Looking For Guide Bar Info

[mustxcape]

I'm looking for links to lists of Homelite guide bar part numbers, cross reference lists, application charts, etc. for both new and contemporary Homelite bars that fit vintage Homelite saws. I just added another saw to the collection and keep running into the same problem. I can find the info I need on the powerhead, but little to nothing on bars or bar/chain/sprocket combinations for a particular vintage saw. I see plenty of information from aftermarket manufacturers for whatever they may have to fit the saw (what I want is usually discontinued anyway), but I am looking for a description and original part numbers for Homelite products. I frequently find vintage Homelite bars at flea markets and such, but many times they have just a part number and nothing else. I am left to search the Internet and usually have to settle for whatever info I can get (usually eBay), and that is not always accurate. I'm surprised that the original saw manuals and shop manuals don't cover this, so figure I'm looking in all the wrong places. Any advice would be appreciated.

[sweepleader]

Try these for a starter, quite a bit of information in this thread:

www.houseofhomelite.proboards.com/thread/3273/guide-bar-identification-numbers

Find your saw of interest here and look toward the bottom of its page, there is a listing for many that gives a number for the bar pattern.

www.acresinternet.com/cscc.nsf/GasbyManufacturer?OpenView

Take that number to this page, you will find info on that pattern:

www.acresinternet.com/cscc.nsf/673d78ec01557aea88256b00005457e6/e39f46cf37dbe4a088256e0d0051dd49?OpenDocument

Good luck and happy searching,
Dan

[mustxcape]

Thank you. I was unaware of that "Guide Bar Identification Numbers" post or the Bar Mount Patterns cross reference at the acres site. It will prove useful. I found some of the information duplicated in the 1980 Homelite Accessories catalog, the only Homelite catalog I found with such info.

The problem I face is some confusion in the various pieces of literature I look at. It usually provides replacement part numbers, but rarely states what the stock configuration was or gives recommendations for various bar sizes. It's further complicated by changes over the life of the product. Plus the saws I get secondhand rarely have a stock bar/chain, and if it does, the numbers don't match most literature since the numbers and recommendations changed over time. For instance, my '82 240 has Homelite .375 pitch bar/chain, yet the sprocket commonly available is .325. I picked up a '74 XL2 recently, mostly because I liked the case it came with. It came with a stock Homelite .375 pitch bar/chain, but current recommendations are to use .375. I get the impression Homelite transitioned their recommendations from .250" and .325" pitch to .375".

Since I prefer to keep my saws as stock as possible, and a configuration that will not overtax the saw, I figure it's best to review whatever vintage literature is available to account for the variance I get in current part numbers and recommendations. I don't mind tracking down vintage parts if that is what's required.

Thank you for your assistance.

[sweepleader]

Good luck with your search, welcome to the confusing world of old chainsaws. My XL500 needed a gas tank and I wanted to keep it as stock as possible like you. I searched for a long time, finding that the original was prone to trouble but since it looks different on the outside, I still wanted it. I wound up finding the correct tank but was convinced by my search that unless I wanted to keep it on the shelf, that might be the wrong way to go. I found another, later, tank that looks the same except for the gas line and have decided to keep the original for the shelf and install the later tank for running. Easy to swap tanks? No, but that is what I decided. I will paint both when I find the "right" colors and when the saw is retired I will install the correct tank.

I think the search is much more interesting when it is more difficult.
Dan

[mustxcape]

Yeah, the search for info and sourcing the old parts to refurbish vintage saws is part of the fun. I don't mind the modification of part numbers to reflect revisions in design, but I'm going nutty trying to source a reference list or cross application chart for a totally alien set of numbers for the same bars. Further, the changeover must have been relatively recent. Odd I can't source it online. Seems everyone out there wants to sell me whatever they have in stock that they think will fit, rather than the stock combo I seek.

[sweepleader]

With the number of original options for bars, chains and clutches, my guess is it would be very difficult to rule out a combination on a particular saw unless the numbers were bold and current. If you mounted anything that was not obviously wrong (to the casual observer), nobody would object. That is the case with my gas tank, it was changed so often due to the trouble with the original wick fuel feed system that the later tank has almost become "standard". In fact, I only found a few knowledgeable folks who even knew what I was talking about (they were here on HoH). That is why I decided to go with the "wrong" tank. I would not have known of the situation if I was not the original owner of my saw and was certain that the tank was original. Saws, it would seem, were often sold with bars the customer wanted, not what the factory offered as original. Perhaps a dealer from that time period could shed some light on that issue, I believe there are several on this forum. Personally, I am glad you are that interested, you just might discover information that would benefit us all.