I have a South Bend 10k I'm replacing all the wicks on. I had to remove the headstock to get at the screws that hold the gearbox on. With the gearbox off I was wiping off the bottom of the bed where the gearbox bolts to and a shim fell out. It's about the thickness of a beer can 1"x3/4" rectangular in shape. It also has a very thin strip of the original gray paint on it I guess where it was hanging out when they painted it.. I'm 95% sure this lathe has never been apart and was wondering if it's something you would normally find there?
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Shim under gearbox
- Thread starter rmk57
- Start date
- Replies 2
- Views 796
texasgeartrain
Titanium
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2016
- Location
- Houston, TX
I would expect that more on a bed that has been ground, or scraped down. With the ways lower, in turn saddle/apron would be lower. So the qcgb would be shimmed to accomodate that for alignment.
Perhaps just due to bed and saddle wear, someone shimmed it down to help alignment.
When putting it together, spin qcgb so that lead screw is spinning inside of apron, by hand. Maybe try with and without shim. Also qcgb probably has an alignment adjusting screw on bottom right corner. Draw the gear box bolts up just lightly snug, then work out alignment before wailing them tight. Roll apron back and forth, roll qcgb by hand, etc. Make sure its not binding or tight.
Perhaps just due to bed and saddle wear, someone shimmed it down to help alignment.
When putting it together, spin qcgb so that lead screw is spinning inside of apron, by hand. Maybe try with and without shim. Also qcgb probably has an alignment adjusting screw on bottom right corner. Draw the gear box bolts up just lightly snug, then work out alignment before wailing them tight. Roll apron back and forth, roll qcgb by hand, etc. Make sure its not binding or tight.
mcload
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2007
- Location
- Houston, Texas
Don't Overthink The Shim!
Sounds like pretty damn small "shim" for a qcgb, which is of course much longer. I'll bet a dollar to a donut that someone
just stuck that piece of metal in there out of lack of something to do. Either they couldn't tighten the gearbox screws or
didn't care to try, and just stuck a bandaid in the slit. I wouldn't count on that being original gray, nor would I expect
the factory did something like that. Just saying.
View attachment 304587
Sounds like pretty damn small "shim" for a qcgb, which is of course much longer. I'll bet a dollar to a donut that someone
just stuck that piece of metal in there out of lack of something to do. Either they couldn't tighten the gearbox screws or
didn't care to try, and just stuck a bandaid in the slit. I wouldn't count on that being original gray, nor would I expect
the factory did something like that. Just saying.
View attachment 304587
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