Shopsmith Forums

I am new to the Shopsmith. The control sheave assembly is pinching the drive belt on my model 510 and I am unable to adjust the speed. How can I fix this.

Robunt wrote:I am new to the Shopsmith. The control sheave assembly is pinching the drive belt on my model 510 and I am unable to adjust the speed. How can I fix this.

First measure across the face of the belt. If is less than 1/2 inch it is worn and needs replacement as it is dropping too deep into the sheave sets at both ends of speed range. A small work around is to come off a bit from the low or high range. Don’t turn it off in low, but maybe one letter above.

Unless you are oiling System don’t turn it off near high. You need to do that if you’re oiling as you can’t pull the spring on the motor ‘s idler sheave to expose the oil hole under spring right at the sheave where it meets the shaft.

Find The Bill Mayo Headstock Improvement Kit PDF on the Post listed below. It will help adjust the speed control when you replace that drive belt

Look at Shopsmith Large Format Drawings Post above yours. My Google Drive has a ton of free download info. Review the Buying a Used Shopsmith V2 PDF that’s there. Really helps to get you oriented on what you’re looking at.

Google Jacob Anderson’s Shopsmith YouTube videos for 30 or so free videos that are quite informative as well and

Kindest Regards

Everett
https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... 90#p185690

This can be a catch 22. May require taking stuff apart.

Since the motor belt is pinched in the control sheave, I assume the speed control is set to fast or very near to that. That also means the motor pulley is compressed and the motor belt is riding near the outside of the pulley.

I would first get the belt OFF the motor pulley. By pulling out(very stiff spring resisting that) on the floating sheave half of the motor pulley you will create slack in the motor belt thus allowing you to slip the belt off. DO NOT ALLOW THE FLOATING SHEAVE TO SLIP AND BANG INTO THE FAN SHEAVE!!!!!

Next adjust the speed control towards fast as far as it will go(no need to rotate the pulleys nor be concerned re damaging the speed control as long as you are not forcing anything).

With any luck that will open the control sheave as far as it will go without removal of the speed control. Then push up on one end of the belt towards the idler pulley and rotate the quill shaft in the direction that will cause the slack end of the belt to advance towards the idler pulley.

IF that releases the belt, Push up on both ends of the belt to clear it away from the center of the idler pulley and set the speed control a couple turns towards slow. That will prevent the belt from slipping down AGAIN to the jamming area.

Now repeat the pulling out of the floating sheave on the motor pulley and reinstall the belt.

That should be hooray time, but if not, the speed control will have to be removed to allow the control sheave to move forward enough to get the belt freed that way. Either way the belt needs to be slackened by removal off the motor pulley.

Some 'definitions':

Idler pulley is on the center idler shaft and consists of the fixed idler sheave and the movable control, sheave.

The motor pulley is on the motor shaft and consists of the fixed fan sheave and the movable floating sheave.


Speed control removal is another set of instructions. Hopefully not necessary in thy case.

Welcome to the Forum,

While you are in there following Everett's and JPG's suggestions make sure you lubricate the pulley sheaves after blowing out any dust inside the headstock. Lack of lubrication will cause the sheaves to "freeze" on the shafts and you will no longer be able to adjust the speed. A clean and lubricated Headstock is a happy running headstock.

chapmanruss wrote:Welcome to the Forum,

While you are in there following Everett's and JPG's suggestions make sure you lubricate the pulley sheaves after blowing out any dust inside the headstock. Lack of lubrication will cause the sheaves to "freeze" on the shafts and you will no longer be able to adjust the speed. A clean and lubricated Headstock is a happy running headstock.

Especially the floating sheave!

Fixed, thanks. Time to play.

Robunt wrote:Fixed, thanks. Time to play.

Music to my ears!!!

You need to consider doing a high speed stop adjustment soon.

Excellent news! Which problem did you find that caused your machine ‘s issues?

Everett