Replacing router bearings

[Steve Maskery]

Hi all,
My trusty MOF96E is on its way out. Well, it has been for quite a while, but today it sounded dreadful. I'm assuming it's bearing trouble rather than motor trouble, as there is no problem starting (my original MOF96 has a dead spot on the windings, apparently it's more trouble to put right than buying a new router).

I have a good bearing supplier nearby, but I don't know what's involved in getting the old ones out and the new ones put in. Anyone have any helpful tales to tell or do I have to ditch it?

TVM
Steve

 

[JFC]

Ive put my 625 DW in for a bearing change and it was cheaper than a new router , £80 with a service if i remember correctly .

 

[mr]

If it's anything like changing the bearings on a motorcycle head race then wait till the other half isn't watching and do it over the kitchen sink, not in the workshop or you'll end up with all the grit and gunk, sawdust and assorted nastiness getting into the grease round the bearings and then you might as well have not bothered. On the other hand it may be nothing like a motorcycle head race and your workshop might be akin to an operating theatre.
Cheers Mike.

 

[Steve Maskery]

..your workshop might be akin to an operating theatre.

Oh, yes, absolutely.

:^o :^o :^o :^o :^o
Help. my pants are on fire.
S

 

[Anonymous]

Steve

Generally bearing changes on motor armatures are a doddle if you can blag a puller or mock something up to remove the old one. New bearings should cost very little too.

When driving the new one on to the shaft, don't drive against the outer race, only the inner race.

Never done one on a router but have on dozens of other motors over the years

 

[mailee]

Hi Steve, Yes i havve just done mine mate. I bought the new ones from Tool shop direct in Hull, (on the internet) Total cost for both around £16. You have to take the armature out and drift off the old ones but it is no problem. It is the first time I have had a router to pieces and I managed it easily. Mind you it gave me a good chance to clean everything out while i was at it. If you want the complete rundown on it PM me and I will walk you through it. Hope this helps. :wink:

 

[Steve Maskery]

Great, thanks guys. I have taken the top cover off but after that I was stumped

Mailee, yes, any info you have about how you actually did it, and got it back together again without having enough bits left over to make another one, would indeed be very welcome.

Cheers
Steve

 

[mailee]

Hi Steve, Just PM'ed you all the info, hope it helps. Oh and by the way the brushes for these are quite expensive if you need to replace them. They were around £8 each! I expected them to be in pairs and complained to Tool Shop Direct and they sent me the second free of charge stating that Black and Decker who make them are the only ones to sell them individually! I have to congratulate Tool Shop Direct on the service. :wink:

 

[Steve Maskery]

Whey-hey! I am a happy chappie.

It's taken all afternoon (inc going shopping) but I've had it stripped down, cleaned out (I couldn't believe how much filth came out of it!), bearings off, new ones installed and the whole thing reassembled. It sounds like new! Very pleased. Thanks Mailee for your detailed instructions, very helpful.

I had a look at the brushes while I was at it, but they are only worn by about 6mm, and there is more than that left, so I think they'll last a bit longer. Easy enough to get at without stripping down the whole machine, anyway, when the time comes.

Cheers all,
Steve

 

[Chris Knight]

Mailee,
Could you please post your bearing change instructions here? They are sure to help more folk - I think my Elu MOF 177 is about to trash its lower bearing for one..

And Steve, could you post details of your bearing supplier - again useful to people to have the info.

Thanks.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Chris,
Ah, slight problem there, I can't remember what they are called. Nottingham Engineering Products, or something like that. You go past Makro, over the canal,turn left before you get to the scrapyard and it's the last building on the left.

Right, got it, here we are:

Unit 5E
The Midway
Nottingham
NG7 2TS
United Kingdom

Tel: (0115) 986 9555
Fax: (0115) 986 9666

The top bearing cost me £3.50 and the bottom one £5.50. He forgot to charge me VAT or give me a receipt, and I forgot to ask for one.

There is also BSL Brammer, whom I've also used in the past, and they have branches all over the place.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Chris Knight]

Steve,
Many thanks.

(My memory is a bit like that too..)

 

[mailee]

Ok guys here it is for anyone who has the need to strip down the Elu router. I can only vouch for this being correct for the Elu 96MOF but I am sure most of the other clones will be about the same.

Well the top cover must come off first of course. Lift off the speed sensor from the posts where the screws locate. No need to remove the wires from this just let it hang over the side. Remove the brushes by undoing the two phillips screws either side of them remove the plastic retainers then pull on the wires to lift out the brushes. Watch they dont spring out! remove the wires from them and put to one side. Pull up and wiggle the small speed sensor pickup from the top of the shaft. (It is splined onto it) Remove the phenolic baseplate carefully as this retains the return spring and lift out the spring from the right hand post. Unscrew the switch from the side of the router and jiggle it loose. (It is located with a lip into the bottom casing) below this you will see the top of the post with a circlip on. Remove this clip then lift the router casing off the base plate. Now remove the four screws in the housing surrounding the bottom end of the armature shaft and remove the spindle lock housing oh and remove the collet and nut to allow the armature to slide through the hole. Now I removed the screw plate surrounding the end of the armature but I don't think there is any need to do this but remove the four screws holding the top of the motor casing to the alloy base and then pull and joggle the two apart. Inside you will find the fan assembly and make a note of which way around this goes as it looks like it could fit back either way but in fact will only fit one way around. After the base is removed pull the armature from the upper casing and you will see the top bearing in place on the shaft. I dury rigged a half moon affair to sit under the bearings while I gently tapped the shaft with a thin punch so as not to mushroom the end over with a thick cloth below ready to catch the armature. The bottom bearing is located in the lower casing and is held in place by four screws and a collar. Remove the screws and then drift the bearing out from the front of the casing, (It does not matter drifting it on the iner race as it will be replaced) Drift the new one back in on the outer race of course with a socket of the right diameter and re-fit the collar and screws. drifting the upper bearing onto the shaft was done with a long BA socket located on the inner race and tapped gently down into place. Rebuild of the router is a reversal of the disasembly and is straight forward with no hitches that I found. Replacing the brushes was a little fiddly as there isn't much room to get your fingers in but I found a pair of thin needle nosed pliers of help here. If you go to this site: www.toolshopdirect.co.uk and navigate to spare parts/elu woodworking/ routers/ MOF96E typeA You will find the spare parts and also an exploded diagram of the router which came in handy not having seen inside one before. I paid around £16 for both of the bearings and delivery was quick. I must get in touch with them again myself as i need another fine height adjuster for my Trend clone. I can certainly recommend their service as I have used them on a few occasions now.
Oh and by the way I found that placing a piece of white paper on the bench and laying out all the parts in their respective locations helped a lot with the re-assembly.

 

[mailee]

Glad I could be of help Steve, nice to hear you got it sorted. :wink:

 

[Chris Knight]

Mailee,
Many thanks, that will be useful to someone I know!