1st post and some guide bar help needed ... :)

[Check12]

Hi all ..... I used to do a bit of cutting many years ago when I worked in landscaping but used the saws provided and never had to replace any parts.

 

Now have a woodburner in the house and have been using an electric chainsaw and various other tablesaws etc. that I have here for cutting up firewood for the past few years.

 

I've just been given an old 40cc McCulloch California which after a bit of tweaking seems to run well but the bar and chain have had it. I can get my head around correct sprocket size, chain gauge, pitch and different types of link for chains ...... but bars are still a bit confusing to me when it comes to making sure I get the correct mounting type so the bar fits well and the chain gets oiled properly.

 

The old bar is the original 18" Oregon .... it's got this "Intenz-ly" annoying in-bar tensioning system that I can't seem to keep tight for long no matter how hard I crank the lock nuts. I'm getting to the point that I think I am going to strip the studs as they are only 6mm.

 

Anyway, the saw still has the mounting for a standard tensioner screw so I think I will replace that and go back to normal bars. I understand the basics of the nose sprocket matching the head sprocket, link count being suitable etc. but it's mainly understanding mount points that loses me.

 

The head has a 6 tooth 3/8" sprocket and the original bar is 18", .050, 3/8" for a 60 link chain, googling the part number just seems to bring up double guard Intenz bars (which I suppose is the direct replacement for the original) but there must be more choice available if I go back to a standard tensioner.

 

Can someone please explain how to select bars by the saw and bar mount fittings ... ?

[biggarlogs]

ask rob d on here at chainsaw bars..if he dont know the answer nobody will

[Stubby]

ask rob d on here at chainsaw bars..if he dont know the answer nobody will

 

This .

[TGB]

McCulloch 18" bar

http://www.4mcculloch.co.uk/chainsaws/california/bro071-45cm-18-60-drive-link-chainsaw-bar/product.pl?pid=1830889&path=642034&refine=bar&model_ref=455050

 

But for this bar, it gives 60 DLs. I suppose that's down to the shape of the bar. As some other 18" bars for the same saw, give 64 DLs.

[Check12]

Yes that bar is the same Oregon one that always comes up ..... it's got that "intenz" chain tensioner inside the bar that I'm trying to get rid of.

 

Surely there is more than just one bar suitable for this head if I refit the old standard tensioner screw?

 

I'm trying to get an understanding of how you guys choose different bars for the same saw head.

 

Or is it that ANY 60link, 3/8", .050 standard bar will be fine?

 

Is it that simple and I'm just complicating things? ...

[agg221]

Yes that bar is the same Oregon one that always comes up ..... it's got that "intenz" chain tensioner inside the bar that I'm trying to get rid of.

 

Surely there is more than just one bar suitable for this head if I refit the old standard tensioner screw?

 

I'm trying to get an understanding of how you guys choose different bars for the same saw head.

 

Or is it that ANY 60link, 3/8", .050 standard bar will be fine?

 

Is it that simple and I'm just complicating things? ...

 

Firstly, you can't use ANY standard bar of your specified pitch/gauge. You can however use any length of bar, although there will be maximum and minimum limits which are sensible.

 

The thing which determines what will fit is the bar mount. This is the combination of location and size of the holes and slots which hold it to the saw and allow the tensioner to function, together with the location of the oil ways to make sure oil transfers at the correct point from the saw to the bar groove. Some bars can be modified, such as by increasing hole size and filing extra oil ways, but this is not an ideal place to start.

 

On Oregon bars, the last four digits of the bar model number specify the bar mount, which in your case appears to be a T318.

 

The ones I can easily find are on the Clark Forest site (Rob D's site is chainsawbars and I do his tech support - we don't list bars of this mount).

 

This is the 18" one:

 

Oregon 18 Inch Double Guard Chainsaw Bars | Clark Forest

 

Alec

[adw]

The California was produced in Italy,it had many different names, 460/Titanium etc, most came as standard with the Intez bar, as you say you can retro fit the screw ans pawl and fit the normal bar, it should be 3/8 low profile chain 1.3 gauge, they offer an 16" bar is part no. 577614331 55drive links

[Check12]

Thanks! ... that makes things a lot clearer, I thought it was down to the mount points.

 

Just checked the original bar, it doesn't say T318 on it though ... all it's got on it anywhere is:

 

24 1996 BE

18

Pat 6061915

 

Does that make any difference?

[agg221]

No difference - Oregon changed their coding system at some point. I have various old bars of dubious vintage which don't cross-reference; all that matters if you are buying a new bar branded as Oregon is that you know the correct current reference number. If you buy what is effectively an OEM part as referenced by adw then it will have the McCulloch part number as listed, but it is effectively the same part made by the same company, just down a different supply chain.

 

You may find it easier to get a wider choice of bar length if you go down the Oregon route as it is easier to cross reference what will fit, rather than what was original equipment.

 

Alec

[Check12]

Ok ... just checked further on T318 bars ... it seems all Oregon bars with T prefix are the Intenz bars.

 

Are there no other manufacturers that make compatible mounting normal bars?

 

The fact that the standard screw tensioner mounts are still there suggests there was compatible standard bars at some point.

 

Thanks for your help BTW ... this all seems very overly complicated!