Should I strip my EQ6

[tooth_dr]

This is what weeks of rain does to me...

It's given over 10 years of service, and is aytoguiding fine, but it's just getting stiff to rotate the dec axis and there is a large amount of backlash.

I'm thinking about doing the Rowan belt mod and cleaning and regreasing it all. Do you think the bearings should be done too?

Or leave well alone? I just hate to leave things that are clearly worsening and risk doing more harm?!

 

Cheers

Adam. 

[spillage]

My advice would be to remove clean and re grease the bearing and see it that helps first. You do need to take your time when putting the bottom dec bearing back in paying attention to tightening up the collar to ensure the bearing is level.

I did mine just really to see how it was put together.

hth

Spill.

[LightBucket]

To be honest even after ten years the bearings have not had that much use if you think about it, they are not under any real pressure....

I did the belt mod and cleaned and re greased, but left the bearings in place, they looked as good as new, and mine is around the same age, one of the early white EQ6 mounts.

[LightBucket]

2 minutes ago, spillage said:

My advice would be to remove clean and re grease the bearing and see it that helps first. You do need to take your time when putting the bottom dec bearing back in paying attention to tightening up the collar to ensure the bearing is level.

I did mine just really to see how it was put together.

hth

Spill.

How tight did you do that collar up, that was the one issue I was not sure about as I forgot to mark before I took apart, I did mine so the slack was all out of the bearing, and then another 1/8 of a turn, it will go another half turn if I wanted, but don’t think that would have helped, just maybe caused a bit of stiction...

[spillage]

I am sure I did it up tight then backed it off either 1/4 or 1/2 a turn (was a while ago so cannot really remember). It is very easy to know if its too tight.

[LightBucket]

1 minute ago, spillage said:

I am sure I did it up tight then backed it off either 1/4 or 1/2 a turn (was a while ago so cannot really remember). It is very easy to know if its too tight.

So how would you know if too tight, mine seems ok but good to know so can check..

[spillage]

I just attached my scope and gave it spin and adjusted as I thought best. I had the mount on the tripod when I stripped the dec.

[tooth_dr]

Thanks guys.

 

What should I use to remove the grease completely?

[spillage]

I used a plastic ice-cream tube with paraffin and an old toothbrush. I am sure proper degreaser would have been a better choice.

[tooth_dr]

This is how my EQ6 now looks!

 

 

 

[tooth_dr]

[iapa]

You’ll no doubt have been through this: http://www.astro-baby.com/EQ6 rebuild guide/EQ6 Strip Down Home.htm

 

[spillage]

Well this has now done it for me. I going home tonight after work to clear a nice space in the workshop to strip my mount and fit the belt mod.

It's the thought of spending all that time having to redo PA that's been holding me back.

So this is a heads up to anyone in the Somerset area because the next few nights are going to be crystal clear and probably the clearest nights in years...

Now where did I put that lump hammer??

Spill.

[tooth_dr]

1 hour ago, iapa said:

You’ll no doubt have been through this: http://www.astro-baby.com/EQ6 rebuild guide/EQ6 Strip Down Home.htm

 

 

Flip that would have made it easier!  haha

[spillage]

There was also a member on here from the netherlands (I think) who spent the time making several videos on the strip down/rebuild and put them up on youtube. It includes warts and all so very good to watch and made me smile but fair play to putting the time and effort in.

youtube

[spillage]

Quick update. I got home last night and spent a couple hours fitting my belt mod. Just need to run the power on it tonight to fully test but all went well.

I did notice that my dec was a little tight so on the rebuild I adjusted this better. Will get more of a feel once its back on the pier and stable.

Was a bit lazy and did not fully stip down the dec but might gain access to the dec worm and apply some grease tonight.

Hopefully this is the last time I need to do this for few years..

[LightBucket]

2 hours ago, spillage said:

Quick update. I got home last night and spent a couple hours fitting my belt mod. Just need to run the power on it tonight to fully test but all went well.

I did notice that my dec was a little tight so on the rebuild I adjusted this better. Will get more of a feel once its back on the pier and stable.

Was a bit lazy and did not fully stip down the dec but might gain access to the dec worm and apply some grease tonight.

Hopefully this is the last time I need to do this for few years..

Can I ask, if you did not strip down the Dec axis, how did you fit the belt mod to it..??

[spillage]

I removed the dec from the mount but left it in one piece. 

[tooth_dr]

When I was removing the worn adjustment screw on the dec axis it was tight, never thought much about it.  When I was adjusting it last night it stripped the bottom three threads so I cant adjust it properly.  Going to rethread it slightly bigger and add a new grub screw, if that goes as planned I'll have it up and running tonight!

[spillage]

At least that will be a fairly easy fix. 

[tooth_dr]

1 hour ago, spillage said:

At least that will be a fairly easy fix. 

In theory yes haha

[paul mc c]

Hats off to you......that would scare the life out of me,taking my mount apart.

[spillage]

@paul mc c you would find it easier than you think. Its quite a basic mount at heart. I like to see how stuff works. I did find out tonight that I had set my worm gears way too tight so had to spend another 1/2 hour fettling.

@tooth_dr hope things have gone smoothly for you this evening.

[tooth_dr]

10 minutes ago, spillage said:

@paul mc c you would find it easier than you think. Its quite a basic mount at heart. I like to see how stuff works. I did find out tonight that I had set my worm gears way too tight so had to spend another 1/2 hour fettling.

@tooth_dr hope things have gone smoothly for you this evening.

Interesting evening. Got the new hole threaded and a nice flat head bolt to adjust the worm gear. 

 

On in a separate note I seem to have not tightened the wee grub screws on the small gold cog on the RA axis *facepalm*

So that's a strip down tomorrow of the RA axis. 

So to answer my thread title - NO

[LightBucket]

30 minutes ago, spillage said:

@paul mc c you would find it easier than you think. Its quite a basic mount at heart. I like to see how stuff works. I did find out tonight that I had set my worm gears way too tight so had to spend another 1/2 hour fettling.

@tooth_dr hope things have gone smoothly for you this evening.

How could you tell the worm gear was too tight, just wondering how this is worked out....