So I cut the bolts off. Basically I started by cutting them flat on two sides on the left side bolt, then when it still refused to budge cut it down to the shaft on the other two sides. Still have to break off the wreckage, but most of the wheel shaft is ok.
That allowed me to get the brush shaft out to the point where I could get the gear off the shaft, and the bearing (flanged) came out of it's housing. However the bearing was melted onto the shaft from a previous attempt to do something like this (I'm guessing heat on the bolt) so I had to use the cutting wheel again to cut apart the bearing. But the bearing inner race was still welded to the shaft so yes again, cutter. It took 4 cuts to the shaft (hit the shaft once, damn) to get the inner race off the brush shaft, but it's finally off. Note I hate using the angle grinder; it sends sparks everywhere and even with welding gloves those things *HURT*. Ah well.
So now the bearings are out, the shaft is off, and I just ordered two new bearings, a wheel shaft, six brush clips, and of course a pair of 3/8 locking bolts. Too bad hardware stores don't exist anymore in Baltimore.
I almost wish I could upgrade to a roller bearing; the shaft has a lot of potential to be kicked around, and I'd bet that roller bearings would handle the transverse loads better than all bearings. Ah well, we shall see.
Once it's together I'll try it again on 36 volts. It might be that the "brushes too fast" problem was due to the bad bearings and not the innate speed. We shall see, maybe it will even stop throwing the darn chain...
Chris On 11/10/2013 12:15 PM, CZ Unit wrote:
So I've got a powered Elec-trak sweeper with bad shaft bearings. It vibrates, and broke the chain master link when I tried to fire it up this weekend. So new bearings are in order. Hah. In order to remove the bearings you have to remove the wheels (circlips), and the wheel frames. That's the problem: The bolts that hold the spindles and frames to the main frame are shot. I can see where someone tried heat, breakers, etc to get them off to no effect. And you need to take that off to get the clearance to take the shaft out to get to the bearings to replace them. Of course. So I have two choices: I can either cut off the spindles and get new ones, or I can cut into the slot that the shafts are in through to the outside of the assembly, rotate the bolts and shaft out, and hopefully have enough clearance to get the hub and bearings off. Then I'd have to re-weld the frame once fixed. Or put in a bolted plate so I can do this again in another 40 years. Question: Are the spindles get-able? And what size bearings does this thing take; Home Despot doesn't have anything like them of course. So all of this has to be ordered online. Chris _______________________________________________ Elec-trak mailing list Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu https://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mailman/listinfo/elec-trak