stihl 066 clutch plastic bearings are rubbish

[hazelnut]

hi i have just purchased an old 066 with plenty of grunt but it seems to destroy the plastic roll cage bearing in the clutch/brake drum which are made out of plastic ! and after reving the saw up it always blitzs them.are they all made from plastic now.maybe i shouldnt put red grease on them when they are new.

i have a original part being sent to my local dealer but some of their staff agree it will be a plastic cage with metal rollers.it seems to fit nicely but the old 066 screams through timber.any ideas how i could stop this problem..cheer ,matt hazelnut tree care east kent

[Rich2484]

Hmmm I'm afraid they are all plastic.

 

I would look into anything else that is causing the bearing to fail.

[markieg31]

I would check that the clutch drum and shaft, checking that they are straight and smooth. Had my plastic bearing on my saw for over a year with no problems.

[Rich2484]

Could be the clutch shaft. Could be the inside of the drum causing issues. Could be a worn drum rattling around the bearing.

 

There are a couple of things that could cause this. But it shouldn't eat the bearings quickly.

[spudulike]

Remember that when the chain is spinning, this bearing is locked in a stationary position by the clutch opening and locking the clutch drum to the crank shaft - it is only under load when the machine is ideling.

 

A little grease is all that is needed but many survive under harsh conditions.

 

As others have said - look for other contributing factors - is your clutch slipping under load? Play between the bearing crank and drum etc?