Husqvarna 359 chain / bar / sprocket problem

[Markhv]

I was in the woods today cutting some slabs for a shed we are building.

The saw I use is a second hand Husqvarna 359 apparently with only 30 hours on the clock.

It came with a 20" bar with a 3/8 chain. The saw is born with a 0.325" chain - save that info for later!

Well I got myself a 28" 0,050" 93DL Oregon bar and fitted it with an Oregon 91R001E 3/8", 0,05" chain (ripping chain, filed in 5 degrees).

It slabbed the larch beautifully, I would actually say you would not be able to see the difference between these chainsaw milled slabs or some bandsaw milled ones.

After making nine slabs from one trunk, I started on the next one. Suddenly I began to experience lack of power.

I filed the chain and noticed a "crackingly, rattle sound from the sprocket. I have noted this before and thought it was normal for the saw since I have been slabbing three trunks with the 20" bar it came with without a problem. There is no noise when the saw runs.

I noticed that all of the drive links was burred on the chain. I then took a look at the sprocket and realized that it must be worn out. I called my father and he picked a new sprocket up for me. We swapped in the woods and noticed that the old sprocket was 0.325". We assumed that the problem must hat been this.

After filing 2 x 93 burrs off the drive links, assembled the whole thing again and was ready to go milling again.

Unfortunately where was still a lack of power - the drive links was burred again causing an excessive amount of friction between the chain and the bar.

Do you wise people have any suggestions to what can cause this problem?

 

[AlfA01]

Did you take a look at the clutch, springs, etc?

I'm a little confused about the sprocket size.

Sounds like you've got some play in the clutch and maybe crank area that is causing your driver's to get chewed up.

 

[AlfA01]

Post a pic of the clutch and sprocket.

 

[Dub11]

Take a peek at the exhaust port through the spark plug hole. Is there any scoring?

I wanna throw out a guess that the clutch side seal got hot from the wrong rim sprocket and then a possible lack of bar oil on that long bar while milling and maybe there is an air leak now.

Here is a oiler mod thread that can help in your future endeavor
http://opeforum.com/threads/husqvarna-oiler-mod.518/

 

[Markhv]

alfA01
I changed the sprocket to the right pitch. With no though. I will go and grab some photos of the clutch. There is some play in the clutch, 5-8 mm I would say.

Dub11
What would I be looking for in the exhaust port? As a starting point, I would not think that it is a question of lacking bar oil. At least the fine dust was collecting on the bar where the chain and bar meet on the cutting side of the bar in I make myself clear enough...

 

[redline4]

The old sprocket (one you replaced) was .325, what did you replace it with?
You said the chain you had is 3/8' (.375).
3/8 chain will make some funky noises on a .325 sprocket.. I installed a 3/8 chain on my .325 028 once and noticed it as soon as I grabbed the chain and rotated it.
Did it eat the clutch drum bearing?

 

[Dub11]

alfA01
I changed the sprocket to the right pitch. With no though. I will go and grab some photos of the clutch. There is some play in the clutch, 5-8 mm I would say.

Dub11
What would I be looking for in the exhaust port? As a starting point, I would not think that it is a question of lacking bar oil. At least the fine dust was collecting on the bar where the chain and bar meet on the cutting side of the bar in I make myself clear enough...

Vertical lines around the exhaust port.

 

[AlfA01]

The old sprocket (one you replaced) was .325, what did you replace it with?
You said the chain you had is 3/8' (.375).
3/8 chain will make some funky noises on a .325 sprocket.. I installed a 3/8 chain on my .325 028 once and noticed it as soon as I grabbed the chain and rotated it.
Did it eat the clutch drum bearing?

Vertical lines around the exhaust port.

Both good points. I'm curious about the clutch bearing and the PTO side crank bearing. Since you are seeing 5-8mm of play in the clutch, I'm thinking one or both are shot.

OP: the reason I said I'm confused about the 325 and 3/8 sprockets, is because the parts breakdown shows that you have a rim sprocket setup. The 325 setup would require smaller drive teeth on the clutch drum which would not fit the 3/8 rim sprocket. I have both on my saws so I posted a pic of the size difference on a Husky 562 clutch drum.

In either case, you must have had the clutch off to swap the sprocket. Did you notice any bearing play when the clutch was off? Did you inspect the clutch needle bearing?

 

[Markhv]

OK.

I have just had a look at the cylinder around the exhaust port and there are no vertical marks worth mentioning.

There is no radial play in the clutch bearing worth mentioning. I can feel it in my hand but it is not enough to see it with the naked eye. The play I mentioned earlier is diagonally when I pull/down in the clutch drum.

Just had the clutch off again. The new rim sprocket says 325-7 so here's the problem!

The shop must have just picked the "stock" sprocket that the saw was born with instead of the 3/8" I ordered... Well now the problem have been localized.

I guess I will be needing a 3/8" drum, 3/8" plastic gear-thing for the oiler and a 3/8" rim sprocket to make this work.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Markhv]

Here's some photos

 

[AlfA01]

Here's some photos

Right on! We found it. I would get the new sprocket, clutch drum and needle bearing. Kit example: https://www.ereplacementparts.com/clutch-drum-p-618024.html

 

[Dub11]

Good deal. And I would make sure that the saw is tuned fat to help with keeping the heat down.


And maybe find another dealer.

 

[AlfA01]

Good deal. And I would make sure that the saw is tuned fat to help with keeping the heat down.


And maybe find another dealer.

Yep. That's the some of the hardest work a chainsaw can do, especially a 60cc saw pulling a 28" bar and chain.

 

[Dub11]

Yep. That's the some of the hardest work a chainsaw can do, especially a 60cc saw pulling a 28" bar and chain.

You got that right.

Granted I have a 32" on a 2159. lol
Zero bending over for limbing.

 

[huskihl]

OK.

I have just had a look at the cylinder around the exhaust port and there are no vertical marks worth mentioning.

There is no radial play in the clutch bearing worth mentioning. I can feel it in my hand but it is not enough to see it with the naked eye. The play I mentioned earlier is diagonally when I pull/down in the clutch drum.

Just had the clutch off again. The new rim sprocket says 325-7 so here's the problem!

The shop must have just picked the "stock" sprocket that the saw was born with instead of the 3/8" I ordered... Well now the problem have been localized.

I guess I will be needing a 3/8" drum, 3/8" plastic gear-thing for the oiler and a 3/8" rim sprocket to make this work.

Thanks for your input.

Not sure why you need the drum, oil driver, etc... From what you've mentioned, you need a 3/8 rim sprocket that fits your drum. And you need to file off the burrs on your drive links

 

[Markhv]

As AlfA01's pictures show, the 3/8" rim won't fit on the .325" drum. The Oiler driver has the 7 teeth that fit the .325 drum to drive it and they won't fit either. But that is just how I godt in my head...

Granberg recommends 28" bar for a 60cc saw and it runs good in my world. The stuff I slab at the moment is about 20" though.

Tuning is new to me I must admit. Do I need any gear to do it? Should I just google it and pick the first YouTube video about it?

 

[huskihl]

As AlfA01's pictures show, the 3/8" rim won't fit on the .325" drum. The Oiler driver has the 7 teeth that fit the .325 drum to drive it and they won't fit either. But that is just how I godt in my head...

Granberg recommends 28" bar for a 60cc saw and it runs good in my world. The stuff I slab at the moment is about 20" though.

Tuning is new to me I must admit. Do I need any gear to do it? Should I just google it and pick the first YouTube video about it?

That's not the only size rim out there. His picture is of a 3/8 large spline rim. You need a 3/8 small spline rim

 

[Markhv]

huskihl
OK then. As you might have noticed, I'm new in this game.

I'll find myself a dealer who got something that fits drum I already have.

Any spare parts worth spending some extra bucks on to have in stock when it gets chewed up that Saturday when the dealer is closed?

 

[huskihl]

huskihl
OK then. As you might have noticed, I'm new in this game.

I'll find myself a dealer who got something that fits drum I already have.

Any spare parts worth spending some extra bucks on to have in stock when it gets chewed up that Saturday when the dealer is closed?

I'd think your dealer might have a small 3/8 rim in stock.

 

[Markhv]

Got the proper ring from the dealer yesterday.

Got it fired up again now but I think the engine sounds different. As if it 4-strokes half the time - I have not noticed this before. Recording below.

When it is working it's way through, I am just letting it chew without pushing it in any way.

I am planning on porting the muffler real soon and snipping the tuning-restictors off the high/low jet screws to be able to tune it. It don't seem that that 1/2 turn on the screw makes any difference when trying to tune it in now.

The recording is before attempting to tune by the way.

SoundCloud link for the recording:

https://soundcloud.com/https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fuser-426264340%2Fhusqvarna-359-chainsaw