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squeaky wheel gets no grease - but shall soon ! maybe...

updated fri 26 sep 03

 

pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on wed 24 sep 03


Hi Tracy,



I do not know about this specific Wheel, but I have had fair
luck at times with an application of Heat, maybe
considerable Heat at that. Sometimes useing a little Propane
'Burns-O-Matic' outfit...sometimes an Oxy-Acetylene
outfit...sometimes merely Boiling Water...depending...


If the stem as holds the Wheel Head is a Morse Taper, I
would like to think the Manufacturer had enough sense to
allow a Key-way for a tapered wedge to be inserted as would
lift the stem and Wheel socket free from eachother, even as
Drill Preses or other Machines have when they employ that
kind of join. You might look at that area and see if
anything like a vertical 'slot' is present...


If not, and if it is either a blind Morse Taper or a
paralell join as has a little Shear-Pin or something to
ensure the transmission of the torque...it might help to
heat the center of the Wheel, as with a Burns-O-Matic torch,
and get it good and 'HOT' too, after it cools, (or while
Hot, might be best,
but with some leather Gloves or oven mits or something) to
pull up on it in an even way, whilst an assistant lightly
tap with a medium Hammer on say a scrap of Hard Wood held to
the edge of the Wheel Head, that is, tap it's side flange
from the side, at it's top where the side meets the
horizontal area, and see if that does not persuade it to let
go.


I'd try that I think, at least not knowing anything more
about it than what you've mentioned...


If the Wheel Head is Aluminum and the Stem on which it
attatches is Steel...well anyway, there might be corrosion
as has bound them pretty tight, and another method might be
to suspend the whole Wheel on two paralell somethings
(Two-by-Sixes maybe set flat) from under the Wheel
Head...adding weights as needed to make it a nice even
balance, or lifting from one end by an assistant to help
with the
balance being about even, and, to tap not too hard with a
Hammer from the side, on a scrap of Hard Wood (to keep the
Aluminum from being dented) and see, with Heat again even,
if it shall let go...

So far as the Bearings as likely need to be Greased, you
shall have to look for them wherever some bulge or
cross-piece supports the shaft as on whose end the Wheel
Head is affixed...and, again, if the Manufacturer was not an
entire dolt, there should be some Grease Cups or little
Alemite 'Zerk' fittings as accept a Grease Gun's
ministerings...

Too, it might have the 'Sealed' Bearing kind, which might
mean they shall have to be replaced with new ones...and it
will have no Grease fittings for mantainence.

Too, the Motor might be ready for the same
considerations...and you'll have to look and see where the
opportunities are for greasing it, if any are there to be
found.


You could send some 'j-pegs' to me if convenient, and I
would be glad to see if I can tell anything to guide you
with if you get stymied.


Good Luck,


Phil
Las Vegas

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracy Shea"



i've got a randall kick wheel with a flat wheel head, bought
it last year at a garage sale. the wheel head has been
stuck since i got it. i would like to grease the thing-
it's recently started to squeak- and it would be nice to be
able to remove the splash pan to clean it, but i haven't
been able to get the thing apart! any ideas on how i might
loosen it up??

i haven't been able to get underneath with wd40 or anything
greasy because of the way the splash pan is made, and i
checked the archives with no luck.....lil help out there???

thanks
tracy shea
garrettsville, OH

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