Cleaning sand out of a chainsaw bar

[DaveInPhilly]

I picked up a used Husky 445 for a pretty sweet price. The saw itself is in great shape and the guy threw in a new chain, but the bar is absolutely caked in sand. I thought I could just wipe it down and blow it out with my compressor but its caked into the grove and I can feel (and hear) it obstructing the sprocket.

Is sand a death sentence, or can I just I just hose it down really well and hit it with a bunch of penetrating lube?

 

[dougand3]

Lotsa ways to do it. Soak in old fuel mix, blow with 100 PSI, soak again, blow again. Water hose or pressure washer would work - just dry well and lube afterward. You want an end result of sprocket spinning fast with 100 PSI blown in bar rail.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Please pick up a set of these picks

and pull from the tip down , you could use simple green, purple cleaner , to loosen up the crudd. You want the grove clean along with the oiler hole (one one each side)

the small hole to the lower right of the bigger one, just above the chain.

Or you could use the file guides flat metal piece to run down the bar. Just get rid or the sand

 

[johneh]

Power wash it and then soak in oil

 

[Jags]

If it is oily gunk, a small paint brush and gas or acetone (even carb cleaner) will help cut it. Just go after it like a rabid shoe shiner and it will start to clean up.

 

[DaveInPhilly]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the insight. I got it 90% cleaned up, but I can't seem to get the sand completely out of the sprocket. I was wondering if it would be safe to use carb cleaner. I think I'll give that a try next.

 

[blades]

is the nose of the bar replacable? sand in that bearing has likely already damaged it- so replace the nose or the whole bar

 

[BobUrban]

Those expired credit cards work well for cleaning out crud in your bar rail. Cut them off a little in both ends to get sharper corners and keep one anywhere you may need a quick crud out swipe.

For something as monkeyed up as you are talking about I would go power wash and see if the tip sprocket was ok.

 

[vtwoodheater]

By the sounds of the condition of the bar in question, I would just throw it out. Buy a new bar.

 

[DaveInPhilly]

Came back to it the next day. Once the bar dried a bit the sand blew out much easier. Not sure if the sand will shorten the lifespan of the bar but she'll get me through the four Ash trees I need to drop.

I did end up clearing all the grease out of the sprocket, and I figured given the circumstances I'd pack some more back in their. Mine does have the grease hole, but noticed the new ones at Lowes don't have the hole any more. Interesting.