Shopsmith Forums

Hello Everyone,
I have a 1957 MkV greenie with the gilmer drive and with the water-pump style bearing on the idler shaft. It has the solid eccentric bushing with the allen set-screw (screw that centers and keeps bearing from rotating in bushing).

Here's my question: I'm trying to determine if I have torqued the set screw in the eccentric bushing enough. My SS guide says "finger tight" and "do not over tighten". I used a short L-shaped allen wrench and put the long end into the screw and hand-tightened with my fingers on the short end, thinking that I would have less chance of over tightening (i.e., harder to create torque). Still not sure if I put enough or even too much.

Does anyone have a quantitive way of describing how tight this screw should be? I'm really looking for a torque for the small allen screw (i.e., the screw that is in threaded hole of the bushing itself and that presses against the groove on the idler shaft bearing) - Perhaps a torque in inch pounds? Thanks in advance.

gunner66 wrote:Hello Everyone,
Does anyone have a quantitive way of describing how tight this screw should be? Perhaps a torque in inch pounds? Thanks in advance.

I have somewhere remembered a 20 to 30 inch-pound figure and have used that with a small torque-wrench. Others have just pointed to a torque which barely flattens the lock-washer.

nuhobby wrote:I have somewhere remembered a 20 to 30 inch-pound figure and have used that with a small torque-wrench. Others have just pointed to a torque which barely flattens the lock-washer.

Hello nuhobby,
I'm not looking for the torque for the bolt that goes thru the headstock castings/ears and secures the bushing. I'm looking for the torque for the small allen screw that is in threaded hole of the bushing itself and presses against the groove on the idler shaft bearing. Thanks anyway !

gunner66 wrote:Hello nuhobby,
I'm not looking for the torque for the bolt that goes thru the headstock castings/ears and secures the bushing. I'm looking for the torque for the small allen screw that is in threaded hole of the bushing itself and presses against the groove on the idler shaft bearing. Thanks anyway !

I use a regular 5/32" allen wrench and tighten the short "L" part with just 2 fingers as much as I can. The set screw cannot go anywhere once the upper belt is adjusted. I find this set screw loose in a few of the headstocks which allows the idles shaft to slide outward from the headstock and destroy the upper belt. I use a larger body washer under the screw holding the eccentric bushing in the headstock so it prevents the idler shaft bearing from extending past this washer. I actually drill a hole in the early Greenie headstocks without this screw and use a 10/32" screw and body washer. I normally do not use the brackets that fits on the eccentric bushing bolt.

Just remember the eccentric bushing casing ears will break if the eccentric bushing bolt is tighten too much. I have a few headstock casings in my aluminum junk pile because of over tightening of the bolt.

Bill,
I appreciate the detailed info. Using the oversized washer for safety is a super idea - I had one that fit perfectly. It is just large enough to catch a section of the rim of the idler shaft bearing's outer race, thus "protecting" the bearing itself (along with the eccentric) from moving out of the headstock casting.

Thanks for this tip, in that I want my ole girl to stay in good running form for many years to come. I just finished reassembling the head stock after I stripped it and my bandsaw down and replaced every bearing, belt and worn component in both of them - Boy, they both run nice and smooth and quiet now!

I'm sure I speak for many in saying that your personal help, posted comments and technical info that you graciously provide has saved many of us $ and has kept many old machines at work. Thanks again.

And watch that that bolt doesn't strip. DAMHIKT. It's a real pain when that damn bushing keeps slipping during operation.