Chain runs at idle.

[stehansen]

I have a 200T that the chain runs at idle and the idle speed is pretty slow. In fact it usually ends up dying. I have even had the chain run when pulling the starting rope. Need help.

 

[HolmenTree]

You need new clutch springs or spring (can't remember)
If not that the the clutch drum bearing is seized.

 

[Tucker943]

Clutch

 

[RopeArmour]

Tighten the chain?

 

[Al Smith]

Usually it's something with the clutch .I'd have to look it up but usually the clutch doesn't kick in until 2200-2800 RPM depending on the saw.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

You need new clutch springs or spring (can't remember)
If not that the the clutch drum bearing is seized.

Yup

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Also had one rust up a bit (don't ask), the clutch would not always release. Replaced the clutch and it was fine.
You can also make sure that the drum is not all gunked up with saw dust and oil... Simple first checks

 

[woodworkingboy]

Tighten the chain?

Saying that to a guy that cut trees for a living.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Well, I'm glad some one said it...

 

[stehansen]

The chain is a little loose but not sagging or anything. Thanks I will check those things.

 

[McGuarantee]

i was going to blame it on the cold weather until i saw you are from california...the chains on my saws does that when it's warming up and real cold out sometimes. don't know the reasoning behind it but it happens

 

[HolmenTree]

I have even had the chain run when pulling the starting rope. Need help.

That tells me right there it's more then a loose chain.
Broken clutch spring or seizd clutch drum bearing or as Stephen said clutch drum full of crud catching the clutch shoes.

 

[Al Smith]

I'll tell you a dandy about a clutch .Toms ground crew must have had a clutch clip come out and lost the bearing .Rather than say anything they just put it back together and ran it .

By the time Tom found out it had broken 2 out of three clutch shoes .How that thing ran without shaking like a dog chitting razor blades I'll never know .I fixed that 034 with shoes I think from an 029 or 039 .

 

[flushcut]

You need new clutch springs or spring (can't remember)
If not that the the clutch drum bearing is seized.

^ This.

 

[Ax-Man]

Ha, must be some kind of clutch bug going around this time of year. One of my 200's started doing the same thing. What ticks me off was that I just fixed the darn thing so it would turn off using the switch instead of the choke which is major pain in the rear.

It is not unusual for a saw in cold weather to have the chain kind of run or creep fast around the bar until the cylinder gets hot enough to burn up all the mix in the combustion chamber before it settles down. Not all saws are like this but it seems that if the carb on a 200 is set right they are kind of prone to do this, at least some of mine are , even those old 020's would do the same thing. As soon as they get warm they settle down and run all day long with no problems.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Opening up the muffler too much will also cause that malady. The chain will move and you can't turn the idle down enough without killing the engine. I guess it's the same problem as Larry says, incomplete combustion with too open a muffler.

 

[stehansen]

I have noticed that bearing in there before. I am somewhat new at chainsaw mechanics. I always took it to the saw shop but am trying to do some of this myself. I'm thinking that whenever I brought the saw into the shop before they probably lubed that bearing. I'll check it out tomorrow.

 

[squisher]

Just check that and the clutch itself as Willard said. That'll be where the problem lies.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Steve, you're supposed to grease that bearing now and again as regular maintenance, but the general consensus must be that few people do. Grease doesn't seem to last there even if you do. Husky must have hired some guy out of a prestigous engineering institute that came up with the idea to be able to grease that bearing through a hole in the end of the drive shaft. I always wondered why Stihl never stole that idea, not wanting to cop to Husky brilliance, it seems.

 

[HolmenTree]

Majority of Stihl saws except the MS200 are inboard clutches. The Husqvarna out board clutch saws easily throw excess grease with the sprocket and chain, grease piling up inside a inboard clutch saw not so good.....Stihl is picky about things like that.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

One that note, of flinging off the excess bearing grease, I knew a saw mechanic that would put a bit of a wipe of grease on the inside of the clutch drum. I always thought that was weird. Dry conditions. Does it do something that I can't figure?

 

[HolmenTree]

I never saw a tech manual specifying to grease the inside of a clutch drum.
My Stihl 090 has clutch shoes that contact the drum with a brake pad type of material on their surfaces..

 

[stehansen]

I took the cover off today and two of the three springs are broken. I'll get springs on Monday I suppose. The stihl place here in Vegas is closed on Saturday. Thanks guys.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

 

[Al Smith]

If it hasn't been mentioned already a faulty bearing can cause a clutch drum to run wobbly .That will cause the clutch shoes to run amiss and eventually break the springs .

A clutch assembley for the most part is just something the average person including myself really doesn't pay that much attention to because seldom does it cause any problems .