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Bridgeport Speed Not Changing

Hittin'steel

Plastic
Joined
Sep 11, 2021
Hello,
So I've recently changed out my belts for my 1961 Bridgeport mill with a 1J head, but when I went to change the speed from low to high, the clutch wont drop and subsequently, the speed just stays the same. Would there be a way to fix this? Any help is appreciated, thanks!

Hittin'Steel
 
Forget the bolts in on the pulley on the motor side? (The ones used to open up the sheaves)
 
Hmm, I don't think I've forgotten any bolts though, I made sure to put back every screw that I've taken out of the mill.
 
Note the man said a 1J head. That's the step pulley head, so no bolts for the adjustable pulley because no vari-speed drive. I think the problem he is trying to describe is it won't come out of back gear. Can someone please explain how to adjust the HI-LO lever and shaft? It's been so long that I can't talk through the proceedure.

Dennis
 
It's a shame no one has responded, but I think that's because few here have the 1J step pulley machines... and I don't either. I can barely remember the last time I had to adjust the back gear selector on a 2J head, and a quick look on the internet shows the 1J is different. That search ended at the H&W Machine Repair web site, which reminded me that you should try contacting them. They are good people, and used to have a guy, Jon, who answered questions here all the time, until he passed away recently. Give them a call; they can likely talk you through finding your problem, and sell you the parts you need for repair.
https://machinerypartsdepot.com


 
Not sure if this video goes over how to adjust the HI-LO lever and shaft, but just to clarify, in this video when he moves the spindle @ 1:58, you can hear something dropping. Yet when I do the same exact steps up until that point everything works but I just won't hear the thing drop.

How to change speeds on a Bridgeport milling machine (Jhead) - YouTube

When you move the "A" lever, do you see the step pulley (forward one) move up/down about 0.15 inches? I think the sound you are hearing at the 1.58 time mark in the video is the A-lever hitting into the end of the cam slot - at least mine does so when I mimic what the person in the video is doing (note, I did not watch the entire video).
 








 
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