BAS 315 Bandsaw Drive Belt change

[apttony]

I'm trying to change the drivebelt on an Electra Beckum BAS 315 bandsaw. I've removed the circlip from the lower main pully wheel, slackened the tension on the saw blade, and sprayed some WD40 and Plusgas on the shaft / bearing, but the pully wheel simply won't budge. Am I missing something?

Tony

 

[apttony]

Has nobody got any suggestions?

Tony

 

[RogerP]

I don't have a BAS315 nor have I seen inside one so all I can suggest is a three-legged bearing puller. Can you somehow hook the three legs equidistantly on the wheel and the the point of the puller on the shaft?

 

[paulm]

Not familiar with that particular machine, but on my startrite, and I suspect most other machines (although I don't know for sure), the motor mounting bolts will allow for the motor to be pivoted to adjust/release tension ?

Shouldn't be necessary to dismount the pulley wheel I wouldn't have thought ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[CHJ]

....Shouldn't be necessary to dismount the pulley wheel I wouldn't have thought ?

...

Most bandsaws have lower wheels a bigger diameter than the drive belt Paul, hence the need to remove the lower pulley to get the belt installed.

Tony, don't be too liberal with the plusgas and WD40 on the bearing seals, 1: you might wash dust into the bearing or 2: you may wash the lubricating grease out.

 

[paulm]

Aah, for lower main pulley wheel I thought Tony meant the drive wheel on the end of the motor shaft, rather than the wheel the blade mounts on....

Cheers, Paul

 

[Mister S]

I don't know this machine personally, but if it's a question of removing the lower bandwheel, this seems to be a problem on other machines too. The wheel seems to stick and resist all attempts at gentle removal. In a recent thread about a Record bs350 with the same problem, the answer was:

It's off! It's a simple as removing the circlip - no need to remove pully assembly bolted on behind. But I guess 7 years of use meant it was very difficult to actually get off.

What did it was actually knocking it firmly on (use a large open head spanner around the spindle - and hit spanner head with mallet). This seemed to de-seize it. Then it came off fairly easily. I've added some cycling anti-seize paste to make it easier next time.

I have done similar things in the past, as a last resort, but using a socket that fits over the shaft. There is always a risk that it is seized on so hard that you may damage the wheel or spindle, so you need to use a bit of judgement about how hard to hit it!

Steve

 

[apttony]

Hi All,

It's off !! Removed the circlip, attached a suitable gear puller, and tensioned it, protected the bearing, gave a squirt of freezer spray on to the shaft, a "gentle" tap on the end of the puller screw, and it started to move. Then simply a matter of winding in the puller screw until the wheel came away.

The gear puller was one that had jointed arms, (like an elbow joint), which was more flexible and allowed for getting behind the large central body of the wheel.

Now up and running again. Just needed the right tools !

Many thanks again
Tony