Seeking help - Britan Lathe clutch problem

darrylhutchinson · Mar 22, 2011

Hoping to find some Britan Repetition lathe users or clutch experts.....

My Britan lathe is permanently in high speed clutch and will not come out of it. Even when the lever is in neutral the spindle is still moving (at high speed). Lever will move over to the right but when attempting to engage the low speed clutch there is too much resistance and pressed more the lever will break. When motor is stationary, with one hand trying to turn the the 3 speed pulley and the other grasping the high speed clutch, they are locked together when clutch lever is neutral/wobbling. Any ideas?

Mark McGrath · Mar 22, 2011

It`s forty years since I repaired Britans.Limey Sami has a mate with one who might have a book or this lot might still be in business.
Britan Lathe Company

Limy Sami · Mar 22, 2011

Sorry I can't help you;-

I emailed my mate with the Britan, he's never had that problem, doesn't have a manual either.

oldbikerdude37 · Mar 22, 2011

I dont know that lathe but have fixed lots of high low type clutches.

Many 2 speed clutches have spring loaded pins used to adjust them and if that pin breaks it adjust itself till the clutch disk bind up in the center of the clutch cartridge leaving you stuck one way or the other.

Some times you can use a dental pick the get all the clutch disks to line back up so you can reset the bad side till its working again but if the adjustment pin breaks you may as well pull it out and fix it.

Of course its almost always the high speed side that goes bad. I bet if you look at it it will be obvious.

darrylhutchinson · Mar 22, 2011

Thanks. I have a manual but it only has a short paragraph on adjustment, not troubleshooting.
Yes, some clutch parts are available from Andrew Engineering (who bought the Britan lathe compan inventory) but I need to know what the problem is to order parts.
The clutch has spring drive dogs on both sides, which can be pushed in and the clutch dial can be rotated to the next "peg out", but this is simply the procedure for tightening the clutch if it is jumping out of hold. Both clutches can be adjusted in this way and the drive dogs aren't broken, yet regardless the clutch is stuck in "high", and even in neutral.

oldbikerdude37 · Mar 22, 2011

on one side of the center of the clutch cartrage there has to be a disk thats out of time on the spline and jammed up. Or even a broken disk thats binding it up. when it was in low the high side had too much slop and let the high side disk walk out and bind up with the spline and drive dogs and when it went to high thats where it stays.

You may as well pull it out and take pictures so others can see what a neat mechanism they are.

I saw a screw machine have it stick in high and all the feeds went wild. a 10 second part was running in 2 seconds and smoke was boiling off the tools till we shut it down. it was a hell of a sight.

darrylhutchinson · Mar 24, 2011

it seemed the high had been overtightened. I loosed both clutch rings right off and started again. It's a pain on this lathe as, when you are getting it right, tightening the high tends to have a loosening effect on the low, or vice-versa. Slight adjustment to one, upsets the other. They are not independent.

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Seeking help - Britan Lathe clutch problem

darrylhutchinson

Plastic

Mark McGrath

Diamond

Limy Sami

Diamond

oldbikerdude37

Titanium

darrylhutchinson

Plastic

oldbikerdude37

Titanium

darrylhutchinson

Plastic

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