No oil splatter from Stihl MS 180

[chainsawloco]

Hello.  Got a chain oiling problem on my 2008 Stihl MS 180.  I haven't found an answer on this forum or anywhere else.

Here are the details:

- Oil does come out of the oil port
- Oil gets on chain, but does not splatter when I test it over a log
- Oil gets all over the inside of the sprocket cover
- There are no air bubbles when I run it with the bar off

What I have done so far:
- I cleaned the oil port on saw and bar with compressed air
- I emptied the oil tank, put in gasoline and swooshed it around to clean it
- Ran a shop vac to try to dislodge particles (suction, not blowing)

It seems to me that the oiler is running fine and that the problem is with the bar.  But the bar looks very clean.  The port is visibly clean. 

Any thoughts?

[sablatnic]

Try it over a news paper, you can't always see it on wood, and those smaller saws don't pump much oil anyway. Check the bar, see if it has oil holes on both sides. I had a problem with a saw where one side of the bar had been turned around, so it only got oil when it was turned "right side up" - when the bar was turned over, both holes were at the bottom and none at the oil opening!

[Pine Ridge]

Take a putty knife starting at the roller nose , and clean the gunk out of the rail groove, then take an air nozzle and blow out the rail groove and oil holes, thats how i clean my bars, hopefully thats all it is, a gummed up bar, and i hope this helps.

[chainsawloco]

Thank you for the replies.  I found the problem and the solution!

Everything was clean and the oil pump seemed to be oiling properly, so it came to me that I should try a new chain.  That worked!  It turns out that the drive links on the old chain were worn thin and therefore were not transporting enough oil along the rail of the guide bar.  So that's why I had oil all inside the sprocket area and not where I needed it.

The cutters were more than half way gone, and I think I should have gotten more life out of the chain.  At some point in the past (not sure when or which chain) I realized that I was running my chain too loose, so that may have shortened the life of the drive links.

Hope this helps somebody.

[Texas-Jim]

Chains live a very hard life, you can run a better oil to help prolong their life but its a lot higher. So in the end might end up spending the same money. Running a chain loose wears everything, sprocket, chain and the bar. if you notice on under side of bar at the tip it starts hollowing out right behind the nose sprocket thats cause by loose chain.

[chainsawloco]

Thanks Jim. I am running Stihl branded bar oil, which seems to be bottled by the importer here.  It's not cheap at all, but I figure it's worth it.

[jimjjr]

Not sure if this conversation is too old to comment on or not. Here goes anyway I ran across this forum while searching out advice on a oiling problem on my  MS 180 C. I can't see any signs of oiling at the bar my saw leaked a lot of oil during storage and after each use I could see a little oil on wood I was cutting then it quit showings signs of oiling at the bar. I have moved to new location I had started using a local shop to get chains sharpened and new chains so I took my saw to them. They were really busy but finally called and said it would take more to fix my saw than to buy a new one I'm NOT mad at them but I am kinda hard headed they said they put oil pump and lines in it and it didn't fix it say it was a warped case they didn't charge me very much for the bad news. This all my be true but this saw has served me well until now and I het to give up on it. I do have oil coming out from bottom of clutch when it sets but doesn't seem to put out oil there when it's running. Oh well this is getting way too long. I will entertain questions and suggestions.
Thanks for help
Jim

[Ivan49]

 Change your oil line. Look on the net and you can find how to do it

[jimjjr]

thanks, lookin into that right now
Jim