Anyone have a trick for getting Husqvarna chainsaw brake kic

On Thu, 19 Feb 2015 00:16:39 -0800 (PST), jurb6006@gmail.com wrote:

Fucking Christ. Take a Dremel tool and get rid of that shit and just run it. If you ain't strong enough to run a chainsaw, don't run a chainsaw.

Watch your balance, that's all.

After watching a friend of mine using his Stihl saw with a chain brake
I knew how good they were and are. Every time he set his saw down he
would bump the brake with the back of his hand. That way the chain
never ran through the dirt. He told me his chains need sharpening way
less often since he got a saw with a brake. My Stihl has the brake and
a no tool chain adjustment. Both features are great. In over six years
of use I never experienced a serious kickback. Last summer though it
kicked back hard enough to get the bar about two feet from my face and
the brake stopped the chain before the motion of the bar stopped. I am
very impressed. But jurb, go ahead and senselessly remove any brake
you may have on any saw you own.
Eric

 

[Ralph Mowery]

"Danny D." <dannydiamico@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:mc5jq4$k1b$8@dont-email.me...
..

Armed with that example, I found a *different* way to accomplish getting
the spring in place.

Instead of leveraging with pliers on the outside end of the spring, I
leveraged with a two-foot long screwdriver on the *inside* edge of the
spring.
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7306/16388881368_afb75a36fe_c.jpg

And, I used a few wraps of strong packing tape to hold the spring in
place on the outside half:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8596/16389080810_da0b97e8ab_c.jpg

Now all I have to do is spin the wheel of fortune to the left of
that photo, which I'll probably do with a screwdriver or pliers
as the guy did in Jeff's wonderful video.

Sort of reminds me the first time I replaced the drum breaks on my car years
ago. I tried using a screwdriver and finally got the spring on after
several tries on each wheel. Just as the spring would get near where it was
suspose to be, it would slip off. Then next time I was at the auto store I
found a special tool that had a hook on it that would go over the stud.
Worked just fine the first time.

I wonder if the Husqvarna people use somethink like that , or if the spring
comes compressed with a string or wire holding it in the compressed state
and they cut the string when it is in place.

 

[Oren]

On Thu, 19 Feb 2015 22:19:35 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
<dannydiamico@gmail.com> wrote:

Pico Rico wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 05:29:02 -0800:

do you have a neighbor that is a MAN?

Oren.

Can you do me a favor and send Pico Rico pictures of the garage door
springs and McPherson struts we've removed, replaced and compressed.

He seems to think that those of us endowed with small springs don't
also have far larger ones lurking around in our garage that need to
be wound ...

Sorry I can't today, I'm busy. I would gladly advise him to not let
his sprung spring poke his eye out after a spring sprung again.

The Jeff video appears to be the best and easiest method without a
special tool used by professionals - this is basic DIY stuff.

Your packing tape idea was interesting, so I figure it worked.

Pico doesn't live in Californication, USA ...

You and I are shade tree mechanics!

 

[Oren]

On Thu, 19 Feb 2015 23:20:01 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
<dannydiamico@gmail.com> wrote:

Ralph Mowery wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 17:49:33 -0500:

Then next time I was at the auto store I
found a special tool that had a hook on it

Heh heh., I have that tool with the little pigs' tail on the end.
Maybe.... just maybe ... it will fit.

I think you mean "brake pliers". I have a set that is about to be
placed in service again for my drum brakes.

<http://www.matcotools.com/ProductImages/MST102B.jpg>

 

[Leif Neland]

Ralph Mowery udtrykte prĂŚcist:

(Sorry, my news server does not carry alt.home.repair)

Sort of reminds me the first time I replaced the drum breaks on my car
years ago. I tried using a screwdriver and finally got the spring on after
several tries on each wheel. Just as the spring would get near where it
was suspose to be, it would slip off. Then next time I was at the auto
store I found a special tool that had a hook on it that would go over the
stud. Worked just fine the first time.

I can still get shudders thinking about when my father was changing the
front shock absorbers, and his home-made spring compressor slipped.
His finger(s) got stuck in the coil spring, and I had to help him get
it out. That really hurt, and I had thoughts about that I had to cut a
finger off...

It was about 40 years ago, a Ford Consul Corsair. (UK)

Leif

--
Je suis Charlie

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:27:28 -0800, Oren <Oren@127.0.0.1> wrote:

I think you mean "brake pliers". I have a set that is about to be
placed in service again for my drum brakes.

http://www.matcotools.com/ProductImages/MST102B.jpg

Won't work. The problem is that one end of the spring has a nylon
prong thing blocking the center of the spring. Even if you could
compress the spring fully, there's no way to insert the nylon prong
thing with the brake spring compression pliers in place.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Danny D.]

Phil Kangas wrote, on Fri, 20 Feb 2015 15:45:43 -0500:

dannyd has already admitted to breaking his. So,
good luck to you guys out there, I'm gonna shut my
trap now and enjoy the comments... ;&gt} BTDT

Well, I undid the tape and tried to straighten the spring
in the saw itself, using the brake as the lever.

But, I had to have the cover on halfway only (because
it wouldn't fit over the drum due to the brake itself
being contracted).

And the spring sprung.

So, now I'm back at the beginning.
Step 1 is relatively easy (which is getting the spring in
place). It's step 2 that's hard (loosening the brake).

Will try again, but, with Jeff's video, I know what to do.
It just has to be done without damaging the cover more than
I already have.

 

[Danny D.]

Danny D. wrote, on Sat, 21 Feb 2015 00:03:37 +0000:

> And the spring sprung.

Ah, I see where I went wrong!

Look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usP5XaXO7-8

The two steps are:
1. Getting the spring in (not too hard, once you get the hang of it).
2. Unlocking the chain brake (this is the harder part).

What he did differently is that he left the duct tape on
when using the chain brake to unlock the spring.

I agree with him when he said at 1 minute and 35 seconds "good fuckin' luck"
using the pliers to spin the chain lock clockwise to unlock the brake.

I'm gonna try again, using the prybar method to get the spring
in, and then the duct-tape method when unlocking the brake.

 

[Danny D.]

Ralph Mowery wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 17:49:33 -0500:

> I wonder if the Husqvarna people use somethink like that

This is most likely the shape of the tool used to spin
the brake release wheel!

1. https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7439/16595963175_f4604227cf_b.jpg
2. https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7391/16594779561_196d987d3c_b.jpg
3. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8677/16594779481_f7921a12ae_b.jpg

Those are screenshots from this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KfQDjDBdq0Y#t=255

What the guy did was sacrifice a hole saw, by notching it
to fit the chain brake spoke wheel.

That seems to be the easiest method of all.

 

[Danny D.]

Danny D. wrote, on Sat, 21 Feb 2015 00:39:04 +0000:

This is most likely the shape of the tool used to spin
the brake release wheel!

This is apparently the "official" method:
http://blog.vminnovations.com/how-to-reset-husqvarna-chain-brake-fix-stuck-or-locked-brake-problem/

It seems so easy in that video.

 

[Phil Kangas]

"Jeff Liebermann" <

wrote in message
On Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:27:28 -0800, Oren
wrote:

I think you mean "brake pliers". I have a set
that is about to be
placed in service again for my drum brakes.

http://www.matcotools.com/ProductImages/MST102B.jpg

Won't work. The problem is that one end of the
spring has a nylon
prong thing blocking the center of the spring.
Even if you could
compress the spring fully, there's no way to
insert the nylon prong
thing with the brake spring compression pliers
in place.

--
Jeff Liebermann

LMAO at all the responses! The only way to install
it is to shoehorn it in. Go look in the silverware
drawer,
there may be a serving spoon in it with a rounded
end
of the handle to match the spring O.D. If the guy
in the
video can compress it with needle nose pliers then
you sure can compress it with a shoehorn type
tool!
Sure that spring is strong but not _that_ strong.
It is
after all seated into a magnesium cover, how
strong
is that cover? And with the needle nose plier
stunt,
the spring can only be inserted half way
putting a terrible strain on the lips of that mag.
pocket!
dannyd has already admitted to breaking his. So,
good luck to you guys out there, I'm gonna shut my
trap now and enjoy the comments... ;&gt} BTDT

 

[Danny D.]

Jeff Liebermann wrote, on Fri, 20 Feb 2015 20:28:20 -0800:

Of course, as soon as I released the bench vise jaws, the 2x4 fell
out, and the spring went flying. So, I did it again, this time
holding the 2x4 to the spring with a woodworking clamp.

Hi Jeff,

I solved it, sort of like how you did, thanks to your help and
advice, and to the various suggestions in the videos (and to
one innovation on my own that was shown nowhere else).

While, in the end, I learned how to do it in just five
minutes, it took probably a dozen attempts overall to
come up with the following strategy using the four
hints below, one of which was never described anywhere
as I came up with it on my own).

TRICK #1: Make a cover plate (as described in one video):
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7453/16410601090_8172e71525_c.jpg

TRICK #2: Make a female star tool (as described in another video):
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7292/16411791159_84b7dd9775_c.jpg

TRICK #3: Remove the circlip & pry up (not described in any video):
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7289/16597628155_942786b3ea_z.jpg

TRICK #4: Only use the cover plate for HALF the procedure!
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7282/15975460464_8dbabda7ea_z.jpg

After I built the tools for tricks #1 and 2, and after I came
up with the unique procedure for trick #3, the final task,
using trick #4 was trivially easy.

While coming up with the procedure took hours, if I were to
do it again tomorrow, with these tricks and tools, it would
take about five minutes, and probably work the very first time.

Thanks for all your help and advice. The video you provided
kicked off all the good ideas.

 

[Danny D.]

Oren wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:19:51 -0800:

> Your packing tape idea was interesting, so I figure it worked.

Hi Oren,

I had tried packing tape:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7306/16388881368_afb75a36fe_c.jpg

I tried electrical wire:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7284/16597630615_ff28f652dc_z.jpg

But, what worked best was making a temporary cover plate!
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7453/16410601090_8172e71525_c.jpg

Even so, that cover plate only works for HALF the procedure!

The latter half, you use the original black plastic!
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7351/16410598560_de1ffccf41_c.jpg

Of course, that black plastic idea only works if you make
a special female socket tool...
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7292/16411791159_84b7dd9775_c.jpg

 

[Danny D.]

Jeff Liebermann wrote, on Fri, 20 Feb 2015 20:28:20 -0800:

For rotating the chain lock, I shoved two screwdrivers on opposite
sides of the mechanism, and rotated it with a larger third screwdriver
as a lever arm. It was clumsy, but worked well enough.

Hi Jeff,

With a two-foot long pipe wrench and a special tool that I made,
rotating the chain lock turned out to be very easy!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8565/15977856143_8e2d399445_c.jpg

The problem was that the spring sprung the moment I removed
whatever it was that was holding down the spring!
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7339/16410601870_363e06db33_c.jpg

I lost the spring EVERY SINGLE TIME I removed the covering holding
the spring down!
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7289/16571648146_b3f917358b_c.jpg

The trick was to use the cover plate for only HALF the procedure!
Without the female socket I made, it wouldn't have worked.

But, once I realized how EASY it was to twist the chain lock
with the tool I made, I then realized that the easiest solution
was to put the black plastic holder back on first, and THEN twist
the chain lock.

Voila!

The secret is having the right tools, and knowing the right
sequence. For example, NOBODY came up with the idea of removing
the circlip, which turns out to be the EASIEST way to get the
spring into the first position.

I'll write up a textual HOWTO so others can benefit.

 

[Danny D.]

Danny D. wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:52:28 +0000:

> Anyone know the trick to get that super strong spring back on?

Here's the 5-minute sequence, in a nutshell, once you know how to do it!
- Remove the star-wheel circlip & position the spring in the slot.
- Screw the temporary cover plate on (which holds the spring down).
- Leverage the spring into position #1 (bent) with an 18-inch screwdriver.
- Replace the circlip.
- Remove the temporary cover plate (hold the spring down with your hands).
- Replace the permanent plastic cover plates (watch the rubber post!).
- Spin the star wheel into position #2 (straight) using a special socket.
- Voila!

Here's a more detailed pictorial DIY.
It's easy, once you know these tricks and make the special tools!

1. Fabricate a female socket for the chainlock star wheel:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7395/16411792279_46ddab4f57_c.jpg
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7397/16410603900_02b4cddeca_c.jpg

Note: Forget about standard drum brake tools; they don't fit:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7339/16410598970_33a26618e9_c.jpg

2. Fabricate a hold-down plate for 1/2 the spring tensioning:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7453/16410601090_8172e71525_c.jpg

3. Lock the magnesium clutch plate upright in a vise and remove
the circlip and pry up with an 18-inch screwdriver:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8571/16411787569_765c0f3a41_z.jpg

4. Replace the circlip once you have the spring in the 1st position:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7290/15977854503_6993ccff87_z.jpg

5. REMOVE THE TEMPORARY COVER PLATE!
You can finish the job without removing the plate, but you'll
lose the spring a half dozen times before you realize the folly
of trying to get the spring into the second position with the
cover plate on! If you're VERY LUCKY, you can get the cover
plate off with the spring in the straight (second) position,
but you MUST be very lucky for it to stay in place:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8579/16596438151_34b09b602e_z.jpg

6. Instead, remove the cover plate while the spring is in the
first position and replace the black original plastic cover:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7351/16410598560_de1ffccf41_c.jpg

NOTE: You can do this ONLY if you've made the special socket
tool described in step #1.

7. With an 18-inch pipe wrench, spin the chainlock into the
second (straight) position using the special socket tool
you made in step #1:
https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7282/15975460464_8dbabda7ea_z.jpg

8. Do not make the mistake I made, which is to forget to put the
rubber protection strip on the post UNDER the black plastic!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8580/15977853143_10b400741f_z.jpg

I had it all done, and had to do it over again because of
that simple faux pas (you can see the rubber endcap in the
middle of this picture above; it's supposed to be inserted
under and through the black plastic, so it has to go on 1st!).

In summary, the tricks that make this task easy are:

A. The socket tool allows you to spin the spring into the second
(straight) position while the black plastic is on. This is
immensely helpful because there is no danger of the spring
springing out when you try to move from the temporary cover
plate to the black plastic (ask me how I know this).

B. The cover plate is still useful, in the first stage of
spring compression, as it keeps both the spring in place,
and it keeps the circular friction clutch in position. With
tape and wire, the friction clutch moves out of position
and is impossible to get back in place due to the enormous
tension so you have to start all over again (ask me how I
know).

C. The cover plate is a hindrence for the second step, that of
straightening the mechanism, becuase that adds tremendous
additional tension, which springs the spring when you remove
the cover plate. So, best to NEVER remove it, by replacing
it with the permanent black plastic (ask me how I know).

D. The unique trick of removing the circlip makes pushing the
spring into the first position IMMENSELY EASY! There is no
easier way to get the spring into that first position (ask
me how I know). In all the videos, they left the circlip
in place, and tried to compress the spring from the other
end, but, it turns out to be easiest to PUSH on the spring
from the attached end. Putting the circlip back on is easy,
so the only danger is to be careful not to bend the brass
pin and not to lose the circlip retaining ring.

 

[Danny D.]

Jeff Liebermann wrote, on Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:45:30 -0800:

Congrats. It might be helpful if I explain how I found the videos and
other relevant links. I did NOT use Google web search. I used Google
image search.

Hi Jeff,

Thanks. I understand your search mechanism, and I see how it would work.

I had searched google first and hadn't found the very nice videos you
found, which gave me the ideas of the star socket and the temporary
cover plate.

I came up with the idea of removing the circlip on my own, and you can
see in some of the videos what people thought of the idea of using the
needlenose pliers (fat chance).

With the combination of tricks, procedures, and special tools, the job
is actually *easy*, although I did it at least a dozen times, because
either the spring sprung out (most of the time) or I forgot to put the
rubber post *under* the black plastic.

Most of the trouble was getting the spring in place, and keeping it
there, which is why the tricks and tools were needed.

Thanks. I don't EVER want to do this again, but, if I do, I have the
tools and procedures to make it easy. The real trick is to NEVER remove
the clutch plate when the brake is on!

 

[Danny D.]

Danny D. wrote, on Sat, 21 Feb 2015 05:46:47 +0000:

Here's the 5-minute sequence, in a nutshell, once you know how to do it!
- Remove the star-wheel circlip & position the spring in the slot.
- Screw the temporary cover plate on (which holds the spring down).
- Leverage the spring into position #1 (bent) with an 18-inch screwdriver.
- Replace the circlip.
- Remove the temporary cover plate (hold the spring down with your hands).
- Replace the permanent plastic cover plates (watch the rubber post!).
- Spin the star wheel into position #2 (straight) using a special socket.
- Voila!

BTW, in case someone asks, it's IMPOSSIBLE to turn the star wheel
with just the special female socket tool.

It still takes a lot of force, which is *easy* to apply using an
18-inch pipe wrench on the socket tool.

But, without the pipe wrench leverage, you're never gonna spin that
star wheel.

Here's a list of tools required:
- Special temporary cover plate (to hold down the spring)
- Special female star socket tool (to spin the star wheel)
- 1/8th inch screwdriver (to remove & replace the circlip)
- #2 Philips screwdriver (to remove & replace the screws)
- 18-inch screwdriver (to leverage the spring to position #1)
- 18-inch pipe wrench (to leverage the spring to position #2)
- Vise (to hold everything in place - this is mandatory!)

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sat, 21 Feb 2015 05:03:48 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
<dannydiamico@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for all your help and advice. The video you provided
kicked off all the good ideas.

Congrats. It might be helpful if I explain how I found the videos and
other relevant links. I did NOT use Google web search. I used Google
image search. Something like this:
<https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=husqvarna+chain+brake+repair>
Use your imagination for the buzzwords, but what's important are the
pictures. Select anything that looks useful and see what appears.
Same with YouTube videos.
<https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=husqvarna+chainsaw+brake+repair>
Trying to do the same with a text search is much less useful.


Incidentally, I just blundered across this video on the 455 that
claims there's a "special tool" for reinstalling the brake spring.
I'll ask the local dealer or rep for the specifics. It's no in the
catalog.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjaVFLII4DE>

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sat, 21 Feb 2015 00:24:44 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
<dannydiamico@gmail.com> wrote:

Ah, I see where I went wrong!

Look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usP5XaXO7-8

The two steps are:
1. Getting the spring in (not too hard, once you get the hang of it).
2. Unlocking the chain brake (this is the harder part).

What he did differently is that he left the duct tape on
when using the chain brake to unlock the spring.

I agree with him when he said at 1 minute and 35 seconds "good fuckin' luck"
using the pliers to spin the chain lock clockwise to unlock the brake.

I'm gonna try again, using the prybar method to get the spring
in, and then the duct-tape method when unlocking the brake.

I've only done this once, about 10 years ago, on a similar Husky chain
brake mechanism. I had the same problem, where I couldn't compress
the spring because one end had a plastic center prong blocking any
kind of spring compression tool. So, I used some large pointed
pliers, similar to what was used in the video. I didn't think of
using a piece of scrap metal to old the spring in place, so I just put
a 2x4 over the spring, and LOOSLY clamped the sandwich in a bench
vice. The back end was propped up against the bench so that I could
apply pressure to compress the spring.

I had problems with the pliers, so I made a tool for the purpose. I
slipped a small hose clamp around the pliers and placed a nail ahead
of the hose clamp in the jaws of the pliers. The idea was that the
nail would provide something to push against two sides of the spring
while the hose clamp kept the nail from slipping. That worked.

For rotating the chain lock, I shoved two screwdrivers on opposite
sides of the mechanism, and rotated it with a larger third screwdriver
as a lever arm. It was clumsy, but worked well enough. Or, you can
make a special tool:
<http://www.doityourself.com/forum/outdoor-gasoline-electric-powered-equipment-small-engines/346696-husqvarna-460-chain-brake-stuck.html>

Of course, as soon as I released the bench vise jaws, the 2x4 fell
out, and the spring went flying. So, I did it again, this time
holding the 2x4 to the spring with a woodworking clamp. Eventually, I
was able to slither the spring cover between the spring and the 2x4,
reattach the screws, and live happily ever after.

These might also help:
<http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/18020/Husqvarna-s-built-in-chain-brake-problem-repair-how-to>
It's very long, but there's quite a bit of useful advice in there.
<http://s51.photobucket.com/user/mantidontowel/profile/>
Here's his method of spring compression:
<http://s51.photobucket.com/user/mantidontowel/media/husqvarna/032408offhusqcorespondprocdureil-14.jpg.html?o=40>



--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Danny D.]

Jeff Liebermann wrote, on Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:45:30 -0800:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=husqvarna+chainsaw+brake+repair
Trying to do the same with a text search is much less useful.

That found this video, which, I must say, is doing things the hard way:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PIDvWmJEo4