After soaking the lower stuck-on hub with WD-40 and other thin oils and some oil mixed with gasoline, I took a pair of vise grips and clamped them around the stuck lower hub with a pad of paper towel under it. And then took a big pair of channel locks and paper towel pad and clamped the upper drive hub to hold it as best I could. And I hit the vise grips clamped around the stuck lower hub to rotate it and it popped right loose! So I took it off and cleaned it up and oiled it for reinstallation, took the upper hub off and pulled the belt cover and checked out the belts. They must have been both replaced just before I bought it because they look brand new and the motor drive belt measured more than 1/2" wide and stays tight at top spindle speed. Not like the other Shopsmith that was exibiting real loose belt at top speed.
My wife brought up the mail from the mailbox around 6:00 PM tonight, and she had the package from Shopsmith with my new belts for the 1981 model Shopsmith. So tonight after supper I had to dive right in. I got the belt cover off and the motor pan taken down on the lower tubes ok. And the bolt loosened that clamps the eccentric in. And the eccentric turned with a screwdriver without much trouble and I got the allen screw loosened and the eccentric came out ok. And thats when I ran into trouble. On step 11 of the instructions: "11. After removing the eccentric bushing, slide the belt off the Poly-V or Gilmer sheave while bringing the idler shaft toward the quadrant. When the control sheave assembly is free, lay it on the motor." But when I slide the contol sheave back while sliding the belt off the end of the shaft, the control sheave hits the quadrant before giving me enough space to get the belt off over the two bearings and the end of the shaft. The shaft end is still inside the eccentric clamp area of the casting? Do I have to remove the speed control unit to get this back far enough to clear the belt off the end? Or does the quadrant move out of the way if I rotate the speed control dial to slow? I need some help!
mountain4don wrote:My wife brought up the mail from the mailbox around 6:00 PM tonight, and she had the package from Shopsmith with my new belts for the 1981 model Shopsmith. So tonight after supper I had to dive right in. I got the belt cover off and the motor pan taken down on the lower tubes ok. And the bolt loosened that clamps the eccentric in. And the eccentric turned with a screwdriver without much trouble and I got the allen screw loosened and the eccentric came out ok. And thats when I ran into trouble. On step 11 of the instructions: "11. After removing the eccentric bushing, slide the belt off the Poly-V or Gilmer sheave while bringing the idler shaft toward the quadrant. When the control sheave assembly is free, lay it on the motor." But when I slide the contol sheave back while sliding the belt off the end of the shaft, the control sheave hits the quadrant before giving me enough space to get the belt off over the two bearings and the end of the shaft. The shaft end is still inside the eccentric clamp area of the casting? Do I have to remove the speed control unit to get this back far enough to clear the belt off the end? Or does the quadrant move out of the way if I rotate the speed control dial to slow? I need some help!
You have to remove the Speed Control Assembly to remove the Idler shaft.
Bill Mayo bill.mayo@verizon.net
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
In the Shopsmith instruction sheets they don't mention removing the quadrant assembly at all. I have no idea how this part comes out of the headstock? Are their screws that hold it on from the inside? Or do I have to take the control wheel off the outside first?
mountain4don wrote:In the Shopsmith instruction sheets they don't mention removing the quadrant assembly at all. I have no idea how this part comes out of the headstock? Are their screws that hold it on from the inside? Or do I have to take the control wheel off the outside first?
I have 2 different instruction sheets, and both say to remove the speed control first.. Private Message me, and I'll see if I can send them by email.
fgrule wrote:I have 2 different instruction sheets, and both say to remove the speed control first.. Private Message me, and I'll see if I can send them by email.
See Sawdust Session #17 to remove speed control.
Fred
Thanks to Fred and everybody else that has given me a hand on this project of replacing the belts on my '81 Shopsmith. The new lower belt from the motor up to the idler shaft was about half the width of the new one I received from Shopsmith. And now all is quiet when it runs (or practically quiet) and runs through all the speeds without a noise or slowing down any. Runs great again. Again, thanks to everybody. And a warning to those of you purchasing new belts from Shopsmith. Their instruction sheets leave out some critical steps! You have to remove the quadrant in order to get the idler shaft out to get the upper belt off! Thats step 11 1/2!
So I took it off and cleaned it up and oiled it for reinstallation, took the upper hub off and pulled the belt cover and checked out the belts. They must have been both replaced just before I bought it because they look brand new and the motor drive belt measured more than 1/2" wide and stays tight at top spindle speed. Not like the other Shopsmith that was exibiting real loose belt at top speed. 
