Help with my Poulan

[bigbarf48]

I bought a new 50cc 20in Poulan Pro a week or so ago. It runs and cuts well but today i was cutting and it threw the chain. I pulled the clutch cover off so i could get it back on easier. Thats when I noticed that a piece of metal, about an inch long, that protrudes from the oil reservoir area under the saw had bent up into the path of the chain. Its all gouged up and a few teeth on the chain are as well, such that it wont even go back into the guide on the bar. Im assuming this was the reason for the thrown chain but what caused the metal to bend like this?

What happened here and what is this piece of metal? and how do i fix it?




Thanks for any help

 

[bigbarf48]

Ill try to get pictures up in a sec

 

[Thistle]

Sounds like the chain catcher.

 

[bigbarf48]

Pics of the issue^^^^

After some research it would seem you are correct thistle. So is this catcher designed to f-up both the chain and itself so badly in the process of catching the chain?

 

[HittinSteel]

Thistle's right. It's designed to do whatever it takes to keep a thrown chain from getting to you.

It may be able to be replaced (does it bolt on?)........ I'd try to bend it back to where it is supposed to be ******* it may break though ******

 

[bigbarf48]

We'll now I'm wondering if it actually is bent or if it was designed in that position? I suppose I could try to file the inner teeth of the chain to try and salvage it

 

[BrotherBart]

No it is designed to stick straight out. Hittinsteel is right. You learn to love that sucker when you don't get that chain wrapped around your neck or arem. Chains are cheap compared to bleeding out. Out in the woods.

 

[HittinSteel]

We'll now I'm wondering if it actually is bent or if it was designed in that position? I suppose I could try to file the inner teeth of the chain to try and salvage it

Maybe that is the correct position. Tighten up the chain and see if it rolls freely by the chain catcher

 

[MasterMech]

Chain catcher will not cause a thrown chain unless the tension was severely in need of adjustment. The chain should not sag from the bottom of the bar at all. Does this saw have the chain tension adjustor built into the bar? If so there is a screwdriver slot in the side of the bar to adjust the tension. These are notorious for loosening up on their own and needing constant adjustment. No worries if the adjustment screw is on the body of the saw itself.

Thrown chains are generally caused by one of the following:

Excessively loose chain
Badly worn sprocket
Pinching the chain in the cut
Cutting with only the nose of the bar
Using excessive force on the saw in the cut or while exiting/finishing the cut.

The catcher is typically a curved shape that sticks straight out from the body of the saw. It will do it's job and not interfere so long as it sits under the chain without contacting it.

 

[bigbarf48]

Yeah I assume the chain stretched from heat during my cutting and thats what cause the theown chain. it wasn't droopy prior to starting but I hadn't tensioned it since the purchase a week ago. I guess I should be glad the catcher did its job.

I suppose now ill file the chains inside teeth so it'll seat back in the track and then make sure it'll rotate without the catcher interfering. Thanks for the help

 

[Thistle]

Check those drive links real good,chances are quite a few will be dinged up & need some burrs filed off so the chain fits down in the bar groove.If any are still rough,the chain wont seat properly nor move on the bar.

 

[missedbass]

i would say you had a loose chain. same thing happened to me. played it safe and got a new chain.

 

[n6crv]

The catcher needs to be bent back to where it is straight out. Also be careful when setting the saw down in the woods. Sometimes if you set the saw down hard on a limb it can bend the catcher up to where it is to close to the chain and does not take a very lose chain to catch on it. I always check mine when I clean under the cover and have seen where it was bent a few times. They are made it so that you can replace them if you brake it from bending it to many times.

 

[ScotO]

sounds like you either had a loose chain (it don't take much for that chain to hop out of the rails of the bar when loose), or you sat the saw down on something that cause the catcher to bend upward and lay against the chain. The chain catcher is and easy fix and a good feature of the saw (BB explained this in his post above), easy to straighten it out with a pair of vise grips. As for your bar, you gotta dress those rails from time to time. File th top of the bar and both sides of the bar from time to time, you'll see a huge performance increase in your saw. For the dicked-up driver links on your chain, you'll need to file them flat on both sides so they ride in the rails of the bar again. Almost sounds to me like you may need a sprocket too, when the sprocket starts to wear out it will cause excessive wear and 'mushrooming' of the driver tabs on your chain. Give those items some attention and let us know how you make out...

 

[bigbarf48]

Well this morning i went out and filed the drive links so the chain would sit in the groove properly. I bent the catcher back into position, though it only screws on so maybe ill grab a new one sometime. Put the cover back on, tensioned the chain, and its cuts like it did before! Thanks all for the help

Id also like to add that ive been quite impressed with this saw. The initial plan was a ms250 or a reconditioned 455 but as often happens money got tighter than anticipated. I picked this saw up, along with some oil and bar oil for 195 out the door with some coupons. And its performed extremely well in the time ive had it. Its definitely a lot of saw for the money and im quite happy

 

[ScotO]

Well this morning i went out and filed the drive links so the chain would sit in the groove properly. I bent the catcher back into position, though it only screws on so maybe ill grab a new one sometime. Put the cover back on, tensioned the chain, and its cuts like it did before! Thanks all for the help

Id also like to add that ive been quite impressed with this saw. The initial plan was a ms250 or a reconditioned 455 but as often happens money got tighter than anticipated. I picked this saw up, along with some oil and bar oil for 195 out the door with some coupons. And its performed extremely well in the time ive had it. Its definitely a lot of saw for the money and im quite happy

glad you got it worked out. Make sure to periodically check your chain tension and adjust it accordingly. If you can pull down more than 1/4 inch or so on the chain at the bottom of the bar, it needs tightened a bit. But don't overtighten it, that's not good either....

 

[Redskins82]

I did the same thing with the 46cc Poulan I bought years ago. I think the chain stretches pretty bad when you first use the saw. I straightened my chain catcher and its been fine for 8 years now. You'll like a quality full chisel type chain if you think that thing cuts good now but you may not want the added danger.

 

[Thistle]

Full wrap handlebar on the big Husky has a big thick piece of rubber pneumatic hose that slides in & out + a notch filed in the aluminum as the chain catcher.From what I have learned,all factory full wraps were like that,even most of the aftermarket ones seem to be that way too.

 

[BrotherBart]

I find with a new chain after just firing up the saw and ripping it a few times it is tightening time already. And not long after the first few cuts it is time again. I check chain tension every time I refuel.