GREASING MOUNTS. Tools & Material Needed. Cleaning and Re-greasing the Spur Gears. Accessing the Spur Gears. Removing the Old Grease

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1 GREASING MUNTS Astro-Physics mounts are well know for their dependability and maintenance-free operation. Nevertheless, they should be greased from time to time in order to maintain smooth and wear-free operation. How often this needs to be done depends on the climate conditions in which the mount resides and on the degree and type of usage. Hot and dusty environments will require more frequent greasing. Whereas regular to light use should be greased every two to three years, harsher environments or heavy use may be best served with a yearly plan. As a good rule of thumb, consider greasing the spur gears twice as often as you grease the worm screw and worm wheel gears. The instructions below are presented as two separate items. The spur gears may be greased alone since they may be greased more often. It is, of course, unlikely that the worm screw and worm wheel gears will be serviced without also servicing the spur gears. Tools & Material Needed Astro-Physics Grease Kit Green Grease (smaller container) Yellow Grease (larger container) Brush Hex key set Mediium size flat blade screwdriver, 3/8 nutdriver or wrench depending on mount. Soft cloth, lint-free Toothbrush (not your current one!) Mineral Spirits (optional - only if needed) Denatured Alcohol (if Mineral Spirits are used) Small glass jar if using mineral spirits and alcohol Roll of paper towels Assortment of old rags that you don t mind throwing away Q-tips and pipe cleaners can sometimes also be handy. Cleaning and Re-greasing the Spur Gears Gear box Cover Screws (3) Accessing the Spur Gears 1. the cover on the left side of the motor box. It is held in place by three tiny socket head screws on the Mach1GT, 1100GT and 1600GT. n the 900GT and 1200GT it is held in place by six tiny socket head screws. Mach1, 1100 and 1600 Gearbox Style 900/1200 Gearbox Style 2. Unscrew the axle shoulder bolts that hold the spur gears so that the gears may be removed. Be VERY careful not to bang or damage the gear teeth. You will need to use either a nutdriver or wrench, a hex key or a screwdriver to remove the axle shoulder bolts, depending on the mount. 3. Do not try to remove the worm s spur gear or the motor s spur gear. Simply clean and grease these gears in place. If the mount is a 900 or 1200 series mount, this is a good time to check the set-screw on the worm spur gear for tightness (reference 900 and GT Gearbox gear mesh instructions). Later mounts do not have this set-screw. Removing the ld Grease 1. Clean off the old grease by wiping with a soft cloth and using the toothbrush as necessary. 900GT Dec Gearbox 1

2 2. If needed, use mineral spirits and the toothbrush to remove old, hardened grease. If further cleaning is needed, soak the gears and axle shoulder bolts using the glass jar and just enough mineral spirits to cover the parts. 3. IF YU USE MINERAL SPIRITS, YU MUST THEN CLEAN FF THE MINERAL SPIRITS WITH DENATURED AL- CHL!! 4. Allow to dry thoroughly. NTE: If you are also cleaning and greasing the worm screw and worm wheel gears, we recommend that you D NT apply the new grease to the spur gears and assemble them into the motor box until you are FINISHED with the worm screw and worm wheel gear for that particular axis. Applying the New Grease 1. Green grease goes on spur gears and their axle shoulder bolts. 2. Start by re-greasing the two gears that are still attached - the worm spur and the motor spur. 3. Note that the axle shoulder bolts have a small relief machined into the shoulder. This is a grease well and is designed to hold a bit of extra lubricant when the bolt is inside the gear hub. Make sure it is adequately covered with grease. TRY NT T GET GREASE N THE BLT S THREADS. 4. Do not pack grease inside the gear hub. A thin coating applied with a Q-tip or pipecleaner is fine, but shouldn t really be needed if the bolt is well greased. Carefully insert the axle shoulder bolt into the gear hub. 5. Be sure to clean off any excess grease that might have gotten on the threads of the axle shoulder bolt. Hold the gear and bolt by the threads while you apply the grease to the gear teeth. D NT overtighten the shoulder bolt. 6. Re-attach the gear to the gearbox by reversing the removal procedure. 7. Repeat with the second gear. 8. Replace the cover over the spur gears and you re finished. Cleaning and Greasing the Worm and Worm Wheel Gears Accessing the Worm and Worm Wheel You will need to remove the motor boxes in order to access these gears. Consult the appropriate mount s Motor Box Removal Instructions. REMVING THE MTR BXES ALLWS THE AXES T RTATE FREELY. We STRNGLY recommend that you remove your telescope, mounting plates, counterweights and counterweight shaft BEFRE you remove the motor boxes. You can certainly leave the R.A. axis attached to the pier so you don t lose that perfect polar alignment. If you aren t willing to take your system apart, please make sure that you do each axis separately. 1. D NT remove both motor boxes at the same time if equipment is attached. 2. D NT try to do this by yourself if you leave the equipment attached. Get some help! Yellow grease goes on the worm screw gear and worm wheel. Cleaning and Greasing the Worm Screw Gear 1. the cover over the spur gears as described above and remove the top spur gear to give yourself access to the worm spur gear if you haven t already done so. 2. D NT try to remove the worm screw gear from the motor box. 3. Clean the old grease from the worm starting with paper towels or rags and turning the gear via the spur gear. Clean as 2

3 much as you can in this way. 4. Now use the toothbrush to continue cleaning the teeth of the worm. Again, get as much as possible clean in this way. 5. If there are persistent bits of old, dried grease, put a bit of mineral spirits into the jar and dip the toothbrush into the mineral spirits. D NT pour mineral spirits onto the worm or slop it on with the toothbrush. D NT allow mineral spirits to come into contact with the bearings on either side of the worm. Use the moistened toothbrush to remove the stubborn gunk. Dry off the mineral spirits with rags or paper towels 6. Use the denatured alcohol to remove any mineral spirit residue that may remain. Remember: mineral spirits are a solvent. They don t care if the grease is old or new, so remove them with the alcohol before applying the new grease! 7. Allow everything to dry completely. 900 / 1200 Style Motorbox 8. Apply grease to the middle portion of the worm. You don t gain anything by greasing the entire length of the gear. The middle six or so teeth are fine. Work the grease down into the teeth all the way to the root. 9. This is a great time to finish the spur gear greasing and re-assembly. Cleaning and Re-greasing the Worm Wheel Gear 1. The worm wheel teeth will be accessed section by section by rotating the wheel as you go. 2. Clean the old grease from the worm wheel starting with paper towels or rags. Clean as much as you can in this way. 3. Follow with the toothbrush getting as much as possible. Be sure to clean to the bottom of the teeth. 4. Again, if you have stubborn bits that you can t get clean, use the toothbrush dipped in the mineral spirits. As with the worm, don t overdo the mineral spirits. 5. If you used mineral spirits, remove it with the alcohol. 6. Allow everything to dry thoroughly. 7. Apply the grease to the worm wheel s teeth. You don t need a lot of grease, but be sure to get the grease spread down into all the worm wheel teeth. A somewhat thin coating over 100% is much better than big globs in some places and bare spots in other places. 900GT Worm Wheel 8. Reassemble everything and you should be ready to go! CAUTIN! If cables have been run through your mount, you must keep in mind that they are there. To avoid problems from twisting, D NT EVER rotate the mount a full revolution or more (> 360 ) while cables are inside. Be sure to undo any axis rotation that you have performed during this operation to return the internal cables to their original, untwisted state. You can damage the cables or internal circuit boards if you are not careful. 3

4 MTR GEAR BX REMVAL AND REINSTALL The process of removing and reinstalling Astro-Physics motor gear boxes is fairly straight forward. However, you must take care not to bump or damage the gear teeth. You will also need to follow the instructions to re-mesh the worm and worm wheel once the boxes have been reinstalled. These instructions are found in the mount manual and / or on the Technical Support page of the website. Note: Motor box, gear box and motor gear box are used interchangeably. 1600GT, 1100GT and Mach1GT (later model) Motor Boxes The motor box removal and reinstall for the 1600GT, 1100GT and Mach1GT (except the earliest generation of Mach1GT) are very similar and will be discussed together. The only difference is that the 1600 mount has an extra lock-down screw. REMEMBER: When the box is removed the axis will spin freely! It is best to remove the scope before beginning or be sure that the balance is good and slide the counterweights all the way down the shaft. Removal 1. the cap screws on the top of the box. The cap screws simply cover the tapped holes. Below them are the shoulder bolts with springs that provide the pressure to adjust the proper mesh. the cap screws. 2. Unscrew the shoulder bolts with springs. Insert a Allen key into the hole and unscrew the shoulder bolt below. It will come loose and be sleeved with the spring. Leave the shoulder bolt inside the box. Cover the hole with a piece of blue painter s tape so that the screws and springs do not fall out if the box is turned upside down. Cap Screws Lock-Down Screws 3. Unscrew and remove the lock-down screws. Fully unscrew the lock-down screws on the back of the box. Again, you may want to use tape to prevent them from falling out, as they pass 1600GT through sleeves that will float loose in the box. There will be two or three, depending upon the mount. 4. Slide the box off the dovetail. The box slides on a dovetail. nce the screws are removed the box can slide upwards and off. Again the cautions...don t bang the gears and don t let the axes spin wildly! Reinstall 1. Slide the box onto the dovetail. Slide the box carefully onto the dovetail and gently re-engage the worm / worm wheel teeth. You do not want to bang them together. Slightly wiggle the axis so that the teeth seat properly. 2. Screw in the shoulder bolts / springs. Insert your Allen key into the top holes and engage the shoulder bolts. You will need to fish them around a bit to locate their threaded hole. Take care not to cross thread. Tighten them all the way and then back off the bolt one or two turns. 3. Replace the cap screw. nce the shoulder bolts are in place you ll want to replace the cap screws. 4. Replace the lock-down screws. Insert and partially tighten the lock-down screws (if they fell from the internal sleeve, you ll need to open the rear panel and re-insert them into the sleeves). Leave them loose until all are back in place and you are ready to re-mesh. 5. Re-mesh the worm / worm wheel. Wiggle the axis back and forth slightly to ensure that the teeth are fully engaged. Then snug the screws from left to right. Finally, tighten the screws from left to right. Refer to the mount manual or Technical Support for more detail if needed. 4 Cap Screws Lock-Down Screws 1100GT Cap Screws Lock-Down Screws Mach1GT (later model)

5 Mach1GT Motor Boxes (earlier model) The process of removing and reinstalling the motor gear boxes on the earlier generation of Mach1GT mounts is relatively simple. However, it must be noted that only the two locking screws attach the boxes to the mount. nce they are removed the box will fall from the mount! Care must be taken to have a grip on the box when you remove the screws. REMEMBER: When the box is removed the axis will spin freely! It is best to remove the scope before beginning or be sure that the balance is good and slide the counterweights all the way down the shaft. Removal 1. the cap screws on the back of the box. The cap screws simply cover the tapped holes. Below them are the shoulder bolts which secure the box. the cap screws. 2. the locking screws. Loosen the two locking screws (shoulder bolts) by inserting the Allen key into the respective openings. Grip the box firmly and continue to unscrew the bolts. REMEMBER: The box will come free when the bolts are fully unscrewed and the axis will be free to spin. The bolts will remain in the box. Reinstall 1. the rear cover of the motor gear box. the rear cover (with the servo connector) by unscrewing the four tiny socket head screws in the corners. Be careful not to strain the wire harness. Inside you will note that there is a spring that presses on the shoulder bolts. Its placement should be as shown in the photo. 2. Attach the motor gear box. Gently position the motor gear box, taking care that the teeth of the gears do not bang when meshing. Carefully line up the bolts and thread them into their holes. You want to be careful not to cross thread them since the spring will be putting pressure on them. 3. Replace the rear cover. nce the bolts have been partially screwed into place you can replace the rear cover. 4. Re-mesh the worm / worm wheel. Slightly rock the axis back and forth to locate the center point where the teeth are fully engaged. Then snug the screws from left to right. Finally, tighten the screws from left to right. Refer to the mount manual or Technical Support for more detail if needed. Unscrew Internal Screws Cap Screws Mach1 Worm Mesh Spring Mach1GT (earlier model) Mach1GT (earlier model) 5

6 1200GT Motor Boxes The process of removing and reinstalling the motor gear boxes on the 1200GT mount is relatively simple. However, it must be noted that only the locking screws attach the boxes to the mount. nce the screws are removed the box will fall from the mount! Care must be taken to have a grip on the box when you remove the screws. REMEMBER: When the box is removed the axis will spin freely! It is best to remove the scope before beginning or be sure that the balance is good and slide the counterweights all the way down the shaft. Removal 1. the locking screws. the four or five screws that secure the motor gear box to the bracket. These are the screws indicated by the arrows and by the circles (see the photos below). Grip the box firmly and continue to unscrew the bolts. REMEMBER: The box will come free when the screws are fully removed and the axis will be free to spin. The number of screws depends on the mount model and whether it is the R.A. or Dec. axis. The bracket should remain attached to the mount axes. Reinstall 1. Attach the motor gear box. Gently position the motor gear box, taking care that the teeth of the gears do not bang when meshing into place. 2. Replace the outermost locking screws. It is important to note which type of screw goes into which hole. The outermost locking screws should be replace first and partial threaded into place. These are the socket head screws in the corners (and a button head screw in the center hole in Dec.and on some models in R.A.). This will secure the motor gear box to the bracket. 3. Replace the inner two screws. Next replace the screws that are shown circled in the photos below. These screws should be lightly tightened. It is important to note that these screws do not secure the motor gear boxes firmly. Do not try to over tighten them. They are meant only to limit the flexure of the bracket. The box will continue to float when these are tight. 4. Re-mesh the worm / worm wheel. Slightly rock the axis back and forth to locate the center point where the teeth are fully engaged. With respect to the outermost screws (shown with arrows) snug the screws from left to right. Finally, tighten the screws from left to right. Refer to the mount manual or Technical Support for more detail if needed. Screws with Arrows & Circles lder Box Newer Box Screws with Arrows & Circles 1200GT RA (earlier and later) 1200GT Dec 6

7 900GT Motor Boxes The process of removing and reinstalling the motor gear boxes on the 900GT mount is relatively simple. However, it must be noted that only the locking screws attach the boxes to the mount. nce the screws are removed the box will fall from the mount! Care must be taken to have a grip on the box when you remove the screws. REMEMBER: When the box is removed the axis will spin freely! It is best to remove the scope before beginning or be sure that the balance is good and slide the counterweights all the way down the shaft. Removal 1. the locking screws. the two screws (silver) that secure the motor gear box to the bracket. These are the screws indicated by the arrows (see the photo below). Grip the box firmly and continue to unscrew the screws. REMEMBER: The box will come free when the screws are fully removed and the axis will be free to spin. The bracket should remain attached to the mount axes. Reinstall 1. Attach the motor gear box. Gently position the motor gear box, taking care that the teeth of the gears do not bang when meshing into place. 2. Replace the locking screws. Replace the locking screws and partial thread them into place. The box will be secured to the bracket, yet will be able to adjusted for proper meshing. 3. Re-mesh the worm / worm wheel. Slightly rock the axis back and forth to locate the center point where the teeth are fully engaged. Snug the screws from left to right. Finally, tighten the screws from left to right. Refer to the mount manual or Technical Support for more detail if needed. Lock-Down Screws 900GT 7

8 1600GT, 1100GT and Mach1GT with Auto-Adjust Motor Boxes The motor box removal and reinstall for the 1600GT, 1100GT and Mach1GT are similar, but with slight variations due to the screw locations. They will be discussed separately. REMEMBER: When the box is removed the axis will spin freely! It is best to remove the scope before beginning or to be sure that the balance is very good and to slide the counterweights all the way down the shaft. 1600GT Motor Box Removal 1. Partially disengage the motor box lever. Flip the motor box lever to approximately the half-way position. This will release the gear mesh pressure and allow the motor box to float. You will note that the box, though still fully engaged, will be able to be moved in and out of mesh with your hand and the spring. 2. the polar sight hole cover from the Dec. axis. The polar sight hole cover should be removed from the Dec. axis so that it is not scratched by the following procedure. 3. the center attachment screw (5/32 ). Insert an Allen key into the center attachment screw. Since you will have to use the longer length of the hex key to reach the screw, you will need to grip the short length with an extension or pliers in order to have enough leverage to loosen the screw. Unscrew and remove it. 4. Fully disengage the motor box lever. Move the motor box lever into the fully disengaged position so that the gears are fully out of mesh. 5. Unscrew and remove the left and right attachment screws. Fully unscrew the left and right attachment screws that secure the motor box. Be sure to hold the motor box when the screws are removed as the box will then fall away from the mount. Note: If there is a shim used for the attachment spacing, be sure that it s placement and orientation is not changed. 1600GT Motor Box Reinstall 1. Fully disengage the motor box lever and attach with the left and right screws. With the lever fully disengaged attach the box using the left and right screws. Turn the screws until they are snug and then back them off 1/2 turn or so. The box is attached, but remains loose. 2. Partially engage the motor box lever and tighten the left and right screws. Turn the lever so that the spring fully engages the gear mesh, but does not lock it (the lever will be approximately halfway). In this position the box should be able to be lifted out of mesh by hand and then re-engage by spring. This will allow the box to properly seat itself while you tighten the left and right attachment screws. Insert the center screw and partially thread it in so that it is holding its position. Tighten the left and right attachment screws. 3. Adjust the gear box backstop. Using a 5/64 or 7/64 hex key, loosen the two lever assembly screws so that the assembly is freed to move. This should require less than one turn of each screw. Turn the lever so that it is fully engaged. 4. Tighten the center screw. Tighten the center screw. All three screws should be tight. 5. Apply a slight pressure to the lever assembly. Using your index finger and thumb as shown, apply a very gentle pinching pressure to shift the assembly towards your thumb (the backstop only needs to touch). This sets the proper backstop position. Important: Do Not push on the gear box itself when adjusting the backstop. Pressing on the rear of the box can cause the box to pivot out of mesh and give a bad adjustment. Pressing on the top of the box will push the box into tighter mesh and would cause excessive tightness and damage to the worm wheel teeth. 6. Tighten the screws. While maintaining the slight pinching pressure, snug and then tighten both screws. Do not overtighten. 7. Replace the Lever Cover. Replace the cover and you are finished. It is that simple! 8

9 1100GT Motor Box Removal 1. the four screws (3/32 ) on the rear panel of the motor box. The four screws secure the rear panel of the motor box (this is the panel that has the servo cable connector). Use care when removing the panel as it will have a wiring harness running from the servo cable connector to the motor. 2. Partially disengage the motor box lever. Flip the motor box lever to approximately the half-way position. This will release the gear mesh pressure and allow the motor box to float. You will note that the box, though still fully engaged, will be able to be moved in and out of mesh with your hand and the spring. 3. the polar sight hole cover from the Dec. axis. The polar sight hole cover should be removed from the Dec. axis so that it does not interfere with the motor box removal and so that it is not scratched. 4. the left and right attachment screws (9/64 ). Insert an Allen key into the left and right screws. Since you will have to use the longer length of the hex key to reach the screw, you will need to grip the short length with an extension or pliers in order to have enough leverage to loosen the screw. 5. Fully disengage the motor box lever. Move the motor box lever into the fully disengaged position so that the gears are fully out of mesh. 6. Unscrew the center attachment screw. Unscrew the center attachment screw that secures the motor box. It is a contained screw that will unscrew, but it will not be possible to remove...leave it in place. Be sure to hold the motor box when releasing the screw as there will be nothing to secure the motor box to the mount. Note: If there is a shim used for the attachment spacing, be sure that it s placement and orientation is not changed. 1100GT Motor Box Reinstall 1. Fully disengage the motor box lever and attach with the center screw. With the lever fully disengaged attach the box using the center screw first and then the left and right screws. Turn the screws until they are snug and then back them off 1/2 turn or so. The box is attached, but remains loose. 2. Partially engage the motor box lever and tighten the three screws. Turn the lever so that the spring fully engages the gear mesh, but does not lock it (the lever will be approximately halfway). In this position the box should be able to be lifted out of mesh by hand and then re-engage by spring. This will allow the box to properly seat itself while you tighten the attachment screws. Tighten the three attachment screws. 3. Adjust the gear box backstop. Using a 5/64 or 7/64 hex key, loosen the two lever assembly screws so that the assembly is freed to move. This should require less than one turn of each screw. Turn the lever so that it is fully engaged. 4. Apply a slight pressure to the lever assembly. Using your index finger and thumb as shown, apply a very gentle pinching pressure to shift the assembly towards your thumb (the backstop only needs to touch). This sets the proper backstop position. Important: Do Not push on the gear box itself when adjusting the backstop. Pressing on the rear of the box can cause the box to pivot out of mesh and give a bad adjustment. Pressing on the top of the box will push the box into tighter mesh and would cause excessive tightness and damage to the worm wheel teeth. 5. Tighten the screws. While maintaining the slight pinching pressure, snug and then tighten both screws. Do not overtighten. 6. Replace the Lever Cover. Replace the cover and you are finished. It is that simple! 9

10 Mach1GT Motor Box Removal 1. the four screws (5/64 ) on the rear panel of the motor box. The four screws secure the rear panel of the motor box (this is the panel that has the servo cable connector). Use care when removing the panel as it will have a wiring harness running from the servo cable connector to the motor. 2. Partially disengage the motor box lever. Flip the motor box lever to approximately the half-way position. This will release the gear mesh pressure and allow the motor box to float. You will note that the box, though still fully engaged, will be able to be moved in and out of mesh with your hand and the spring. 3. Break loose the two attachment screws (5/32 ). Break loose the two attachment screws, but do not unscrew them until after the motor box lever is fully disengaged. Since you will have to use the longer length of the hex key to reach the screw, you will need to grip the short length with an extension or pliers in order to have enough leverage to loosen the screw. 4. Fully disengage the motor box lever. Move the motor box lever into the fully disengaged position so that the gears are fully out of mesh. 5. the left and right attachment screws. Insert an Allen key into the left and right screws and fully remove them. Be sure to hold the motor box when releasing the screws as there will be nothing to secure the motor box to the mount. Note: If there is a shim used for the attachment spacing, be sure that it s placement and orientation is not changed. Mach1GT Motor Box Reinstall 1. Fully disengage the motor box lever and attach with the two screws. With the lever fully disengaged attach the box using both screws. Turn the screws until they are snug and then back them off 1/2 turn or so. The box is attached, but remains loose. 2. Partially engage the motor box lever and tighten the screws. Turn the lever so that the spring fully engages the gear mesh, but does not lock it (the lever will be approximately halfway). In this position the box should be able to be lifted out of mesh by hand and then re-engage by spring. This will allow the box to properly seat itself while you tighten the attachment screws. Tighten the two attachment screws. 3. Adjust the gear box backstop. Using a 5/64 or 7/64 hex key, loosen the two lever assembly screws so that the assembly is freed to move. This should require less than one turn of each screw. Turn the lever so that it is fully engaged. 4. Apply a slight pressure to the lever assembly. Using your index finger and thumb as shown, apply a very gentle pinching pressure to shift the assembly towards your thumb (the backstop only needs to touch). This sets the proper backstop position. Important: Do Not push on the gear box itself when adjusting the backstop. Pressing on the rear of the box can cause the box to pivot out of mesh and give a bad adjustment. Pressing on the top of the box will push the box into tighter mesh and would cause excessive tightness and damage to the worm wheel teeth. 5. Tighten the screws. While maintaining the slight pinching pressure, snug and then tighten both screws. Do not overtighten. 6. Replace the Lever Cover. Replace the cover and you are finished. It is that simple!