Stihl chainsaw oil pump

Wig

Hi
This machine was new when I got it & only felled a couple of trees, maybe less than 5 working hours in total.

My MS170 stopped oiling, I took it to peices, I have cleaned all the clutch & oil worm drive components, everything is looking good. I've also bent the little worm drive -hooked end- out a little bit so that you can see the tip sticking out when you put the clutch cover on and checked that the clutch cover will still spin without any contact with the white plastic casing. All the oilways look clean. I haven't removed the oil pipe from the oil tank, but I guess I will do that just to be sure it isn't blocked.

I can't see any obvious reason why the thing wasn't oiling, there was sawdust inside the worm gear recess but it wasn't stopping it from functioning. And the oil pump turns no problem.

When I put it back together now, if it doesn't work, the only thing it can be is the oil pump, but why and how would that have broken?

This is the oil pump I would need and it's ridiculously pricey considering the whole machine only costs £150
http://www.lsengineers.co.uk/oil-pump-for-stihl-ms170.html

So I was wondering. Has anyone tried the cheaper versions on ebay? There are some really dodgy looking ones made in China Like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OIL-PUMP-Replaces-STIHL-021-023-025-MS210-MS230-MS250-/140565729576?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20ba5ed128

This one is another copy probably from China, but doesn't look half as dodgy
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STIHL-017-018-MS170-MS180-021-023-025-MS210-230-250-OIL-PUMP-NEW-/230917423180?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenPowerTools_CA&hash=item35c3c0404c

And this copy looks superb, but I would suspect they are using a photo of a genuine Stihl part...infact I have just realised they are using the picture from the 1st link which is original! Bleeding crooks!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STIHL-OIL-PUMP-FITS-017-018-021-023-025-MS170-171-180-181-210-211-230-250-/251223887288?pt=UK_Chainsaw_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a7e1c4db8


Has anyone tried these cheapo versions and do they work?

Gloomendoom

Dunno

Ask on here...

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/chainsaws/

Wig

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Dunno

Ask on here...

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/chainsaws/

Thanks,

That's the sort of place I will ask. After I have checked the oil pipe and oil pick up. Which I'll do tomorrow.

Davesnave

The oil you use can also make a difference. I bought a cheap brand and found it didn't flow well compared with genuine Stihl stuff.

Just a thought.

toolmaker99

hi sorry to bother you did you sort oil pump ? if so how ? always handy to know for future thanks

Wig

Update: I was going to deny that it was the oil, because I know I used original Stihl oil. Anyway, yesterday I happened across an empty 1L Stihl bottle which surprised me.

Some background info.... This thing stopped working about 4 - 5 years ago, I took it to bits without a manual, and got stuck at the clutch cover not knowing the next step would be to remove the clutch cover and how to do it, I looked online for help including youtube and found none. So I put it all into boxes -in bits- and forgot about it. Until last week, I now need to chop up a fallen tree. So I got it out and looked online again and found out how to clean behind the clutch cover. Which I did, but it didn't suggest to me that this would have fixed the problem.

Today, whilst looking for the handle/cradle for chainsaw to put it back together. I found an almost full bottle of chainsaw oil and it is a cheap brand. I had totally forgotten about this. I now realise that it must have stopped oiling the moment that I filled it with this cheap stuff. So I will be draining the tank and buying some Stihl stuff.

However, I reckon you can use the cheap oil if you thin it with some petrol. As I read on a forum that this is what professional loggers do.

Badrick

Wig wrote: »

However, I reckon you can use the cheap oil if you thin it with some petrol. As I read on a forum that this is what professional loggers do.

We used to thin oil with turpentine substitute when we needed a lighter grade, it's not as severe a solvent and has better lubricating properties than petrol.

peter_the_piper

Still best to use the manufacturers oil, thinnning cheap oil may well lose the stickieness needed for chain oil.

Gloomendoom

Some people use cooking oil. Never tried it myself but it is reckoned to be effective and environmentally friendly.

I have Husqvarna chain saws and use Husqvarna chain oil. It is almost as thick as treacle.

Wig

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Some people use cooking oil. Never tried it myself but it is reckoned to be effective and environmentally friendly.

I have Husqvarna chain saws and use Husqvarna chain oil. It is almost as thick as treacle.

That's a good idea. Though I wonder if they use cooking oil in a Stihl, which are affected by the wrong grade of oil? As above a Husky is capable of using a thick oil so cooking oil may be more compatible with other brands of saws.

I noticed Stihl has "Bioplus chain oil" derived from plants 100% biodegradeable, but I'm not paying £10 a litre! I like your idea of cooking oil and I might give it a go. Reading a bit more on the subject, people do generally have no trouble using cooking oil, and the bioplus is allegedly derived from soya.

One caution against thinners substitute though.... it might rot the rubber pipe. Look at this video at runtime 40seconds when he removes the fuel line, which he says is ethanol damage, thinners would probably have the same effect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUyOpYa25cM&NR=1

Wig

Ok so I just returned from using my chainsaw.

I bought some Stihl oil, got the thing working again and put the new oil in. It was no different from before.

The symptoms are that the oil comes out nicely with no bar and no chain. fitted. And the oil comes out into the bar guide when you fit the bar without the chain.

But when you put the chain on, and run it at high speed pointing at a bit of wood a very fine spray of oil appears on the wood like a smear of oil. I'm sure when I first started using it more oil than this came off the cutting tip.
When I noticed this 5 years ago I thought "there's not enough oil coming off there." so I thought there was something wrong.

At the other end of the chain bar, inside the clutch cover, loads of oil is sprayed off.

So it confuses me that hardly any oil comes out at the cutting tip, but loads of oil comes off at the clutch end.

I asked in a mower/saw repair desk in the local DIY superstore and the mechanic said what I described was normal.


I did also accidently run the oil dry while using the saw, and I noticed how hot and dry the chain became. So I know the chain is being oiled enough. because the chain does not get dry when I use it with oil.

But I am left being confused:
It's not the cheap oil
Why there is a difference betweeen the two ends?
Is this really normal?
Why did I think that it used to spray more when it was new?