Yearly Event

[Gary Max]

I own a Powermatic 4224 lathe---bought it new 4 years ago.
The motor is going on it's forth set of bearings---this is getting old real fast.
Talked with the folks over at Powermatic yesterday and the agree that the motor should not be wearing out beaings this fast but the lathe is no longer under warrenty.
Bottom line ---I get to keep sending the motor out to get bearings installed----about $80.00 each time.
I ain't real darn happy about the out come but really have no other options.
Is anyone else have troubles with motors on thier Powermatic lathes???

I am going to buy a can of Blue paint.:D

[Larry Marley]

I wonder if you are tensioning the belt too tight.. . ?

[Gary Max]

Nope---I let the motor float freely.
Powermatic had to replace the spindle about two weeks after I got the lathe.
The service guy warned me about tension against the motor.
The bearings are being replaced at a profession motor service shop---I know they are doing it right.

[Bob Haverstock]

Gary,

If you are mechanically inclined, buy bearings from a bearing house and install them yourself. It sounds to me like there may be one too many spacers on the armature. To say it another way, when the end bells are tightened, end pressure is being put on the bearings.

If nothing else, I would find another motor shop and explain to them your problem. It is correctable.

Good luck.

Bob Haverstock

[Ryan Baker]

If the belt is too tight, it seems likely there would be wear to the spindle bearings too (though they are probably heavier-duty). Sounds like a problem with the motor -- maybe a bearing is misaligned or something. You should just replace the motor. After four bearing replacements, you have more than paid for a new motor.

[Gary Max]

I thought about buying a replacement motor----that way I would have a spare on hand.
I loose 1/2 a days work hauling the motor to the big city and another half day picking it up again.

[Terry Achey]

Max,

If the tension is correct as you say, then I would highly suspect one of two causes.

1) the inboard bearing housing is bored misaligned.

2) The motor repair shop may not be as good as you think in terms of checking for correct specifications, etc. They may simply slap in a new set of bearings w/o checking for the cause of the failures.

I would try another repair shop and explain in detail the history of problems. No way bearings should fail at anywhere close to this rate. There has got to be a rather severe conditon to cause this.

Good luck.
Terry

[Nathan Hawkes]

Max,

If the tension is correct as you say, then I would highly suspect one of two causes.

1) the inboard bearing housing is bored misaligned.

2) The motor repair shop may not be as good as you think in terms of checking for correct specifications, etc. They may simply slap in a new set of bearings w/o checking for the cause of the failures.

I would try another repair shop and explain in detail the history of problems. No way bearings should fail at anywhere close to this rate. There has got to be a rather severe conditon to cause this.

Good luck.
Terry


Terry, I think you're onto something here in terms of misalignment.
Gary, if Powermatic had to replace the spindle just after you bought it, chances are something was machined a little off to make it fail in the first place--like terry said, its machining on the bearing housing must be slightly out of parallel with the shaft of the motor. Or, when the spindle was removed & replaced, something was damaged to make the bearing housing not sit perfectly flat, thus making the spindle out of parallel. It may be designed in the USA, but its made in Taiwan. Quality control anyone? Powermatic really should be taking care of this for you. I just bought a 3520B, so I'm a little nervous reading your thread.

Good luck.

[Gary Max]

From reading everyones remarks looks like buying a new motor would be the smartest thing to do. Plus I am getting to old to crawl around on the floor changeing motors every year.
Nathan----as much as I hate to say it----I may still own Mustard but I ain't a fan club member anymore.

[Jeff Nicol]

Gary, It seems like you got a lemon from the get go! It takes a big man to admit that he has had troubles with a good machine and has took pride in reccomending in the past. I really believe what has been said already, something is wrong with the motor and has never been corrected by just replacing the bearings. I know you really put your machine through the paces also but like also has already been said the bearings in the headstock should fail before the motor.

So we will see if anyone else has had any trouble with a PM machine, or any machine out there. Bad things happen to good people all the time, so it is time for you to have some good things come your way!

Good luck!

Jeff

[Bernie Weishapl]

Gary that was going to be my suggestion. Get a new motor and install it. I would not have the old one fixed if misalignment turns out to be the problem. It may be the new motor will run for a long time and no need to put more money into the old one if that is the case. I had the same thing happen on a table saw motor (Sears). I kept replacing spindles and bearings about every 9 months to a year. Took it to Denver to a pro shop and he told me it was badly misaligned. Put a new motor in and I just sold it to the neighbor after running it for 3 yrs with no problems.

[Gary Max]

We where at a show over the weekend so I could not update this tread.
I just got off the phone with Powermatic ---- bought a new motor.
I am still going to rebuild the old one again but I will take it to a different shop this time. Heck it can be a spare.
Thanks for the input.