Bar sprocket froze

I cannot get this sprocket to move! I've only used it a week but it's gotten pinched several times in these big oaks I have been cutting root balls off of. Some of these logs are dirty from the excavator muddying them up. I have seen some dirt just in the bark in general. (When pinched in the kerf, I have gotten the saw free with another saw, lol.) Oregon Versacut 25 inch on ported Stihl ms362. Any time the sprocket got frozen, I was able to get it to free up by pushing the nose on a log back and forth. Now, nothing is working. Soaked overnight in diesel. Squirted in the best penetrant I have. Used a discarded plastic wedge to try to hammer it to free up. It won't budge. Any ideas what to do? I can't see a thing wrong with it, it looks perfect to me. Hope the bearing isn't stuck or shot. Might just be the pinching or might be a dirt problem. But, I have not used Oregon bars much, usually use Stihl bars.

I also adjusted the oiler to max flow prior to installing this 25" bar.

 

No bueno. I had that happen once too. A sliver of wood jammed in the sprocket. Keep working on it, hopefully it frees up.

 

Is the bar off the saw?

 

You mean at the moment? I don't remember. Tried freeing it on and off the saw. Even put it back on to gain more leverage pushing it back and forth on a log.

 

Not sure what to tell you. Ive had mine jam from time to time with saw dust/noodles etc. Taken bar and chain off and rolled the bar sprocket on a log to free it and/or spin it manually and this does the trick.

Maybe its pinched beyond repair and needs the nose/sprocket assembly replaced??? Some bars have this feature. I run mostly Stihl bars, with one Oregon and one Carlton.

 

Only advice I could give would be to put it in a vice and use a small punch on a tooth and try to tap it back and forth in an effort to free it up. Without it being a replaceable sprocket nose, your options are limited. Good thing they are cheap (if ya can’t get it free).

 

Put the bar in a vice, use a hammer & large flat tipped screwdriver to knock the sprocket little both ways to see if you can free it up.

I would eyeball it closely to see if it is indeed pinched.

Also if working in those dirty conditions, you are probably changing the chain a lot so make sure & clean out your rails & the tip.

 

This

And this.

 

Any of the good quality Oregon bars have replaceable sprocket nose on them. They are easy to do and usually only have one rivet that you drill out then punch out the rivet.
The new sprocket should come with a new rivet also. Put the new sprocket nose in place with the rivet and peen it down and then take a sandpaper type grinding wheel and sand it smooth. Like new again.

 

Versacut's don't have a RSN.

 

I guess that is why I do not own one. I prefer bars with a replaceable sprocket nose.
That is what I call a disposable bar.

 

I agree 100%. And yes, they are made in... china.

 

Yes I had a inexpensive bar on poulan saw that had the sprocket nose freeze up on. I threw the bar away.