removing reeves pulleys - tips?

[Andrew Jordan]

I am about to try and replace the bearings on my HF34706 (JWL1236 clone) lathe.

I am a bit apprehensive about pulling on the pot-metal reeves pulley, but the lathe is needing some TLC...

Anyone tackle this task themselves? Just wondering about any tips you might have for me...

Andrew

[charlie knighton]

take it to a machine shop......they do bearings every day, not ounce in a lifetime

[Andrew Jordan]

take it to a machine shop......they do bearings every day, not ounce in a lifetime

I live in a very small town, so finding someone who can finesse a lathe reeves drive off would be very unlikely...let alone a machine shop in town.

Andrew

[charlie knighton]

I can understand your problem now that I look at your address.....you are most likely much more do it yourself there than I, can not compare to others because there are some very talented individuals on this board.....hope someone can help you.....good luck

[Paul Maue]

Andrew

I documented replacing the bearings on my Jet 1236 and posted the information here. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?190000-How-to-Replace-the-bearings-in-a-Jet-1236-Lathe&p=1962913&highlight=#post1962913. After doing it once, I was able to take it apart and put it back together in about 30 minutes.

Paul

[Bill Boehme]

On the Delta 1440 lathe they come off very easily. One half of the pulley slides on the spindle and is guided by a key. The fixed half is held with a set screw. There might also be a snap ring and yoke assembly that needs to be removed from the movable side. Anyway getting the pulley off is not an issue. if there is a bearing on the outboard side of the spindle, it generally is not a press fit, but it might have a wave washer between the bearing and recess in the headstock housing. You might first need to remove an internal snap ring from the inboard side to remove the outboard bearing. After that you ought to be able to pull the spindle out the inboard side. On my lathe, there were two bearing at the inboard side. One came off easily and the other bearing closest to the nose was a very tight press fit and no room for a normal puller. Hope that you do not encounter that problem. When installing new bearings, first freeze the spindle (the bearing remains at room temperature). Remove it from the freezer, very quickly wipe some oil on it, and slip the bearing on. You need to do this very fast in just a few seconds. If you are too slow or pause, you will find the bearing will be stuck and need to go to plan B. Anyway the freezer method is preferable to pressing because the chance of scuffing is eliminated.

[Bill Boehme]

Some more guidelines:

If you need to press a bearing onto a shaft make sure that your tool only presses on the inner race and not the outer.
also never use a hammer to tap a bearing onto a spindle. Doing so will brinell the bearing races. You can make a press with all-thread, nuts, washers, and PVC pipe fittings.

[Ron Rutter]

I live in a very small town, so finding someone who can finesse a lathe reeves drive off would be very unlikely...let alone a machine shop in town.

Andrew
Andrew. I haven't been through Kenora proper for many years but the last time I did it wasn't that small!!! No sawmills around? Ron.

[Andrew Jordan]

Sawmills and paper mills have all shut down, save one Timberstrand plant - so the industry is mostly tourism, now...still bigger than the farm I grew up in, but nothing in terms of repair shops (other than for boats or snowmobiles)

Thank you, Bill and Paul - that will help immensely, I Hope!

Andrew

[Andrew Jordan]

Project is officially on hold - took the cover off in preparation, and discovered the 'click' I was hearing wasn't a bearing - the pulley is cracked in two or three places...

Not a good thing at all!

[Andrew Jordan]

!!Shoot!!

Harbor Freight has discontinued that part - as has Jet tools...

cannot fix it! ! :(

ANyone have a reeves pulley?? :)

[Len Mullin]

Andrew, if there is anyone who works on snowmobiles in your area, they're the ones to talk to. Every snowmobile out there has Reeves clutch in them, so, maybe one of those guys could help you out.
Len

[Curt Fuller]

http://www.lovejoy-inc.com/products/variable-speed-drives.aspx

Click on the product types link near the bottom of the page and it will take you to a catalog of about any size and quality variable speed pulley you could want for a lathe.

[Eddie Azevedo]

Same as grizzly G0584. Tried to remove my pulleys, broke both. But cheap to replace through grizzly. (The grease dried and didn't let the pulley move in and out fully.)