Gearbox (reducer) Questions

[Waxman]

My IBA (Superior 700) has a bad crunching noise when the machine is half way down the rail. Yesterday I had to shut down because the machine was slowing way down and almost pausing at the midpoint of travel along the rail.

We drained the gearbox oil and it looks decent and has no evidence of metal chunks from broken gears.

We stuck a small magnet inside the drain hole to see if we could pull out any broken gear pieces and nothing was found.

Now we'll be adding new gear oil and moving the gantry to see if we can further isolate the noise using a socket extension as a stethescope.

I am hoping it's the wheel bearing.

Any advice on this?

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Waxman, if you do find it to be the gearbox and need a replacement try AutomationDirect. They now carry gearboxes and I've found them to be much less than other suppliers.

 

[Waxman]

Thanks.

I do think it is not the gear box but rather a pillow block bearing on the wheel side og the gantry. I have been struggling to get the wheel off the shaft but I think I need some heat to help break it free.

I do not own oxy/acetelyne torches so I will likely rent a set but not until tomorrow am as they are out now.

Unless anyone else has any ideas on freeing the wheel from the shaft so I can get the bearing off.

 

[termn8tr]

Waxman, we just had to change our bearing on our unit and by heating it didn't work, we therefore had to use a grinder and cut off the bearing in order to remove it from the shaft.

 

[Waxman]

well how did you get the new bearing on?

 

[Waxman]

anybody got any tricks for getting a cast wheel off a stainless shaft?

tried penetrant, prying, map gas torch. thinking of going w/oxy/acetylene torch tomorrow. might ruin the rubber coated wheel but gotta get it off somehow!!!

 

[mac]

The gears inside the gearboxes are not made of steel, but mostly brass. A magnet won't pick up the pieces. The best way to get a wheel off of a shaft is to remove the entire assembly, take it to a machine shop, and have it pressed off. If manufacturers would just use a little Never Sieze, it would make life so much easier.

 

[Waxman]

Well we got the shaft to move so now we are at least hopeful and trying to continue.

I am surely gooping the shaft w/neverseize when I reassemble.

That's a good question for the mfg's at the ICA expo 2010; do you use neverseize in your assembly process? No? Next...

BTW, took the cover off the gearbox and the gears look fine.

 

[soapy]

Take some emory cloth and clean the shaft up first. When I had track mounted machines I had to remove many bearings. A good 2 or 3 jaw gear puller is a must. Get the size you need for your situation and put it to work. If you can get it off the machine and take it to a machine shop it is much easier than crawling around on the ground with a gear puller. If you are going to discard the bearing it might be easier to cut it off with a cutoff wheel.

 

[Waxman]

We were able to get the outer (rail side) wheel off. The bearing also came off. The insides of it were crunched up pretty good.

There is a washer on the shaft that seems like a stop for the bearing. The tech. from the industrial supply place where I'm getting new bearings came by and thought it looked like the washer (spacer) was turned onto the shaft but I don't think it is because I wan see a definite ridge between the 2. It also makes sense that it must come off to disassemble everything.

We did try a puller and what we bought wasn't heavy duty enough and the heavy duty ones had no way of getting in behind the wheel with the puller arms.

But yes a nice puller that had very strong and skinny arms would work for next time!

 

[soapy]

When I had to replace bearings I always bought stainless steel marine bearings. They were a little more than the standard bearing but they never failed. It is such a pain to replace bearings so I paid the extra for marine bearings so I did not have to ever do it again.

 

[Waxman]

Well I may have to get those next time cause mine are due in tomorrow.

I hate being down, but what can I do? Very frustrating.

The shaft on my machine had a spacer that was basically a washer in between the wheel and bearing stop collar (which had set screws holding it to the shaft). I had to cut the washer off because it was tig welded to the shaft. Then we ground the shaft smooth. I will replace with a regular ss or hardened washer but will not tig it to the shaft.

Not sure the reasoning behind the tig welded washer; they must've been concerned about the wheel moving toward the bearing assy.?

This repair is taking alot out of me as well as my friend helping me (no, not Jack Daniels).

 

[Waxman]

Update

Repair complete. Both pillow block bearings on drive shaft were bad. 4 days of downtime. Minor injuries.

We re-engineered several parts as we went along.

Back up running and carwashing today.

Thanks everyone for the help; Soapy especially and whale for the moral support!

 

[garmo]

Waxman - hope our conversation today helped. Keep me posted.

Regarding the axles - ALWAYS use a good anti-seize compound on both the axle and the shaft before putting it back on. This of course after you do as Soapy says and clean both up with emory cloth.

Gary

 

[Waxman]

Yes I did clean the shaft w/emery cloth as well as put everything back together w/never seize. I use nevr seize on every reassembly now!!!

Thanks Garmo. You did help.