Follow these steps to mount the guide bar and chain on your Sun Joe SWJ802E .
Before You Begin
Warning: Before mounting or adjusting the guide bar and chain, wear heavy-duty work gloves and make sure the pole chain saw is disconnected from the power supply.
Bar + Chain Mounting Steps
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Place the Saw on a Flat Surface
Place the pole chain saw on a flat, stable surface with enough room to work safely.
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Remove the Chain/Sprocket End Cover
Using the supplied hex key wrench, loosen and remove the end cover nut, then remove the chain/sprocket end cover.
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Position the Chain on the Guide Bar
Lay the chain out in a loop and straighten any kinks.
Make sure the sharp side of the cutting teeth faces away from you in the direction of chain rotation shown on the guide bar.
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Seat the Chain in the Bar Groove
Starting at the tip of the guide bar, place the chain drive links into the bar groove while leaving a loop of chain at the rear of the bar.
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Place the Chain Around the Sprocket
Hold the chain in position on the guide bar and place the loop around the drive sprocket.
Fit the guide bar flush against the mounting surface so the bar studs sit in the long slot of the bar and the adjusting pin fits into the chain tension pin hole.
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Remove Excess Chain Slack
Once the chain is aligned around the sprocket, gently slide the guide bar outward, away from the saw head, to remove excess slack and help the chain sit snugly around the sprocket and guide bar.
Keep the chain drive links seated inside the bar groove while doing this, and make sure the adjusting pin remains aligned with the chain tension pin hole.
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Adjust the Initial Chain Tension
Use the supplied flat-tip blade screwdriver to adjust the chain tensioner screw as needed.
Continue to make sure the adjusting pin remains properly aligned with the chain tension pin hole.
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Reinstall + Align the Chain/Sprocket End Cover
Insert the rear tab of the chain/sprocket end cover into the rear tab slot first.
Slide and position the cover onto the saw head, making sure the end cover is fully seated and flush.
Lightly tighten the end cover nut, but do not fully tighten it yet.
Important Assembly Checkpoint: Complete the end-cover alignment before making the final chain-tension adjustment.
Do not fully tighten the end cover nut yet. The guide bar must remain able to move while the chain tension is being adjusted.
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Set the Final Chain Tension
Turn the chain tensioner screw clockwise until all slack is removed and the chain sits snugly against the guide bar.
Make sure the chain drive links remain seated inside the guide bar groove.
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Test Chain Movement Before Final Tightening
Before fully tightening the end cover nut, verify that the chain can move around the guide bar without binding.
A correctly adjusted chain should have no sag underneath the guide bar, should sit snugly against the bar, and should still be able to rotate without binding.
Do not test the sharp chain with bare hands. Follow the operator's manual and use the supplied hex key wrench to verify that the chain can rotate without binding.
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Fully Tighten the End Cover Nut
Once the chain is correctly positioned, tensioned, and able to rotate without binding, fully tighten the end cover nut using the supplied hex key wrench.
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Check the Chain Tension Again
After the end cover nut is fully tightened, verify the chain tension one more time.
The chain should remain snug against the guide bar with no sag underneath and should still rotate without binding.
If the chain is too tight: Slightly loosen the end cover nut and turn the chain tensioner screw approximately 1/4 turn counterclockwise.
Lift the tip of the guide bar, retighten the end cover nut, and recheck the chain movement. Make sure the chain can rotate without binding.
New-chain reminder: A new chain tends to stretch. Check the chain tension frequently and re-tension it as needed.
How Should the Chain Feel?
Check the chain tension while the chain is cold. A correctly tensioned cold chain has no slack underneath the guide bar, sits snugly against the bar, and can still be rotated with the supplied hex key wrench without binding.
Need Help Mounting the Bar + Chain?
If the guide bar will not seat correctly, the end cover will not sit flush, the chain will not remain inside the bar groove, or you cannot achieve the correct chain tension, contact Shop Joe Customer Support. Have your complete model number and serial number available.