[TowerTalk] US Tower making clinking noise

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2017 07:16:22 -0500
From: "Kenneth Sobel" <kenxxx at optonline.net>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] US Tower making clinking noise

my us tower hdx-572mdpl is 19 years old.
now it makes a continuous clinking noise when it is raised or lowered.
The noise comes from either the flywheel or the flywheel shaft or the gear box.
I cannot determine exactly where.
It sounds like high frequency as the shaft rotates. Not a grinding noise.
otherwise the tower raises and lowers without any problem.
The motor, motor shaft sheave, and belt are new.
Is this something serious?
de Ken W3JJ

##  temp remove the belt.   Then operate the motor in both CW and also CCW. 
If it runs smooth, its probably the gear box.  In which case you might want to replace the
gear box oil with new oil....and pref  synthetic.  If it still screwed, either replace the gear box, or
get it rebuilt. 

##  also, with or without the  belt off, you should be able to easily turn the big pulley by hand, and
make the tower go up or down.  If the gears get mashed inside the gear box, then you are in a mess.
It will be stuck, and you wont be able to raise..or lower the tower.   And thats not what you want if the
tower is even partially extended.  In that case, the bottom of the 2nd section needs some steel below it
on 3 sides, to take the weight, while you remove the chain and gear box. 

##  get it all looked after now, before you get into a gong show down the road. 

Jim   VE7RF