Makita Chain/Bar Acting Up

[NoPaint]

Gents,

My makita 520 is a chainsaw that has done anything and everything for me. Recently I think my father ran it low on bar oil a couple times...

Now with the saw off, if I pull on the chain to advance it around the bar, its smooth until a point then stiff then back to smooth. I'm having trouble determining whether I should just get a new bar and have the local shop make me a new full chisel chain or if its the clutch drum?

I think it's time to take it all apart and get the oiling up to snuff because I think it might be clogged and not even oiling that well to begin with.

 

[pen]

Any chance the chain became loose and jumped the bar?

If that happened, the chain could have a bent or deformed drive link or two that's dragging.

If you put a different chain on and don't have the problem, then you know what the situation is.

 

[TreePointer]

+1

If you don't have that second chain to test with, take the bar off your saw and carefully run the chain over the top of the bar to isolate the drive link(s) that are damaged. Take a flat file to reestablish the proper profile (usually just the width/gauge) of the damaged drive link(s).

 

[MasterMech]

Is there a lot of wood dust sticking to the chain? That's a good indicator that the saw is running "dry". Pictures of the bar, chain, and sprocket would go a long ways as to helping us determine condition.

 

[blades]

a was said, either a bent link, or a couple of chewed up drive links. if the drive links little hook is ok just file off the burrs should be good to go if bent-replace. Sometimes you can straighten them but it is a risk that isn't worth the price of a new chain.

 

[ScotO]

I just dressed a chain that was "hopped" on the sprocket....several drivers were dicked up pretty bad, and wouldn't slide in the rails. I'm betting that is what happened to your chain.

I'd make sure to clean the rails out good with a scraper blade, dress the sides and tops of the rails on the bar, and check your driver links on your chain. Guaranteed if you do those things, you will find the problem....