The Forestry Forum

Good afternoon to all of you chainsaw experts.  For those of you who remember, my Husqvarna 359 broke the clutch side case half near the chain catcher.  I ordered a used half from Chainsawr which was promptly delivered.  I procrastinated tearing into it since I have never separated a chainsaw and do not have any delusions of being a mechanic.

Anyway, I have a couple of questions.
1st-  Should I use any gasket sealer in addition to the gaskets when reassembling?  If so, what brand or characteristics (fuel impervious etc.).
2nd-  I did not properly clean the outside of the engine and the saw prior to disassembly.  Would it be ok to spray the inside and outside parts with brake cleaner and blow out with an air hose after trying to get the dirt and grime off of the outside?

I made a tool that attaches to the bar mount bolts to separate the case.  It worked well.  I saw a similar one on youtube.

 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/image~438.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1508085030) 

 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/image~440.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1508085036) 

 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/image~441.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1508085037) I suppose I should have drained the bar oil prior to separating the case.
Thank you for your guidance.

I would have thoroughly cleaned before removing the cylinder but it's a little late for that. Give everything a good solvent bath and make sure it is super clean, especially the bearings. I give them a final flush with motor oil. A light coat of Permatex Hi-Tack will hold the gaskets in place during reassembly. Gasket maker is not needed with new gaskets (you are using them I hope), it makes a mess and does not improve sealing.

Thank you for the advice.  One more question.  Is the crankshaft oil seal supposed to be flush with the outside surface of the case half?

Just an update on the 359.   Thanks again to the folks here who helped me put this saw back into service.  The saw has burned approximately 15 tanks of fuel since reassembly and it is doing well.  Yesterday we took down a good sized live oak and a couple of pines with it.



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/image~469.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1517752578)

What did I learn in this process?
Clean the saw prior to disassembly.
You can keep cutting off small amounts of your allen wrench to help it fit the bolts better (Cheap Chinese hex key).
If an allen headed exhaust bolt is wallowed out a nut can be welded on to allow removal.
Don't start it up and run it without ensuring the clutch is tight-bearings can go all over the place when the clutch flies off.
A short piece of string trimmer line will help fill the void if a plastic hole is stripped allowing the screw to tighten.
Heat the case half with a heat gun for a few seconds and it will easily slip over the crank bearing.

Caveman, thanks for the hints. I think I will use a few of those. Mountain.

I use compressed air and shots of ether or brakekleenr to get the majority cleaned up before teardown but its not time efficient to try getting fully clean while assembled.  I zip the whole saw down as fast as i can and into a bucket of hot water and dawn concentrate it goes. 

Hondabond and 3 bond are the best sealants ive used.  I replace base gaskets with 100% sealant all the time.  Just be sure you dont pull the starter until next day when fully cured.