Can't change blade height

[sberfield]

Hi Guys,

Been using the BT3100 for several years now and never had a problem with it. Tonight when I went to raise up the blade so I could reinstall the blade guard, it wouldn't elevate. I can change the angle easily, but when I try to crank it up, nothing happens. I got under the saw and can see that the threaded rod is turning, but the saw is not moving. It looks to me like the threads that ride up and down the rod are stripped. Is this likely? If so, how hard a part would it be to replace?

[Black wallnut]

If you elevation screw is turning but the arbor is not raising then your motor bracket (part of the motor) is stripped. This happens, although not exactly often. There are three possible fixes:

1. install a helicoil [tm] either yourself or pay a machine shop to do it\
2. replace the complete motor (new or used)
3. replace just the front cover of the motor

Of the three #3 is the easiest, #1 is a permanent fix although can be expensive.

Oh yeah option #4 is buy a different saw and part yours out.

[LCHIEN]

if as BW says, the bracket is stripped its partly because it's made of soft aluminum and partly because you may have failed to keep the sawdust from jamming the mecchanism.

Solution #1 wiill give you a threaded steel insert and will not likely wear out again and is expensive because of the special tools and the insert you have to buy. it requires a 9/16-12 helicoil to match the elevation screw and whatever the drill is to install the helicoil.

Solutions 2 and 3 will wear out again if you don't keep the sawdust cleaned up periodically - but its not that frequent a thing. BTs don't respond well to force so if it feels tight, clean it rather than force it, that will save you stripping the threads next time.

[plotz]

I had this problem. After many years of cranking up and down, and not cleaning or lubricating it particularly well, the steel rod ate away the aluminum.

I took my motor to a local machine shop that does tons of work in brass for submarines. He drilled out the aluminum to give him room for a brass bushing that he threaded. He tapped in a couple of screws to hold it all together. He charged me $65 which seemed reasonable. It is a nice fix, but it depends on your ability to find someone who can and will do this. I think I might have gotten lucky.

I've attached a few photos. The large brass lip you see in the first photos did not clear the exterior of the blade assembly, I had to grind it down a bit.

[sberfield]

Is the front plate available as a part anywhere? All I am finding on line is complete motor assemblies.

[dbhost]

Look on Ebay.

Does anybody know if the 13 amp motor cover plate will fit a 15 amp motor? I have a dead 13 amp motor that might fix your problem...

[slieber967]

elevation fix

Is the front plate available as a part anywhere? All I am finding on line is complete motor assemblies.

try the helicoil. if i can do it it can't be hard. have not had to do it on the bt but pretty standard on old junkers.

kc
slieber967@aol.com

[sberfield]

Going with helicoils

OK - I already had the bit so figured the helicoil was teh way to go. Got them in today, so tomorrow will tell the tale.

Any tricks I shoul dknow about getting the motor out? Looks fairly straightforward, but you never know.