Bearing replacement on Drive Sleeve Assy. (part 56)

[bucksaw]

I rebuild and test the Gilmer Drive Sleeve Clutch as a service item for my customers. I have pictures and instructions available if interested. Please send me an Email if pictures are desired.

What purpose does the clutch serve on the Gilmar Drive? Does the polyv setup have a clutch?

[bucksaw]

SS would have been the low cost supplier of bearings used in the drive sleeve if I had found their SS part numbers.


My Gilmer belt drive sleeve drive has a clutch in it. Consider searching this forum or the contents of the Reactivation narrative sources for the details on refurbishing the drive sleeve clutch.

When I called Shopsmith to order bearings, I was told they did not sell them by themselves.

[billmayo]

What purpose does the clutch serve on the Gilmar Drive? Does the polyv setup have a clutch?

No, the Poly-V drive does not have a clutch or need one. If the quill shaft gets jammed/stopped, the Poly-V grooved pullys will slip inside the Poly-V belt or stall the motor.

The original Gilmer Drive Sleeve pully was without a clutch. If the quill shaft became jammed/stopped (saw blade pinched, etc.), the teeth on the Gilmer belt would be torn off requiring a new Gilmer belt. A clutch was quickly added to allow that when the quill shaft became jammed/stopped, the clutch would slip and not need a new belt. However, if the clutch has not slipped for a few years, the clutch plates and discs can become stuck together making the clutch like a solid drive pully. This can result in a belt's teeth being torn off if the quill shaft becomes jammed/stuck. Many times, it is impossible to disassembly and separate the clutch plates and discs so I like to buy all the Gilmer drive sleeves with clutches for the clutch parts as I have been unable to find any replacement source for them.

I have Gilmer drive sleeve assemblies with a rebuild and tested clutch and higher quality C3 bearings available if interested.

All my personal Shopsmith headstocks have the Gilmer drives and 3/4 HP motors. I find they do any task really well except rip sawing. I equip most of the MINIs I sell with the Gilmer drive and 3/4 HP motor headstock.

[mickyd]

To get to the 2 bearing quill on a Gilmar drive you have to upgrade to PolyV and replace the quill. Expensive conversion.
As an FYI.....ShopSmith just quoted me about $300 to upgrade from gilmer to polyv. I'll have to get my unit up and running and see the negatives with my current drive before I make that investment. I think accuracy was the primary reason for updating, with the runout of the shaft speced out at about .005" with gilmer and .001" with polyv. I'll probably graduate over time into needing the additional accuracy. For now, as long as it saws, drills, sands, bores, and turns, it will be a HUGE improvement over my current methods of perfroming each of those ops.