How to Rebuild a Chainsaw Bar

Heavy wear and tear on a chainsaw's bar will eventually necessitate the replacement of the bar, but this expensive repair can be pushed further down the road with a regular maintenance program and the replacement of the sprocket nose tip on the bar. Replacing the tip costs a fraction of the price of a new bar and, coupled with proper care of the main body of the bar, will extend the chainsaw's life several more cutting seasons.

New sprocket nose tip kit

Bar tip grease

Steel punch

Ball-peen hammer

Flat file

Anvil or other firm metal surface

Work gloves

Safety glasses

Hearing protection

Remove the bar and chain from the saw. Set aside the powerhead and the chain. Place the bar on a flat metal work surface.

Pound out the rivet holding the sprocket nose tip on the bar, using the steel punch and hammer. Remove the old sprocket nose tip.

Clean any remaining wood chips from the tip of the bar before seating the new sprocket nose tip on the bar. Place the new rivet, fat bottom side down, in the hole from the underside of the bar.

Using the hammer, pound the rivet until it's flat with the side of the bar. Three to five blows should do it. To test the security of the sprocket nose tip, grab the bar in one hand, the sprocket nose tip in the other, and twist. The bar and sprocket nose tip should feel like one solid unit. If they do not, place the bar back on the work surface and give the rivet a few more blows with the hammer.

File the rails of the new sprocket nose tip to match the rails on the bar, using the flat file, if necessary.

Grease the new sprocket nose tip with the appropriate grease. Reinstall the bar and chain on the saw and test the chain's movement by hand.

Wear eye and ear protection when hammering the rivets.

Always wear gloves when handling the bar and chain.