Husqvarana 181SE Crank Seals

[iggy913]

Ladies and Gentleman,

I've got a 1983 Husqvarna 181SE that's in phenomenal shape, save for the fact that she leaks bar oil like crazy when it's running. I've turned the oiler down to 1, it was on 3, and it makes no difference, making me suspicious of a leak somewhere. It doesn't leak when the saw is off, but once it starts running I've got a steady drip coming from under the saw. I've taken off the oil pump to find 30 years of oil-soaked saw dust behind it, but no obvious damage. The oil line behind the pump looks to be intact with no visible damage. Something I don't see is a seal for the crankshaft, something has got to keep the bar oil out and the fuel/oil inside the case right, or is the actual crank seal behind the bearing? It must be behind the bearing as this saw runs like a top, aside from the leaking oil.

 

[Junk Meister]

I have never seen a seal on the crankcase side of bearing. In my view it shouldn't run at all without a seal.
Good luck with help from other members here.

 

[jacob j.]

The PTO side seal is in the body of the oil pump. The flywheel side seal is mounted in the crankcase. There's an O-ring that also mounts in the body of the pump to seal that area against the crankcase.

If you're leaking oil from under the saw, I would suspect the intake hose (at the lower right in your picture). Those mesh up with the oil pump body using a lip that sits in a corresponding groove and the hose shrinks over time. I've had good luck stopping those leaks by slipping an o-ring between the hose lip and the body of the oil pump.

 

[qurotro]

JJ is right. I've use silicon with good result.
Another lead is the oil input hole from the oil pump to the case. Its a little rubber O ring that still in you pic, just right up from the intake hose. That one will age and leak too.

 

[davidwyby]

Is the clutch turning at idle?

 

[Greasy Fingers]

There’s a guy on eBay that sells the o- ring ( crank seal) for the pump and the x- ring ( the small one) very reasonable. I’ve used many of them. Etextown3 is his eBay name.
Sends them out quick too.