Hub oil leakage?

[JBarker]

I have attached 3 pics of inside of an A702 hub. It looks like the inside of lip that surrounds the snout nose is worn. The lip is on the outside of the oil pocket that the oil collector gathers oil from. I need everyone's expert advice if the wear is enough for concern. I rebuilt the gearbox recently. I have placed the rebuilt gear box on stub tower and just completed the sail replacement and noticed small oil leakage. No oil drips, just small amount of oil on surface of inside of the hub so far. Thanks, look forward to hearing from more experienced windmillers concerning this issue.

Jerry

[windybob]

Aermotor snouts are supposed to leak. However the scraper inside the hub supposed to collect it ( oil collector) and put it back into the snout. So, oil in the hub is normal.

[Ron Stauffer]

You still have a visible lip in the inside of the hub so it is likely OK. The inside of the hub wears evenly because the hub turns. The snout bearing wears on the lower side so the snout ring on the case wears only on the top. Wear on the snout ring is normally where you have to build up. The collar you see between the snouts is what we use to measure up the snout ring and make it perfectly round. The size is 2.6875. The ring on the snout only wears on the top side between 9 and 3 with the most wear at noon as viewed from the snout end. Aermotor had two styles of snout casting on the 702. I prefer the left as there is separation between the oil collection area and the ring. The one on the right is is solid from the collection area to the ring. We cut that groove in to separate them.

DSCF1785.JPG

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

[JBarker]

Thank you Bob & Ron for all your help.

By the way, I am a new member to this group and have appreciated reading all the information from the old forum. Also, WindyBob has been a great person to guide me along with my projects and even repaired some of my mills. Thank you Bob for help and your insite!!!

Ron, I will need to start using your tip about using the collar to measure the snout ring and making it perfectly round. Great idea!!!

What is the purpose for cutting the grove??? Is it to help the oil flow around the snout? Thanks.

Jerry

[Ron Stauffer]

Welcome, Jerry

The groove mimics the style of case casting on the left. Once the dam around the oil collector fills, oil would have a natural tendency to flow toward the snout ring. If you dont build up the snout ring on this style of case casting, they will leak the worst as you have a down sloping path for the oil to come out of the hub collection area. We used to just use calipers to build up the ring but if you are just a little out of round with the buildup the hub will not go on. You can check the ID of the hub off of the measurement but visually the hub didnt look bad.

Ron

[windybob]

You're welcome Jerry. Glad I could help all this time.

[grezmonki]

Good info Ron. I like the snout ring gauge idea also.

[Ron Stauffer]

My welder has a small lathe and he turned them. I just copied the idea from Dakota. There is some benefit to going up there in the friggin coldest time of the year!

Ron

[JBarker]

You still have a visible lip in the inside of the hub so it is likely OK. The inside of the hub wears evenly because the hub turns. The snout bearing wears on the lower side so the snout ring on the case wears only on the top. Wear on the snout ring is normally where you have to build up. The collar you see between the snouts is what we use to measure up the snout ring and make it perfectly round. The size is 2.6875. The ring on the snout only wears on the top side between 9 and 3 with the most wear at noon as viewed from the snout end. Aermotor had two styles of snout casting on the 702. I prefer the left as there is separation between the oil collection area and the ring. The one on the right is is solid from the collection area to the ring. We cut that groove in to separate them.

DSCF1785.JPG

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

Ron,

What did you make your collar out of? Thanks

Jerry

[Ron Stauffer]

What did you make your collar out of? Thanks

We fab all of out solar panel racks so we have drops from all sizes of S40 black pipe as it will sleeve with the next.5 in smaller size.

Ron