12" Lathe Spindle Pulley Bushings...worth Replacing While I Have The Spindle Out?

[38Bill]

I decided to replace the belt and inspect the bearings in my 12" Craftsman 101.28910 lathe. Bearings look good but the pulley seems to be making a light clunking noise. Has anybody replaced the two pulley bushings? If so where did you purchase the parts. It looks like Sears still lists them but they are around $65 plus tax and shipping. Seems like a lot for two little bushings but I could be wrong. Thanks.

 

[wa5cab]

When does it make the clunking noise? That is unlikely to have anything to do with the bushings. More likely to be between the direct drive pin and the pulley and bull gear. The pulley bushings only have rotational wear (meaning relative motion between the bushings and spindle) when the lathe is in back gear. Which in most cases is very seldom.

If you do need to replace the bushings, you can get them from Clausing almost certainly cheaper than from Sears. Call 800-323-0972 or 800-535-6553. Ask for "old parts" or "Atlas parts". Except for the badge, the 101.28910 is the same as the Atlas 3986

 

[38Bill]

Robert, Thanks for the reply. Thats kind of what I was thinking. I pulled the spindle and cleaned everything and reassembled with a new belt. I also pulled the jack shaft pulley and cleaned, lubed and reassembled it all. I just got done leveling it and I must say that it is running very nicely now. All I hear now is pretty much only the hum of the motor that is reverberating through the bench. I didn't find anything messed up so I guess it just needed a little TLC. Cant wait to make chips with it.

 

[wa5cab]

Good deal.

 

[Round in circles]

I've almost totally eliminated the clunking sound from the play on the driving dogs of the cross shaft & the drive pulley's by loosening the Allen screw , easing the dog collar to one side , wiping the faces clean using some electrical contact spray on cotton buds & squirting in some " Plastic Gasket " silicone in the gaps. I then rubbed it in the gaps I'd made by taking the motor driven pulley back a bit to get the biggest gap there is .
Then whilst in the turned back position reset the collars & tightened them up with out disturbing anything so the silicone is at the maximum thickness
Having left if for a couple of days to cure it's now as quiet as anything , there is still no susceptible play or noise showing up over 10 months later .