Oil leak

[Benterrier]

Been out to check this morning. No oil leaks.

Could it be syphoning out with bar /chain fitted and saw dust in the oil route. Will assemble it tonight, cut some wood and see how it goes.

[Paddy1000111]

15 minutes ago, Benterrier said:

Been out to check this morning. No oil leaks.

Could it be syphoning out with bar /chain fitted and saw dust in the oil route. Will assemble it tonight, cut some wood and see how it goes.

More likely that it's building up in the bar/chain and then puddling when it's sat still. That, or if you have it set quite high you're getting a lot of fling inside the sprocket cover and it's leaking down. 

 

Cut a load of wood with it and get it hot, take the bar and chain back off again and then leave it somewhere. Don't open the oil cap when you're done. You might find that it's getting hot and the oil tank is pressurising slightly. My saws seem to leak a lot less since I got in the habbit of filling them up when I'm finished with them. 

[Benterrier]

 Thanks Paddy, interesting I filled the oil tank and was surprised to find no leaks this morning.

My dealer is local, will give him a ring and enquire. Saw is brand new only done 2 hours work if that.

[Paddy1000111]

21 minutes ago, Benterrier said:

 Thanks Paddy, interesting I filled the oil tank and was surprised to find no leaks this morning.

My dealer is local, will give him a ring and enquire. Saw is brand new only done 2 hours work if that.

All my saws seep a little from new if I didn't fill them up when I'm done. As khriss says it's an open system, there's no seal between the oil filter and the bar port so if the tank gets pressurised by being hot then it will push a little oil out. It will be worse if you fill the saw up and use it then put it away without refilling during/after use as it goes from cold to hot, pressurises and then gets stored so the oil tank will be slightly pressurised until it's back down to room temp.

 

I got one the Stihl chainsaw cases for my 261 so I don't end up with oil puddles if I put it in the car. That being said, I don't get any if I fill it up when I'm done

[bmp01]

45 minutes ago, Paddy1000111 said:

My saws seem to leak a lot less since I got in the habbit of filling them up when I'm finished with them. 

Wouldn't have thought of that one,  counter intuitive to me .... 👍

I suppose you're releasing any positive pressure (due to heat build up) and getting rid of most of the air (the springy bit). Maybe cooler, more viscous, oil plays a part as well.

[Paddy1000111]

49 minutes ago, bmp01 said:

Wouldn't have thought of that one,  counter intuitive to me .... 👍

I suppose you're releasing any positive pressure (due to heat build up) and getting rid of most of the air (the springy bit). Maybe cooler, more viscous, oil plays a part as well.

I think you're right. That, and once you fill it up at the end it can only get colder so it might create a little bit of vacuum 🤷🏼‍♂️

[peatff]

My MS460 does it a bit, it's just marking it's territory.

[Benterrier]

After a 20 minute cutting firewood spell, only a drip oil I would say that has come down from the drive sprocket the following day. Not the soaking all over every surface of the saw that touched the shelf.

[Macpherson]

On 18/05/2021 at 07:17, Paddy1000111 said:

More likely that it's building up in the bar/chain and then puddling when it's sat still. That, or if you have it set quite high you're getting a lot of fling inside the sprocket cover and it's leaking down. 

 

Cut a load of wood with it and get it hot, take the bar and chain back off again and then leave it somewhere. Don't open the oil cap when you're done. You might find that it's getting hot and the oil tank is pressurising slightly. My saws seem to leak a lot less since I got in the habbit of filling them up when I'm finished with them. 

I've found similar and like you put it down to a very hot engine ceasing to be cooled by the flywheel when stopped and the air pressure in the tank being increased by the temp rise forcing oil through...very annoying when it makes a right mess of a previously clean surface 👍

The tank vent seems to let air in but not out so when that happens to fail a lot of oil can be lost out of it when using the saw tilted well over... as you do, and on my ' older ' Stihl models the vent overflows into the same area behind the clutch, drips out under the sprocket and had me flummoxed for a while.