What Part Is This??? Poulan Pro 5020AV question

[ManjiSann]

Hey all,

As this is my first post I'll do a quick intro before asking my question.

I bought my first chainsaw a few months ago after trying to acquire "free" firewood and finding out willow does not split well by hand. I bought a new Poulan Pro PR5020 and after a bit of a learning curve with it I've been having a TON of fun! I've helped a few neighbors cut down trees, bucked some firewood and now I'm bitten with the bug. Cutting down trees with a chainsaw is lots of fun!

I decided I want a spare chainsaw so for ease of parts logistics I found a used Poulan Pro PP5020AV. This way I can swap bars and other consumables easily. I ran it real quick before I bought it and everything looked good.

This morning I give it a good clean, put in fresh fuel and bar oil and fire her up. She runs great, cuts well, everything looks wonderful. As I'm draining the bar oil, the little beauty in the attached picture comes out... granted I don't have a lot of experience with chainsaws but as I'm looking at it I'm pretty sure it's not a good thing.

I try my searchfu skills on the interwebs and I'm pretty sure I know where it goes but I have no idea what it's called or how to order a replacement part (assuming it's not one of those parts made from unobtainium.)  It looks like it resides near the oil pump outlet on the bar/chain side but all the replacement oil pump kits I've seen don't appear to include this part.  Can anyone tell me what it's called and if it's something I can replace?

Thanks all!

Brandon  

[sawguy21]

It is a chain catcher that has seen better days. It mounts below the bar to contain the chain if it flips off, saves the operator's leg. It is not necessary for operation of the saw but would be a good idea to replace it.

[ManjiSann]

Hey Sawguy21,

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

Isn't the chain catcher a metal L shaped piece of metal? I don't believe that's what this is.

This is made of plastic and was in the bar oil tank when I was emptying it. It looks like it's been melted a bit and squished. I'm guessing it was originally straight, but that's only a guess. I think it has something to do with allowing the oil tank to "breath" or something of that nature. I think it's normally attached under the chain plate (if that's what they're called, the little sheet metal tooking things that go on either side of the bar, kinda blued in color.)  I pulled the one up that is on the clutch side but couldn't take it off as the clutch blocks it. All the pics I've seen where this plate was removed shows a little white circle in the oil area but mine didn't have white which I believe is due to this piece being gone. 

I can try and get a pic when I get home from work but I don't know how well it'd show up as the chain plate (correct term?) only moves up half an inch or so with the clutch in place.

Thanks all!

Brandon

[ManjiSann]

The more I look into it the more I'm pretty convinced it holds the breathing tube for the bar and chain oil tank. 

Anyone have any idea where I would get such a part? I'm starting to suspect I'm out of luck but hate to throw in the towel. I only paid $45 for the saw so it's not a huge loss but it would still be a bummer if it can't be fixed.

Thanks,

Brandon

[lxskllr]

I'm not seeing anything that looks right, but perhaps you can see something I don't...

Poulan PP5020AV - 966807601 (2011-05) Parts Diagram for HOUSING

It doesn't look much like anything. Maybe it's an extra part engineers like to throw in to justify their paychecks  :^P  What happens when you run it without that?

[ManjiSann]

Hey lxskllr,

Thanks for replying!

I can't see anything in any of the diagrams that looks like it either. It's possible it's not even supposed to be in the saw (fellow I bought it from didn't seem all there.) I once found a wing nut in the drain line of a newly installed dishwasher, point being who knows how things get where they do. So as you say, maybe it's an extra part.

I'm wondering though, where does the OIL TUBE (part 10) in the diagram you referenced, go?  How does it connect? I keep thinking maybe this mangled piece of plastic is what holds that tube in place?

I'll take a better look when I get home from work this evening and see if I can find the oil tube or anything else that looks amiss.

As for how it runs, the engine runs fine and it seems like oil is coming out, just seems like a LOT is coming out but perhaps it's just how it runs. Hopefully I'm not chasing a nonexistent problem here  : :-[

Thanks again all!

Brandon 

[lxskllr]

Poulans are kind of oily. They put out a lot of oil, and dribble when sitting in storage. I have a PP4218 carcass in the garage somewhere. If you haven't figured it out, I'll try taking it apart, and seeing if anything looks like what you have. I suspect it's close enough to be applicable to your saw.

[ManjiSann]

I looked and there is no oil tube (part 10 in the diagram) in the oil tank. I also examined the mystery part and now that I have a better understanding of what should be where I am pretty certain it's the remains of said oil tube that were melted and mangled.

I've already ordered the tool to pull the clutch so I'll just order a new oil tube and I think an oil pump as I'm wondering if it's been damaged. Something had to chew that oil tube up and the gear on the oil pump seems the likely candidate. I also wonder what happened to the little roll pin that I assume is there to hold the tube in place so I'll be flushing the tank a bit. 

To install the oil tube do you just push it in from the bar side?

I figure I'm still ahead, $45 for the saw and about $30 in parts and the fun of learning how these babies work, not to shabby .

Thanks again for helping me work my way through this! I figure I'm still ahead, $45 for the saw and about $30 in parts, not to shabby.

Brandon

[ManjiSann]

The saw looked like it was ran hard, the chain is dull beyond belief and there was a lot of grit everywhere so I suspect it hit dirt or rocks a few times. Would running a dull chain and subsequently pushing hard to try and get the poor saw to cut through wood cause the oil tube to heat up and melt?

What other parts are usually damaged given the above assumed scenario?

Thanks,

Brandon