the 2003-2005 time frame. And there are parts that supersede on the IPL's that may not automatically do the same when entered in the shopping cart.

The different drum in small spline is required because the 7 and 8 pin .325 rims only come that way. That drum; part number 503 980 002 is the same drum that is used on the 346, so most dealers should have no problem with it. And while the drums may interchange between the 346 and 357 families, the oil gears do not. They are different in both depth and inside diameter.

Keep in mind that the oil gear needs to match the drum, NOT the chain pitch. Doesn't matter whether its marked 3/8 or .325, it just needs to mate with the smaller spline drive on the drum. That way, with a small spline set up, you can run .325 or 3/8 by use of a small spline 3/8 rim that was common on 254's and 55's etc.

Your oil gear numbers are correct when mated to the proper drum. Whether they are in fact sending you the right gear is another matter. 503 912 702 supersedes to the 703, and at least the one I have is definitely a small spline. (The large spline 3/8 rim is 503 912 903) The "all the same" answer from the bin check doesn't mean that they are all correct. Did they come loose, or were they in a Husky bag with a part number sticker on it?

 

[Pincher]

This is how both of the worms were packaged. Fits the large drum perfectly. Under a large magnifying glass I was able to make out the part number. 503 91 29-unmarked box. Looks like I need to explain to the dealer again.

 

[Spike60]

Yup, right part number, wrong gear. The 9 at the end of that part number further indicates it's the large spline deal. Have patience with your dealer. Getting all this communicated properly to someone at his regional parts warehouse can sometimes be frustrating for all involved. When you finally get this all sorted out, set it up with an 8 pin rim. Narrow kerf is OK, but I think it'd be best with 20/21 LGX Oregon.

 

[Pincher]

Just to wrap this up, I went back to the local dealer to exchange pump gear for the right one. I took along a large spline drum for a stihl 046 and the aftermarket small spline drum for a 357 to demonstrate why I knew the part that husqvarna supplied was incorrect. The manager at this dealer then proceeded to tell me that since husqvarna did a bin check and both times sent the same part, my aftermarket drum was probably the reason the part did not fit. I informed him to order the drum and assured him the gear would not fit the husqvarna drum either. He made me pay for the part prior to ordering.

After an hour cooling down period I looked up the parts on husqvarna website and it appeared the dealer overcharged. That cool down didn't last long. I clicked on the websites live help button and explained my experience. Apparently the drum shown on the website has been subbed to a different number and I was not overcharged. Commence cool down. They wanted to help but only if I ordered the parts from the website and returned the part to the dealer.

I went back to the dealer and canceled the order. They would not however return the pump gear.

Having low confidence that ordering the part from the husqvarna website would yield better results, project was placed on back burner.

Fast forward almost a month. I had to attend a meeting 40 miles from my place today and it just happens to have our closest thing to a "@Spike60 Bob like" Husqvarna dealership. I walked up to the parts counter and handed him the package with the worm gear. He looked it up, walked over to the bin, grabbed the part and halleluiah its the right part!

Local dealer will not have to worry about doing anything for me again.

 

[Spike60]

But he's not done worrying about some of those entertaining wrong bin adventures.

572 short block? Nope, 580 backpack short block. 562 short block? Nope, looks kind of funny. Ooops, it's for a 560. My all time favorite from a few years back: 395 fuel tank? Nope, fuel tank for a 1996 tractor.