357xp bar/chain combo

[John Mc]

I just picked up a used 357xp. I'm wondering what the best combination is for a bar and chain.

I'll generally be running a 16 or 18" bar. The saw came with an 18" bar, .050 gauge, and had an Oregon .325 pitch 95vp chain on it.

I was a bit surprised at this combination. I would have figured a 3/8" pitch would be more suited to this saw. Any thoughts on this?

I'm intending to use this as a firewood saw, felling and bucking mostly hardwoods: beech, maple, red & white oak. Generally 12" or less diameter, and a few occasions up to around 14 or 16". (Anything larger than that would be pretty rare.) I prefer to use chisel chains (round ground).

The chain that came with it is just about shot, and the bar shows discoloration from overheating and is fairly worn. Since I'm going to replace these anyway, I figure I might as well be sure to put my money in the right combination.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or recommendations.

John Mc

[Ed]

I think it's set up pretty good right now.  Maybe drop back to a 16" bar if you prefer it over the 18"
You really could go either way on the chain pitch, 3/8 would work fine too.  It would be a personal preference choice.

Ed

[Cut4fun]

I like it with 16" 3/8 7T and full chisel.  Since you need a new bar and chains, check the drum and replace the sprocket to 3/8's and your on your way.

[John Mc]

That's the way I was leaning, Cut4Fun.

I was thinking of getting it checked out by my local repair shop before using it much. Any thoughts on things I should get checked out while it's in?

[John Mc]

I think it's set up pretty good right now.  Maybe drop back to a 16" bar if you prefer it over the 18"
You really could go either way on the chain pitch, 3/8 would work fine too.  It would be a personal preference choice.

Is one set-up more suited to hardwoods, or more suited to larger or smaller diameters than the other?

[woodsrunner]

While I don't have a 357xp I do have a 359 and a 362XP. I have an 18 inch bar on each of those with 3/8 050 gauge chain. I run Stihl 33 RSC almost exclusively. With that chain and an 18 inch bar the 362XP will impress you. That same bar chain combo on the 359 does very well. So I'm guessing the 357XP should be in there pretty close to the 362XP. I think you would be very happy with the 18 inch bar and 3/8 chain combo.

[Cut4fun]

John Mc, there was a recall on some of the 346, 357, 359 early saws with plastic intake clamp. I will go find my post on it for you. Something to have them change being it was recalled.
Also some of the carbs gave people fits tuning (they used a couple different carbs). I happen to have a extra 357 carb if you have something like this happen to you.

[Cut4fun]

My 357 has the plastic clamp, but someday I plan on replacing it just as a precautionary measure.

Service Bulletin for 357XP, 359, 353, 346XP
This service bulletin is not new. I thought that there might be some out there who were not aware of it so here it is. If your saw has a black plastic clamp around the intake right next to the cylinder it is applicable to it. If the clamp is of steel construction then you should be ok.

B0600023
SERVICE

*537 43 88-01*
*compl 537 25 13-02
English 1 (1)

SB, 357 XP, 359, 353, 346 XP,
Partition wall and clamp for intake system,
2006-03

The existing intake system on 357XP, 359,353 and 346XP currently consists of an integrated plastic clamp in the partition wall. As the clamp is made of plastic, there is a risk of deformation. This results in impaired clamping force against the cylinder, which in turn can result in leakage in the intake system. To prevent this from occurring, we have now introduced a metal clamp and a new partition wall.

The new partition wall is made up of polyamide with 30 % fibre glass.
The new clamp is a hardened steel clamp. The new material and the design of the clamp reduce the risk of deformation and the subsequent risk of leakage.

Full replaceability prevails.
Introduced from serial number:
357XP 061100201
359 061100001
353 061100001
346XP 061100001

New part no. Description Excl. part. no. Remark
537 25 13-02 Partition wall, intake, complete New spare part
537 43 88-01 Clamp, intake New spare part

Spare part, partition wall, part number 537 25 13-01, has been discontinued and is replaced by part number 537 25 13-02.

[SawTroll]

I like it with 16" 3/8 7T and full chisel.  Since you need a new bar and chains, check the drum and replace the sprocket to 3/8's and your on your way.

Yep, but try an 8-pin as well, and see what works best for your applications!   

[John Mc]

Cut4Fun -Thanks for the info on the plastic clamp. My saw has that. Is it an expensive replacement? (for either parts or labor). I'm wondering if it's worth asking the shop to replace it while it's in there anyway... or at least if they've got it opened up to that point already.

SawTroll -I was assuming I needed the torque for hardwood cutting, so was thinking 7-pin. Am I off in this thinking? I don't own a clutch removal tool, so making the swap from 7 to 8 pin would mean a trip back to the shop. Unless I get off my butt and order the tool.

John Mc

[Rocky_J]

By 'clutch removal tool', do you mean an old screwdriver and a hammer, along with some spare starter cord to use as a piston stop? Do some reading in some of the older threads, unless you are completely mechanically inept then you probably already have what you need and the ability to do it yourself.

[John Mc]

Have some basic mechanical skills, but far from what some of you guys here are capable of. I wasn't sure if I'd really screw something up by hammering on it. I do have an impact wrench, and was figuring on just using that to remove it... but that would take the tool, I think. I'll try the screwdriver, and see how it goes.

Still curious as to what kinds of applications I'd want to run a 7 vs 8 tooth sprocket on a 357xp with a 16" bar.

John Mc

[Ed]

I think it's set up pretty good right now.  Maybe drop back to a 16" bar if you prefer it over the 18"
You really could go either way on the chain pitch, 3/8 would work fine too.  It would be a personal preference choice.

Is one set-up more suited to hardwoods, or more suited to larger or smaller diameters than the other?

In hardwoods the isn't much difference, the .325 is a little faster.
I run both .325 & 3/8 pitch on my 254xp. The 254 is about 1/2 hp less than your saw. With the .325 pitch chain, the saw is a screamer! It never misses a beat, even with the 16" bar buried in Oak.
I bought the 3/8 pitch & 18" bar to use on Softwoods (Cottonwood & Aspen). When cutting in softwood the .325 pitch chain doesn't have enough chip clearance, it loads up in between teeth and bogs the saw down. The 3/8 chain works better up to around 10-12" then its starts to load up also, thats when the full skip chain goes on. Plenty of chip clearance until the bar is buried, the saw still is running at full rpm with no bog.

Ed

[John Mc]

Thanks for all of the input.

I did come up with one other question. The saw has what appears to be an automatic compression release. There is a hose attached to where I'd expect the the manually set release button to be. The hose runs down and attaches somewhere lower on the saw.

I've never run a saw with this set-up before. Are this things reliable? I don't see them on the new saws. I assume they went to the push button for a reason. Should I be looking at converting it to the push button compression release? If so, how much is involved in this?

John Mc

[SawTroll]

By 'clutch removal tool', do you mean an old screwdriver and a hammer, along with some spare starter cord to use as a piston stop? Do some reading in some of the older threads, unless you are completely mechanically inept then you probably already have what you need and the ability to do it yourself.

Agree, but I prefere a slightly blunt chisel to the screwdriver....

....and I never needed a piston stop on the 353 or 346.....

[SawTroll]

.....
Still curious as to what kinds of applications I'd want to run a 7 vs 8 tooth sprocket on a 357xp with a 16" bar.

John Mc

8-pin, at least for limbing and smaller stuff, but you really need to try both..........

I believe I use the 8-pin and 15" bar about 80% of the time on my 361, in the slow-grown birch we have here.

[Cut4fun]

John Mc, I was chasing a air leak in my 357 and yesterday replaced the plastic intake clamp set up with another one and the saw was fine again. So if you have a chance to get the updated set up get it. Its just a matter of time before the plastic clamp warps and creates a seal leak.

If you go with 3/8 put a 7T on it and dont look back. 325 put a 8T which is real close to a 3/8 7T. 

 

[John Mc]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I'm going with a 7T and 3/8 to start with. I am going to take SawTroll's advice, and pick up an 8T as well, so I can see for myself what the difference is.

John Mc

[SawTroll]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I'm going with a 7T and 3/8 to start with. I am going to take SawTroll's advice, and pick up an 8T as well, so I can see for myself what the difference is.

John Mc

Rims are cheap, but you may need a different drum, with the large 7-spline to use an 8-pin 3/8".

7x3/8" is the only size that is easily availiable for both small and large 7-spline.

If you have the large 7-spline drum, the smallesr .325 rim that will fit is the 9-pin.........

[Rocky_J]

I don't think a saw in that size will adequately pull an 8 pin 3/8". I've owned and run a slew of saws both stock and ported, and I wouldn't run an 8 pin 3/8" sprocket on anything smaller than a ported 372XP. The smaller saws just don't have the torque to pull that high of a gear and it will pull them down out of their optimal operating range. There's a very good reason why the manufacturers don't put the large spline drum on 60cc chainsaws.