Echo CS 2511 TES bar stud issues.

[wicklamulla]

Mine has migrated outwards and the threads are stripped rendering the saw useless.  Apparently it's a known issue and I've  spoken to Ariens about it. There may be a solution in the pipeline.  Oil keep ye updated. 

[Andrew McEwan]

Bad news Ken, did the stud just spin when having the bar off or did it fail when cutting?

[billpierce]

Does that whole go through to oil tank? Any chance of a bolt getting through from oil tank side if so like in some Huskies. Had a 394 or something once that I had to cut a slit in the end of the stud to stop it spinning with screw driver whilst the nut was undone- obvs not ideal but not too badder fix neither

[spudulike]

On ‎22‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 14:22, billpierce said:

Does that whole go through to oil tank? Any chance of a bolt getting through from oil tank side if so like in some Huskies. Had a 394 or something once that I had to cut a slit in the end of the stud to stop it spinning with screw driver whilst the nut was undone- obvs not ideal but not too badder fix neither

Sounds like a reasonable Idea to me, may need to make up a stud with a plate on it or some sort of washer on the inside of the tank and bond it in to the hole with a bit of epoxy but may just work fine.

[wicklamulla]

Ok i  spoke to Ariens recently and emailed them yesserday.  They rang me this morning and they are collecting the 2511 from my nearby dealer (who is only 15 mins away)  it'll be assessed at HQ and then they will inform me as to what the next course of action is. So far i have been impressed with the local dealers and Ariens willingness to help out when it comes to issues with kit,  4 years ago they offered me all my money back or a brand new replacement saw after i had a few exhaust issues on my CS360TES.  

[wicklamulla]

ok i was lax in getting my 2511 back to them but they have had it fer a few weeks now and it was returned to me today.  The bar stud looks to have been fixed using an insert.  They fitted the latest primer bulb, replaced the carb. and tuned it up for me.  They also replaced the chain brake side casing and some other bits and pieces,  this has cost  me ZERO as they paid for the collection and delivery too.  Needless to say i am super impressed with Ariens / Echo, the communication and updates via telephone and email have been regular and to the point.  I will be buying more Echo kit as i reckon their warranty and back up is truly second to none.

[Mickins]

DIY fix with issues

I had the stud come loose on my echo cs2511tes which was so disappointing because it is a great little saw in so many way. I took it back to where I purchased it from and they sent it back to the Australian distributor and after several weeks they gave me a new one to replace it, for which I was very grateful,   

I was then very careful about being sure not to over tension the nut on the bar stud; I prune palm trees and soon after I got the replacement I was pruning the fronds off an 8m tall cocos palm and as I was getting through a cut I used the saw to deflect a frond away from me and I felt the stud may have given way. Sure enough when I got down to refuel and adjust chain tension the stud was loose and I could no longer tension bar properly. Very disappointing because the pressure I used to deflect the frond was not excessive or unreasonable in any way. I was reluctant to take it back to the store again because I was now sure that a replacement would only have the same problem, Plus it would be quicker for me to fix than wait 2 or 3 weeks for a replacement. 

The stud is only threaded into plastic housing that goes into fuel tank with some plastic bracing. So I drilled into the socket that the stud came out of, all the way into the fuel tank then tapped an M8 x 1.5 thread all the way through into the tank. Then I got a hex head M8 x 1.5 bolt and threaded it into the threaded whole from the inside of the tank which some epoxy glue as sealant. I figured there is no way the hex head will pull through. There is also a locating pin/stud behind the  M8 chain bar stud/bolt which I removed and drilled through to the tank and tapped 1/4" thread through to the fuel tank into which I threaded a section of threaded bar from the outside and fitted a nut on the inside of the fuel tank because I could get a hex head bolt in from the inside of the tank because too far offset from opening. I then got a 1/4" hex nut and ground it round so if fitted comfortable in the slot of the chain bar and ran that down the stud. Then I drilled a hole in the chain cover for the extra/2nd stud to go through and made up and steel reinforcing plate that screws to the chain cover, so now I have two bar studs (photo below). I also made up and fitted a wooden spacer with a 1/4" whole in it that goes between the metal plate and the plastic cover, this prevents the steel plate bending when tightening the 1/4" nut. 

Works great and has been going really well for about 8 months but now I notice the studs are getting longer, they slowly pulling through the plastic and my fuel is starting to leak. When I look inside the fuel tank I see the plastic mound that held the original stud that I tapped the M8 x 1.5 thread has peeled away around the M8 hex bolt head. This bolt and the 1/4" stud are still very firm and still very effectively secure the chain bar tightly in position but I can see that I'm going to be making a few more mods in the near future to stop the M8 and 1/4" bolts from creeping through the plastic, and fix the fuel leak which will only get worse with time. I intend putting a steel plate with a 8mm and 1/4" hole inside the fuel tank to fix this.  

Edited September 26, 2019 by Mickins
a few typo errors: they instead of then, pretension instead of tension, to instead or two etc, plus added a few more words for clarity

[wicklamulla]

On 20/09/2019 at 16:44, Mickins said:

DIY fix with issues

I had the stud come loose on my echo cs2511tes which was so disappointing because it is a great little saw in so many way. I took it back to where I purchased it from and they sent it back to the Australian distributor and after several weeks they gave me a new one to replace it, for which I was very grateful,   

I was then very careful about being sure not to over tension the nut on the bar stud; I prune palm trees and soon after I got the replacement I was pruning the fronds off an 8m tall cocos palm and as I was getting through a cut I used the saw to deflect a frond away from me and I felt the stud may have given way. Sure enough when I got down to refuel and adjust chain tension the stud was loose and I could no longer tension bar properly. Very disappointing because the pressure I used to deflect the frond was not excessive or unreasonable in any way. I was reluctant to take it back to the store again because I was now sure that a replacement would only have the same problem, Plus it would be quicker for me to fix than wait 2 or 3 weeks for a replacement. 

The stud is only threaded into plastic housing that goes into fuel tank with some plastic bracing. So I drilled into the socket that the stud came out of, all the way into the fuel tank then tapped an M8 x 1.5 thread all the way through into the tank. Then I got a hex head M8 x 1.5 bolt and threaded it into the threaded whole from the inside of the tank which some epoxy glue as sealant. I figured there is no way the hex head will pull through. There is also a locating pin/stud behind the  M8 chain bar stud/bolt which I removed and drilled through to the tank and tapped 1/4" thread through to the fuel tank into which I threaded a section of threaded bar from the outside and fitted a nut on the inside of the fuel tank because I could get a hex head bolt in from the inside of the tank because too far offset from opening. I then got a 1/4" hex nut and ground it round so if fitted comfortable in the slot of the chain bar and ran that down the stud. Then I drilled a hole in the chain cover for the extra/2nd stud to go through and made up and steel reinforcing plate that screws to the chain cover, so now I have two bar studs (photo below). I also made up and fitted a wooden spacer with a 1/4" whole in it that goes between the metal plate and the plastic cover, this prevents the steel plate bending when tightening the 1/4" nut. 

Works great and has been going really well for about 8 months but now I notice the studs are getting longer, they slowly pulling through the plastic and my fuel is starting to leak. When I look inside the fuel tank I see the plastic mound that held the original stud that I tapped the M8 x 1.5 thread has peeled away around the M8 hex bolt head. This bolt and the 1/4" stud are still very firm and still very effectively secure the chain bar tightly in position but I can see that I'm going to be making a few more mods in the near future to stop the M8 and 1/4" bolts from creeping through the plastic, and fix the fuel leak which will only get worse with time. I intend putting a steel plate with a 8mm and 1/4" hole inside the fuel tank to fix this.  

Echo / Ariens would have most likely fixed it for free as they did mine and some others.

[Mickins]

On 25/10/2019 at 22:53, wicklamulla said:

Echo / Ariens would have most likely fixed it for free as they did mine and some others.

I live in Adelaide, South Australia so no access to Ariens. 

When the stud came out the first time All-Power (the Australian distributor for Echo and Shindaiwa) gave me a brand new saw to replace it, but the 2nd time it happened All-Power were going-broke/closing-down, so I didn't want to hand my saw over to the retailer I got it from, not knowing when I might get it back; so figured it quicker and best to fix myself. As it turned out Briggs & Stratton Australia now have the Australian distributorship for Echo and Shindaiwa. 

Since my last post I have now fixed the fuel leak with another mod and it is still going strong even though it is now past it's 2 year warranty. If the latest repair holds up and proves to be good I'll update how I reinforce stud and fixed the leak

Edited January 16, 2020 by Mickins