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DGBAMA

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Figuring I had used my shredder enough to warrant cleaning and checking things, I took some time to evaluate the "grease cups" since I have not seen any guidance in how often to use them, or their function. Here's the dirty details, including a minor flaw that made mine not work properly, and one improvement to be made in the future. I initially half filled the cups, and attempted to turn them in to add grease to the gears, but to no avail, and did not want to risk damaging the fine aluminum threads in the caps, so decided to take it apart and have a look.

The gearbox, with sidecover removed:
IMG_20140119_133411_642.jpg

The gearbox removed, and grease cups removed. As expected, the gear shafts are hollow, tightening the "cup" forces grease into the gearshafts. This is the back of the gearbox, showing the gearshafts welded in place, nothing to come loose here:
IMG_20140119_134616_166.jpg

The male side of the grease cups do double duty as nuts, holding the gearbox together. You will need a 7/16 wrench to remove them and open the gear box.
IMG_20140119_135044_269.jpg

Outer cover removed:
IMG_20140119_135326_574.jpg

First step was to attach the grease caps to the gear shafts and make sure that the grease holes were not obstructed. (they were not).
IMG_20140119_140003_313.jpg

The gear shafts have a spiral groove in them to facilitate grease getting to the inside bore of the gear. I found the grease hole to have been drilled after the groove was cut, raising a burr around the grease hole and preventing grease from moving between the shaft and gear.
IMG_20140119_140347_975.jpg

No big deal, take a needle file and clean it up.......NOT...........file would not touch it, the shafts are VERY much hardened steel. Dremel and a small diamond bit cleaned the grooves and burrs right up though.
IMG_20140119_143757_158.jpg

While apart, I wanted to know just how much grease was being added by the cups. This is two turns of the cap. So one turn at a time will be more than sufficient. Note that the groove in each of the shafts is the same direction, and the grease hole is in the center of where the gear rides. This will tend to push added grease more toward one side of the gear than the other. See summary, second post for my recommended solution.
IMG_20140119_144433_679.jpg
 

DGBAMA

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Summary of using the grease cups:

1. The grease passages are very small. Only turn the cups to add grease with the machine running to avoid having to put excessive tightening pressure on the caps and the fine aluminum threads.

2. since the grease passages are cut the same direction but the gears turn opposite, I will recommend turning the cap 1/2 turn with the machine running forward; and the second 1/2 turn with the machine running in reverse, to evenly distrubute the grease.

3. To ensure enough engagement of threads on the caps, do not fill them more than half full of grease.

4. Not sure how often to recommend tightening the cups/adding grease. I have run probably 20 lbs of leaf through my shredder and the grease in the box was dark and gummy and needed cleaning as much as adding, so adding a little grease by turning the cups a turn every 5lbs or so would probably be good.

5. One noted design defeciency in the grease system, IMO; the grease is only available to the shafts and not the gear teeth, except for what squeezes out on the edges and may or may not be drawn onto the gears themselves. Next time I have mine apart, I will drill a small (1/16) hole between two of the teeth on the smaller gear on each shaft, intersecting the bore of the gear, such that some grease can move from the shaft to the surface of the gears.
 

Brown Thumb

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Nice review of the grease caps, I have the first model and no grease caps.
What I did notice the gears are black that leads me to suspect they are heat treated now?
First model gears are just steel. Or is it the pics?
Thanks,
BT
 

DGBAMA

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Nice review of the grease caps, I have the first model and no grease caps.
What I did notice the gears are black that leads me to suspect they are heat treated now?
First model gears are just steel. Or is it the pics?
Thanks,
BT

motor driven gear is the plastic one (my guess, a designed fail point if something goes bad). The others do have a dark "oil hardened" appearance to them but I did not think to "bump" a corner with the mill file to find out. The gear shafts are DEFINITELY hardened.
 

Brown Thumb

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I think your correct about the driven gear made to fail so that it does not lock up the motor and smoke It.
But I have taken out 6 Steel Gears junk locked up To 1 wore out nylon gear .
That is why I was wondering about the gears.
BT
 

Chicken

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you got some real dirty hands, im thinking you was doing another project before taking them pic's....

i got the old model also,, no oil cups on my bad machine,
 

DGBAMA

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you got some real dirty hands, im thinking you was doing another project before taking them pic's....

i got the old model also,, no oil cups on my bad machine,


Lets just say this..........2014 Bacca Grow will be a break I am looking forward to. LOL.
 

COLIN

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After cleaning and topping up with grease I thought I should try my Powermatic out. I put though some PA Red which I have aged for 12 months here's some pic's.IMG_0401.jpg
 

DrBob

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Thank you for the report DG. I noticed a similar problem with the grease cups on my new shredder. I found that when I tried to screw the caps in they were bottomed out already and there was no extra grease in them. I removed the caps and filled them 1/2 way and put them back on and when I tried to turn them in there was a lot of resistance to grease flow. I may take mine apart as you did and see if I have the same problem.
I also noticed the sensor in the final gear on the top right of your photo also exists on my shredder. My best guess is it is a speed sensor to detect overloading. I also suspect that sensor could get fouled by grease.
 

holder

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Hi All

Been following the forum for quite a while now and learned much from all, thank you.
Nothing of worth to contribute up to now but though my own experience re speed sensor may help.
Got Powermatic from Don last year and really pleased with it.
When I first got it took gear cover off and though gears looked a little dry so added some grease from supplied tube.
Last week it stopped working,switched either f/ward or b/ward would run couple of seconds and stop with blue light flashing.
After much faffing and part stripping noticed small piece of grease on inner leg of sensor, cleaned it and back in action.
 

Knucklehead

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Welcome to the forum holder and thanks for the tip. You are our first Scottish member. Do you plan to give growing your own a try?
 

DrBob

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Hi All

Been following the forum for quite a while now and learned much from all, thank you.
Nothing of worth to contribute up to now but though my own experience re speed sensor may help.
Got Powermatic from Don last year and really pleased with it.
When I first got it took gear cover off and though gears looked a little dry so added some grease from supplied tube.
Last week it stopped working,switched either f/ward or b/ward would run couple of seconds and stop with blue light flashing.
After much faffing and part stripping noticed small piece of grease on inner leg of sensor, cleaned it and back in action.

Thank you very much Holder!
 

FmGrowit

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there just has to be an owners manual. Has anyone ever got one?

I'm going to send this link to Chris and ask him to create an owners manual.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this thread and for your help in developing the next generation shredder.
 

bonehead

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I'm going to send this link to Chris and ask him to create an owners manual.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this thread and for your help in developing the next generation shredder.
there are a lot of different models out now. if he creates a maintenance manual he probably should start with the newest model and work backwards. i am not biased i have a old model without grease cups even. they have always been good products with good support and are only getting better. i salute you.
 
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