Older Leblond Model 21

[Deerslayer]

Sounds like the cone pulley on the spindle is close to being stuck to the spindle. Look for a big set screw about midways on the cone pulley. Usually on the middle step of the pulley. Add some mineral spirits in this hole and see if it will penetrate and loosen up some of the crud. Keep working it unit it gets free to start adding oil to the hole. Sooner or later it should free up. If not, you may have to pull the spindle.

Also thank you for the help!

 

[4GSR]

I will check that as soon as I get back up to the shop!

Are there any lube points on the back gear assy?

Yes, there should be. I couldn't tell you exactly where to look but a clue maybe a big screw or bolt located on the back gear shaft as a start to look for. There might be a oil cup of some sort, but I doubt it.

 

[Deerslayer]

Yes, there should be. I couldn't tell you exactly where to look but a clue maybe a big screw or bolt located on the back gear shaft as a start to look for. There might be a oil cup of some sort, but I doubt it.

Oil cups are long gone and someone has lost the manual lol.
I have been putting iso oil in every hole I can find in this lathe, some are just bolts but they got oiled to lol.

 

[4GSR]

Deerslayer,

I highly doubt LeBlonde published a manual for this lathe. There may be a catalog page available out there. I don't recall seeing one. There is a close friend of mine in the Houston Area that is a Historian on machine tools. He only hangs out on the Practical Machinist Forum. His name is John Oder. You could contact him over there and see if he has any information to share with you, if you like. Ken

 

[Deerslayer]

On a different note I did get the machine running without the back gear this evening, the spindle bearing on bed side groaned a little as she came to life. I kept feeding it oil and the groaning began to improve. I only let it run about 20 seconds to warm the bearing a little, then I used a little compressed air to blow out some of the grease in the spindle bearings and force the oil in a little farther. Reoiled a let it run about a minute the groaning seems to have ceased in that bearing at least, I blew it out and reoiled again then put the heat gun on it for a while to warm and allow the oil to penetrate. I'll fire it up again when I get back to shop, I hope I can get oil in there properly without pulling the spindle.

 

[wa5cab]

The back gear shaft or spindle will have either oil cups, ball oilers, or grease cups for the bearings or bushings at each end. These get either oil or grease depending upon what type they are. Apply lube until the back gears spin freely.

You should remove the belt from the gearbox, pull the direct drive pin out of the bull gear and confirm that the step spindle pulley spins freely without turning the spindle. From your previous description, odds are that it won't. As Ken said, find the oil plug screw, remove it and flush with something like Varsol until the pulley spins freely on the spindle. Then flood the oil port with probably SAE 20. After you get it freed up, the pulley bushings should be oiled at least every time that you use back gears or once a month, whichever is shorter.

After you have the back gears and the spindle pulley both turning freely without the spindle turning, coat all four gears with some type of hy-tack open gear lube. An oily or greasy machine may not look nice but at least it won't be wearing itself out every time that the spindle turns over.

 

[FOMOGO]

Glad to see your making progress. Did you have a hard time steering the backhoe with the lathe hanging from the loader? When I moved mine (4000#) I had to extend the hoe all the way out for the power steering to overcome the load. Mike

 

[Deerslayer]

Glad to see your making progress. Did you have a hard time steering the backhoe with the lathe hanging from the loader? When I moved mine (4000#) I had to extend the hoe all the way out for the power steering to overcome the load. Mike

Mines rated for 7k on the front bucket so it did ok but I would say that machine is 8-9 k , I had a three ft bucket on the back and was able to pick it but the back tires weren't really touching I had to use 4wd to get it moving. Prolly could have kicked the dipper out but I was to close to shop when I picked it off. Trailer

 

[Deerslayer]

The back gear shaft or spindle will have either oil cups, ball oilers, or grease cups for the bearings or bushings at each end. These get either oil or grease depending upon what type they are. Apply lube until the back gears spin freely.

You should remove the belt from the gearbox, pull the direct drive pin out of the bull gear and confirm that the step spindle pulley spins freely without turning the spindle. From your previous description, odds are that it won't. As Ken said, find the oil plug screw, remove it and flush with something like Varsol until the pulley spins freely on the spindle. Then flood the oil port with probably SAE 20. After you get it freed up, the pulley bushings should be oiled at least every time that you use back gears or once a month, whichever is shorter.

After you have the back gears and the spindle pulley both turning freely without the spindle turning, coat all four gears with some type of hy-tack open gear lube. An oily or greasy machine may not look nice but at least it won't be wearing itself out every time that the spindle turns over.

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around what's inside the step pulley that needs lube? I did as he said and found plug used a little mineral spirits and followed up with iso, haven't used back gear lately so I can't say better or worse? One thing I did have to do is cut a piece of pvc and make a spacer to hold back gear cam lever over a little in the back, if it rotates to far it touches the gears just slightly and makes a lot of noise not to mention gears tearing up!

 

[FOMOGO]

Always interesting working out on the edge of your limits, but sometimes you just have to make it work. Mike

Mines rated for 7k on the front bucket so it did ok but I would say that machine is 8-9 k , I had a three ft bucket on the back and was able to pick it but the back tires weren't really touching I had to use 4wd to get it moving. Prolly could have kicked the dipper out but I was to close to shop when I picked it off. Trailer