Needle bearing lubrication

[dirtmod454]

I was reading my 372xp owners manual the other day and realized i should be lubricating the needle bearing on the output shaft of the clutch drum. It says use high quality bearing grease or engine oil. Wondering what others use to do this and how often.

Thanks!

[tmroper]

I use grease.

[madhatte]

I grease that bearing every time I have the clutch drum off.  It's cheap insurance against having to replace a crankshaft. 

[windthrown]

I use the grease for the bar sprocket that comes in the Husky tool kit on some of their new saws (came with my 395xpw anyway). I pull the drums and clean them up a few times a year, and grease the sprockets at that time. Just a small dab in there, otherwise it will just fly out into the clutch hub.

[Tony-Fin]

Evening to all
I use grease every time when I open up the cover. And sometimes I just open it up just for fun and for cleaning. I like to keep my gears in a great shape. Maybe too much free time. 
I have Husky 346 xp NE and the owners manual says that lubrication should be done regularly  or weekly. I think that's for the professionals who use 8 hours a day or so.
Anyway I also think that I can't do the lubrication too often. Like madhatte said it's a cheap insurance.

I got a plastic tip grease gun with my saw but it's pretty lame so I invest a little more and ordered a little better one
Aaaah... fun and easy to use

[Rocky_J]

All that grease has to go somewhere, and it mostly ends up caking up on the clutch shoes and restricting their movement. Soon the chain won't stop spinning when you idle the motor and you will have to disassemble the clutch assembly to scrape out the hardened crud preventing the clutch shoes from retracting. I used to grease mine regularly as well, now only about 2-3 times per year.

Years ago you used to get a new roller bearing included with every new drum sprocket. These days they make you buy them separately, about $2. If you never grease the roller bearing you might have to replace it every 5 years or so. Maybe. But keep greasing it until the grease squirts out through the starter recoil.   

[windthrown]

Years ago you used to get a new roller bearing included with every new drum sprocket. These days they make you buy them separately, about $2. If you never grease the roller bearing you might have to replace it every 5 years or so. Maybe. But keep greasing it until the grease squirts out through the starter recoil.   

The starter recoil? Hey, that much grease and you may as well stop adding oil (or grease) to the bar... or even to the premix. That thing will fling grease all over everything. Hey, I just got an idea. Just dunk the saw in a grease barrel every night. Deep fried, just like chicken. Maybe use bacon grease and it will be biodynamic, and smell good at the same time. Cutting trees will smell like a fresh served BLT and cover up the smell of premix and terpentine from the tree cuts. Might be a bit difficult to manage to hold onto the saw though...

I love the smell of bacon in the morning. Not sure about ungreased bearings lasting 5 years. That might be a bit of a stretch. Maybe more like 4 and a half years

[bill m]

In 20 plus years of running saws for a living I don't think I have lubed a clutch drum bearing more than 10 times and have never lost a crank, drum, or bearing.

[jteneyck]

I used to grease the bearing cage after every day of using my 385XP for milling.  After a few years the clutch stuck and I darned near cut my leg.  It's just like Rocky said, the grease and dirt accumulated in the clutch and the shoes wouldn't retract properly.  Now I blow out the clutch every day with compressed air, and I still grease the cage but now I'm a lot more frugal with how much I use - just a dab 'ill do ya.   

[Al_Smith]

The problem with oiling the drum bearing is that oil and dust turn into valve grinding compound .Keep an eye on them though because a bad bearing can cause the drum to run off center .Rounding the clutch shoes and breaking the springs in some cases .Cheap,a couple bucks a piece . Fact is as I type I'm waiting for bearing to arrive for a project saw . I spent way too much time doing it as to take a chance running it with a worn out bearing .

If you are going to oil the recoil ,use silicon spray which is a dry lubricant that doesn't clog full of dust .

[bandmiller2]

Some of the older saws had a drilled passage in the crank to lube the rollers,probibly lead to problems with over greasing.When I have the clutch drum off I grease it outherwise I don't worry about it, a little goes a long way.Frank C.

[ely]

 i was thinking the same thing frank. i used to grease a saw with the tip greaser. just pumped it once or twice thru the end of the shaft. seemed like a good thing to me. but now i just clean the the bearing cage and regrease it when i have the sprocket off to turn it over every so often.

[pineywoods]

Lets look at this subject from another angle. The only time that bearing is used is when the motor is running and the chain is not moving. Under power, the entire clutch, sprocket etc is effective clamped to the crankshaft. With just a bit of lube, it should last practically forever.

[barbender]

Good point pineywoods

[Al_Smith]

They will wear out though  .Most likely what wears most out is setting the brake and letting them idle .

My saws are either pretty much running wide open or shut off . If they won't start easily I find out why .