Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
I've done some searches for this but haven't found anything specific, maybe someone could point me to an existing post?
If not, what maintenance can be performed on the planetary gears and how often to extend their life? I didn't see anything on this in the wiki. I'm running mine almost 24 hours a day. I just replaced it for the first time but would like to know what grease to use and maybe how many hours before cleaning and re-lubricating planetary gears.
If not, what maintenance can be performed on the planetary gears and how often to extend their life? I didn't see anything on this in the wiki. I'm running mine almost 24 hours a day. I just replaced it for the first time but would like to know what grease to use and maybe how many hours before cleaning and re-lubricating planetary gears.
Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
whenever i have a new pinion gear or extruder motor, i disassemble it, clean out the 1 drop of grease they put in there and actually put some good stuff in the case. i dont pack it full but im definitely generous with it. once i do that i find the grease to last and do its job until the pinion shows some wear again. a year maybe. i will swap the pinion again, clean it out and do it all again. use a good grease. a nice synthetic wheel bearing grease or a marine grease something like that. if you have the gearbox all apart anyway, something else i have found you can do... i have noticed on all my extruder motors there is a little side play in the shaft and you can wiggle the drive gear. i thought my bearings were going bad but they arent. kysan actually makes the shaft a couple thousandths smaller than the bearings. i took the small section of shaft that the bearings ride on, put it on the corner jaws of my vise and gently squeezed the shaft letting the knurled jaws put very slight texture in the shaft all the way around. it was just enough to take up that space. i had to lightly tap it into place through the bearings taking out all the slop. rock solid now.
Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
Wait, we have to do what now? Disassemble the motor?
jdacal, if you ever do figure it out, can you write up a brief summary for those of us not mechanically inclined? Like, disassembly and reassembly, mostly.
Jim, you often reference chemicals that you just happen to have lying around
"synthetic wheel bearing grease", "marine grease"... Can you throw in a brand name or something so we have something to search Amazon for? One of these?
jdacal, if you ever do figure it out, can you write up a brief summary for those of us not mechanically inclined? Like, disassembly and reassembly, mostly.
Jim, you often reference chemicals that you just happen to have lying around

Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
Haha thats nothing special jin. Goto any napa. I think even home depot has that. Walmart too. I dont really know any specific names. Brand isnt that important.
Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
Sure I'll take some pictures as I do it. I did it once but the grease I used tended to get runny after running a lot, plus I added too much it was bleeding out through the front bearing seal.
I had already ordered this on Amazon so I'm going to give it a try and see how it does:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XB ... ge_o05_s00
I had already ordered this on Amazon so I'm going to give it a try and see how it does:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XB ... ge_o05_s00
Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
I have some if that right here. Its interesting stuff. Its got teflon in it and its good stuff but it gets very liquidy. It almost exactly like vaselene. Looking at the back they give a temp rating of 450deg f. I believe that is where it starts breaking down, not where it thins out. It get thinner just by me putting it on my finger. Wheel bearing grease stays thick and sticky at high temps so good for gears like that. Just throwing that out there. Anything you do will probably be better than what kysan puts in there which is very little. A little will always slowly work through the bearings though. Pretty normal.
Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
Just out of curiosity, I have a tub of "Sta-Lube" multipurpose SUPER WHITE grease. Lithium grease, I believe. What is that good for, and how is the synthetic stuff better?
Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
lithium grease is more of a general thick lubricant. it a little more of a household type grease or light automotive stuff. a wheel bearing grease will be high temp, high pressure, waterproof, wont break down. its a heavy duty industrial application type grease. its used obviously in bearings, trailers, construction equip, automotive, etc.
Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
I think I'll order something else then. Already went through the watery one with the 1st attempt. Thanks for the heads up.jimc wrote:I have some if that right here. Its interesting stuff. Its got teflon in it and its good stuff but it gets very liquidy. It almost exactly like vaselene. Looking at the back they give a temp rating of 450deg f. I believe that is where it starts breaking down, not where it thins out. It get thinner just by me putting it on my finger. Wheel bearing grease stays thick and sticky at high temps so good for gears like that. Just throwing that out there. Anything you do will probably be better than what kysan puts in there which is very little. A little will always slowly work through the bearings though. Pretty normal.
Re: Planetary Gear Preventive Maintenance
good thread...
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.. actualy good i read this as my gearbox has no real time on it at all so good i do this now.
i have very similar teflon grease to super lube i use on all my printer z axsis's - similar but good to 650f. was sold by radio shack way back when under the archer brand name as 'professional lube gel' great stuff for z axsis, but no longer sold by Radio Shack, looks like super lube is a possible replacement when/if i run out..
glad i read further in this thread as id considered using it in the gearbox. I'll go find some good synthetic bearing grease.
i'll try the trick to tighten the shaft while i am at it, thanks.
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i have very similar teflon grease to super lube i use on all my printer z axsis's - similar but good to 650f. was sold by radio shack way back when under the archer brand name as 'professional lube gel' great stuff for z axsis, but no longer sold by Radio Shack, looks like super lube is a possible replacement when/if i run out..
glad i read further in this thread as id considered using it in the gearbox. I'll go find some good synthetic bearing grease.
i'll try the trick to tighten the shaft while i am at it, thanks.
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