Bill Huber
11-28-2010, 11:32 PM
I have had my Carter tensioner for almost 2 years now and I really like it. I have noticed that it was getting hard to lift to the tensioned position, I though it was just me for awhile but then today I really looked at it.
With the blade off it was still hard to lift up and down. So I pulled it off and found that the main shaft was binding.
It took me 30 min, of soaking with Tri-Flow and working it around and around and then beating it out with a brass hammer.
What I found was just inside the hole for the main shaft and the shaft were rusted and the shaft was galled some. A little work with some 400 grit emery paper to clean the shaft and in the hole it works like it did when I got it.
I guess what I am saying is if you have one, you may want to put some lub in it. I would put it between the gear and the main body. Just a few drops of some Tri-Flow of something of that type.
Now if you do have to take it apart make sure you note the position of the rack when the arm is all the way down, this will save a lot of work when putting it back together.
With the blade off it was still hard to lift up and down. So I pulled it off and found that the main shaft was binding.
It took me 30 min, of soaking with Tri-Flow and working it around and around and then beating it out with a brass hammer.
What I found was just inside the hole for the main shaft and the shaft were rusted and the shaft was galled some. A little work with some 400 grit emery paper to clean the shaft and in the hole it works like it did when I got it.
I guess what I am saying is if you have one, you may want to put some lub in it. I would put it between the gear and the main body. Just a few drops of some Tri-Flow of something of that type.
Now if you do have to take it apart make sure you note the position of the rack when the arm is all the way down, this will save a lot of work when putting it back together.