Porter Cable circular saw repair?

[Doug House]

I purchased a PC circular saw at a pawn shop and later found the the bolt that holds the blade on was frozen solid. :confused:

After weeks of soaking with Liquid Wrench, I torqued it enough to break that sucker of a bolthead right off.:mad: :mad: :mad: &*%#!#!!!

Can anyone suggest a repair shop near the Texas Medical Center???

[Tim Lynch]

Just thought I'd mention that some models have left hand threads.

[Tim Lynch]

Just went at looked at my PC... it's a model 743 "blade left" style and has left-hand threads.

[Jerry Allen]

I hate when that happens!
Yep, I've got the same one. (Great saw)
Now that you know that Doug, you might try drilling it and and using an easy out. It comes out considerably easier turning it clockwise.
(I'm talking about the 743 here--don't know, but a RH blade version probably has RH threads)

[Dave Falkenstein]

...Now that you know that Doug, you might try drilling it and and using an easy out.

I have not seen an EZ Out for left hand threads. But now that the head is broken off the bolt, you might be able to get it turning by using a center punch and drive it clockwise.

Or go to this site and enter your address information for a Porter Cable Service Center near you:

http://www.deltaportercable.com/ServiceAndSupport/ServiceCenters.aspx

[Jerry Allen]

I have seen some with straight flutes. Additionally I have used a hex key driven into an undersized whole in a pinch. Maybe tapping a RH screw into it might work? If it is LH, you have to figure it's probably not bottomed out and the worst thing at this point is that the threads may be a little botched at the top, but that may be above the internal threads.
If it's RH it's a whole different story.

[Ed Beers]

It looks like a new jackshaft/gear is around $70 which around 1/2 the price of a new saw. This seems like a rip and takes my respect of PC down a notch.

If it is a left handed thread, it will probably come out when you drill it with a normal twist drill. I would take the jack shaft out of the saw and build a fixture so you can securely hold it on a drill press. The drill will both relieve the pressure and try to unscrew the bolt. If the have a right hand thread, you can buy left handed drills.

If you attempt to drill this while it is still installed in the saw you (or at least I) will probably trash the threads on the jackshaft.

A repair place will probably just replace the jackshaft.

I also note that the spindle lock looks like it would shear before the bolt and it would be hard to block the blade from turning the wrong way so speculation that Doug was really tightening it is probably wrong.

[Dave Falkenstein]

...This seems like a rip and takes my respect of PC down a notch...

Have you checked the price of parts on your car lately? It seems that just about any part for anything is way more than you think it should be. It is not a problem specific to Porter Cable.

[Gene O. Carpenter]

Got a Dremel or other small rotary tool? Put on a pair of safety glasses, install a thin cutting wheel and cut a slot for a screwdriver blade to fit.. If you have to cut into the shaft a tad to get the slot deep enough don't fret it won't affect the saw operation in the least..You'll find this is easier than using a center punch and works better too! Good luck with it
Another trick is take a hex nut, next size down from broken off bole, lay it centered on the broken shaft, then mig the nut to the shaft, take it out with fitzall wrench..

[Ed Beers]

Have you checked the price of parts on your car lately?

Yup. High but not propotionately this high. I'm never going to buy another Infiniti or Ford either due to parts pricing issues.

It's 70% more than Milwaukee gets for a spindle, something you might think about next time you are shopping.


It seems that just about any part for anything is way more than you think it should be. It is not a problem specific to Porter Cable.

A used to think of PC tools as repairable but I may need to reconsider. The gear train of a circular saw takes a lot of abuse so it isn't some obscure part no one is likely to ever need.

[Doug House]

Thanx to all for your advice!

[Bob Wingard]

If all else fail, try cutting off the head of a similar-sized bolt .. .. drill a hole thru it .. .. have it MIG/TIG "socket-welded" back onto the broken shaft. The heat will help make it let go, and you can then simply use a wrench to turn it out.