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Van Norman quill model internal questions

Mike C.

Diamond
Joined
Nov 25, 2004
Location
Birmingham, AL
Hey guys, have started digging into the inoperative powerfeed on the quill of the 2RQ-3-28 I got from JB Bergman a couple of years back. I have some major fab work ahead of me to re-create an entire missing shaft and gear cluster. There are some other minor parts, but this is the biggie.

This cluster includes the worm wheel that drives the powerfeed off the worm on the spindle. I have a brand new minty worm, so at least I have enough of the puzzle to get the figures on the mating part, but does anybody have an idea what material that worm wheel is made of? I'm kind of guessing bronze. The feed mechanism should be the same as a 1RQ or 16S.

Thing is, this 2RQ head has a top speed of 3400rpm, so this is going to be pretty critical. The power feed worm and gear are constantly engaged, so no way to only use it at low speed, unless the shaft and gears are removed every time it is run at high speed.
 
Well, it's not getting any better. I'm up to at least 6 missing parts. I discovered another missing worm and wheel deeper in. I have nearly everything out of the head casting except the quill now. Big problem now is that the quill is stuck. I can't get the shaft that moves the quill out and I can't get the quill to move. If anybody knows how this quill SHOULD come out, help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Head has been pretty well emptied. Anything associated with the quill is laying on the machine table, including the quill lock. About to take the nuclear option and set up for a port-a-power to push the quill out.
 
Have just avoided full scale thermonuclear war. Sent the CAD guy here at work the Vintage Machinery PDF on the 1RQ head. He blew me up an 18x25" copy, much easier to see than my phone screen. Sat around studying it today.

The one piece upper carrier that includes the internal spline and bevel drive gear for the spindle has an O-ring under the bevel gear to keep oil from running back up the splines when operated horizontal. I'm now 99.999% sure that water, either from condensation or actual dripping, has gotten into the quill splines and/or this fit, and has locked the quill. Guessing they removed the feed parts long ago, as it was not moving. The carrier should have come out with everything else on the top bearing carrier, it stayed stuck while the bearings pulled over it.

At least I know where the problem is now, and the nuclear option might well have broken the spindle drive gears trying to press the splines loose with that being the holding point. I'm thinking a piece of pipe welded to a bearing retainer nut and a slide hammer might be the way to pull it loose. It's been soaking in Kroil for about a week, and now that I know what's up, not afraid to apply some heat, as well.

Good news, the spindle bearings should be in fine shape. The upper bearings for this carrier are probably ok, but they are just common ball bearings, so no huge deal to replace them, anyway.

Something to consider for the owners of the 16S and 1RQ/2RQ owners... keep the head horizontal unless it is being operated in the vertical position. That O-ring traps and holds any water, dust, or other contaminates that gets past the spindle splines. May save some folks some major heartaches... the very few of us that apparently own these things.
 
And, as of 3:30pm today, the quill is out! Damaged teeth on the feed shaft and quill rack had it bound up. No way to get the shaft out, so just had to use a plastic faced sledge and drive the quill out. No major damage on anything. If not for all the missing quill feed parts, I'd be back in business with nothing more than filing the burrs off some damaged teeth, welding up and turning down a trashed snap ring groove, welding up and turning down the twisted handle shaft and cutting a keyway. Time to start working on the required worms and gears next. Maybe have it all functional in a few months or so.
 
Wishing you luck in your perseverance, Mike. Afraid I'm not much help, but I learned a lot from reading your posts. Pics would be even better :)
--cheers
Shaggy
 
Thanks shaggy, pics here are just a pain in the ass or I would add some. I'm about ready to put the upper carrier, quill pinion and quill back in it. Previous monkeys had run the upper carrier without the feed drive worm installed. Feed worm is also the bearing spacer. So they had the precision bearings just run down into the races. Ruined the bearings, but I found NOS on Ebay for $200, matched pair. Have to find a few oddball seals, fix some damage to the quill pinion and make a spacer to replace the feed worm for the quill pinion and I'll at least be able to hand feed the quill until I can make up all the missing gears. Actual spindle bearings in the quill have not been monkeyed with and seem fine. More to come as I work through it.
 
Full spindle bearing inspection is complete. I'm letting it ride. I was debating on replacing the seal between the bevel gears and the spindle bearings. I put the whole assembly in the safety clean vat at work and flushed out the back side of the seal, then blew it clean with compressed air. It occured to me that, if the seal held back the mineral spirits in the vat, it should hold the small amount of gear oil on the shaft. Pulled the grease plugs and there was no mineral spirits or penetrating oil from soaking the quill to get it out. If it starts slinging oil and grease, I'll take the quill back out and replace it. Bearings feel great.
 








 
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