Chain oil & chain tension?

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Question is:

How much effect can oil have on the chain tension?

Can the heat build up cause the chain to go tight, or indeed slacken off?

[Stubby]

Question is:

How much effect can oil have on the chain tension?

Can the heat build up cause the chain to go tight, or indeed slacken off?

 

I have found if it stops oiling you end up with a slack chain because it has stretched due to the extra ware in the links coz they are dry .

[spudulike]

Generally the chain tightens and starts to sound like the tracks on a tank - very squeeky and dry. When the oil flows again, the chain becomes very loose and baggy!

 

You can also see the wood forminng a sort of resin coatinng on the chain and it looks dry when the oil stops flowing.

 

The standard check is to point the bar tip at a clean piece of wood and expect a line of oil to form in 1-3 seconds revving the saw flat out!

[treequip]

If its dry the heat generated in the bar by friction causes it to expand and thus over tighten the chain which then stretches so the answer is lack of oil can cause both in turn

[Old Mill Tree Care]

I should have been clearer.

My question is can oil type alter chain tension on the bar?

 

I've been using Rape seed oil for nearly two years but the last 5 months have been continual tension problems on my

560xp - chain goes a bit slack. Sugi bar.

MS361 - chain goes tight or loose. Oregon bar.

200t - no change. Sugi bar

t540xp - chain goes tight. Oregon bar.

395xp - no change. Husq bar.

 

Driving me nuts.

[Stubby]

As Toya Wilcox sung ....iths a misthstery

[spudulike]

As Toya Wilcox sung ....iths a misthstery

 

 

And something to do with Thunder in the Mountains - think is was a euphemism:blushing:

[treequip]

I should have been clearer.

My question is can oil type alter chain tension on the bar?

 

I've been using Rape seed oil for nearly two years but the last 5 months have been continual tension problems on my

560xp - chain goes a bit slack. Sugi bar.

MS361 - chain goes tight or loose. Oregon bar.

200t - no change. Sugi bar

t540xp - chain goes tight. Oregon bar.

395xp - no change. Husq bar.

 

Driving me nuts.

 

The issue is probably down to the coefficient of expansion and a combination of the mix of bars, gauge and length.

 

Thin oils mean more friction, friction means heat and that's what's causing the problem

 

Friction leads to the bar expanding and causing the chain to run tight, until it stretches when it will run slack as the bar cools and shrinks.

 

Add in the variable of gauge and bar length......

 

Better oil should sort it out

[Rob D]

A good thread/question.

 

 

I suppose the best thing to do is start running a different oil in the saws that you are getting problems with - try and keep everything else the same - see if the problem persists.

 

 

I am trialing some of the Rye Oil both mineral and bio - it's quite hard to see/feel if it is better or worse than the Stihl Synth Plus I have used the past year...

 

 

[spudulike]

The issue is probably down to the coefficient of expansion and a combination of the mix of bars, gauge and length.

 

Thin oils mean more friction, friction means heat and that's what's causing the problem

 

Friction leads to the bar expanding and causing the chain to run tight, until it stretches when it will run slack as the bar cools and shrinks.

 

Add in the variable of gauge and bar length......

 

Better oil should sort it out

 

"Coefficient of expansion" now that is an interesting phrase! Sounds like a past in engineering or physics!