How to disassemble, lubricate, replace or repair the trimmer reducer with your own hands
With frequent, intensive use of mowers gearbox may start to heat up or make sounds uncharacteristic of its normal operation, example, gnash. This shows, that the mechanism needs to be lubricated. If you do not do it in time, then more serious problems will arise (example, gears wear out quickly and need to be replaced), up to jamming. Other breakdowns also occur with the transmission mechanism. Repair and lubrication of the gearbox can be done yourself - you just need to get acquainted with the features of these works and stock up on some available tools.
Trimmer reducer device
The trimmer reducer is a unit, which transmits the rotational motion of the motor shaft of the knife or fishing line. It is located at the lower end of the mower bar. The transmission unit is also designed to reduce the speed of the trimmer motor.
The mechanism depends on the model of the mower with several gears, rotating at high speed. As a result, they heat up due to strong friction. If the oil is not enough, or it does not exist at all, then the process leads to severe overheating and failure of parts, and, in accordance, the need for complex repairs. That this did not happen, the transmission unit should be lubricated in a timely manner. Disassembled gearbox is shown in the photo below.
disassembled gearbox
Reducers of modern trimmers of different models from different manufacturers differ from each other in a design and the size of a landing place. It happens:
- round;
- in the form of an asterisk;
- square.
The most common diameters of round seats are 24, 25,5 and 26 mm.
Mowers are equipped with gearboxes with different types of gears:
- conical;
- worms;
- spiroids;
- cylindrical;
- planetary;
- wave;
- combined.
The drive shaft and gearbox are heavily loaded trimmer components, which are largely prone to wear. Between them the movement is transmitted through the clutch of the gear teeth, located at different angles to each other. Leverage works effectively only if, if there is no mechanical damage. The mechanism should not overheat, otherwise it may jam.
The main faults of the gearbox and ways to eliminate them
Various breakdowns occur with the reducer of an electric or petrol trimmer. The most common of them are presented in the table below. There you can find the causes and methods of elimination.
gearbox failure | Possible causes of failure | method of elimination |
the transmission unit is very hot | use of inappropriate (poor quality) oil or its absence | you need to replace or add lubricant |
gears are new and not worn | it is necessary to work for running in for a short time without strong loadings with regular stops, so that the mechanism has time to cool down | |
jamming of the shaft during rotation, appearance of backlash and knocking | failure or significant wear of any of the bearings | replace the failed bearing with a new one |
the transmission takes off from the boom or swings | damage to its body | it is necessary to replace the part |
in some cases with minor damage to the collar, made of metal, perform contraction of the place with the fault | ||
not fixed on the pipe | wear of the joint | it is possible to make a winding from an insulating tape in a fastening place or to change a bar |
the output shaft with the knife does not rotate or stops in case of increasing load | wear of teeth on gears or one of them | requires replacement of interacting pairs of worn parts |
Bearings are destroyed due to the use of inappropriate oil or due to its absence. Also, their damage is caused by difficult operating conditions of the mower and the ingress of foreign particles of material (example, broken metal teeth of mechanical gears) through those, that the integrity of the anthers is violated.
To remove the bearing, you need to disassemble the gearbox and use a special stripper. If not, then you can try to do it with a hammer with an extension. In this case, work carefully, so as not to damage the seat. It is not recommended to use the preheating method to remove the bearing. It has to do with that, that the metal may lose the required performance characteristics.
If the knife stops rotating under load or stands still, then it is accompanied by an uncharacteristic sound.
Most gearbox problems can be easily fixed with your own hands. It is recommended to buy "native" replacement parts, designed for their model mowers.
Trimmer reducer mastic
Lubrication of gears should be carried out regularly in accordance with the recommendations, set out in the operating instructions of the model used. You need to do this as well, if:
- new gears were installed;
- atypical sounds come out of the gearbox during trimmer operation;
- knives are difficult to rotate.
In addition to the gearbox, the trimmer shaft must also be lubricated regularly. This is the norm for proper care of the device.
At constant use of the trimmer its transfer mechanism feels loading from the grass stuck on knives, dirt or due to torque changes. You need to choose a quality lubricant, to extend the life of the gearbox.
Used types of oil
The following factors must be considered when choosing a lubricant:
- the degree of adhesion of the composition with the metal assembly;
- product brand;
- lubricant consumption by the transmission mechanism.
Well-known manufacturers, example, Stihl, Husqvarna and others, except trimmers, produce and lubricate them. Such products not only reduce wear, but also protects the metal of the gears from corrosion. Therefore, for mowers from these brands it is better to use their own lubricants.
If the composition used for lubrication has good adhesion, then it is practically not squeezed out of the gearbox due to gaps.
In different models, the oil is consumed differently. This is largely determined by the intensity of use of the mower and the heating of the transmission. It is considered, that the lubricant is enough, if the temperature of the gearbox during operation does not exceed 40 ° C.
The consistency of lubricants for the trimmer can be:
- liquid;
- semi-liquid;
- solid;
- plastic.
The following types of lubricants are in demand:
- graphite, significantly reduce friction, as a result, the rotation of the gears improves;
- lithium, is also an excellent anti-corrosion composition, saturated increase the wear resistance of the metal with additives without harmful substances;
- universal, containing mineral oils of high purity and improving the performance of the components.
An example of a suitable lubricant is: Champion EP-0, Gear Grease OREGON, Ole Mas, Azmol 158, Litol -24. You should also pay attention to the advice of manufacturers on this issue and use their materials. You can buy them in specialized outlets.
Champion EP ink-0 universal 120 city
Algorithm for self-lubrication of the gearbox
Preliminary disassembly is not required to lubricate the transmission. A special hole has already been inserted in the device for this purpose (it is shown in the photo below). In addition to the gears when lubricating, you need to pay attention to such elements of the mechanism:
- bearing assembly;
- flywheel and dog starter coil.
Oil inlet hole
Pour oil or apply solid oil should be through tavotnitsa, closed with a screw. At the same time perform actions in the following sequence:
- clean the gearbox housing from dirt and sticky grass, especially carefully the area around the cap, so that debris does not get inside the mechanism;
- using the appropriate tool (often it comes complete with trimmers) screw the cork;
- in the open technological hole the selected lubricant is injected from a tube, or using a syringe, as shown in the photo below;
- screw the plug in place.
Lubrication of the transmission
When applying oil, you need to rotate the knife, so that it is evenly distributed on the teeth of the movable gears.
If for some reason the gearbox needs to be disassembled, then the old lubricant must be completely removed from the entire surface of the gears and housing, shaft, and only then use a new one. The disassembled mechanism is convenient to lubricate with solid compounds.
The whole process of gear oil lubrication is shown in the video:
Lubricate the transmission unit at least once a year, but it is recommended to do this every 20 hours of intensive use of mowers. If the first signs of a malfunction appear, then apply the lubricant as soon as possible.
How to replace the trimmer reducer: action algorithm
To replace the reducer with a similar part from the same manufacturer, it must first be disassembled and removed from the bar. Act according to the following algorithm:
- loosen the tightened bolts, located under the transmission;
- using pliers, remove two corkscrew rings;
- using a stripper, pull the bearings from the driven and drive shafts;
- then assemble the mechanism, in reverse order installing all parts.
The disassembled transmission is shown in the photo below.
disassembled gearbox
If the camera is not at hand, then you can try to gently knock down the bearings. When they are stuck and do not move at all, you can heat them with an industrial hair dryer (at temperature 600 ° C) and remove.
It is easier to assemble the transmission unit, than disassemble it. You may only need to tap lightly with a hammer to place the parts in place. Be sure to check after assembly, so that the driven shaft rotates by hand.
When it is necessary to replace the transmission unit with a non-original part, then they should be taken into account interchangeability. This should be taken into account:
- the diameter of the rod (this parameter is often 25,4 or 26 mm);
- drive shaft parameters - the shape of the joint and the diameter (its common value is 8 mm);
- option of fixing protection.
If the considered parameters coincide, then it will be possible to install a part from other models.
Timely lubrication of the gearbox will ensure its long-term operation without repairs. in addition, modern materials protect the metal from corrosion, increase its wear resistance. Preference should be given to lubricants, recommended by the manufacturer of the operated trimmer. If such warehouses cannot be purchased, then the considered or other corresponding on properties analogs should be applied. When it is necessary to disassemble the mechanism during the repair, this should be done carefully, so as not to damage individual parts.