CHAINSAW BRAKE LOCKED ON HUSQVARNA 455 RANCHER HELP PLEASE?

I used applman08's solution. A few pointers:
0. This problem occurs when you take off the side cover while the brake is set. So after you fix this, don't do that again.
1. When removing the clutch, place the screwdriver in the notch next to where it says "off" and tilt the screwdriver down so that when you strike it you are applying a clockwise shock force that is almost horizontal (assuming your 455 is on its side).
2. DO NOT remove the spring! There is a plastic housing that basically holds the brake mechanism in place (secured by 4 screws). If you take that apart, and then take out the spring, you will be learning how the brake works and spending some time compressing that spring and getting it back in. You'll have to come up with something clever to get the spring in depending on tools available.
3. Going back to 1. - get that clutch off, put the side cover back on, getting that brake lever lined up with the very-difficult-to-grab three-toothed mechanism for engaging the spring. Tighten down the side cover, or hold it snug with one hand while you lever the brake handle with the other. You will hear a satisfying snap as the braking mechanism (with the spring I told you not to mess with) resets.
Note: You can probably reset the braking mechanism by manually turning that three toothed gizmo but it's really hard to grab and the brake handle fits it perfectly. The key is you've got to turn that about 60 degrees.
Good luck, this was an annoying problem.

If you leave bar off and keep cover pushed in so that lever fits in cover and pull back on lever

I had the same problem with my rancher 455 . What i did was remove the the bar that actucally sets the brake by taking out two hex head screws that hold it on. once the handle is off u can line it up very easily on the ground to reset the brake. gos on very easily.

What you have to do is take off the side cover and remove the bar and chain. Then on the clutch there are two little notchs and right next to them it should say off. Then take a punch or a screwdriver and a hammer and hit it until the clutch is released and then the clutch should screw off. Place the cover back on and unlock the brake. Then screw the clutch back on and your ready to go!!!! Hope this helps!!!!

To put the chain cover back on you need to remove the clutch drum.once you have it off you install the chain cover and release the brake.after the brake is released you reinstall the the clutch drum.now the chain brake is off and you can put the chain and cover on easily......

I can already hear a lecture coming about safety now.... This is a huge inconvenient problem that's happened to me several times in the field. The husqvarna chain brake mechanism is an extremely poor design and mine locked up constantly, even when clean. After the third time it happened, I took off the clutch cover, took out the four black screws holding in the chain brake assembly. I took the little key lock off the three armed gizmo and popped it out, and took out the tension spring. Completely. Put the housing cover back on. No chain brake, no problems - ever. Spare me the safety lecture.

If you put a screwdriver underthe middle of the spring you can arch the spring up and push it into the groove easier. then once in place you press the whole spring down and it flattens out and increases tension. Hold it caerefully n place and have the cover ready to seal it in its home.

Simply stated above, the easiest way is to simply take off the brake handle bar by removing 2 little hex head screws(1 each side of saw). Then take your clutch cover in one hand and the brake bar in the other. Fit them together in hand and simply unlock as if saw were fully assembled. Works like a charm and takes 2 minutes. DO NOT TAKE CLUTCH APART!! NO NEED!!

Snap on tools sells a socket for car antenna mounts it has 3 legs on it fits the chainbrake cam perfectly almost like its made for it.The best thing is to make sure the chain brake is not ON when taking the cover off to begin with

I had the same problem i call to find out how to do it u have to put it in a vice and then take the handle off a pull back on it like it was on the saw i put a clamp on the handle so it would not come off

Make sure the brake activator handle is engaged and move it sharply back toward the handle. sometimes the 3 teeth that connect the 2 pieces do not engage well. Sometimes you need to rock the brake trip handle one way or the other while pulling rearward. If you can't get it, a servicing dealer can, usually 2 seconds and free. You might want to order a new chain as a spare to pay for his expertise.

Husqvarna rancher 455 fix

Thanks for all the help understanding the prob--I then took off the bar and chain and put the cover on, lining it up with the hand brake and troublesome part of the cover. Then using only the front nut, tightening it while gently tugging on the handle to keep the two parts aligned. After a couple of misses, it snapped into place and I was back in biz. Did not take anything else apart.
thanks again! great help.

Sling the saw in the dump. Or do as another poster suggested and sling the brake. RIDICULOUS situation in this day and age, especially if you are 50 miles from nowhere. Buy a saw with an easy reset chainbrake. Not a Husqvarna.

Remove the bar and put the cover back on, you just gained a little pressure on the parts that engage. snap spring into place with the guard .The spring is hard to put back in so don.t take it out. sticking the blade end of a flat handled screw driver into a post or tree is a way to push the spring back in. hold your thumb over the spring to push it in place when you have push it far enough.

I compressed the spring with a drill bit in a drill press. I forget which side bit fits into the spring without overlaping the edge but ya'll can figure that one out. just hold the part under the press and lift up with the bit in the end of the spring and it's very easy to set the lip of the spring in the back stop. basicly assembeling everything then pressing the back end of the spring in last. it's real easy. I'll try the cresent wrench thing but it seems like a LOT of force. I wounder if the plastic hole in the spring retainer could have warped from heat and isn't allowing the proper angle of pressure to be applyed at the hinge joint to opperate the mechanism....

I took the side cove off with the chain brake on and now i cannot get the cover on.

I have a 357xp and as the other folks have found replacing the clutch cover is a piece of cake IF the brake is in the released position. Before removing cover be sure brake is in the released position. If for some reason it releases after the cover is removed ( like mine did) place the cover back in position on the saw holding the front of the cover against the brake handle. Then you can use the handle to return brake to the released position. Don't worry about having the bar and chain in position as they just seem to be in the way.
I did have to use a big c-clamp (not having a good wood clamp) as my hands are not strong enough to counter act the torque of the brake handle. Be careful not to tighten the clamp so much you break the cover. Craig