Hi There,
The spindle bearing clearances should be:
.0007 to .0010" for Bronze Bearing Spindles,
.0010 to .0015" for Cast Iron Bearing Spindles.
You measure this by mounting a dial indicator so that the tip of the indicator touches the top of the spindle on the register (the unthreaded section next to the shoulder). Insert a soft metal bar into the spindle (a broom handle will work too). Press down with about 75 lbs. of force and note the reading on the dial. Then pull up on the bar with about 75 lbs. of force and record the difference between the two readings. This determines your spindle clearance. You should check both the front and the rear spindle bearing clearances.
The clearance is adjusted by changing the total shim thickness. Under each bolt, there should a solid aluminum shim and a pack of laminated shims. The laminates are .002" thick and held together by a soft solder. They can be peeled off but it is sometimes tricky to get them started. Sometimes, you accidently peel off two shims instead of one and it comes off in shreads.
If the clearance is too much, you will have to remove a shim from the laminated shim pack. If too tight, you will have to add a shim. After removing or adding shims, recheck the clearances and adjust again if necessary.
Get some .001" and .002" shim stock for fine tuning the clearance. This way, you will be ready for anything.
I hope this helps. Good Luck!
-Blue Chips-
Webb
