Series 1 Bridgport J clicking in head in low range under load.

I have spent hours on line hunting with no good threads on this, most people have the opposite problem with the noise when the cam is pushing down but I have it when the cam is pulling up and only under a load. It sounds like there is a dog rubbing as it rotates and if you put a stick on the housing you can feel it. It does not make any noise when in high range no matter what the load is and in low range it will not make any noise if the cutter is not in contact. It never had this problem before but I have changed the V belt since I used the low range, I took it all back apart and couldn't see where I had messed up and I tried wedging the cam ring higher with no difference in noise. There doesn't seem to be any excessive wear in the slot of the cam ring, screw shanks look good as well so I am assuming it is internal? Any pointers before I tear down would be appreciated. Thanks

What do mean the cam? Is this the brake cam you are talking about?

crazygoat said:

What do mean the cam? Is
this the brake cam you are talking about?

Click to expand...

I think he's talking about the shifter for back gear on a step pulley.

Put it in low gear but disengage the bull gears. (the shift lever on the RH side of the head) Spin the spindle by hand, do you hear and feel it? If yes, the clutches are not disengaged all the way. If no, check for a damaged tooth in the bull gears.
Another possibility but this would be evident in Hi or Low is a chip embedded in the timing belt.

Mr Bridgeport

On the early vee belt Bridgeport, the lever you turn with the two screws in the groove that as the ring with the groove is turned it lifts the shaft up to disengage the dogs for the back gear. Sorry, not used to Bridgeport terminology, I have had this for years but we always used the Cincinnatis. I called it a cam ring because of the tapered groove that drew the shaft up when turned.

Could it be gear backlash? My 2J clicks like that with a fly cutter.

might be trash in the back-gear . i'd get some non-chlorinated brake cleaner and spray the piss out of it . if that didn't work, access the thing and
scrub it w/ a wire brush

it sounds like you may have chips stuck in the teeth, or maybe a shaft key is
wonky? i haven't worked on a bpt for some time, but used to run one every day.
any time there was a noise , it was usually a screw loose or something minor. is this a <50 yr old light use machine , or was it run ragged for 70
years in an asbestos mine ?

Mr Bridgeport said:

Put it in low gear but disengage the bull gears. (the shift lever on the RH side of the head) Spin the spindle by hand, do you hear and feel it? If yes, the clutches are not disengaged all the way.
Mr Bridgeport

Click to expand...

Good advice.

Check part # 32 the "Spindle Clutch Cam Ring Pin"...the cam pins. There is a very small set screw that bears on the threads of the cam pin. It must be backed off before removing or replacing the cam pins. Forget this and the threads will be damaged and the pin will have a sloppy fit.
If the fit is sloppy the #20 "Spindle Pulley Hub" might contact #57 "Splined - Gear Key" (lower hub) as the amount of lift for disengagement is less than spec.

Check the set screws for the v-belt pulleys.There should be two. One to ride on the key and the second to dog the first. See the partial view #257.

John