Stihl MS290 using up bar oil - but no oil going to bar

[medic1050]

1 take off the bar and chain look to ensure the oiler is clean and not blocked. Start the engine and run looking for oil to drip from the oiler.

2 I use a chain Gage to run the length of the bar to ensure there is no build up of oil and dust gumming up the bar.

3 Mount the bar and chain start the saw and run it up to full throttle. Point the tip just slightly off a fresh cut wood surface and watch for oil throw coming off the tip.

If those all occur then the chain is being oiled properly. Burning on the chain can be from a dull chain. Look at the chips, they should be large and uniform. No Oil on th enchain would likely have resulted in a lot of smoke and burning of the paint on the bar by the end of one tank. The oil is going somewhere my bet is that you have a dull chain and it is over heating from excessive cutting friction.

[Storm56]

There is also a 10 degree "offset" angle to be concerned with in addition to the 30 degree angle you mentioned. As LD1 mentioned the rakers come into play also.

[jim_wilson]

How old is this chain, and have you ever lowered the rakers?? Maybe it has been sharpened enough it is time? The chain could very well be good n sharp, but the rakers are what is causing the dust.

Not related to the oiling problem though.....

It's the original chain that came with the saw. It's probably been sharpened about 12 times. I haven't lowered the rakers. I'm going to go get a new chain tonite and try checking to see if the oil comes out with just the powerhead (no bar) running.

[jim_wilson]

1 take off the bar and chain look to ensure the oiler is clean and not blocked. Start the engine and run looking for oil to drip from the oiler.

2 I use a chain Gage to run the length of the bar to ensure there is no build up of oil and dust gumming up the bar.

3 Mount the bar and chain start the saw and run it up to full throttle. Point the tip just slightly off a fresh cut wood surface and watch for oil throw coming off the tip.

If those all occur then the chain is being oiled properly. Burning on the chain can be from a dull chain. Look at the chips, they should be large and uniform. No Oil on th enchain would likely have resulted in a lot of smoke and burning of the paint on the bar by the end of one tank. The oil is going somewhere my bet is that you have a dull chain and it is over heating from excessive cutting friction.

The bar is burned some - and there is no evidence that there is any oil getting on the chain - or even building up around the powerhead. But the oil disappears out of the tank - that is the part that threw us off. That's why my father hypothesized that the oil was getting sucked into the saw and burned.

I'll go thru everything one by one. If the oil is coming out with just the powerhead running - then I'll move to the bar and blow that out (I have compressed air). I'm going to get a new chain since it's probably time for that anyway. I'll get it all back together and see what happens.

[LD1]

It's the original chain that came with the saw. It's probably been sharpened about 12 times. I haven't lowered the rakers. I'm going to go get a new chain tonite and try checking to see if the oil comes out with just the powerhead (no bar) running.

12 sharpenings without lowering the rakers is definatally the dust instead of chips problem.

[TripleR]

Yep, you definitely have to lower the rakers or whatever they are called, I use the term depth gauges as they control how much of a cut the teeth get and if they are too high the teeth don't get much of a cut and if too low you can get more kick back.

I am certainly no expert on tthis and just do what works best for me. I really messed some chains up years ago when I first stated using saws.

[jim_wilson]

Ok, so when I got home tonite I pulled out the power head - made sure the bar oil resevoir was full - and started it up. I let it warm up a bit - then pointed it towards a piece of plywood (bar side down towards the plywood) and let it rip.

I didn't see one drop of oil come out of the brass feed tube that feeds the back of the bar.

I ran it for a few minutes - and didn't see any evidence of any oil coming out anywhere on the saw at all. But I know the saw has been putting the oil somewhere. So I've still got a mystery on my hands. I'm going to have to take the flywheel off and check the feed tubes and so forth to see if there is a clog somewhere.

The part that bugs me isn't necessarily the fact that no oil is getting to the chain - it's the fact that the oil isn't going to chain , but the resevoir is emptying - and there's no evidence of where the darn oil is all going to. I would expect the saw to be covered in oil at this point for the amount of oil I put thru it this weekend.

[Scooby074]

Any oil around the base of the saw in storage?

The oil has to be going somewhere, either leaking on the ground or going out the port to the bar. There is really nowhere else it CAN go. Even if the case was cracked it would still be leaking on the ground.

Every time (or every couple times realistically) that you sharpen you need to take a toothbrush and clean out the crap in where the oil goes onto the bar. Also its good practice to flip the bar (make the brand label upside down). This promotes even wear on the bar.

Agree with the others on the chain rakers.

The way I check my oiling is to run the saw wide open with the tip of the bar facing either wood or something that will show up oil, like cardboard. If the chain is getting lube you'll will see oil drops being flung onto the wood or cardboard.

[Highbeam]

I also have a newer MS290. On the bottom of the saw you can adjust the oiler rate, turn it to max. Even at max, you should not expect to see much oil on the chain at all. No slinging off the tip like the old days. The EPA has deemed our saws overoilers and has reduced oil feed rate to near zip.

Check your chain tension, it sounds too tight. The chain should easily move with just the use of your gloved hand pushing the chain along the bar.

Your saw has flippy caps on the oil reservoir. Many people have problems getting these to seal and the oil can be dumping.

I don't believe in sharpening the chain on the bar. Remove the chain and swap it for a sharp one, flipping the bar every time. During the swap the operator should use compressed air to blow out all debris from the powerhead and the bar groove. Buy and learn to use a bench mounted chain grinder as well as a raker gauge.

My bet is too tight of a chain, dull chain being pushed into wood, and standard crappy oiler.

[s219]

Yep, the new Stihls do not visibly oil very much. But they do oil enough to lubricate the chain.