I've had my G0766 for several years and no problems...until recently when I had occasion to use the tailstock "drilling" function for the first time ever. The darn thing gets unusably hard to turn at times (and not always at the same amount of extension). I have disassembled, cleaned (wasn't really dirty), lubricated, and made sure the locking pin is engaged but not tightened in its' keeper channel. It's such a simple mechanism, I can't really find anything wrong. When it is hard to move, I have noticed that even with the locking pin fully removed the shaft won't turn by hand as though it is in a bind. Perhaps the shaft or the channel/sleeve it rides in is deformed? Any ideas?
See if you have any deformed threads on your lead screw. I’m not sure what the thread pitch and size are, but Grizzly tech services could probably give you that info, then try to get a die of the correct size/pitch, and run your lead screw thru it, lubricated with oil, of course, to straighten them correctly. Also, roll your lead screw over a known flat surface, to see if there is any bend in it.
Apparently all I have to do is post and the solution appears - In the light grease I had inside the sleeve, I found a tiny "crumb" of cast iron. Cleaned and polished the interior, and now all is good.
Good news, John! Glad to know that there was not a part failure, just took a little cleaning!
