Disassembling an AZ EQ6 GT?

[mikeobrien]

Managed to find a few pics here

http://www.eastmidlandsstargazers.org.uk/topic/8269-what-makes-an-azeq6-tick/

[Gembol]

Great, mikeobrien! Thank you so much for the link!

I will try to disassemble my AZ EQ6-GT R.A. axis, because it has some strange friction that doesn't allow me to properly balance this axis, and this causes my guiding worse... 

[mikeobrien]

Sounds like you might find something in there be it swarf dried lubricant hopefully nothing worse! Let me know how you get on as I'd like to do mine.

[Gembol]

I hope so. It happened something like that on my HEQ5 (some years ago) and was the same. Changing grease and washing pieces worked as a charm...

[mikeobrien]

That's what I am hoping to get away with I've got some good quality white lithium lubricant.

[mikeobrien]

Just cleaned and relubricated my Dec axis feels much nicer now RA maybe tomorrow night!

[Gembol]

It's great to read that, mikeobrien! 

[mikeobrien]

Done both axis now and feels really smooth, now if this wind would pie off! I might be able to use it.

[Gembol]

Hi mikeobrien!

Have you tried your mount yet? Has been guiding improvement?

And... Any advice before I start disassembling mine?

[mikeobrien]

I haven't had the opportunity to try it's been patchy clear but with gusty winds. As you dissemble it place the items on sheets of paper and label them and take pictures ( I didn't but wish I had) The Dec axis is quite straightforward and I didn't have to reset the worm crown gear backlash as when the dovetail saddle assembly is removed you can just lift the brass crown gear out and clean and relubricate the worm gear in situe. When stripping the RA when the polar scope is out there is a round black metal retaining collar there are retaining grub screws to remove from this before you unscrew it if its stiff like mine was you can put the end of an Allen key in one of the holes in the end of it and give it a gentle tap with a rubber mallet which should be sufficient to loosen it then remove it by hand. Have plenty of kitchen roll handy and remove all the horrible black gunk lubricant and replace it with a good quality lithium. The drive has two bearings at each end one ballbearing and one needle bearing which has steel washers/tracks on each side. These can be removed carefully with long nose pliers. Be prepared when removing the bearings and cleaning them it gets messy! The good news is dispute mine being very heavily loaded it looks brand new inside without any signs of wear!

Hope this helps.

Mike

Edited May 17, 2015 by mikeobrien

[Gembol]

It helps for sure! Thank you!!

[mikeobrien]

Send me a pm and I'll send my mobile number if you need to chat at all.

Edited May 17, 2015 by mikeobrien

[Gembol]

Thank you! I'll do!

[Gembol]

mikeobrien, I've started to disassemble my mount, but it's impossible for me to remove the black retaining ring (R.A.). I'm afraid of doing something wrong, because I don't know where the group screws you talk about are...

[mikeobrien]

They are around the outer perimeter the retaining ring unscrews but may need a tap to loosen it.

[mikeobrien]

As in this picture but there are three.

[Gembol]

Yes! I've got it! Thank you!

I have taken the whole RA axis out, so I can start cleaning.

I've seen that the gray part which covers the encoder connection has a lot of friction, so I have to polish it a little... And maybe this is my guiding problem's origin... See the picture attached.

[mikeobrien]

Certainly wouldn't help there is quite a bit of play so you should be able to simply move it out of the way.

[mikeobrien]

Its only a cover so you just need to make sure its not rubbing.

[mikeobrien]

That does look like significant wear to me.

[mikeobrien]

If you split the cases holding the encoders be careful to unplug the cables.

[jambouk]

Will there be a pictorial guide eventually of how to take an AZEQ6 apart and how to reassemble? I think if you only made it available on paper and made sure the PDF files didn't get into circulation, people would buy it for £10 or so.

James

[mikeobrien]

Would anyone else be interested?

[jambouk]

Are you asking me opinion or asking for other people on the thread? I think you'd get a fair amount of interest - it's becoming a reasonably popular mount, and is sufficiently different from the NEQ6 that guides about that are not all inclusive, and you know what astro people are like for tinkering, stripping, cleaning, tuning, re-greasing... And with summer approaching... It would need to be good as i think word of mouth or word of forum would spread.

James

[mikeobrien]

Mmm OK I'll seriously consider stripping it down again to photograph the steps.