Message: 1 Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:42:48 -0400 From: "Steve Wedge" <w1es1...@earthlink.net> To: "Drake List" <drakelist@zerobeat.net> Subject: [Drakelist] Watch those ball bearings! Message-ID: <FDBA39BAD94F41FA8EE37F63BEC4CC03@Shack7> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Working on cleaning and refurbishing R-4B s/n 15533B, I removed the PTO and started to clean and re-lube the bearings. After some 3-in-1 oil and Rem Oil in all the usual places, it was still a little stiff, so I removed the cover and started backing off the tension adjustment. I now know that it doesn't take much tension removal to make the ball bearings start dropping onto and rolling about the table! It was a bit of a bear getting them all back in, but about 20 minutes later - mission accomplished. It's tuning smoother but I'm still feeling some roughness when turning it by the shaft. I suspect the action will be easier with that big knob back on it. Watch the bearings when adjusting tension! The R-4B has been washed on the top only, rinsed with distilled water, air-blasted and is now sitting in its sauna in the kitchen, where I'm keeping the temp at around 140 to help with drying it out. It will get re-capped over the coming week. 73, Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 To be is to do - Socrates To do is to be - Plato Do be do be do. - Sinatra All my computers have my signature with various pearls of wisdom appended thereto. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://mailman.zerobeat.net/pipermail/drakelist/attachments/20111023/581c771e/attachment-0001.html> ------------------------------ Steve Good luck with the refurb. I am starting to use my Drakes again as the 3rd floor shack can now use a bit of heat again comfortably. I had a very tight VFO on my R4B and took all the gears out and cleaned them. I put a single drop or two of 3-1 or similar on the bearings and 'exercised' them for a while it gradually came back to a nice feel with out adjustment. I have the R4B / T4Xb working pretty well now and this year I will return to the TR-4 project which has a 'jumpy' VFO which seems to be getting better but I don't think it will fix itself like the R4B did so I have purchased a replacement to try if it comes to it. The other issue will be to get the one crystal filter working again. I want to try and repair the filter and have collected a bunch of parts and even gotten it sort of working but not good enough yet. I also have an AC3 that needs caps. I have some pix of my completed Drake projects on www.pgerhardt.blogspot.com Paul K3PG _______________________________________________ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
