onewomanarmy
has rocks in the head
Carpe Silicis!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 645
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Post by onewomanarmy on May 9, 2009 8:40:58 GMT -5
I've been having some trouble with my tumblers lately - seems when it rains it pours. They've both been locking up a lot lately. I can usually get them going again by oiling various spots and giving the rollers a little nudge - but they've been stopping again within a couple of weeks of that it seems. Last night, one was running but sounding a little odd - I took the cover off to watch it as it ran and the big end of the pulley (if I'm calling it the right thing - where the belt goes around) had some wobble to it as it was spinning. Not a whole lot but was noticeable.
Is this part of or a symptom of my real problem? The tumbler is a Lortone 33b. Any help will be greatly appreciated. I don't know much about motors but am teachable and fairly intuitive once I get going.
thank you so much!
shannon
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Mudshark
fully equipped rock polisher
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. Will Rogers
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,083
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Post by Mudshark on May 9, 2009 12:03:50 GMT -5
Shannon,it might be the pulley is loose.Check both the small and large ones.You might need to just tighten one or both.you should see a small hole in the pulley near the shaft,these are usually secured with a small set screw.You will need a set of small allen wrenches,also called hex keys.If you dont have a set they can be bought at any hardware store pretty cheap.You might even find them in a grocery store.Also check to see if the belt needs tightening,usually you loosen up the motor mounting screws and slide the motor away from the large pulley and re-tighten the screws.Make sure both pulleys are lined up correctly.Take a look at the shafts the barrels roll on and make sure these are clean.
Mike
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on May 9, 2009 20:03:29 GMT -5
All good advice from Mark. I have been having trouble with one of my 33Bs this week. In my case, the motor was stuck (the "drive shaft" with the fan on it was not spinning at all). My uncle (an electrical engineer) took it apart and cleaned everything thoroughly using isopropyl alcohol. He then put it back together. It worked for a few days, but then stuck up again. I oiled around the turning rod (near the big pulley) and then adjusted the placement of the motor and the length of the drive shaft (using that little hex allen wrench). It seems to be working now, but I'm keeping my eye on it.
In the past, moving the motor to tighten up the rubber belt has always worked for me. Go for it Shannon!
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onewomanarmy
has rocks in the head
Carpe Silicis!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 645
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Post by onewomanarmy on May 10, 2009 15:47:25 GMT -5
Thanks, guys! I'm going to try that tonight - as soon as I get the grass under control anyway - we've had so much rain lately (and someone had the bright idea to put some fertilizer on a week or so ago!) we're going to have to worry about losing dogs in that mess soon! Hopefully after that I can try adjusting the pulleys/motor. Is there supposed to be any play at all in those pulleys? I would think no which is what made me think that was part of my problem. Hope it's as simple as these adjustments!
Thanks to both of you - good luck with your tumbler ejs!
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on May 10, 2009 19:59:29 GMT -5
one other thing, shannon- if the large pulley is loose enough to wobble you should be able to pull it right off. If it's tight, the pulley is bent at its center and should be replaced. the part is availavble pretty cheap from the Rock Shed. About belt tension- don't tighten it more than necessary to stop it from slippping. Making it too tight wears out motor bearings. Finally, the Lortone 33B uses cheap plastic (nylon) bushings, which need replacement periodically. If there is too much paly, squealing, or seizing of the drive rollers, take the circlips off and remove the rods, clean them thoroughly with mineral spirits, and reassemble the rollers to the chassis with a bad of lithium grease rubbed generously on the roller ends before reassembling. Lortones aren't the most burable tumblers around but the parts are readily available and inexpensive.
Mark H.
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on May 11, 2009 9:02:01 GMT -5
Mark: That may be what is going on with me.
I continue to have troubles with my 33B. The motor seizes up, not turning even when the belt is completely removed. But then I dab a bit of oil around the shaft, and it starts up and runs for several hours fully loaded.
Perhaps I am having trouble with the bushings, as you suggest? I'm not mechanically inclined and so am unsure whether I can follow your instructions. Could you provide a more detailed description? Or perhaps some photos? I think that "seizing of the drive rollers" is just the problem I am having. I'm not sure what "circlips" are. What part of the rods do you clean? Thanks so much!
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Post by NatureNut on May 11, 2009 9:23:27 GMT -5
Eric, I just had this problem and I fixed it by replacing one nylon bushing that had worn and moved out of place on my 45C. We called these circlips "e-rings" back in the day when I worked on copiers. They look like this:  The nylon bushing looks like this:  They are scored so you can take them off and put them on without removing the roller. Quite easy to do except for getting your fingers in there to do it, but possible. Hope this helps. Jo |
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on May 11, 2009 13:03:17 GMT -5
Thanks, Jo. I'd better order some bushings!
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on May 11, 2009 21:04:03 GMT -5
I was having the same problem last week. Lortone 33B also. I had to remove the motor and clean and oil the shaft. I did not unwire it but I had to remove the big pulley and the motor fan to be able to lift the motor out. They come off easily with an allen wrench. It's run fine ever since.
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onewomanarmy
has rocks in the head
Carpe Silicis!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 645
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Post by onewomanarmy on May 13, 2009 12:56:10 GMT -5
Sounds like I just need to get in there and take that sucker apart - or at least loosen things up and shift them around a bit! Thanks for all the advice (and photos!) - I may go ahead and look into getting a couple of bushings to have on hand - I'm suspecting that may be my problem in the end. I'm usually not shy about taking things apart - not sure what my hold up has been on this. The words of wisdom here have certainly helped though! Good luck getting yours running again too ejs!
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on May 13, 2009 15:49:15 GMT -5
After checking/oiling/cleaning the bushings, and a thorough cleaning of the motor and all parts, I called Shawn at The Rock Shed. He suspects that the motor is just weak. It's within the one year warranty (9 months in) so he is sending me a replacement. I'll swap it out and see if that works.
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