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Service & Maintenance Question

    James Ketcham
    I have a Husqvarna 350 chainsaw with about 50 hrs on it and...Answeredescalated
    Service & Maintenance Question posted July 16, 2011 by James Ketcham, last edited February 10, 2012 
    4944 Views, 6 Comments
    Question:
    I have a Husqvarna 350 chainsaw with about 50 hrs on it and the muffler keeps loosening on it. Last season It burned a hole in the body of the saw and I had to replace the body/oil tank. I would like a solution to replace or repair the muffler as it is loosening again. I have tried lock tite product. Is there an upgrade or repair available. Thank you, jim
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    Best Answer

    Scott W.

    Thank you for contacting the AnswerARMY.

    Anytime you have the exhaust coming loose this is commonly caused by vibration, the muffler is the symptom not the cause.

    You need to have the unit looked at and serviced by an authorized Husqvarna service center, they will need to pay close attn to your chain and the way it is sharpened and look at your crankshaft to see if it has been bent. Also they should inspect to see if the unit has an air leak causing an overspeeding condition.

    Please take the unit to yoru locally authorized service center and ask them to inspect the crankshaft and chain. Crankshafts can be bent by pinching the chain when cutting.

    I hope this helps.

    Answer

     

    • Scott W.

      Thank you for contacting the AnswerARMY.

      Anytime you have the exhaust coming loose this is commonly caused by vibration, the muffler is the symptom not the cause.

      You need to have the unit looked at and serviced by an authorized Husqvarna service center, they will need to pay close attn to your chain and the way it is sharpened and look at your crankshaft to see if it has been bent. Also they should inspect to see if the unit has an air leak causing an overspeeding condition.

      Please take the unit to yoru locally authorized service center and ask them to inspect the crankshaft and chain. Crankshafts can be bent by pinching the chain when cutting.

      I hope this helps.

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    • Karla

      James,

      I agree with Scott, the (Answer Army Rep), but If you can't find the vibration, or If its Not under Warranty, and you don't want to pay for a complete tear down and overhaul. I would recommend safety wire, and safety Bolts. These are bolts that have a small hole thru the bolt or machine screw head, a wire is easily twisted and put through the two bolts, with both bolts connected together with a twisted piece of wire, neither bolt can turn and loosen, We used then on Jet engines that have high speeds and high frequency vibrations. I am sure you can find a place by searching "Safety wire bolts". Oh, and If you ever do need to take your muffler apart, you just cut the wire and remove it from the bolt heads. However, Again I agree with Scott, I would take it to an authorized shop to get there input, It might be something simple like tuning the chainsaw to a non resonance high frequency vibration. Just a thought.

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    • Eric Romine

      I bought a Husqvarna 350 chainsaw several years ago and my friend liked mine so much that he bought the same model. about a month later his muffler fell off after about ten hours of moderate use.  He brought it to the dealer and they tightened the bolts but the muffler fell off again almost immediately.  He brought it back to the dealer and they told him that Husqvarna discontinued the 350 after the fist year because of this problem. At the time there was no fix.   The dealer gave him a new 450 (the new model to replace the 350) free of charge even though it was about a month out of warranty because they felt bad for him.  He was also a good customer.  The muffler on my saw fell off after about 50 hours of use about two years later.  The dealer now says there's a fix now involving helicoils.  It was about $100.00 and there were no guaranties.  I'm now trying to decide weather to invest $$$ into defective saw or to invest the $$$ into a new saw.  I think Husqvarna should pay for the repair.  I've always been a Husqvarna fan boasting to my Stihl friends that they paid too much for the same quality.  I have a Husqvarna leaf blower and lawn tractor.  Now I'm eating crow and I really think my next saw will be a Stihl.  That's my two cents.

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    • Karla

      Eric,

      I hope a Husqvarna Representative gets back to you, and that you get a good answer. I am Not a Representative but I would suggest, If you click on Scott W. (Individual with Orange helmet picture) you will get his direct E-mail address. Then Copy and paste your E-mail directly to Scott, he is really good at getting back to individuals.

      I hope this helps !

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    • Frank Maglin

      Look up "The chainsaw guy" on You Tube and search Husqvarna 350 muffler mod. He has a bracket available that attaches to the muffler bolts and then attaches to the 2 screws that hold the bucking spike. The bracket reduces the muffler vibration and the muffler bolts remain tight. 

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    • robert smith

      fabricating a simple bracket is quite easy and effective.  it does not need to be heavy steel either. there are many materials at the local hardware store for this modification.  bracket aside, it is encumbant on all woodsman to simply tap the muffler with his ratchet or multitool everytime he removes the clutchbrake to clean and clear oiler area.  we all know this.  we clean the bar several times during an outing, and make certain the saw is staying together while doing so.  pre-trip inspection is part of our routine, and so then therefore, why would you not check for parts coming loose while working the tool?  this is not just common to one model, it can and does happen to any saw.  that is why we focus on this item of interest, as well as many others, while felling timber.

      just my point of view.  just because we get stinky drunk while bringing in the wood, that doesn't make it acceptable to be complacent.

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