Anything I can do about this?

[lukem]

It seems like the bar groove and oiler hole on my 361 get clogged constantly and it stops oiling. Take it apart, clean it up, and I'm good to go for about three tanks.

Not sure if there's anything I can do to prevent this. Any thoughts?

 

[MasterMech]

Hmmm, usually caused by excessive amounts of fine sawdust. Any chance your in extremely hard wood or doing something to generate the dust? Have you modified your chain angles?

 

[StihlHead]

What kind of chain are you using, bar and length? Also what type of wood are you cutting? Seems odd... I have had many 361s in the past several years and never had an oiling problem.

It may be a clogged oil filter in the tank. Fish it out and look at it. It can also be a clogged breather in the oil tank. I use a compressor to blast the little vent just above the bar mount once in a while. Also the bar itself; the GB and some Stihl bars have oil holes at 45 degree angles, which are better than 90 degree ones.

Also if you want to run a 28 inch bar on a 361 you need different oil pump parts. The 361 has the same oil pump body as the 460, so you can upgrade them with the much larger 460R (full wrap) high output model oil pump, or just the piston and control bolt that will make them into gushers. Though you have to fill the oil tank whenever you fill the gas tank.

Stihl stock MS 361 part numbers:
MS 361 oil piston: 1135 647 0600
MS 361 oil control bolt: 1128 647 4806
MS 361 pump: adjustable from 5.5cc to 15cc per minute at 10,500 rpm

Upgrade pump parts using the stock MS 361 oil pump body:
MS 460R oil pump piston: 1128 647 0602
MS 460R oil pump control bolt: 1128 647 4803
MS 460R pump: Adjustable from 6cc to 24cc per minute at 10,500 rpm

Upgrade the pump replacing the stock MS 361 oil pump:
MS 460R complete high output oil pump: 1128 640 3250

 

[Danno77]

I'm more inclined to believe the clog is coming from within than from the bar. Stihlhead mentioned the pickup and the breather, chck those carefully. Generally the pump prevents dust from the cutting to make a clog on the ports because of the constant movement of the oil.

Two other maintenance items to check are that you have a nice chain and are making chips, and also make sure your oiler is pumping at a high enough rate. Best of luck, this sounds annoying.

 

[Jags]

Though you have to fill the oil tank whenever you fill the gas tank.

Hmmm...I have to do that now. There is some left in the oil tank, but not nearly enough to run two tanks of gas (not even one and a half of a gas tank). I do have the oiler cranked up though. I leave it there for the times that I run the 25" bar.

Never had an oiling problem on my 361. Is it possible that it is set so low that it allows build up instead of pumping clear? How much oil per fuel tank do you go through?

 

[DexterDay]

Hmmm...I have to do that now. There is some left in the oil tank, but not nearly enough to run two tanks of gas (not even one and a half of a gas tank). I do have the oiler cranked up though. I leave it there for the times that I run the 25" bar.

Never had an oiling problem on my 361. Is it possible that it is set so low that it allows build up instead of pumping clear? How much oil per fuel tank do you go through?

Me too... I run mine in the Middle (factory) position. Oil tank is almost empty when gas is almost empty.

I thought they were designed that way?

 

[Jags]

I thought they were designed that way?

For the most part, I think you are correct. I do adjust from factory for the largest bar that I will run and then leave it at that. I am not concerned with oil consumption, so the extra oil on an 18" bar doesn't bother me. I don't think I go through a gallon per year.

 

[DexterDay]

For the most part, I think you are correct. I do adjust from factory for the largest bar that I will run and then leave it at that. I am not concerned with oil consumption, so the extra oil on an 18" bar doesn't bother me. I don't think I go through a gallon per year.

I only run the Mid position on the 18" bar. With the 20" or 24" it would be Max....
But enough gets flung off to keep me satisfied.

I set the 460 to max.. Just because.

Like you said, it probably aint enough to even worry about.

 

[lukem]

It does it with an out of the box Stihl full comp full chisel 20" loop. Oiler is set on almost max. Cutting mostly hedge and oak. I can clearly see that the hole is clogged.

 

[Jags]

How much oil per tank of gas does it use?

 

[lukem]

Almost a tank of oil per tank of gas, unless it clogs up.

 

[Realstone]

Rookie thought: could some sawdust have gotten into the oil chamber while the cap was off? If this is possible, a good drain & flushing with varsol might help.

 

[lukem]

I'll inspect the intake line tomorrow and see if it is suspect and report back.

 

[DexterDay]

Is the side of your bar clean?

I take a Paint scraper to the ends of mine when I clean it. You want a good contact with both sides. The oil side (saw) and the cover. Just a thought.

I may very well be internal. But of you have some build up on the bar, it will have a small gap for some fine dust, chips, and powder (when chain starts to dull).

 

[Danno77]

Flip your bar and see if it goes away if you can't find anything else.

 

[ScotO]

I run my oilers wide open.......I would rather use up oil than wear and tear on the bar and chains.....Just my HO.....

 

[MasterMech]

Is the side of your bar clean?

I take a Paint scraper to the ends of mine when I clean it. You want a good contact with both sides. The oil side (saw) and the cover. Just a thought.

I may very well be internal. But of you have some build up on the bar, it will have a small gap for some fine dust, chips, and powder (when chain starts to dull).

What he said, about making sure the bar and contact plates are spotless.

 

[StihlHead]

Hmmm...I have to do that now. There is some left in the oil tank, but not nearly enough to run two tanks of gas (not even one and a half of a gas tank). I do have the oiler cranked up though. I leave it there for the times that I run the 25" bar.

Never had an oiling problem on my 361. Is it possible that it is set so low that it allows build up instead of pumping clear? How much oil per fuel tank do you go through?

Set low it may under-oil a bar, but not to the point that it will clog up the bar oil hole. I run my 361s at max all the time, as I run them mostly with 25 inch bars. I may get a 22 inch bar for them though, as that would be the sweet spot for the 361 and my needs. I get about one and a half tanks of gas out of one tank of oil. I use summer oil all year, good bar oil (not junk, like used motor oil and the like). Running thinner stuff like canola oil or winter bar oil will run though it faster.

I bought one 361 with a 28 inch bar on it that was underoiled with the oiler set on high. The bar was showing burn marks in places from the heat. Dealers commonly sold the 361 with 28 inch bars around here, but the stock oiler does not keep up. With the 460R upgrade you can run the oiler at about 3/4 full and run the 28 on them and you will run about 1:1 oil to gas.

 

[StihlHead]

It does it with an out of the box Stihl full comp full chisel 20" loop. Oiler is set on almost max. Cutting mostly hedge and oak. I can clearly see that the hole is clogged.

It should oil a 20 inch bar just fine at 3/4 setting. Try moving the oiler to high. That should throw more oil out. Also try running the saw w/o the bar for a minute when the saw is cold (not long, as the bar and chain are needed to keep the engine from over-heating). It should gush oil all over the place in a few seconds time. If not, there is a clog someplace in the tank, filter or the feed line. I find that they can clog right where they meet the bar, though on pro saws that is really rare. On the 250 they have these tiny oil pumps and the oil lines commonly clog up at the elbow between the oil tank and the pump.

As someone else mentioned, slide a stiff paint scraper/putty knife through the bar groove to remove any crap in there. They can get caked up with crud pretty easy. Also flip the bar, though that will likely not make a difference unless the bar groove is really clogged up. You should flip your bars regularly anyway. I flip mine about every other sharpening. I inspect them, true and debur them at that time as well.

 

[smokinj]

I would flush the oil tank with kerosene and run it with the chain off and pump some through the whole system.

 

[JustWood]

Running a loose chain for any length of time can get chit up in the oilhole.

 

[lukem]

Well I pulled the bar off and ran it and it is pumping plenty of oil. I turned the oiler all the way up and cleaned everything real good....same as always. Ran a little this AM...time will tell if it does it again.

 

[MasterMech]

... I bought one 361 with a 28 inch bar on it that was underoiled with the oiler set on high. The bar was showing burn marks in places from the heat. Dealers commonly sold the 361 with 28 inch bars around here, but the stock oiler does not keep up. ...

28 inch on a 361 !! lol. You West Coast Boyz......

The dealer I worked for would push MS290's out the door all day with 20" .325 setups on them. Same for the 260 and 270. As soon as somebody said they wanted a 20" bar it was a MS290 for them..... Guy knew nothing about saws (but plenty about selling for the lowest price) and would've sold 250's with 20's if he could've gotten the hardware from Stihl.

 

[StihlHead]

A 20 inch on a 260 is a bit much unless they have been modified, like mine have. I run a mostly 16 and 18 inch 3/8 std B&C on them. I ran my 290 all day and all night with a 20 inch 3/8 standard full comp B&C. Never had any problems. Though that saw had a modified Euro muffler and re-tuned carb, which restored it to its original design power. On a non-super 029, forget it. On a 270, that is pushing it. A 361 will drive a 28 inch bar, but it will not oil it. Granted, I run full skip chain on the 28, but the one I run that size bar on has the updated 460R oiler parts. I would say that about 1/3 of all 361s sold here had 28 inch bars on them new from the shops, and none of them had updated oilers.

You east coast guys suffer from shrimpy bar disease. Now this is a west coast long bar...

 

[Realstone]

You east coast guys suffer from shrimpy bar disease.

Methinks you have been sniffing the fir for too long. See, out here we have hardwood. The leaves actually fall off when it gets cooler and the wood is much denser & harder to cut