Stihl 038 - MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND STORING

MAINTENANCE, REPAIR
AND STORING
Use only STIHL replacement parts for
maintenance and repair. Use of parts
manufactured by others may cause
serious or fatal injury.
Never operate a chainsaw that is dam-
aged, improperly adjusted or not com-
pletely or securely assembled. Follow
the maintenance and repair instructions
in the appropriate section of your
Owner’s Manual, especially those in the
chapters " Mounting the bar and chain"
“Maintaining and Sharpening" and
"Chain Brake".
Warning! Always stop the engine and
ensure that the chain is stopped before
making any adjustments, maintenance
or repair work, changing the saw chain or
cleaning the saw. Do not attempt any
maintenance or repair work not described
in your Owner's Manual. Have such
work performed at your STIHL service
shop only.
Never test the ignition system with
ignition wire terminal removed from spark
plug or with unseated spark plug, since
uncontained sparking may cause a fire.
Warning! To reduce the risk of fire and
burn injury, use only spark plugs authori-
zed by STIHL. Always press spark plug
boot snugly onto spark plug terminal of
the proper size. (Note: If terminal has
detachable SAE adapter nut, it must be
attached.) A loose connection between
spark plug terminal and ignition wire
connector in the boot may create arcing
that could ignite combustible fumes and
cause a fire. Keep spark plug clean, and
make sure ignition lead is in good
condition.
Warning! Do not operate your chainsaw
if the muffler is damaged, missing or
modified. An improperly maintained
muffler will increase the risk of fire and
hearing loss. Never touch a hot muffler
or burn will result. If your muffler was
equipped with a spark-arresting screen
to reduce the risk of fire (e. g. in the USA,
Canada and Australia), never operate
your saw if the screen is missing or
damaged. Remember that the risk of
forest fires is greater in hot or dry
weather.
Keep the chain, bar and sprocket clean;
replace worn sprockets or chains.
Keep the chain sharp. You can spot a dull
chain when easy-to-cut wood becomes
hard to cut and burn marks appear on
the wood.
Keep the chain at proper tension.
Tighten all nuts, bolts and screws except
the carburetor adjustment screws after
each use.
Warning! In order for the chain brake on
your STIHL chainsaw to properly
perform its function of reducing the risk
of kickback and other injuries, it must be
properly maintained. Like an automobile
brake, a chainsaw chain brake incurs
wear each time it is engaged.
The amount of wear will vary depending
upon usage, conditions under which the
saw is used and other factors. Excessive
wear will reduce the effectiveness of the
ghain brake and can render it inoperable.
For the proper and effective operation of
the chain brake the brake band and
clutch drum must be kept free of dirt,
grease and other foreign matter which
may reduce friction of the band on the
drum.
For these reasons, each STIHL chain-
saw should be returned to trained
personnel such as your STIHL servicing
dealer for periodic inspection and
servicing of the brake system according
to the following schedule:
Heavy usage - every three months,
Moderate usage - twice a year,
Occasional usage - annually.
The chainsaw should also be returned
immediately for maintenance whenever
the brake system cannot be thoroughly
cleaned or there is a change in its
operating characteristics.
Additionally, the daily maintenance
schedule for your chainsaw set forth in
your STIHL Owner’s Manual should be
strictly followed.
Store chainsaw in a dry place and away
from children. Before storing for longer
than a few days, always empty the fuel
tank.
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