[TowerTalk] Mast froze in cold temps and would not turn

[Tim Jellison]

Tailtwister type rotors (even when new) do not have very much starting 
torque.  It's not uncommon for ice in the thrust bearing to cause 
rotating failure during cold weather.  I've had good luck solving this 
problem by fabricating and installing a rubber boot to keep the water 
(and therefor the ice) out to the bearing.  If the bearing has a zerk, 
keeping it greased goes a long way towards displacing the water as well.

73,  Tim

Tim Jellison W3YQ/KL7WV
KL7WV Tower Service
304 704 1196
kl7wv at kl7wv.com
www.kl7wv.com

> Message: 8
> Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2015 00:17:42 -0400
> From: "Gary Marks" <gmarks at neo.rr.com>
> To: "Tower Talk" <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Mast froze in cold temps and would not turn
> Message-ID: <4D750207E2DD4C459B8282A6354CE59E at marksz2ougipy2>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> This past Winter, and as the year before, my mast froze in place when the temperatures dropped below freezing. I had previously thought that the problem was moisture getting into the rotator (Tailtwister II) and since it had been up for 25 years, I decided last Fall to rebuild it.
> This past Winter it froze and would not turn again when temps dropped below freezing. The tower is a Hy-Gain HD-70.
>
> Is there some area that requires lubricating between the mast and tower or possibly the thrust bearing although it is a bronze bearing that shouldn't need lubing.  Could water be laying somewhere and not draining.
> Any suggestions as to what the problem might be ?
>
>