Guide Bar Troubleshooting
Most guide bar problems occur in the guide bar rails, and are caused by four things: lack of lubrication, incorrect saw chain tension, and accidents or irregular operating techniques which pinch the rails or push the drive links sideways against the guide bar rails.
Problem: Guide Bar Rail Conditions
1. Rails are worn down, groove becomes shallow. Cause: Normal wear on rails. Symptoms: Chain rides on groove bottom causing drive link damage, chain leans during cutting. Remedy: Guide bar is at end of life, replace guide bar. If wear occurs too quickly, check for proper lubrication, chain sharpness, guide bar feed load. 2. Outside edge of rails develop wire edges. Cause: Normal wear on rails. Symptoms: Left alone, wire edges can break off and chip away rail material. Remedy: Use flat file or grinder to square up guide bar’s rails and remove wire edges. If wire edges develop too quickly, check for proper lubrication, saw chain sharpness and guide bar feed load. Note: If using a grinding wheel, direct debris towards tail, then clean out grooves. Grinding debris can cause nose components to wear quickly or jam. 3. Rail on one side is worn thin. Cause: Damaged or dull cutters on one side (see saw chain section). Saw chain leaning over in a worn groove or using a .063" gauge saw chain in a .080" gauge guide bar. Symptoms: Incomplete cuts, leading cuts, guide bar bound in the cut. Remedy: Replace guide bar, check for correct saw chain gauge, replace saw chain if it continues to cut crooked after sharpening (see "How to Sharpen Cutters" on page 23).
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Safety & Maintenance Manual
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