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

[Danny D.]

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:

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

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

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:

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

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

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

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

[Phil Kangas]

"Danny D." >

super strong spring back on?

Try sliding it down a thin strip of metal.

[Tom Miller]

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.

[Stormin Mormon]

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 .

. .

[Pico Rico]

do you have a neighbor that is a MAN?

[trader_4]

I've never had to do one of these. But the procedure for getting any spring like that back on is first to get as much room as possible. From the picture, the part that it pushes against is in it's most forward position, not retracted. IDK what it takes to get that to retract, but if it's retracted, then less compression of the spring will be necessary.

[Jeff Liebermann]

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.

[Tom Miller]

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.

[Danny D.]

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 ...

[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.

[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.

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).

[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!

[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:

Here is the after sprung:

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.

[Ralph Mowery]

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.

[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.

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

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!

[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 ...

[Ralph Mowery]

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.

[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.

[Jeff Liebermann]

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.

[Phil Kangas]

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... ;>)} BTDT