Rexvalter VF-118 lathe (was: old Myford Ml7)

[MattF]

Put the shaft and gears in an ultrasonic cleaner with degreaser, the big gear isn't metal either, I thought it was but it's some kind of dark plastic type material.

Probably Tufnol or similar. Quieter running than metal gears, and more importantly, that should shred before any metal gears risk losing teeth in a jam-up situation.

 

[DennisCA]

If it's underdrive with an intermediate shaft as Boxford underdrives. My old one was a lot quieter after I changed the bearings on the intermediate shaft.

There's a gearbox that the 3 belts connect to that is underneath yes, there are two levers on the cabinet and by arranging those two levers and the top lever on the head stock about 18 different speeds between 50-1750 rpm can be achieved. I wasn't planning on taking out the gearbox but perhaps it's for the best.

 

[DennisCA]

Started taking apart the headstock again, removed all the gears and change wheels etc, tried to tap out the shaft from left to right based on the blueprint but it only moves a short bit and stops. Then I tried to remove part number 51 to see if I could , a rubber or plastic gasket with a hook but ended up getting it in my finger instead. So now I am back in front of the computer instead.

 

[DennisCA]

Correction to the above, not part 51 but part 52 which is the gasket. 51 says its a spacer. Part 50 is also used to adjust the spindle bearings it says.

 

[Seadog]

52 is an oil seal, 51 is the hardened sleeve that runs in the seal, and 50 is the threaded collar that is used to adjust end play. If you've managed to get 50 off I would imagine that the lack of movement is purely down to a tight fit in the bore of the taper roller. I had the same problem when I dismantled my Boxford. I used a hydraulic press in the end. Have you removed 76/77/88, which look like the backgear lever assembly? The bull gear and hub, 74/75 look as though they are splined, which I'd expect, although I can't make out the detail for 62/63. Make sure that there isn't a grub or two lurking at the bottom of a hole in that location. The small amount of movement could be the bull gear coming up against the right hand side of the main casting where the front spindle bearing is housed.

 

[DennisCA]

I have not removed those, the bull gear and everything else on the spindle shaft seems to slide on it and I can't find any screws or anywhere to rmeove them so I assumed the only way to get them off is to push out the spindle and all the parts will slide off the spindle as it goes out, in thew same fashion as the secondary shaft did.

 

[Seadog]

If 50 is unscrewed you should be able to slide the spacer sleeve, 51, off of the spindle. Once again, it's not a clear drawing, it may be that there are holes in the face of 51 and that that, too, is screwed onto the spindle.

 

[DennisCA]

I guess I am gonna have to build some kind of spindle pulling device so I can pull it out, oh when will I have the time... Most nights the SO is working until 21:30 so it's me and the twins only. And this weekend is full of birthdays and plans by the SO. No quality shop time for me...

 

[Seadog]

If it is a tight bearing then I would ease the fit with emery tape. It helps when adjusting pre-load.

 

[Seadog]

I still can't understand why you have a 'small amount of movement.' I assume you've removed part number 69? That's the bearing cover at the front. That will allow a small amount of movement before the spindle shoulder comes up against it.

 

[DennisCA]

Yep I got that plate removed. The spindle moves out a bit on the right side, then it stops, I presumed it was friction of the bearing or something like that since I could not find any locking methods that would retain the gears or selector.

 

[Seadog]

Do you know what part 62 is? It could be a circlip limiting movement on the bull gear. Is there room to slide the gear to the far right so that you can see?

Also, the rear bearing sits in a cup. If this is made to be removable it would allow the backgear and pulleys to be slid off the spindle giving access to the bull gear, if it turns out there is something locating it.

 

[DennisCA]

Unfortunately I was dumb and did not photo the page with the explanations, since they were in swedish and I figured they'd be no use to you, but I coulda translated ofcourse. But now I don't remember what 62 refers to.

The rear part is in an assembly, a cup if you will, but I don't see an easy way of removing it.

 

[Seadog]

If you can move the spindle a little (how much is a little?) and it slides easily in the rear bearing, then there has to be something else locking things up. The only unknown, that I can see, is 62.

There is a retaining ring - http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v.../changing-drive-belts-rexvalter-lathe-175384/

If you read the next but one comment, he said he had to hit it harder than expected. But first check out the retaining ring.

 

[DennisCA]

I'll have to have a look at that as soon as I get some time free!

 

[DennisCA]

Now I had a chance to look at part 62, weird name in swedish IMA säkring (that word usually refers to a fuse), IMA-safety is perhaps a workable translation.

 

[Seadog]

Is the 'ring' perhaps a clue. Retaining ring/circlip?

 

[DennisCA]

Its probably a retaining ring of some kind, however for pedantry's sake, the -ring part in säkring doesn't have any relation to the word ring so it couldn't be inferred from that.

 

[DennisCA]

I got rid of the circlip and using an M12 threaded rod, some nuts and washers and a few blocks of wood I made a kind of puller. But no dice. Didn't dare put too much force so maybe that's it, looking at the design I was thinking maybe part 51, the spacer behind the adjustment nut might be threaded too. But now I think that would make the adjustment nut pointless if it was.

Also I had to note I tried tapping the cup, part 54 and it seemed to move outwards quite easily. Perhaps it needs to come off... But I can't tap it the whole way out, I can't get to it at all the places needed for that, some kind of internal pushing device would need to be manufactured for that.

 

[DennisCA]

I got it off, friction was the culprit as suspected earlier. Tightening my homemade puller and then tapping is what did it, refused to budge until I tightened it real hard, then tapped the rod with the hammer, then it moved a little bit. I repeated this for 5 minutes and it was off.

Then the rear cup was easy to remove:

Everything is submerged in degreaser now, can't find any damage or flaws, so I guess all I can do is clean everything good, add new grease and reassemble.

Unfortunately the front bearing is impossible to say what type it is, the text for it is blocked so it would have to be pressed off to read.