Craftsman S165 Chain: Size, Part Number and Fitting

One bar, one chain

The S165 manual lists one bar and one chain for this saw: guide bar 795-00542 and saw chain 713-05276, both 16” (p. 9). The parts list for the S165 (PPN 41AY4216791) shows the same two parts, plus bar nuts 753-08105.

The manual gives the chain as 3/8” pitch and .050” gauge. It does not give a drive-link count. Oregon’s fit guides fill that gap: they list the CMXGSAMCN4216 / S165 on the S56 chain, which is 3/8” low profile, .050” and 56 drive links. If you still have the old chain, count its drive links before you order. They are the teeth that ride inside the bar groove.

The same manual also covers the S185 (CMXGSAMCN4218). That saw has an 18” bar and takes chain 713-05042 on bar 795-00543. Check the model label before you buy.

Changing the chain

The S165 uses two bar-retaining nuts and a side tensioning screw. The manual’s steps (p. 22):

1. Stop the engine, let it cool and pull the spark plug wire. Make sure the chain brake is off.
2. Loosen the two bar nuts with the multi-purpose tool or a 1/2 inch wrench. Take off the nuts and the bar cover.
3. Turn the tensioning screw counterclockwise to slacken the chain. Lift the bar and chain off the bar bolts.
4. Lay the new chain flat and work out any kinks. Fit it into the bar groove with the cutters facing the direction of rotation. Leave a loop at the back of the bar.
5. Loop the chain around the drive sprocket and put the bar on the bar bolts. The bar must sit flush, and the chain’s drive links must sit in the sprocket grooves.
6. Refit the bar cover. The tensioning pin on the cover must go into the pin hole on the bar.
7. Thread the nuts on hand tight only. Set the tension, then hold the bar tip up and tighten the nuts.

Setting tension

Craftsman’s spec is no sag. The chain should sit snug against the underside of the bar and still move freely when you pull it along by hand (p. 21).

Loosen the bar nuts slightly. Leave the cover on. Hold the bar tip up and turn the tensioning screw clockwise to tighten, counterclockwise to loosen. Pull the chain along the bar to check it. Then tighten the nuts with the tip still held up. The chain won’t move by hand if the chain brake is on.

A new chain stretches. The manual says it may need retensioning after as few as five cuts. If you tension the chain while it is hot, loosen it after you finish. It shrinks as it cools and can get too tight.

Bar oil

The chain oil reservoir holds 6.5 oz. (200 mL) and ships empty (pp. 9–10). Use bar and chain oil, not motor oil. The saw uses roughly one tank of chain oil per tank of fuel. Turn the oiler screw counterclockwise for more oil and clockwise for less (p. 20). Smoke, a discolored bar or pitch build-up means the chain is not getting enough oil.

When a new chain doesn’t fix it

A worn or dirty bar will still cause trouble with a new chain. The manual’s checks (pp. 19, 22, 24):

• Chain worn out: if you can no longer get correct tension, the chain has stretched too far and needs replacing.
• Bar wear: turn the bar over about every 5 hours of use so it wears evenly. File off burrs on the rails. Replace the bar if it is bent, the rails are cracked or spread, or the groove is worn so the chain leans sideways.
• Oil passages: every 10 hours, clean the bar groove and the oil discharge hole. With clear passages the chain throws a light spray of oil soon after it starts turning.
• Sprocket tip: grease the bar’s nose sprocket through its lube hole with a tip grease gun, turning the chain by hand until grease shows all round.

The manual gives no wear limit for the drive sprocket. For worn or damaged parts it says to see an authorized service dealer.

Sharpening

Use a 5/32 inch (4 mm) round file in a file holder (p. 23). Tension the chain tight and file at the middle of the bar. Keep the file level with the top plate and file only on the forward stroke. Do all the cutters on one side, then switch sides. Done right, the top plate ends at 30° and the side plate at 80°.

Then check the depth gauges. Craftsman sets the clearance at 1/32 inch (0.6 mm). Lower high ones with a depth gauge jointer and a flat file, then round off the front again. If the chain hit nails or stones, or cut dirty wood, the manual says to have a dealer sharpen it.