Tearing my hair out this afternoon, they heat and a delinquent client didn't help my mood either. I bucked some logs up this morning and loaded the mill deck for milling in a few days and in the process I killed the chain on my little 350 with dirt and gravel on the logs. It was due for a cleaning anyway and this one gets used most sporadically. So I did the chain after I took a shower (soaked through and covered with sawdust). Then pulled the bar, cleaned that up, checked the edges, no dressing required and cleaned the rest of the saw and clutch cover. I could not remember the last time I greased the bearing on the clutch drum so I removed the clutch to do that. In the process, one of the springs popped out. I have the same clutch on my 450 and when it happened on that saw it only took me two minutes to figure it out and get it back together (with no special tools that I recall). On this one, try as I might I could not get that thing back in, or even close. I even found a video of a guy with a trick he used, but it didn't work for me (and I have the blood blister to prove it). This should not be that hard. Here is the clutch:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52103/IMG_20230904_171550519.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1693864579)
I looked to see if Husky had a special tool for this with no joy. Does anybody have a trick or better yet, a proper solution for getting these back together? I gave up in frustration (given the other stuff). I figured I'd ask here because often you guys save me hours of misery and/or many $ just because y'all know more than I ever will. No sense beating my head against the wall.
To be honest I like this saw. I bought it from the original owner and after putting on a used jug and piston I got from Spike it's been running like a top. I want to keep it that way. Looking at the spur drive, there is fairly good wear, so I am thinking of getting a new drum/clutch/bearing kit anyway. It's a 2001 saw as far as I can tell, so maybe it's due I think. Maybe go to a rim sprocket while I am at it.
@spike60 is there a special tool for these springs?
Here is a post that shows a bit of a different method.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=38150.0 (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=38150.0)
You could also go look for something called lock ring pliers(not snap ring or circlip pliers). These pliers have flat ends. The pliers below open 1 1/2 inches.
https://www.jbtools.com/wilde-tool-straight-tip-lock-ring-pliers-9-inch-with-satin-finish-g407-np-bb/?wi=off (https://www.jbtools.com/wilde-tool-straight-tip-lock-ring-pliers-9-inch-with-satin-finish-g407-np-bb/?wi=off)
Piston ring installer pliers also come to mind.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/lisle-piston-ring-installer-remover-pliers-33500/22984306-p?c3ch=PLA&c3nid=22984306-P&srsltid=AfmBOooJ4OqdFKEZ6GwJDmKmALlt4qc_U3_K39sts6y5Q8bLcy9o9R2ethU (https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/lisle-piston-ring-installer-remover-pliers-33500/22984306-p?c3ch=PLA&c3nid=22984306-P&srsltid=AfmBOooJ4OqdFKEZ6GwJDmKmALlt4qc_U3_K39sts6y5Q8bLcy9o9R2ethU)
Well I will certainly try that method in the morning but given what I learned with all my different attempts today, I am not really hopeful. I am thinking, given the age that maybe there is too much wear on the tabs of these springs and a new clutch is the right thing here. But believe me, I will give this a good college try (just keep in mind I never graduated from college). ;D
You responded before I finished adding links to my post. Hope you read it again.
Yeah, just read it again. I may have one of those pliers in my shop somewhere, I'll have to go on a hunt tomorrow. Thanks for the help. I just think these springs may be worn on the ends or may be one of the revised springs noted in the thread you referenced. I had vey little trouble with my 450 which is much newer. This one just seems different and less do-able.
Tomorrow is another day.
It took two of use to reinstall a chain brake that came out on my friend husky. It is usually not the obvious. may have to pry open the other side, to get the other in. I also agree with replace parts, but they may all come separate anyway. :snowball:
Are you holding your mouth the right way?
sometimes, and sometimes there were words coming out that I cannot spell here.
Bear in mind, that you don't have to take the clutch off to grease the bearing on these. Give it a couple of shots on the end of the shaft with a bar grease tip.
Good luck with that spring too.
Doc I did the chain brake spring a couple of years ago and don't recall any exceptional problem getting it in, it was just a little tricky. I don't recall what caused me to do that, I think I replaced a broken one on another 350 or it popped out. So far, I haven't used any 'words', but I have been close.
Don, I can't say, but maybe I should set up a mirror to check, that could be it. ;D
Fishnuts, I'll have to check and see if this crank has the grease hole, not all do. But in this case I was doing a general inspection and I wanted to get a look at the bearing condition as well as that spur drive and also give a good cleaning back there, which was never done on this saw that I could recall. I try to do this on all my saws once a year at least because that's how I find problems before they become issues.
I just have a feeling its something else with this clutch. That spring is really stiff and not very close to snapping in. Any tools I have used to try and pull the spring in place require a LOT of force, more that I think they should need. Since it's the same clutch as my 450 I would have already ordered a spare/replacement if I were a little more flush.
I hate having saws in pieces on the bench, especially one that weren't broke when I started on it. Makes me crazy. I'll give it another shot in a little while.
Done. 8)
Took about 10 minutes this go round. :D I could not do the 'plier/spreader thing', the spring is just too strong for that. I used a combination of needle nose and water pump pliers and just worked it in as I held it in a vise compressed, probably the same as I did last time. I think yesterday it was just a buildup of uncomfortable heat after working in the sun at the mill, frustrations over totally unrelated stuff, being tired and a lack of beer (at that point, later resolved). This morning was just a fresh clean rested mind. I also pulled the side plate and checked the oil pump function and cleaned all that up too. Back to running like a top again and it's off the bench. ;D I like knowing what condition my saws are in without having to take them apart when things go wrong. This is my saw, there are many like it but this one is mine......
Fishnuts, I did check and there is no grease hole through to the bearing on this one. You have to remove the bearing to grease it.
Next time I have excess cash :D and invest in some spare parts I will order another clutch and drum as a spare, this one could be replaced anytime now, it's getting worn. I use this saw mostly for firewood, yard work, and trimming logs at the mill once in a while. It rides in a scabbard on the Mule most of the time.
the chain brake was just as you describe this clutch. It took several hours and taking it to a dealer was discussed. it came apart when it threw a chain. I do not remember the exact details, but the brake was in the engaged position, and we could not change it so had to pry and compress the spring and get so close and it would pop out. It required us to practice many times and finally a little luck and sweat and it was back together. had we taken it apart, it would have been easier. My buddy worked in repair at a major case dealer here and has tons of experience at this kind of stuff. It took both of us. If it ever happens again, I will ship it to you. his son worked at an outdoors business selling mowers and chainsaws and had seen this before and said there was no easy way to fix it or put it back together. no special tool. He was in Mississippi.
I've always used a pair of snap ring pliers. Just a matter of seconds. Works on all of those springs up to the larger ones on the 385/390.
Some of these things can be a real bear to get right and one's frame of mind plays a big part many times. I had the chain brake mechanism on the clutch cover in the wrong position once it it confounded me for a bit, then I figured it out and it took about a minute to fix. Again, I don't recall how I did it. I do know I have talked with others who had this happen and they were beyond frustrated trying to fix it and wound up needing help or service. I bet Spike saw these things all the time and hoped he had popped in with a simple solution so we all learn.
Ah, there he is now. Well Bob, none of the pliers I had would work on this one. Pretty sure that's how I did the 450, but these springs were strong!
No matter, I am good to go now. :)
My snap ring pliers are a decent size. I changed an awful lot of those springs, so I had to have something that worked quick.
That clutch was used on a lot of models, so they are lying around everywhere at a former shop near you. No cash needed, cold beer is the preferred currency of choice. Especially in this thought it was over heat wave. 😫
Glad its "fixed". Uh, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! dadgum you, Charlie!
Yeah, it wasn't broke until I was working on it. :D But I learned something.
I don't use clutch removal tools or a piston stop. I just stick the end of a beat up felling wedge in on the clutch shoulder and give it a sharp whack with another wedge. I see too many guys do this with a screwdriver or worse, a chisel. This is a BAD IDEA. That clutch is made from investment cast tool steel and it very hard to resist wear. Hardness contributes to brittleness and striking something that hard with a steel tool can cause is to shatter. Then you are really in a tough spot. Those plastic wedges work just great for me.
It was the side cover we were working on, and it had to go back together in the "hardest" position to fit back on the saw. with a spring very compressed. I am not a Husky guy. :snowball:
I gave in last week and bought a clutch removal tool. Let me tell you, it's worth it. I have the same clutch on my Jonsered 2150. I had to take it off as I had mis-installed new crank seals twice (I do it right because I do it twice, stolen I know). I could not for the life of me get it off with the above mentioned method, so since I needed new seals anyway, I figured I might as well by the tool from the company I bought the seals from. Boy was that tool a life saver. It makes it so easy. Funny story as well. When I got into the cylinder, the base gasket had folded itself into one of the transfers, also causing a massive air leak. So, long story short, I put new seals in for the 3rd time, did a gasket delete, and the saw runs better than I ever remember now.
One of these days when I am ordering related stuff, I might get one but honestly the felling wedge method works every time for me, usually by the third shot and I could do it just as quick in the field if I needed to. It was just this one time that the spring popped out. Honestly (and I am not casting blame here) I think the one spring in there is a bit overbent because even when I got it snapped back in the tabs didn't settle in as cleanly as I have seen on any other clutch. I think I am seeing wear on the spring tabs, but haven't done enough of them to really recognize it for sure.
But yeah, I should probably get one too, they are easy to find. One of the tools I would like to find is the cleaning tool for bar grooves. I saw one at Boonville but for some incredibly stupid reason I did not buy it (or 3 of them). Having a tool that goes all the way in the groove can bring out an awful lot of junk. They are probably worth about $.50 so figure a 3 dollar selling cost. We should all have them on the bench, but who does? I use a flat nut pick and that works well, but those are hard to find too. :D
Well this thread is 14 months old and as it happens I am back here again. ffcheesy
This 350 probably gets more hours than any of my other saws but the last few months we switched to a battery saw at the mill for slabs, so usage is a bit lower now. Today I realized somebody had "borrowed" the battery saw so I grabbed my 350 which is almost always on my truck. It was hard pulling and I realized the chain was engaged. I got it started and used it, but the chain would not stop at idle. If I engaged the chain brake, it would stall the saw right out. I guess t through my session ok just being ng careful and when I got back to my shop I opened it up and found the dang clutch spring was snapped in half. Well can't fix that. So I order new springs and will have to wait until they come in. It always something. Just grab another saw for now. I got a few
I have a 350 I got for free a long time ago, it's actually turned out to be a great little saw.
I recently got a "Euro" style muffler (front exhaust instead of top exhaust) and a slightly used top cover to replace the original with the burned out hole in it from the top exhaust muffler. Whatever possessed Husky to think that putting a muffler exhaust back under a plastic cover was a good idea is a mystery.
This tool from Amazon worked great for clutch service and it's not expensive: https://a.co/d/8vH6sQh
The clutch springs are another story. Sitting here at the computer, I can't for the life of me remember what I used which means the saws are (over)due for service again...
Top outlet melting the cover is EXTREMELY rare. No mystery; the concept is sound. (Get it?) ffcheesy
Top outlets are used on every saw except the 395. All 300, 400, and 500 series saws are so equipped. Historically? Early 371 top cover was pulled back a bit as one of the changes in becoming the 372. The hand guard was also changed. Which is why mixing a 371 hand guard with a 372 cover might burn your hand but the top cover will be fine.
Only time I've seen this on a 350 family saw is if the deflector had been altered. Or, the screen was removed along with the screw that secures it. Not supposed to happen, but if the screw had penetrated too far, it will leave a hole that will in turn drill a hole in the cover. Only ever saw it happen with the thinner 350 mufflers. The heavier mufflers on other saws never had an issue.
One more thing: some of these saws got cat mufflers. They were labeled e-tech and had green fuel caps. (What else?) Those mufflers got HOT. They could distort a top cover no matter where the outlet was. Talk about a bad idea. smiley_thumbsdown
Looked on Marketplace just now and saw two other 350's with a melted top cover. I'd bet it's from running a dull chain.
Sure are a lot of Rancher models for sale on Marketplace, especially the 455.
Quote from: SwingOak on January 04, 2025, 06:50:21 PMLooked on Marketplace just now and saw two other 350's with a melted top cover. I'd bet it's from running a dull chain.
Sure are a lot of Rancher models for sale on Marketplace, especially the 455.
Scanning marketplace is likely exhaustive research for a small mind, but if it helped you sleep last night that's all that matters. Loose muffler bolts could be striking again here on those horrible 45mm top ends. But the top outlet is not an issue. Hope you got your chain sharpened. ffsmiley
I have noticed that some top covers have an adhesive foil adhered to the underside of the top cover. It is about 3" x 4" and I would think this would help with the radiant heat that the top cover is exposed to in that area.
As for the clutch spring, a pair of snap ring pliers is affective and inexpensive.
Thanks Dave. And you are correct that radiant heat, not exhaust gas can be an issue.
The possibility I should have mentioned in my earlier post is that loose muffler bolts, and therefore a loose muffler will also direct exhaust gas straight up to the top cover. (and in every direction for that matter) But the outlet location isn't the problem. Top outlets are used on nearly everything in the catalog going on close to 30 years now.
Well here I am back again! Yesterday I was whacking up a dead fall that clobbered my fence (again) in a wind storm we had Thursday night. I noticed that the 350 was acting just a tiny bit weird and would stall if the chain stopped. It was quick work, a dozen or so cuts and then done, I just thought I would have to up the "L" screw a little bit.
This morning I put it to work on another tree and same issue, plus I noticed a 'tingling' sound like something was loose. The stalling was bad enough that I quit the tree in mid felling cut to fix it. I walked to the shop and adjusted that L screw a bit, no joy and I noticed it stalled every time I hit the chain brake otherwise the chain wouldn't stop. Also, that 'tingling' sound was more pronounced. I checked the muffler bolts (common issue on this saw) and some other stuff but nothing fit the sound I was hearing. Finally it hit me. Here we go again. I pulled the bar cover and the clutch spring dropped out on the floor in 2 pieces. Dang.
I thought I had a spare from the last time and it wasn't where I expected or anyplace else I looked. I grabbed the 450 and finished the job after ordering a pair of new springs to get them on the way.
After lunch I thought on it some more and was sure I had another spring and sure enough I found it and started the process of trying to get it in. It wasn't happening, same as last time. No way could I get that spring in. I walked away, then tried again, then repeated the cycle. The I remembered this thread and re-read it.
@rusticretreater had made suggestions I never followed up on the last time because I fixed it with other means. He suggested some special type pliers and I thought I had a pair that would work, but never looked for them, today, in frustration, I did search and found just the right thing in my odd pliers drawer. They worked so perfect it was downright scary. These pliers I found would open when you squeezed the handles and the range was perfect for these springs. That spring dropped in so easy I had to look at it twice to make sure it as actually in, seemed way too easy. I have no idea what this tool was designed for, but it's a quality tool, I think it's a Williams.
SO I put it all back together and checked it all out, no tuning required, all good. So now I have the perfect tool (I hung it up on my tool board) and the clutch removal tool I bought a few months back worked like a charm too, my first chance to try that out.
Hopefully this is my last visit to this thread. ffcheesy
Got a link to those fancy pliers?
No I don't Ray, sorry. I don't even know what they are made for. But I'll tell you what, since it is raining here a lot more than the sprinkles predicted, I will get some photos and try to do some sleuthing to try and figure it out. I am kind of curious too know myself. These are old school quality made and the tips are flat paddle-like with a small notch. Probably for working with some type of spring ring or something. Lets see what I can find out today.
Mystery Solved: These are Williams 8" external snap ring pliers #1515 and if you search for just that you will find a pair on ebay right now. This is not the current sheetmetal stamped tool widely available. I tried these and they bend or twist. These don't.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52103/IMG_20250622_094310455.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359790)
The two holes in the handle are for a hair spring which is missing on mine. The jaw tips have a unique shape.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52103/IMG_20250622_094334670.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=359789)
All I know is that they make a PITA time consuming and frustrating task take about 2 seconds. I'm a happy camper.
Thank you for your time!!!
Well I wanted to know myself too so I can pass the info on later down the line. It made a PITA job into a pleasure and hat can be rare.