Thread: Vicmarc Lathe Noise Problem Solved

Hope this can help someone in the future

Just a lesson I learnt with my VL 175.

About 2 weeks ago a small "knocking" noise developed around the head so I removed all the cowlings and tried to track it down.

I thought it was coming from the motor but wasn't entirely sure.

Tried several things to pinpoint the noise like removing the belt and checked it's alignment. Looked for crap that may have built up on the pulleys or belt...all OK.

I ran the motor without the belt so there wasn't any load and the motor sounded as smooth as silk.

As the spindle bearings hadn't been looked at or re-greased since 2011 and thought it might be that so I disassembled the spindle shaft & bearings and re-greased the bearings then assembled it back together. Still the same noise and was now convinced it was from the motor so removed the motor thinking that it might be a motor bearing and I would have to either drive up to Vicmarc to see if they could help or I may have to take it to a local motor workshop for a new motor shaft bearing. Vicmarc is about a 45min drive from me

I contemplated leaving the motor pulley on but thought it might get lost somewhere when the motor is disassembled.

Here is where the tip for new players comes in...there are 2 grub screws that are in the side of the pully shaft that secures it to the motor shaft and as I undid the screws, I noted that one of them was quite loose. I removed the pully but sat in the workshop looking & thinking about that loose grub screw.....I made the decision to put it all together again and making sure the grub screws were tighten properly....well that looks like it was causing the sound as the pulley was rattling slightly against the motor shaft when the belt was attached.

IF I had realised this, I could have fixed the problem by removing 1 piece of cowling from around the motor and tightened the grub screws with a 4 mm hex key from the side without needing to take it all apart.

Something to keep in the memory banks !