Sooner or later, every homeowner is faced with a situation where his faithful master is a true master. screw-up The problem is not usually with the battery that's gone, but with the mechanical wear of the gearbox, the teeth getting worn, the plastic cracking, and the tool starts to hum or idle, and the owner is faced with the question of replacing the damaged parts, which requires first disassembling the mechanism.
The most difficult stage of recovery is often the dismantling. gear It's sitting there with a lot of tension, and the manufacturers rarely think about taking it off easily, and there's not a lot of renters in every garage, and it doesn't make sense to buy them for once, but there are proven methods to do it using just a standard set of tools and wit.
In this article, we will take a look at safe ways to dismantle that will not damage the engine shaft or the gear itself if you plan to reuse it. You will learn about the nuances of working with different types of landings and understand the risks of using brute force. The right approach will allow you to extend the life of the tool and avoid costly repairs in the service center.
Diagnosis of malfunction and preparation of the workplace
Before you start the active phase of work, you need to make sure exactly the nature of the breakdown. screwdriver It starts, it makes a distinctive hum, but the cartridge doesn't rotate or it rotates very weakly, most likely the problem is in the gearbox. solar-wheelBut wear of the small gear on the shaft of the motor is not less common.
Preparing the workspace is critical to the success of the operation. You'll need a clean, well-lit desk so that small details don't get lost in the carpet or the grass. Prepare a screw-and-mount container in advance, because current models use screws of varying lengths and diameters. Chaotic folding can cause you to damage the body or confuse the mounts when you build.
⚠️ Warning: Before starting any work, be sure to remove the battery or disconnect the tool from the network. Accidental pull of the trigger during disassembly can lead to injury to the fingers or damage to electronics.
You'll need a basic set of tools to work with, and you don't have to rely on a screwdriver, because it requires precision.
- 🔧 Set of cross and flat screwdrivers of different sizes for opening the body.
- 🔨 A light hammer or kiyanka for neat tapping of the shafts.
- 🗜️ Tips or strubcin for fixing parts (preferably with soft sponges).
- 🧴 Penetrating lubricant (WD-40 or analog) for processing acidic compounds.
Pay special attention to the cleanliness of the process, getting dust or metal shavings inside. gearbox After assembly, you will cause accelerated wear of new parts, wipe all surfaces before disassembling and make sure your hands are also clean.
Disassembly of the shell and engine removal
The dismantling process begins with a careful opening of the tool body. Turn out all visible screws, including those that may be hidden under decorative stickers or rubber linings. Act slowly, trying not to damage the plastic latches that are often paired with screws to fix the halves of the body.
After removing the casing, an internal device will open in front of you. screwdriverYou'll need to remove the motor with the gearbox, depending on the model, the motor can be mounted with separate screws or simply inserted into the slots of the gearbox body, disconnect the power wires by remembering or photographing their location so that you don't confuse the polarity when you build them.
If the motor and gearbox are a single unit, you need to separate them from the rest of the mechanics, usually by removing the locking ring or twisting a few screws that hold the planetary mechanism. satellite And the ring gear -- they can fall out if you flip the block.
At this point, it's important not to put too much effort into it, because if something doesn't go, you've forgotten to unscrew some hidden screw or release the lock, and the plastic in the gearbox is fragile and can burst under high pressure, making it impossible to operate the gear further.
Methods of removing gear without special tools
The most important moment is the withdrawal gear The problem is that it's planted with very high tension, often with a glue fixer in the factory assembly, and you can't just pull it off with your fingers, and there are some folklore, but effective methods that can solve this problem without buying an expensive tenant.
The first method is to use two flat screwdrivers or mounting blades, which must be placed under the gear on opposite sides, relying on the engine body (if the design permits) or on specially placed wooden bars. Careful alternate slashing on different sides allows you to gradually lift the part, the main thing is not to damage the winding of the engine and not to bend the shaft.
The second method, often called the "backhammer method," requires some modernization, and you can weld a metal rod (if it's steel) to the gear, or glue a wooden bar with powerful glue, which is then used as a jerk handle, but this method is risky and can lead to the failure of the gear itself, if it is made of powder-metal Or plastic.
Risks of using glue to remove
Using a superglue or epoxide to stick the lever is dangerous because the glue can leak into the gap between the shaft and the gear, locking the knot firmly, and the pulling force can exceed the strength of the glue, and the lever will simply fly away.
The third, safest method for the shaft involves the use of clutches and stops: the engine shaft is clamped into the vise through soft pads (copper, aluminum, wood), and on the gear on top is placed a suitable diameter tube or head that rests on the inside. Light hammer blows on the tube knock the gear downwards, towards the free end of the shaft.
⚠️ Warning: Never press the engine shaft itself into the vise without protection. Steel sponges of the vise easily deform the soft shaft, which will lead to a beat and a rapid failure of the engine.
Safety and protection of the engine shaft
When working with electric motor shafts screwdriver The shafts are often made of hardened but brittle steel, or have a grinded surface that is unacceptable to damage, and any scratch, bullying or deformation will cause imbalance and accelerated wear of the sliding or rolling bearings.
The use of metal sponges of visceral or pliers to fix the shaft is strictly prohibited. Even a microscopic dent can become a hotbed of corrosion or a point of tension, where later break occurs. Always use gaskets made of non-ferrous metals (copper, brass) or hard wood to fix.
If you use a knocking method, make sure that the impact is strictly perpendicular to the axis of the shaft. A slashing impact can bend the shaft or split the gear. It is better to strike several light blows than one strong but inaccurate one. Control the position of the part on the weight so that it does not fall to the floor after breaking off from the tension.
If the gear is very tight, warm it with a building hair dryer to a temperature of 100-120 degrees. The thermal expansion of the metal will ease the tension, and it will be much easier to remove the part.
Remember, inside the engine are magnets and windings, and if you hit the motor body or shaft hard, you can unplug the magnets from the stator or damage the lacquer coating of the winding, which will cause you to short circuit.
Alternative solutions and the manufacture of the simplest tenant
If folk methods seem too risky, you can make a simple detacher yourself, and you need a bolt, two nuts and two washers, which are larger than the diameter of the gear, but smaller than the diameter of the gearbox body, and the design is assembled so that the bolt rests on the end of the shaft, and the washers on the end of the gear.
By twisting the nut on the bolt, you create a uniform pulling force that pulls the gear off the ground, which is the equivalent of an industrial detacher, but made of improvised materials, and this approach minimizes the risk of damage to parts and allows you to control the force.
The table below compares the methods considered by key parameters:
| Method | Risk of shaft damage | Essential tools | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screwdrivers' cheating | Medium. | 2 flat screwdrivers | Low. |
| Knocking in the clutches | Low (with gaskets) | Tip, hammer, pipe. | Medium |
| Homemade screw-maker | Minimum | Bolt, nuts, pucks. | High. |
| Heating with a hair dryer | Low. | Construction hair dryer | Low. |
The choice of method depends on your equipment and confidence, and for beginners, the safest option is to combine heating with the use of a homemade screw stop, which will take longer, but ensures the safety of an expensive electric motor.
Assembly of the gearbox and checking the performance
After successfully removing the gear and replacing defective parts (or cleaning old ones), the assembly stage begins. Before installing a new or cleaned gear on the shaft, be sure to lubricate the shaft with a thin layer of shaft. greaseThis will make it easier to plant and prevent corrosion in the future, and the gears need to be planted to the end using a light tap through a wooden paddle.
When assembling the gearbox, make sure all gears rotate freely and have no backlashes beyond normal. Lubricate the gears abundantly with specialized gear lubricant (often a lithium lubricant with molybdenum disulfide is used).
☑️ Assembly checklist
After assembling the entire unit and installing it in the body screwdriverSo if you run a test run without loading, the tool should run smoothly, without any extraneous noise, screeching or knocking, and if you're successful, you can run a test under load, hold the cartridge and turn the engine on for a short time.
⚠️ Warning: If after assembly there is a strong heating of the gearbox body or an unpleasant smell of burning, immediately stop working. This signals improper assembly, lack of lubrication or jamming of the mechanism.
Regular maintenance of the tool, including dust cleaning and grease updates, will avoid similar breakdowns in the future, avoid moisture entering the body and store the screwdriver in a dry place.
The key to durability is quality lubrication and no dust. Regularly maintain the tool, and it will last for decades.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you remove the gear just by heating it with a lighter?
The use of an open fire (lighter) is highly discouraged, the flame can melt the plastic elements of the gear or damage the varnish on the engine winding, and local overheating can change the structure of the metal, making it brittle, and it is better to use a building hair dryer that gives a controlled flow of hot air.
How to lubricate the gears of the screwdriver gearbox?
Power tool gearboxes are best suited for lithium lubricants (e.g., Lithol-24, Ciatim) or specialized molybdenum disulfide formulations, which are good adhesives and can withstand high loads. Normal engine oil or WD-40 can not be used, they are too liquid and quickly leak out, leaving the mechanism unprotected.
What to do if the engine shaft is still bent?
If the deformation is visible or there is a beating when you're spinning, the shaft needs to be replaced, and it's almost impossible to straighten the shaft at home without special equipment and ensures that there's residual stress in the metal, which will cause it to break down in the near future, and it's easier to find a donor engine or buy a new anchor.
Why does the gear scroll on the shaft after installation?
This can happen for two reasons: either the slats were worn on the shaft or in the gear hole, or the gear was not planted to the end. In the first case, you need to replace the worn pair (shaft + gear), in the second - you need to press the gear tighter, possibly using a thread fixator.