OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Chainsaws and Concrete Cutters Petrol Chainsaws and Concrete Cutters Converting 0.325" saw to use 5/32 chain?

Hi All,

I'm not a chainsaw boffin, though I live rural it's only 1 acre and I was able to fell all the privet & camphor laurels here early on with the cheap chainsaw I owned. So while my neighbours are the envy of me with sexy Stihls & Huskys I have little work to do and thus made do with a ~$80 Rok chainsaw (bought from good old Masters) and a Worx electric chainsaw.

As they were cheap and nasty I splashed out for a bunch of nice Oregon semi chisel 91VXL chains from the USA - my theory being for my limited means crappy saws would do but they'd punch better with quality chains. So I have around 6 of those with very limited use on them.

I cheaply acquired an Oleo Mac 941CX saw but alas it uses 0.325" chain (and the only one I have for it is quite worn).
https://www.myoleo-mac.com/int/p/941-cx-gs-410-cx-10037/

Scenic route to my question but ......I wondered is it feasible &/or a reasonable idea to covert it to use the relatively plentiful 3/16" semi chisel chains I have?

I popped the 3/16" chain and bar onto the Oleo just to see if it would work 7 it did for a very brief test cut - but I am not sure using the wrong chain on it is a grand idea.....but am open to converting it, even though I believe 0.325" is a superior chainsize to the consumer level 3/16".

Is it just as simple as changing the sprocket?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Cheers, Nick

G'day N1KK0,

The other thing you have to watch with chain size swaps, is that the new chain's drive link thickness/gauge suits the guide bar you have.

These are the common DL 'gauges'; .043" (1.1mm), .050" (1.3mm), .058" (1.5mm), and .063" (1.6mm).

Hi Gadge,

Appreciate the reply - yes no worries with that as I'd simply switch the bar as well - but good point. :-)

Still unsure if its viable (potential negatives?) to 'convert' the 0.325" Oleo to the 5/16" that I have so many chains of - and if so how best to do this? At present it just seems a real waste that I've a heap of good quality 5/16" chains and the best chainsaw i have by far can't use them, though it's very close to being suitable - so perhaps an easy-ish conversion?

ok this is where i point out there is no such thing as 5/16 chain, chain size "Pitch" is expressed by the distance between the centre of 2 rivets in the chain, such as from smallest to largest 1/4, 3/8 low pro, .325, 3/8. .404 being the only sizes you are likely to find short of playing with big old saws from the 60's 70's or a mechanical harvester head and "GAUGE" being the thickness of thedrive link that runs in the guide bar. At a guess i would say the chains on your smaller saws are actually 3/8 low profile chain(which is sharpened with a 5/16 or 4mm file) . a side by side pic with the .325 would help alot. to swap chains you need all of the following to match, chain, bar (pitch& gauge for sprocket tipped bars and gauge for solid tip) and the clutch sprocket. if your lucky enough that your saw uses rim sprickets then it should be easy enough to get the riquired sprocket and swap it over if it doesnt which is more likely that not then you would need to get a whole clutch drum assy to suit the smaller chains.

hope that helps

Billy,

Ah you're 100% right again I dunno why I said 5/32 or 5/16 chain - yes it's 3/8 chain, as mentioned Oregon 91VXL are the chains I have - so all 3/8. Silly mistake by me.

Perhaps if I get a photo of the current sprocket setup on the Oleo Mac that might assist? I don't think it's a rim sprocket - so might be a PITA....but will get that photo - sorry for the mistakes.

yep thought it would be 91vxl will be 3/8 low pro, easiest way to tell if its a rim sprocket or no is if you can see the teeth or not a rim sprocket is round with gaps for the drivelinks to sit into while a spur sprocket(intergrated to clutch drum) will look like a star when viewed from the end.

going from .325 to 38/low pro is definitely a step backwards and depending on the saws engine size may not be recommended for safety reasons, small chains can only take so much hp before they stretch excessively or potentially break,

post a couple of pics of the setup and the model number of the saw

G'day all,
Spur sprockets are the cheaper option, and they're available in 3/8" pitch for that saw; e.g https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=95_1029&products_id=7445

As billyj says, you'll also need a new guide bar, to go to 3/8" pitch chain.

All up, not really worth it for an occasional use saw, I'd say, when you can buy some serviceable cheapie chains from Jono & Johno @ $24 each or 3 for $54!
https://www.chainsawspares.com.au/?rf=kw&kw=325+050+66dl

Hi Billy,

Oh look I can tell you without even looking it's a spur sprocket (which is pretty well worn as well).

The saw itself is an Oleo Mac 941CX: https://www.myoleo-mac.com/int/p/941-cx-gs-410-cx-10037/

So not a big engine and I did consider that changing to a less 'capable' chain a factor but given the engine is modest I thought maybe ok?

You're right the 3/8LP is a step down but as the VXL chain is meant to be more aggressive than the 'normal' 3/8LP I hoped it might offset this loss a little.

I'll pop those pix up to assist you. Thanks again

Gadge,

Thanks for the reply - ah you might be right - considering the hassle, performance downgrade etc its likely little upside to do the changeover. I already have several 3/8LP bars, so thats not an issue - I'll take it under advisement from you guys so much thanks. :-)