[TowerTalk] US Tower seized gearbox

[Mickey Baker]

If the box has tension on it and there's no positive pulldown, you might be
right. Gripping and dealing with a taught cable under load is tough to do,
is dangerous and you could damage the tower or cable.

Around here, a crane is about $250 minimum. Money well spent. Just plan
exactly what you're going to do, whether it's retracting the tower or
replacing the hub.

Don't mess around, there's a lot of energy stored in an extended tower.

That said, those gearboxes are typically very reliable. You might want to
try emptying the oil and filing it with penetrating oil if you think it has
corroded. That might get it moving. But that won't fix a broken spline!

(If you do this, don't forget to put proper oil back in the gearbox once
you get it free.)

Good luck!

Mickey N4MB
Palm Beach Gardens, FL

On Thu, Jan 28, 2016 at 10:59 PM, James Denneny <57jndenneny at comcast.net>
wrote:

> The Hub City W300 gearbox on my US Tower 85 ft rotating mast appears to
> have
> seized after 12 years.  Un fortunately the tower is at the 55 ft level and
> will neither raise nor lower. Fortunately, it is at a safe height with
> respect to wind.  Unfortunately, I am uncertain how to get it down to
> repair/replace the gearbox. The lifting cable drum mounts on the gearbox
> output shaft.  I cannot pull the gearbox as the cable drum system is what
> keeps the tower from freefall. I do Have the tiltover fixture.  There is a
> SteppIR DB-18E yagi at the top.  I am resisting bringing in a crane to
> support the tower. Any suggestions?
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Jim K7EG
>
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