Xl -12 homelite chainsaw clutch

[dustrunner]

PICKED UP AN OLD BLUE XL 12 WITH A 20 '' bar MID SUMMER AND WHILE PULLING IT OVER THE CHAIN SPINS....GOT IT RUNNING FINE BUT THE CLUTCH ALWAYS TURNED... TOOK IT APART AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT. IT HAS 3 CLUTCH PADS WITH A SPRING INSIDE EACH ONE AND EVERYTHING SEEMS FINE,... ANY IDEAS ?

[Chopsaw]

No idea ,,, I have a early 80's Mac 140 . Low hours . Sounds like a dirt bike / dragster . Power to boot , cuts awesome ! Same deal ,,, no clutch . Had it apart many times ,,, cant get the clutch to work . I deal with it , but wish I could get it fixed .

[hoosierlogger]

Clutch is dragging the drum. Clean the drum and the 3 "pads" with emery cloth. Either that or the clutch bearing is junk.

[badass350x]

How's the tension on the springs? If the springs have lost there tension it will drag! If you can Idle the motor then put chain down on wood and you can stop the chain from moving and keep a idle I would say the springs! The other problem you might have is if some kind of chemical has got to the pads on the clutch they might have swollen especially if they were cheap to start with.

[dustrunner]

thanks hoosier im gonna try that now. bad azz 350x the springs appear good as I hafta take a screwdriver to them to get them to pop out a lil, the chain has never stopped spinning in the 6 months ive had it. if the emery cloth don't work would it be a bad idea 2 start it with sprocket cover off ? the springs go into a u shaped piece that's built into the housing ...

[hoosierlogger]

if the emery cloth don't work would it be a bad idea 2 start it with sprocket cover off ?

Just to start it? no....to use it that way, YES. that isnt going to fix anything. the reason it is spinning is the clutch shoes are contacting the drum. The thing to do is take the clutch off, dis assemble it, and clean it. They might be rusty inside the u shaped pieces too. Just dont use it till you fix it. I dont want to turn on the news and see a story about a guy with an antique saw that severs his leg with faulty equipment. LOL

[dustrunner]

sanded the pad tips and drum but no luck = still spins all the time. im gonna pry the pads out and hope I don't loose and eye with those springs....wonder were my safety shield is......

[kb0nly]

My Mini Mac did this and it was due to the previous owner having the chain tension too tight, it was pulling on the sprocket which is part of the clutch drum and slightly cocking it sideways so that it was making it all bind. Loosened the chain a few turns of the adjuster and she started working fine. I usually smack the safety bar forward to put on the chain brake inbetween cuts so that if the throttle gets bumped i don't have to worry about it. I usually end up working with the saw in situations where others are around and i worry about anyone trying to pick it up to help and causing troubles.

My big saw, the Stihl that i love like my fourth child, doesn't have much play in the clutch and doesnt suffer these issues. The Mini Mac is a great light duty and limbing saw, one of these days i might replace it with a smaller Stihl but as long as it works why bother! LOL