Shopsmith Forums

Help needed - minor ability here powered by minor brain horsepower.......

I've literally had this shop smith M V for twenty years, given to me by my dad. It does have an access port for oiling (which means something to many of you) and I estimate it was purchased in 1980. I am sorry to say I've done zero maintenance to it and have used it on and off since I've had it. Today, for whatever reason I wanted to spin a bowl, looked at a video on maintenance of the M V and oiled a couple of holes on it. Plugged it back in, suddenly the motor barely runs. All I did was take the cover off, oil the spring on the motor side and then the hole on the upper spindle? I also adjusted the speed dial in the process while it was unplugged which I now understand was stupid. The guy on the video plugged it in THEN adjusted the speed dial to loosen the spring, something I somehow missed. After about 10 seconds of struggling to run, it threw my breaker. I took off the drive belt, turned the motor on and it ran like new. Put the drive belt back on and same problem.

I've narrowed it down in my feeble mind to either bad bearings or bad capacitor. I spun the drive by hand and very minimal sound came from that which tells me bad capacitor? Please help, I'm dying to spin a spalted maple bowl and now don't have a tool to do it with...

Eagle

With the drive belt(the one attached to the motor pulley)off, does the output shaft turn by hand easily?

It is possible the belt is getting caught between the idler shaft sheaves when you are reinstalling the belt. That is caused by either a worn belt(narrow) or the sheaves opening up too far.

The belt should be close to 1/2" across the top.

It is not a capacitor. Motor will only hum if capacitor is open/bad. I would also believe the motor belt needs replacing if you were trying to operate at the slower or higher speed range. The worn belt will start to drop below the tips of the pulley vanes and cause the belt to start hanging on a few of the vane tips.

Two drops are not enough~!!!! especially after a period of non use.

Often overlooked is the motor sheave and the movable sheave. Make sure you can hand pull the movable sheave easily along that shaft. You will easily be able to overcome the spring pressure. A lot of oil may be needed.

Put the SS into drill press position and allow oil to seep down the shaft.

Also check to see if the control sheave slides easily and the retaining ring on the end of that shaft is in good shape.
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