Anyone know how to lube this?

[cbandjerk]

I have a prosat 118 mover. It's working fine.

8' solid spun al dish can't find maker marks

Anyone know how to take the mover apart for lubrication?

I don't really want to fix something unless it's broke but
a little preventative maintenance probably wouldn't hurt.

I'll probably wait till spring to do it.
thanks

 

[phlatwound]

I don't know about taking it apart, but most of the actuators I have seen have a grease zerk for lubrication.

 

[cbandjerk]

I don't see a zerk on this one. Maybe the hole just has a plug in it.

I'll take a closer look.

Where would the zerks usually be?

 

[phlatwound]

On both my Ventures they are on the tube, right by the motor.

 

[B.J.]

I don't know about taking it apart, but most of the actuators I have seen have a grease zerk for lubrication.

I don't use an actuator anymore (use H-H), but when I used actuators, I used to prefer to lubricate them by hand. A lot of people would install the grease fittings, but it always seemed to me that pumping a bunch of grease into those things prevented water from draining out. If you take the thing apart, and lubricate the screw by hand, you don't have to fill the tube with grease, and there is a better chance that it will drain water that gets inside.

To get to the screw to lubricate it by hand though, you have to be able to get it apart. I't probably different on different brand actuators, but many years ago, I posted to another group, instructions for taking apart a Houston Tracker style actuator.
http://www.megalink.net/~wejones/actuat1.txt

 

[cbandjerk]

There's no plug or zerk anywhere on this thing.

There is a rubber boot where the tube enters the gearbox.

There is a big bolt that I think holds the tube in the gearbox.

Nothing else I can see.

 

[Anole]

grease & pictures

8' solid spun al dish can't find maker marks

Anyone know how to take the mover apart for lubrication?

Perhaps you would be kind enough to start another thread, with a few pictures of that dish.
Maybe the guys could identify it... or at least come up with some possibilities.
I've seen several brands, and some stand out from a distance:
- Birdviews; they have 6 arms holding the scalar plate
- DH; three arms to points really low in the dish
- unknown; LNB mounting arms to the dish edge

But back to this thread, and on-topic discussion, what sort of grease are you planning?
I like to put the bug in folks ear to use Molybdenum disulfide, regardless of cost or availability.
After all, how often do you want to work on your BUD, and especially in cold weather?
Sure makes PC power supply fans run way longer, too!

 

[cbandjerk]

Hello anole

I will probably use moly grease of some kind. Alxe grease seems a little stiff
for this climate but would probably work.

How do I post pictures? If I have to host them I probably can't do it.

The dish is a 8' spun aluminum solid parabola. Painted white and has 4
mounting arms. The scalar horn is fairly high above the dish.

 

[Anole]

how to post pix

When you make a post and scroll below the edit window, there are two buttons:

Submit Reply & Preview Post

Well, below THAT, is a big button called: Manage Attachments
Tap that button, and the rest should be easy. -

 

[cbandjerk]

Ok let me give this a try.

Hopefully this works.

 

[turbosat]

Good looking dish! You can take the motor off, undo that bolt that holds the tube into the motor , twist it little then and just pull, it will slide right out. Then you can see what holds it in. I have one with no grease fitting either, usually I just run the motor until its fully extended, move the rubber sleeve out a little and just wipe some grease on the outer tube. That prob doesn't help the actual screw much though. I try to keep one spare around just in case they break down.

 

[cbandjerk]

Yes I know, I have lubed that outer tube. But you are right that doesn't lube
the screw. Which is what I want to do.
So If I take the motor off and loosen the bolt the tube will come out and
make the screw accessible?

 

[cbandjerk]

Thanks B.J. for that info text. Boy I hope mine isn't that difficult to get at.
I have a feeling it is though.
No wonder these things aren't maintained properly.
I'm almost considering drilling and installing a zerk.
Just kidding

 

[gabshere]

here's a post were i took apart a von weise actuator

they are not that hard to take apart and put back together

some people use a Lithium Grease but i just use a marine type grease

 

[sergei]

Make sure you only use a good type grease that will not harden up in the cold, use either white lithium grease that you can get at Car Quest or synthetic white marine grease. We got down to -29 and -30 the last two days this week and all my dishes moved with no problems, the last thing you want is hard grease and then breaking a part in the actuator, some have plastic parts.

 

[Lak7]

We got down to -29 and -30

Me too, Bid Dish seemed to moved OK - newer Actuator, but my Ku took a looooooooooong time to move - it didn't sound "healthy" It's now +20 and sound much better.

 

[tvropro]

We had -36 and my new actuator moved no problem so I guess it passed the survival test Now if we could only get a real warmup...