Are chainsaws supposed to leak oil?

My 31 year old Mac leaks a little where the chain oiler meets the bar for the chain. It seems do it for a short period of time after I use it. Then things are okay.
 
My chainsaw leaks bar oil when it sits around out of use. Is this normal? I'm not sure where the leak is coming from.

George,

A suspected oil "leak" is common on saws, but it may not be an actual "leak" (as in a defect).

If the saw only shows a leak after you've used it but the bar oil level in the tank doesn't go down, then the "leak" is probably the residual oil from the bar and chain dripping off the bar.

If the saw leaks oil all the time and the oil level in the tank does go down, then there are a few possibilities:
  • The tank or an oil line is leaking
  • The cap is leaking
  • The tank vent is plugged and the tank is forcing oil thru' the system from pressure building in the tank


To check for actual leaks quickly you can remove the bar and chain, clean the saw very well, drain the oil tank, flush it well and then refill it with a blend of mostly gasoline coloured with a bit of chain oil. Set the clean dry saw on a cardboard and watch it for a few days. Gasoline is very quick to find small cracks and a leak should be apparent quickly.

If you don't see any leaks, you can drain the fuel/oil mix from the oil tank and refill it with chain oil. reassemble the bar and chain and test cut. When you're done set the saw on a cardboard and watch for oil to drip from the bar over the next few days.

Tank vents are in different places depending on the saw. If these tests (above) don't solve it, let us know what make and model of saw you have and we can advise further.

cheers for now

John
 
A small amount is normal, thats just whats sitting in the chain oiler mechanism when you switch off. The bar has no oil seal where it matches up to the oiler passage, so some seeps out. Sit the saw on some cardboard to catch the drips.

If you get an Exon Valdez type oil slick under the saw, then you have a problem, maybe a crack in the oil tank or oiler mechanism.

Ian
 
Great info guys, the only thing I can add is, "Did you buy new chain oil recently...? if so, did you get electric chainsaw chain oil by mistake?" The electric chain oil is a LOT thinner than regular chain oil, could be a factor.

Cheers!
 
Thanks for all of the replies.
It's not leaking around the cap and it is a lot of oil! All of the oil in the tank will leak out over time.
I guess it's time to take her into the shop.
Thanks again.
 
All of the oil in the tank will leak out over time.

This symptom really sounds like a plugged oil tank vent. It could be a leaky gasket or a cracked tank, but plugged tank vents are very common, far more common than actual "leaks" from defects.

If you want to take a bit of time to look at it before it hits the shop, get me the make and model of the saw, and I'll tell you where the tank vent is and how to clean it.

cheers
 
Hi all. Having an issue with my new husqvarna 455 rancher. Just put a new chain on. Cut about 10 to 15 med sized logs with it and now it wont hold chain tension. Seems almost as if the chain overheats and expands but tightens back up as it cools. I've popped off the cover to clean it, adjusted tension several times, made sure i had plenty of oil, checked bar for straightness, cleaned the bar, checked bar tip sprocket for ease of movement, made sure chain wasnt on backwards, and scratched my head several times with frustration. I'm wondering if it may have an oil distribution problem?
 
Over the years, I've had McCollough, Poulin, Husqvarna, and Stihl saws. They all had one thing in common - if they weren't leaking bar oil, then the tank was empty.
 
A Husky Dealer told me to always open and reclose the oil cap after stopping the saw. This relieves the pressure in the pump and will stop the oil from siphoning out. Jack Kerwood
 
Never heard about releasing pressure by opening the cap, makes sense though. Like Stu's comment about lighter weight oil, we have summer and winter bar oil here. One is thicker than the other. I guess I never noticed, always fill up and stop when it runs out (of gas), just always top off the oil at the same time.
 
Hello, I have a mac 130 2.0 saw with the manual oiler, and I have replaced the tank, taken EVERYTHING out of the tank, including the part that the plunger rod goes into, and I can not see a check valve of any sort in the system to stop the oil from leaking out. I have TWO tanks (good ones, no cracks) and they both do the same thing. I have scoured the internet for this problem, and no one seems to know why or HOW to fix this problem. I am at a loss as to how these saws did not leak bar oil when they were new (or did they?) Any help with this problem would help. Thanks.
 
First time I walked into a repair shop to complain about the puddle of oil left on the floor under my chainsaws, the service manager asked, "You're not using motor oil, are you?" It happened I had just started chainsawyering and had picked up my dad's little habit of "recycling" old motor oil as chain oil. He said I wasn't the first... and I'm thinking maybe I wasn't the last.
 
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