What could have happened!

July 19, 201213 yr

I have been off work the past week or so and not suppose to be running any power tools so I decided that sitting in chair and on the porch swing was getting a bit boring. Decided that I could do a little tool maintenance will I was just doing nothing. I got started on my Grizzly 15" planner. It was time to change the oil in the gear box and I had noticed it being a little more noisy running than when I first got it.

So I opened up the side cover over the three belts that go from the motor to the drive unit. When I removed the cover a bolt and washer fell out. Being as sharp as I am, I picked up real quick that shouldn't have happened. I started looking to see where the bolt came from and noticed on the pulley mounted to the motor shaft the bolt in that secures it to the shaft was the one now laying in the floor. I also noticed that the key that keeps the pulley locked into position on the shaft was almost all the way out. In order the remove the pulley I had to take all three belts off to take the tension off. I got the pulley realigned, put the key in and a little thread lock on the bolt and put it back in tightening it up good.

So now on to changing out the gear oil. First let me say I really like this planner, but who ever designed the location for the drain plug and the fill plug was never planning on doing this. I also think that the way it is, they want to discourage anyone who owns one from really doing this although they tell you to change it after the first 20 hours and then annually. So it says you don't have to remove the gear box cover but it is best to. Well you really do need to get them out of the way.Â So when I opened the gear box cover and removed it, guess what fell out and hit the floor? Another bolt and washer. Looking around it came from one of the gear sprockets. It goes in the center of the sprocket to hold it on the shaft. Had this fallen out and got into the chain or one of the sprockets there is no telling how much damage it could have done. So I applied a little more loctight and put it back in place, tightened it and all of the others in the gear box.Â So on to opening the drain plug and getting the old gear oil out. Not to bad and didn't get much of it where it wasn't suppose to be. But now to putting in the new gear oil.

So I had to remove the wheel to raise and lower the cutter head, remove the gear box cover and the fill plug is located behind the height adjustment scale under the cutter head assembly.

The small round black plug just above and to the right of the red scale readout. Let's get a bit closer so you can really see it is back under there.

So you get this plug out and I had to go purchase a transmission fluid fill funnel with a flexible hose on it to get to the hole once the plug is removed. Of course the tube that comes on the funnel is too large to go into the hole. So I had to cut some notches out of the side of the tube to allow it to collapse so I could push it into the fill hole. Now you are to pour 80W-90 gear oil into here until it runs out of the hole. This is really good since you are going in straight to and no sight glass or anything to tell you it is full. Yes I had it running out the whole time but when it got full there was no doubt as I had gear oil on everything.

So after what started out to be a short change the oil, tighten the belts tuneup, I was about stressed out and decided to take a break before starting to change out the blades on the jointer.

I'll let you know later today how that works out.

Boy am I glad neither of those bolts got into anything and the pulley on the belts didn't come all the way off. I guess you need to spend a little time in the shop every now and then and just check all the bolts and nuts on the equipment to make sure nothing has loosened up.

John Moody
Site Administrator

John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com