Stihl model · engine series 1143
MS 231 / 231 C-BE 40.6–42.6 cc
- Chain
- .325″ · .050–.063″
- Recommended bar
- 14–18″
- Mount
- 3005 / A074
MS 231 / 231 C-BE chain size: .325″ · .050–.063″, 3005-mount bar. Typical STIHL drive-link counts for .325" chain: 16″ = 62, 18″ = 68. Count the links on your old chain or read the bar stamp before ordering.
Model displacement · family chain/bar fitment. Details & confidence ↓
See also: MS 231 · 241 · 251 family specs · chain and file size guide · part number lookup
Parts diagrams (17)
Browse saved diagrams & other models ↗380 parts entries · catalogue coverage: MS 231, MS 231 C-BE, MS 231 C-BE Z, MS 231-Z. Check the sheet’s variant and serial notes.
Model & family fitment specs
Displacement is specific to the MS 231 / 231 C-BE roster record. Chain, bar and mount are the published family fitment for engine series 1143; confirm the pitch, gauge and drive-link count stamped on your installed bar before ordering.
Chain, bar and mount: family research from STIHL product pages and parts catalogues, dealer fiche and collector records. Checked Jul 2026. How we check fitment
Chains & bars that fit the MS 231 / 231 C-BE
Pitch & gauge .325″ · .050–.063″ · recommended bar 14–18″ · bar mount 3005 / A074 · round file 3/16" (4.8 mm)
Chain & bar by length
| Bar | Drive links | Shop |
|---|---|---|
| 16″ | 62 DL | Chain .050″ →Chain .063″ → Bar · 3005 → |
| 18″ | 68 DL | Chain .050″ →Chain .063″ → Bar · 3005 → |
Drive-link counts come from STIHL's saw-chain selection chart and depend on the bar mount as well as length. Pick the chain link that matches the gauge stamped on your bar. Bar searches include mount 3005 / A074; still confirm the mount stamp, pitch, gauge and drive-link count on your installed bar before ordering.
Drive-link counts: STIHL 2025 US catalog, saw chain selection, pp. 166-167; Oregon chain fit guide, STIHL section. Checked Nov 2026. How we check fitment
Files, oil & sharpening
Suggested match: Oregon 95VPX or 20LPX (.050″) · 21LPX (.058″) · 22LPX (.063″). Match the gauge and confirm the drive-link count for your exact bar before ordering. These are equivalent aftermarket (Oregon) chains, not genuine STIHL chain — STIHL sells its own chain through its dealer network, and we're not affiliated with STIHL. New to fitment? See the bar-mount identification guide and chain & cutter guide.
Some links earn us a commission. It never changes the specs or what we recommend.
Service & tuning
Factory tuning settings
| Idle speed | 2,800 rpm |
| H screw (high speed) | 3/4 turn |
| Confidence | reconstructed |
Screw figures are turns open from lightly seated. These are the figures every model in this family shares; an individual model page may be more specific. Matched on the base model number rather than this exact variant, so treat it as a starting point. Set the final mixture by ear and tachometer against the machine in front of you — running a two-stroke lean to hit a published number is how pistons get scored.
About the MS 231 / 231 C-BE
40.6 cc to 2013, then 42.6 cc
Production, market and rarity are specific to this model’s roster record.
Related models in series 1143
Shared engine-family membership does not establish parts interchangeability.
Data confidence
Chain, bar, mount and displacement confidence comes from the shared MS 231 · 241 · 251 family research.
Something wrong or missing for the MS 231 / 231 C-BE? Report a correction →