Anyone have a trick for getting Husqvarna chainsaw brake kickback spring back on?

A bunch of trees fell down on my neighbor's property during the last pineapple express, and his little Ryobi 8" electric chainsaw wasn't up to the task because we stripped the hold-down bolt threads:

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So I lent him my Husqvarna 18" chainsaw for chopping up the fallen trees:

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End result is that the kickback spring mechanism must have jammed hard, I think it happened exactly as this picture was taken, actually:

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The result is that I had a devil of a time getting the hold-down cover off today because the chain break coil was tightly wrapped around the chainsaw spinning drum:

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I finally was able to loosen the spring circular kickback clamp, but the spring popped out of his slot in the process:

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The problem now, is getting the kickback clamp spring back on:

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I tried all sorts of leverage tools, but that spring is STRONG!

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

Reply to
Danny D.
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"Danny D." >

super strong spring back on?

Try sliding it down a thin strip of metal.

Reply to
Phil Kangas

Search on "coil spring compressor" for some ideas. I would use a couple of washers with some tabs and a long screw, washer and nut to compress it.

Reply to
Tom Miller

Did you actually look at the pictures?

I'll admit, I only looked at one or two. But, the bolt thing won't do much good here.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

do you have a neighbor that is a MAN?

Reply to
Pico Rico

Model number please?

Looks familiar:

Here's a video on how to do it: He just uses a pair of big needle nose pliers and brute force.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Sorry, I did not explain it clear enough for you to understand. The bolt is outside of the spring. A tab on the edge of the washer goes to the inside of the spring.

There might be better solutions that one could explore.

Reply to
Tom Miller

Jeff Liebermann wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 08:47:48 -0800:

Hi Jeff, It's the Husqvarna 445, from the local Lowes and it's about a year old. My neighbor, who is building that suspension bridge here in the redwoods in your neck of the woods (a bit further north than you), borrowed it, and chopped up a nice hard madrone (lovely wood) that had fallen in the last pineapple express.

You probably lost a few antennas in recent weeks (we did).

Anyway, the video was very helpful. I'm amazed you actually found that video, because it's EXACTLY what I need to do! You're utterly amazing, and I don't say that all too lightly.

The video makes it look all so easy, but doesn't mention how fantastically strong that spring is, and, that it flies out all over the place (ask me how I know)...

I like the trick of bolting down a hold-down clamp, as that spring has already bounced all over my garage this morning ...

Reply to
Danny D.

Stormin Mormon wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 08:08:56 -0500:

Chris understood. There's no room, really, for a "spring compressor". I've done McPherson struts, and, this is NOTHING like that since any flimsy metal that fits between the spring coils is NEVER gonna compress that spring.

If you held that spring in between your fingers, for example, you'd NEVER get it to compress visibly. It's also VERY BOUNCY so it sproings all over the place, as you wrestle with leverage tools (e.g., long screwdrivers).

There's no room to get a C-clamp on the ends either, as both ends fit into a recessed slot.

It's not a 0.5-second job, that's for sure.

Reply to
Danny D.

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

If it was as easy as you're intimating, then this video that Jeff kindly found, would never have been needed.

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That guy did it, and said, verbatim "I'm sure there is some official way to do this, but, I don't know what it is ..."

There are two steps that are not intuitive how to do:

  1. Compress the spring to get it in place without poking out an eye, and,
  2. Setting the chain brake into the unlock position since it has to be in the locked position in order to get the spring in place.

Luckily, I know how, and it should work for me, and I'll report back when I try it (after responding to these posts).

Reply to
Danny D.

trader_4 wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 05:57:18 -0800:

Thanks. I watched the video Jeff suggested, and I think that method will work as the guy has overcome exactly the two problems that I need to overcome, which are:

  1. Compress the spring enough to get it to STAY in the slot (It bounces all over the place because the amount of force is akin to what it takes to move a refrigerator with one hand pressed up against the bottom with the tip of a screwdriver.)
  2. Reset the chain brake without the leverage afforded by the chainsaw handle (you have no leverage and you need to spin a very hard to spin little spoked wheel). The force necessary to spin the spoked while is sort of like spinning a lag bolt with just the tip of a screwdriver wedged into one of the hex crests.)

But, I'm pretty sure I can do it now, as I know *exactly* how not do to it by now!

Reply to
Danny D.

Tom Miller wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 14:51:26 -0500:

I have compressed automotive springs, so, I know what you're talking about. It's never gonna work in this particular case.

There's just no room and the spring is too strong for any metal that would actually fit in between the coils and you can't touch the ends since they fit into a recessed slot.

Here it is before it sprung:

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Here is the after sprung:

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Plus, there is a fragile plastic insert that goes more than 1/3 of the way through the one end.

Classic spring compressor? Nope. Not gonna work at all. But, it's a good idea for other applications.

Reply to
Danny D.

TimR wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 11:08:42 -0800:

I have a LOT of C clamps. Normally, if you had the room, it might work, but, there is absolutely no way *any* c-shaped spring compressor is gonna work in this application.

I think I have it though.

The trick is really simple, but it *has* to be done well:

  1. You MUST hold down the spring somehow (otherwise it will sproing every time).
  2. You MUST leverage on a teeny tiny spot at the END of the spring (only one end)!
  3. You MUST then spin the dial, again with leverage on a single point, to unlock the brake without the benefit of the huge brake lever on the saw.

Anyway, I think I have it now. I hope to report back success once I finish responding to the posts (just in case a better idea pops up).

Thanks for the help and advice.

Reply to
Danny D.

As the fellow said there is probably an offical tool to do it. Sometimes it would be nice to see the offical tool and the way the factory puts things together. They probably use an expensive tool that is too much for a one time job, so it is nice to know how to do it at home with minimal tools.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

TimR wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 10:39:36 -0800:

That spring has popped out probably twenty or thirty times already, and, when it flies, it flies.

I figured it out, with the help of Jeff's video which explained the two details that I was lacking in my attempts.

I didn't use the method the guy used in the video; but I stole all his ideas on what the critical danger spots were.

Instead of metal to hold the spring inside, I used packing tape.

I bolted the assembly into a vise and then leveraged with a 2-foot long screwdriver on the end of the spring (all smaller sizes failed).

You'll notice I leveraged the OPPOSITE end that the guy did in the video that Jeff kindly posted.

That leverage, along with the packing tape on the other end, got the spring into the slot without the otherwise inevitable bouncing around the room when the screwdriver inevitably slipped (the force is akin to tilting a refrigerator with the tip of a screwdriver ... nothing you can't handle - but when it slips, the spring goes flying).

Here's a re-enactment picture of how I got the spring in place!

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Notice the screwdriver at bottom left instead of at top right (where the video applied leverage with needle-nose pliers).

Now, it's time to spin the brake lock wheel, and I'll be done. Thanks for all your advice!

Reply to
Danny D.

Ralph Mowery wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 16:06:48 -0500:

Yes. I agree. If Husqvarna supplies a video on how "they" get that spring back in place, that would be informative.

Just as you suggested though, just *watching* the video that Jeff supplied taught me to pay extra special attention to three things which were inhibiting success.

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.

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And, I used a few wraps of strong packing tape to hold the spring in place on the outside half:

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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.

Thanks!

Reply to
Danny D.

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

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 ...

Reply to
Danny D.

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.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

TimR wrote, on Thu, 19 Feb 2015 13:17:53 -0800:

Well, I chipped off the edge of the cast aluminum, trying to wedge lever the spring into the unlocked position.

I think I'll hold tight, as I left the rest of the saw at my neighbor's house.

I'm gonna try to see if I can temporarily assemble the brake on top of the saw, and use the saw's own lever, to unlock it.

That seems safest, but, I won't go back to that neighbor 'till tomorrow. Luckily, no trees need felling today ...

Reply to
Danny D.

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

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

Reply to
Danny D.

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