RE: (ET) New failure mode...

["Hazen, Dwight L" <hazen indiana edu>]

I too have seen this. I used paraffin wax to make the disk slide smother
over the switches. I was able to remove washers to decrease the distance
between the disk and switches. No trouble so far after this
modification. 

Do not use any oil to lube the assembly, it will draw dirt. Paraffin wax
(caning jar stuff) seems to work just fine. I use paraffin wax on my
sail boat all the time, works well for sail slides. 

 Dwight

Dwight L. Hazen, Indiana University, UITS 
Bloomington, In. 47408-7378
812-855-5367 IP phone 317-278-4014    
hazen indiana edu http://php.ucs.indiana.edu/~hazen/
Ham Radio wb9tlh arrl net http://wb9tlh.ampr.us
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Elie, Larry (L.D.) [mailto:lelie ford com] 
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 9:21 AM
To: Elec-trak list
Subject: (ET) New failure mode...

Well, it's new to me, and even Bill hadn't seen it...

My E12 was working fine until last fall, suddenly I couldn't go forward
sometimes.  Move the control a few 
times and it would take right off.  Hmm...  I checked the manual, then
the
forward contactors.  They were 
fine.  I replaced the reverse micro-switch.  Slowly the problem got
worse,
until it only went forward about 
10% of the time.  I finally called Bill Saturday.  He said I must either
have a bad contactor or a bad reverse 
switch as the speed control runs the same circuitry forward and reverse,
and
reverse was fine.  I agreed that 
this is what it looked like, but I'd already tried everything.  I could
see
the control closing all the 
micro-switches.  Foreword just wouldn't work....  Then, while engaged
'forward' I pushed the start (first) micro switch with a small blade
screwdriver, the motor started instantly.  What had happened is the
circular

plastic speed control spirals that close each micro-switch had worn more
from forward than reverse, the start 
switch was not closing most of the time; the switch moved but not
enough.  A
simple bend of the bracket with 
pliers of perhaps .050" was PLENTY and the control works fine now.  I
called
Bill back with the tip, and I'm 
letting everyone here know too as this was NOT an electrical problem;
just
mechanical wear.  Since the 
E12/14/15 use the same sort of plastic controls, and all our tractors
probably have about the same amount of
wear, I'm expecting others to begin to see this behavior eventually.  

Larry Elie

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