X3 Gear Removal

[pzzamakr1980]

Has anyone removed the gears from the head of their x3. If so please explain how. I've already removed the H/L gear selector but cannot remove the other two gear shafts and gears. I can't imagine that it is that hard but I can't figure it out at all. If anybody is curious, I am removing them for the installation of the belt drive which is very similar to the x2 belt drive but uses the 4 holes for the cover to mount the bottom piece and I just tapped some new holes to mount the FAULT switch to the side of the head vertically.

[daedalus]

try www.arceurotrade.com, they have a pdf on their site with a full strip down of the X3 and photos of each stage, im pretty sure they dissasemble the gearbox and spindle in it.

[MATW]

I fitted a belt drive too and had to remove the gear shaft nearest to the spindle to clear the belt. This may not be the correct way but it worked for me. You have already removed the selector so you are halfway there.

Now this is from memory so may not be 100% but this is the approach I took. Please read it through a few times before attempting the removal, to get an idea of the method and all. It worked for me but obviously I can't guarentee it will work for you.

Remove the 4mm countersunk screw from the top gear that drives the spindle and pull off the gear from the shaft, and remove the key.

Remove the 3 countersunk 4mm screws that holds the plate that retains the top bearing of this shaft. Don't worry about removing this plate but if it is loose take it off. It will be pulled of with the bearing.

Now look at the gears in the casting and at the bottom of the gears you will see a "C" clip (Circlip) on the shaft that stop's the gears dropping down the shaft.

You will need a suitable pair of circlip pliers to open out the clip and move it lower on the shaft. You need to do this because if you pull out the shaft with it in position the gears will hit the inside top of the casting.

Push the gears down as low as they can go, you may be able to remove the key from the shaft at this point, I think mine fell out.

Now place two spacers, I used square steel bars, accross the top of the casting, the bars going left to right, (inline with the x axis), and clear of the bearing hole and cover, one bar to the front of the bearing hole and one to back. Make these spacers about 0.75 inches or so higher than the top of the shaft.

Put a large thick washer, or better still a flat bar, with a 4mm clearance hole, accross the spacers with the hole above the shaft. Put a long 4mm allen headed screw, with a 4mm nut a long way up the screw, through the washer and screw it into the shaft as far as it will go. Use a good quality long hex head screw because there may be quite a lot of tension put on it.

Now wind the 4mm nut down the screw till it reaches the washer or bar. Adjust the spacers and washers so that the bearing and cover will clear the spacers when the nut is tightened up.

Carefully tighten up the nut and you should draw up the shaft complete with the bearing and gears out of the bearing hole. Just pull it up enough to get the top bearing clear of the hole by 0.25 inches or so or whatever it go's to. Make sure the gears don't get obstructed. The shaft may come out of the lower bearing or it may pull the lower bearing with it. Mine came out with the lower bearing attached to the shaft.

Hopefully you now have the shaft and bearing free from the casting, but not removeable yet. Remove the screw from the shaft, the washer and spacers.

If you have a suitable hub or bearing puller use this to remove the top bearing. If not, place two 0.25 inch bars or so below the bearing and gently tap the top of the shaft so as to push the shaft through the bearing. Check the clearances of the gears and bottom bearing so these don't get damaged and increase the size of the spacers as required, and continue gently tapping until the bearing comes off.

Now you can manipulate the shaft out through the side hole. I think mine came out compete with gears?

You do need solid spacers and washers when you do the above because if your's is like mine the bearings were tight on the shaft, and if you use flimsy items in such a situation you are likely to have problems.

I only removed the shaft nearest to the spindle but I expect the other shaft could be removed in a similar manner.

However, I hope this is of assistance.

Regards,
Mike

[M100]

Originally Posted by daedalus try www.arceurotrade.com, they have a pdf on their site with a full strip down of the X3 and photos of each stage, im pretty sure they dissasemble the gearbox and spindle in it.

Unless it's been very recently updated the stripdown from arc euro avoids the gearbox area completely, they cover the spindle and almost everything else though.

The file is at:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/prepgu...on%20Guide.pdf

There are other files related to the X3 here:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/projec...CNC/index.html


Thanks Mike for your stripdown details. It's somthing I'll be tackling on my X3 pretty soon.

[pzzamakr1980]

Thx Mike, thats awesome. I didnt even notice the c-clip below the gears. That should be a big help.

[project5k]

c clip? i allways thought thoes were called jesus clips, cause you get it just over half way off and PINGNGGNGGGNGGG "jesus, where'd it go?"

[pzzamakr1980]

So I now have taken both of the gears out. Wanna know how. I cut the gear shaft that switches between high and low gear and just pulled them right out the side. I dont think there is any other way. I think the gear selector is put on the one shaft and then the rod is put through the middle of the selector to hold it in place. The rod seemed to have been glued or pressed into place, when it got hot and I'd cut through it it actually started to drop out the bottom. If you look close on your own you can see it. Anyways, it's done and all thats left for the belt drive is to make the one pulley and some standoffs for to hold the motor and belt at the right height.

[project5k]

ok, maby its just too early for me, but it sounds like your headed towards driving the spindle directly with a motor and not using the geartrain at all.. is this correct? where are you headed with this, what parts are you using, motor controller and so on.. what kinda drive ratios are you planning on, what kinda spindle speeds?

[pzzamakr1980]

Im going towards a belt drive ala Mini-Mill style. I using the original motor although that wont start when I fired it up last night so I might have to get a new motor and controller, or just a replacement from grizzly depending on cost. The motor will be above the head and upright so it will look just like the mini-mill belt drive. The ratios right now are low at 3250 and high at 7500. Now I know I'm gonna get the "your bearings will burn out speech" but I'm willing to take the risk and the replacement if that becomes the case. I do intend to implement measures to cool the spindle and lubricate the bearings so we will see. Because I primarily use small cutters and cut in aluminum the high rpm's and the flood coolants system as well as carbide 3 flute endmills will enable higher feed rates. The first version of the belt drive is a bit off but the second should be much better. I'll post a picture under the belt ddrive thread.

[project5k]

sounds to me like you have enough intestional fortitude to try something I've only thought about... go for it and let us know how it works out!

[M100]

Originally Posted by pzzamakr1980 I cut the gear shaft that switches between high and low gear and just pulled them right out the side. I dont think there is any other way. I think the gear selector is put on the one shaft and then the rod is put through the middle of the selector to hold it in place. The rod seemed to have been glued or pressed into place, when it got hot and I'd cut through it it actually started to drop out the bottom. If you look close on your own you can see it.

A crude approach not many would intentionally take - although it would be interesting to see the remains of the bits you removed!

For fitting a belt drive surely you really only need to remove the top gear with a cross point screwdriver? My own reasons for dismantling that area is to remove any casting sand/grit that didn't get cleaned out of the casting so hacking bits in half to remove them isn't on the cards, but I'd anticipate using the mill for some time with the existing drive arrangement.

Medium term I'm probably going to a multi-groove belt drive with the existing motor or with a VFD driven motor. Long term I'll be replacing the entire spindle bearing assembly to accommodate significantly higher spindle speeds

[pzzamakr1980]

It was a bit crude but very effective. To fix it though all I would have to do is replace the hardened steel rod that is just epoxied into the head. Using a cut off blade I cut the rod just above and below the part that moves the gears up and down. I then just pulled it out the hole and because it got hot whatever had held the rod in place unfastened and let the majority of it slide out.
The reason I went this way is so I wouldnt have to worry about the gear shafts sticking out of the top of the head when i installed the lower plate for the belt drive. Because it uses the 4 holes at the corners of the head that the original cover uses I wanted it to be very simple. So a big square piece of metal with 4 6 holes drilled in it and a square cutout to go around the spindle holddown block was very easy and didnt require much measurement or engineering.