RG4 gearbox issue

[Prometheus]

Help!!!

 

i have just purchased an old but unused Portescap RG 4. The motor is fine and runs quietly: the gearbox has almost seized however and requires quite a lot of torque (via a hand-turned wheeled axle) to rotate the gears. The motor alone will not do this.  I have lightly oiled the gearbox (which seemed to have no lubrication if any sort whatsoever) but to little avail.

 

is this problem known? What can I do to ease the ‘box sufficiently for the motor to drive it without strain?

 

many thanks

 

Tony

[Tony Cane]

Hi

 

I found that on a motor that had been stored unused for some time that the original lubrication had gone solid.

Once cleaned with white spirits and a small stiff brush, the re lubricated the motor worked fine.

 

Regards

 

Tony   (Is there an echo in here?)

[Prometheus]

I’ll remove the gearbox from the motor again Tony and soak it in IPA for a while. A wire brush may not be good for the initial nylon drive, but the steel gears should tolerate it.

 

thanks

 

Tony

[Prometheus]

Expert analysis there Tony, thanks. An hour in some IPA and it turns nicely. The IPA is now the colour of that other IPA though!

 

Tony

[decauville1126]

This is a regular issue with new-old-stock Portescaps. I too always remove the gearbox and leave in IPA for a couple of hours with a periodic spin of the gears, then allow to drain then relubricate with TriFlow (available from bicycle shops or online) which is a plastics-compatible oil with ptfe. 

[Prometheus]

Triflow? Thank you, I will try to get some.

 

Tony

[Michael Edge]

GT85 works very well for this.