Chainsaw Repair

Husqvarna - Stihl - Poulan - Jonsered - Dolmar chainsaws and more => Husqvarna => Topic started by: Old Hippy on January 07, 2012, 07:48:47 pm

Title: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Old Hippy on January 07, 2012, 07:48:47 pm
while installing a new 20" chail on my 455 Rancher, I must have had my chain brake lever in the wrong position when removing the side cover. Now, I can't get the side cover back on. Seems the chain brake strap will not go over the clutch. What can I do????
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: 660magnum on January 07, 2012, 07:55:08 pm
I've had to remove the brake lever from the saw and with the chain cover in a padded vice, use the bare brake lever to release the chain brake.

Then re-install the lever on the saw and then the side cover.
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Cut4fun . on January 07, 2012, 07:56:44 pm
Look at this cover where the circle is. Go to back side and look inside the circle at the 3 star silver metal * where you brake handle goes into.
You need to turn that to open the brake band back up in cover. Redneck fix take a old socket or swrench and cut it to fit the 3 prong metal star and turn to open brake band.

Look at back pic

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Husqvarna-455-460-Chain-Saw-Clutch-Cover-537286301-/110753494314?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19c96c352a
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Cut4fun . on January 07, 2012, 07:57:59 pm
Well now there is 2 ways listed.  ;D
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: John Mc on January 07, 2012, 10:11:11 pm
Somewhere I saw a youtube video of a guy who showed a simple way to reset that little 3 pointed star. I can't remember exactly, but he basically held the clutch cover on "almost in place" where it goes, paying special attention to squeezing the silver 3 pointed star on to it's mating half on the saw body, then flipping the break release handle on or off (I forget which).

Basically, he was using the mating section on the body as the "wrench" to get the 3 pointed start into position.

I'm sure I'm not remembering it right, but it was a great no-tools-required way of re-setting this. I know my description leaves a lot to be desired. I'm hoping it sparks a memory for someone else...
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Cut4fun . on January 07, 2012, 10:34:16 pm
Thanks for the idea John Mc. I had to use utube to strip a s@w 422 the other day. Good source for info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3__b2IYulgc


Little to involved in this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK7eKakMCz8
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: 660magnum on January 08, 2012, 12:06:40 am
I have personally been through the steps of that last video.

I just went ahead and installed the final spring cover before resetting the over-center mechanism. 

I also put the whole chain cover in a padded vice to install the spring and to re-set the over center mechanism.

The spring has to have something partially down through its center at installation or it will buckle and jump out of the slot.

Often when someone forces a chain cover off with the brake engaged, they distort the brake band and it will not seat in the pocket area anymore.
This will require replacement of the band which is not very expensive but the labor technique is generally not easy as has been described.
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Old Hippy on January 08, 2012, 04:34:17 pm
And THANKS...to ALL responses.!!!  I tried meagerly to turn the three armed what-cha-ma-callit, but it seemed determined to stay in the position it was currently occupying.!!! i LOVE THE VIDEOS....too cool.!!!  Glad I found this forum.!!!!!  I will give that a try.!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: farmboy on January 11, 2012, 10:21:39 am
I've had to remove the brake lever from the saw and with the chain cover in a padded vice, use the bare brake lever to release the chain brake.

Then re-install the lever on the saw and then the side cover.
I made a tool out of a long handled spark plug tool.  Cut out every other side about 1/2' deep.
Shep
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: mendoAu on November 24, 2012, 07:56:16 pm
Thanks guy's for the info. I am the proud new owner of a used (ebay) 460. It came boxed with the chain/bar removed and without the above advice I'd still be donking around putting the side case back on. I now totally have come to understand all the "pieces". And thank you farmboy/Cut4fun2 for what seems to me the best piece of advice. After several other ways I found the use of a customized sparkplug wrench by far the simple remedy to flipping the "star wheel/brake spring" into the proper position. Man, I sure want to thank all those who contribute to this forum and will spend untold hours with my chainsaw 101 learning curve.
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: 660magnum on November 24, 2012, 08:05:45 pm
You make us happy

Enjoy the holidays

Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Cut4fun . on November 24, 2012, 08:22:15 pm
I learned another way that was super easy for me. On a 455 a brake band was engaged on clutch cover. 
I just removed clutch and drum off saw.
 Mounted cover back onto saw and worked brake handle to open brake band back up. Only about 5mins for me this way. Then remove cover, reinstall drum and clutch.

Share your ideas too ;)
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Al Smith on November 25, 2012, 07:46:55 am
Chain brakes can be a monumental pain in the buttocks .Wait until you get one completely apart some time .Worse yet some Stihls ,even the same model used different cam actions and they don't interchange either .Oh yeah I've fought em too .
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: man of stihl on November 25, 2012, 09:49:01 am
I hear ya Al. The hardest brake mechanism i have put back together was a dolmar 7900. It took 3 men and a small child to pull that spring back. :o
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: HolmenTree on November 25, 2012, 12:21:27 pm
Myself being not used to the captive sprocket cover nuts on my 562XP, alot of times I accidently trip the chain brake as I pull the cover off.
I just press the side cover back against the chain brake lever "catch" and pull the lever back and forth until it hooks up and opens up the brake band.
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Al Smith on November 25, 2012, 04:59:50 pm
As matter of fact a Dolmar painted blue about gave me fits also .Makita whatever it was that my neighbor spit a rod bearing up through the cylinder .I did one of my half-fast fixes on it and actually it runs like a top .I thought I'd never get the flippen  spring installed though .

Then there was the bones of an 042 Stihl I got from good ole Fred AKA Stihl boy .I only bought it to get the chain break .Good old Stihl as usual had changed the parts from what I had but I got any way .Those pot lickers never could make up their minds how they wanted to do things . Pshaw and I thought McCulloch was bad about that .

Ya know the more I think about it I think it's an international conspiracey to drive saw owners nuts .--it's working ---
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: SawTroll on November 27, 2012, 05:03:26 pm
And THANKS...to ALL responses.!!!  I tried meagerly to turn the three armed what-cha-ma-callit, but it seemed determined to stay in the position it was currently occupying.!!! i LOVE THE VIDEOS....too cool.!!!  Glad I found this forum.!!!!!  I will give that a try.!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some beers, some "brain-smoke" and some brute force fixed it for me the first time this happened - and I never repeated the mistake, so I have forgot the details.... ;D
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: 660magnum on November 27, 2012, 08:18:54 pm
I once bought a relatively new Husqvarna that this had happened to the owner. He took pliers and cut the brake band off at the connector ends.

I replaced the brake band and re-installed the big spring. It was not easy but I eventually figured it out. You would never know it today.

I bought the saw cheap because of the problem and the repair was rather cheap on the pocket book, but hard on the brain. The chainsaw turned out nice.
Title: Re: Husky side cover will not go back on....
Post by: Cut4fun . on July 17, 2017, 06:05:48 pm
Thought I had saved the pic in another thread here but cant find it.
 Here is a homemade resetting tool made from a scrench.  Guy on the CR group shared his pic helping a guy out.