Unusual noise from my BT3000.

[big tim]

Lately I have noticed an unusual noise coming from my BT3000. It's rotational as if something is scraping as it rotates and is very obvious as the saw slows down At first I thought it was at the same frequency as the blades rotation, but now I'm not so sure anymore, it seems more random than that. I makes me think of a bad bearing, or a bearing which is rotating in it's housing.
This morning I opend up the saw and checked belts and pulleys, all seemed OK. I also checked the brushes, which were fine, cleaned out the brushholders and re-installed the brushes, making sure they went back in the same holder and orientation as they came out. While I had everything open I cleaned and "lubricated" the lift and tilt mechanisms, etc. etc.
Could find anything that would account for the noise though.
This afternoon while I was cutting some 1/4" plywood there was some other noise and the blade stopped, yet I'm sure the motor was running, I flipped the switch as quikly as possible, again checked everything, no broken belts, unplugged the saw and made sure that when turning the blade by hand the pulleys were also turning. Very confusing!
Started the saw again, finished the cut and, except for the noise, everything worked fine. Later on, to proof that nothing was slipping, I even put the wrench on the arbor so the shaft couldn't turn and very, very briefly, turned the saw on: the motor did not turn.
I also ripped a short piece of 2 3/4" thick oak to see if the blade would stall, it didn't.
Very puzzling! Tomorrow I shall have to take her farther apart, possibly remove the guide holder so I can have a look at the pulleys.
Has anyone ever had any problem with bearings on their BT3??
My saw is a good 6 years old, has has moderate use and is otherwise
in excellent condition.
Anny comments, suggestions?

Tim

[eezlock]

unusual Bt3000 noise?

Have you checked to see if you might have left one of the blade spacer washers or arbor flange washers off ? or maybe changed the orientation/
arrangement of those washers which could affect the alignment of the blade
to the saw ? If the spacer washers are not back on in their proper location
it could/would move the blade too close to the motor and housing which could cause some strange noises when running. Have you checked the riving
knife /splitter to see if it is adjusted too close to the blade( not even spacing) clearance to the blade when it is rotating? If all these things are in their normal operating position...problem most likely is a motor or bearing problem. Might want to also check the motor to housing mounting bolts,
they could have vibrated loose over time and is letting the motor move ever so slightly when it is running full speed. Then again, you could have a slightly
bent blade, check it with a dial indicator,while on the saw, if you have one handy. Hope these ideas help you find the problem......eezlock

[RayintheUK]

Maybe a small off-cut has lodged in the dust extraction chute. Remove the blade and the external plastic outlet adaptor (if fitted) and check that the whole chute is clear. If it is, shine a light in there - you might see some brightness if there's been contact between the blade and anything else.

Ray.

[big tim]

Thanks Eezlock and Ray,

I checked all that allready, in fact the saw makes the same noise whether the blade is on or off. It seems a bit louder with the blade on, but that, if indeed it is louder, is probably because the blade acts a a sounding board.
Allready checked to make sure the motor was not loose.
Run out on the blade is negligable. There is ample clearance between the blade and splitter, the dust chute is clear, etc , etc,
As I said in my original post, today I will take things even farther apart to see if I can find anything.
Thanks for the suggestions though.

Tim

[mpc]

I don't know about the specific bearings used in the BT saws... but most roller bearings make a sound like marbles rolling around the bottom of a coffee can when they fail. And the noise is often RPM and/or load dependent.

If the bearings are shot, look closely at the outer edges of them for markings. Almost all bearings follow a worldwide convention for naming, sizing, etc. so you can swap in a replacement bearing with the same number - you don't have to get the "Ryobi" bearing which might cost a lot more... for the exact same piece. Auto parts stores (especially NAPAs) can often match up numbers, auto machine shops, and industrial or motor supply places can too.

mpc

[big tim]

Just now read your reply, mpc. I've spend the better part of the afternoon taking the saw apart, because she seized up yesterday.
I was afraid also that it was a bearing and found out that it was a bearing on the arbor shaft, item #7 in the exploded diagram of the "Motor Assembly".
I've been taking pictures of the progress and thought that a post or an article of the procedure might be helpfull for someone else in the forum.
(I had done a search on the forum for bearing replacement but couldn't find anything.) I don't know who determines if something is "worthy" of being an article.
Anyway I should be completing it tomorrow. I've got new bearings allready from a bearing place, $17.00Can. for all three. Can't beat that!

Tim