Giddings and Lewis 330T Boring Mill Feed Issue

[Martin Reece]

My Feed stopped working on the headstock elevation. The feed engages no problem going up as well as the rapid going up. It doesn't want to go into gear going down. All other feeds are working. I took the lock ring and lever out to check, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary. There doesn't seem to be any wear on the lever ball. Wondering if someone else has had this problem before I get too deep. It has been working fine until now. Nothing made a noise or broke as far as know. The main drive shafts all turn. It turns when I hand crank the feed as well.
Thanks
Martin

 

[Martin Reece]

I took the Center cover off the top of the feed box. The shifter fork engages. But not on the down feed.
I need to take the other cover off. I am hesitating because this one has about 16 bolts. I want to look at a parts diagram before I go deeper.
Martin

 

[Martin Reece]

Digging deeper, I can see the splined collar engaging on the up feed, but it won’t go back at all. Is the feed box the same on a 340 as a 330? I have a parts diagram for a 340. Trying to figure if it has a shear pin. I would think if it was a shear pin neither feed would work and I have,t done anything to shear a pin.
Martin

 

[just Dave]

Sorry I don’t know your machine by hart but it sounds old and the old stuff is easiest to fix . So dig in . Look for shift key issues

 

[Martin Reece]

I,ve dug in and I can see where everything meshes together. Parts list doesn’t show a shear pin. Everything rotates as it should. The splines engage on one side but won,t on the other. Rounding up an inspection camera so I can see the back side. I can’t fit my hand in behind the gear.
I fished around with a magnet on the bottom and didn’t,t find anything.
To take the compete top cover off, the lead screw has to come out.
Martin

 

[just Dave]

Pictures help a lot trying to diagnose an issue from great distance. Some engagements use a clutch type engagement some have a key that snaps in and out . Pictures

 

[Martin Reece]

Okay so some pictures which don’t show very much. I think I have traced the problem to the shaft that makes a 90 degree turn from the shift lever. Not sure if it a key or detent ball, but I believe it is worn and jamming. Such a tiny part but a huge tear down.
Martin

 

[Martin Reece]

In my first picture you can see the shaft at the bottom which rotates when you pull the handle which slides the other rod. There is a V cut into this rod which show when it is in gear. This is where the ball or key falls iinto? The third picture shows the splined coupler that meshes with the gear. It is two sided and the back side is supposed to mesh with the opposite gear, which it doesn’t.
Martin

 

[Martin Reece]

Fixed it. Well not really, I found the problem. I took my airline and blew compressed air where I thought the problem was and lo and behold it popped right into gear. The little-ball must have just been jammed up. A little compressed air dislodged it. Tried it about 20-30 times and couldn’t get it to get stuck again.
I’ll call it a win because it is a huge tear down to fix it.
At least I know what the problem is and can fix it once it annoys me enough.
Martin

 

[john.k]

One of my customers....You don't neeed to feeex heeem ......jus make heem to go.

 

[Martin Reece]

One of my customers....You don't neeed to feeex heeem ......jus make heem to go.

I know, but it's a Hobby machine in a hobby shop.

 

[just Dave]

Fixed it. Well not really, I found the problem. I took my airline and blew compressed air where I thought the problem was and lo and behold it popped right into gear. The little-ball must have just been jammed up. A little compressed air dislodged it. Tried it about 20-30 times and couldn’t get it to get stuck again.
I’ll call it a win because it is a huge tear down to fix it.
At least I know what the problem is and can fix it once it annoys me enough.
Martin

Good job. I have seen a detent ball with a chip out of it. That can can cause irregular behavior.

 

[Doozer]

Love the gear pics.
Such a work of art in my opinion.
Built strong to last and do work.
I only have a 25T, but it is such a good machine.
More levers than a road grader, as someone else
mentioned before. I have seen later model machines
like German Union or Wotan or even Summit or Shibura,
and they all have better controls and rapids. Even a real
drawbar with power change. I really have to think about
which lever does what, every time I use my G&L.
It will have to do until I find a DeVliege, but for now I
really enjoy using it,

--Doozer

 

[Martin Reece]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate being able to ask questions.
Martin

 

[Dan from Oakland]

Doozer- I miss my 25RT every once in awhile.

 

[eKretz]

Oops, missed this thread. Anyhow, for future reference, if you ever do need to get the elevating screw out of the way for gearbox disassembly, you don't actually need to remove it. Just block the head up at a suitable height with 4"x 4"s, remove the retainer at the top of the screw, and turn the feed handle until the screw feeds itself out of the splined fit, then turn it up further out of the way by hand by turning the screw. Only need to unscrew it far enough for disassembly.

 

[Martin Reece]

Oops, missed this thread. Anyhow, for future reference, if you ever do need to get the elevating screw out of the way for gearbox disassembly, you don't actually need to remove it. Just block the head up at a suitable height with 4"x 4"s, remove the retainer at the top of the screw, and turn the feed handle until the screw feeds itself out of the splined fit, then turn it up further out of the way by hand by turning the screw. Only need to unscrew it far enough for disassembly.

Thank you.

 

[Doozer]

Oops, missed this thread. Anyhow, for future reference, if you ever do need to get the elevating screw out of the way for gearbox disassembly, you don't actually need to remove it. Just block the head up at a suitable height with 4"x 4"s, remove the retainer at the top of the screw, and turn the feed handle until the screw feeds itself out of the splined fit, then turn it up further out of the way by hand by turning the screw. Only need to unscrew it far enough for disassembly.

Good tip.
I noticed my (1943) G&L 25T had very little wear on the elevation screw.
This for sure is due to the counterweight being almost exactly matched
to the weight of the head assembly. Very good design for the time.

-Doozer