Powermatic model 66 height adjustment issues

[Rick Neal]

I could use some advise and help. My TS height adjustment has been really hard to turn.
my saw is about 15 years old light use. Was in dry storage for two years, brought it out a year and half ago.
i have cleaned and lubed the rack and worm gears.
Got a little better but still hard.
so I dismantled my saw. The issue is in the hand wheel to worm gear.
so one of my questions is how does the shaft lock work? The manual/ parts list shows a key on both height and tilt shafts.
Thanks for any advise.
Rick.

[Steve Engelschall]

Not sure this will help you since you think your problem is with the worm gear, but... I have an inherited PM66, circa 1984. My height adjustment was so hard to turn, it was like dogging the hatch on a rusty WWII submarine. Yet curiously the tilt wheel could be moved with my pinky finger. Just last month I pulled the top off the saw to replace the 40-year old arbor bearings and work on the height adjustment. Not really wanting to take apart the worm gear assembly, I soaked the shaft every day for perhaps a week with dry bike chain lubricant. This stuff: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z779GMO?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-ypp-rep_ypp_rep_k0_1_12&amp=undefined&crid=11OZHJ6IY2G0E&sprefix=finish%2Bline%2B&th=1

I did the same dry lube treatment on the large pivot shaft at the top (the one with the giant nut on the right side). The height adjustment eventually loosened and now spins "like new". I think the problem was friction between the steel shafts and the cast iron that the shafts pass through. I also scrubbed the worm gear/rack and lubed those as well. Good luck...

[Rick Neal]

Thanks Steve for the reply. I solved my problem. The height adjustment shaft and key was gummed up. The key is buried in the shaft completely. The height locking shaft presses the key to the housing to bind/ lock the height. Cleaned everything up and reassembled with anti-seize.