John,
I have owned a Delta 17-900 drill press for about 20 years.
I recently replaced the chuck and arbor. While doing so, I noticed that the quill and spindle have some slop. I looked at the parts schematic and the only thing i can see is that the top end of the quill may have some worn out parts.
Also, when I turn the motor shaft by hand or with power, it squeaks like crazy.
I hope you can advise me on the procedures of correcting these issues.
Thank you.
Replies
The spindle of the drill press and the pulley are splined together. The splines are a fairly loose fit so that the spindle can move up and down easily. If you rotate the arbor back and forth you will find that it has some rotational freedom of motion in relation to the pulley but this is normal and harmless.
The squeaking in the motor is probably due to the starter switch inside of the motor needing cleaning and a touch of lube. It could also be due to wear caused by the motor being run with the shaft vertical, which sometimes causes the lower bearing, or some washers just above it, to wear prematurely because they are supporting the weight of the armature. The solution in either case is to pull the motor apart for inspection and lubrication and possibly some minor parts replacement.
A last possibility is the rubber seals in the bearings are dried out and causing the noise. The solution for that is to put a drop of oil on the shaft on either side of the bearings but that again requires you to disassemble the motor.
John White
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