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Rockwell 900 refurbishment

2K views 14 replies 3 participants last post by  Bayman50 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have posted this query on site on another thread that is quite old and so I may not get a response.I have just acquired a rebadged Rockwell 900 in quite good condition. The carriage bearings on mine are a little stiff so I took the carriage off the track arm with the intent of replacing the bearings. I loosened the bolt holding the left front bearing but the bolt will not unscrew from the roller head casting. I have also loosened the L. H. Yoke Locking Nut from the L. H. Thread King Bolt and have tried to take out the bolt to get a look at the underside of the head casting to determine why the bearing bolt will not unscrew. Does anyone have any words of advice?
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm not familiar with that saw, but in looking at the drawing that "bolt" is called a stud on the parts list, the right side ones are eccentric. If it's a stud like the Dewalts have, it's not threaded into the rollerhead; that part is smooth. There may be a set screw on the right side ones (or not) but it may be a matter of lightly/gently driving them out. This may not be much help, you might consider trying over at OWWM. You may not need to replace those bearings, most of them will clean up real well with solvent (WD-40) and spinning. The carriage assembly is on the next page down on that pdf I linked.
 
#3 ·
Fred:
I have previously refurbished a DeWalt 1200 and have been a devotee of OWWM for years. There are set screws on the right hand side to tighten the eccentric stud once adjusted but nothing on the left side. I have a printout of the same document you linked and will try again this weekend. Since the King Bolt is left hand thread it may unscrew in reverse through the yoke. The stud is another issue.

Thanks for the help
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
I had a similar situation with tight carriage bearings. I can't help you with disassembly because I don't remember and my Rockwell is a Plus 10, which may or may not be the same.

But I can give you a tip on the bearings. Rather than replace mine (the outer races showed no wear) I soaked them in solvent (like lacquer thinner) and every day or so took them out and spun them by hand. Eventually they loosened up and spun smoothly. Then I blew them out with compressed air and soaked them in Mobil 1 motor oil for a few days, again, taking them out and spinning them from time to time.

The result was four bearings that spun like new and have no noticeable play. I figure the synthetic oil is a pretty good lubricant to have in them.

If you don't have it, you can see an operators manual for a 900 here: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=4182

Bill
 
#5 ·
I scratched my head and had a re-look at the problem. By turning the roller head casting at 45 degrees to normal I was able to determine that the left hand side studs have nuts at the bottom. These were not shown on the exploded diagram. They are readily visible on the right side. I was able to remove the bearings and presently have them soaking in solvent. I am also getting a price on replacement bearings and will decide them whether to replace them. How to remove the King Bolt still bothers me but it has become less of an issue.
 
#7 ·
Fred:
Parts diagrams, by their very nature, need to be fairly cryptic. I was aware of parts 112 and 119 as these were readily apparent on the right side of the machine. My fear was that the studs on the left were screwed into threads cut into the casting and that I may have stripped these threads inadvertently by using too much torque. This was not likely but caused me some trepidation. Anyway all is well. Torxnut offered useful advice and the bearings are currently sitting in solvent. An unbelievable amount of crud has already dissolved. Thanks to all!
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the photo! The key way is interesting. I have not seen one on my saw which has a flat slotted top on the king bolt. I will look a little more closely to see if there may indeed be a key way as there seems to be an obstruction to the bolt turning. I am happy to report that with additional time all four bearings are now spinning freely when removed from the solvent bath. I will now use compressed air on them and soak them in synthetic oil as suggested.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
"I am happy to report that with additional time all four bearings are now spinning freely when removed from the solvent bath."

I think what goes wrong with the bearings is that the old grease dries and gets solid. My bearings were really hard to turn and when they did, they felt so rough you'd think that they were completely ruined. It was just old, hard grease.

I also have a Craftsman RAS and ran into a similar problem with the grease in the pivots. It was apparently lithium grease and after about 20 years turned into glue. I had to take the motor off and chip the stuff away.

Bill
 
#11 ·
Bill:
Problem solved! A review of the operator's guide for the Rockwell 900 and some judicious zooming into the parts diagram, showed a previously unnoticed set screw, part # SP-293, on the right side of the yoke, part # MG-108. The set screw screws against the king bolt and both holds it in place and acts as an adjustment against a series of parallel longitudinal grooves in the central third of the king bolt.
 
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