Near Impossible to Change Router Bases

[just started]

You could try running this thru the tight base.

[drumpriest]

I got rid of one of these router sets for this very reason. Picked up the Bosch 1617 and never looked back. Not a bad router except for this issue. The Bosch is better in a lot of small subtle ways, of course, but I'd still have the Ryobi if it had worked.

[phi1l]

First of all let me say that I am speculating without the handicap of any actual first hand knowledge, but....

I am curious to know if just polishing the inside of the fixed bases or the motor with steel wool eases the problem. That is about the only thing I can think of left ... that the aluminum parts are some how managing to continue to corrode, making the surfaces rough and stick together.

Polishing off the old aluminum oxide surface, leaving them open to teh air for a few days, tehn coating with grease might solve the problem.

[Larryl]

I went thru the same experience with the two fixed bases that others have reported and ruined both trying to remove the motor. Surprisingly the plunge base still works well with the exception that the jaws will sometime fall out of the 1/2" collet. This was about ~4 years ago and I have avoided Ryobi tools since.

[cwsmith]

The motor housing a some type of plastic, perhaps reinforced with fiberglass, but I'm only guessing.

The bases are aluminum, with a friction rubber-like ring on the inside, used for height adjustment.

On mine, you can see rubbing marks on the motor housing. The motor housing seems to have swelled, increasing the diameter, over time. When it was new it worked great and with a replacement housing it worked great... but even with the two fixed bases unused, the motor housing no longer fits properly.

As an update... there isn't any! I was hoping that I would have heard back from Ryobi Tech Support within a couple of days but that hasn't happened yet. But in all fairness, perhaps they too have been hit with the weather. In any case, they have my telephone number and E-mail and if I don't hear in a week, I'll call again.

I did pick this up off the M-and-D Mower web site (m-and-d.com):

TTI-982951001 982951001 RYOBI-RIDGID TOOLS PART 982951001
Replaced by: 511986001 HOUSING MOTOR$5.28



But I don't know if any additional hardware may be needed.

CWS

[Uncle Hook]

I also bought the 3 base router set on closeout a few years ago and noticed the difficultly of changing the bases. Since then, the set has sat unused in the original bag. So much for jumping on a bargain alert.

[paulstenlund]

I had the same problem, I just leave it in the plunge base. Tossed the other two

Paul

[cwsmith]

Okay, here is where I stand at this particular point in time:

On February 8th, I called Ryobi Technical Support to see if there was any additional history on this problem and the Tech could not find anything that had been reported. I told him that I, in fact, had called them in 2006 and told them of the problem and that I had been sent my RE1802M motor to Ramsing Electric in Syracuse for warranty service and that the motor housing had been replaced at that time. I also told him that it was a problem discussed on the Ryobi forum and elsewhere at that time. He repeated that they had no record of any problems with the RE1801, but that he'd be happy to send me a new motor housing, if I would care to change it myself. We agreed, and I also asked him to please "elevate" this, as I would really like to know the nature of the problem and whether is was something that could be prevented.

On February 15th or 16th, I called Technical Support again, as I had not received anything from Ryobi. Another Tech told me that such shipments took about ten business days. She also couldn't find any reported problems with the RE1803, including my previous phone call. She did go on to say that to her knowledge, they only tracked problems by customer and not by the particular product or model number.

Of course, I have no idea of what internal system Ryobi uses, but I did tell her that I thought their record/product database was in need of some help. I asked if she could connect me with someone higher, who might know more about the product or any possible problem reports. She transferred me to a Mr. T. Clinkscalers. He was not available and, where I left a phone message stating the problem and my wish to have anything that might help me resolve it, without having to replace the housing every couple of years.

On the 18th I went to Binghamton (my other home) and returned on the 22nd. The motor housing was sitting on my door step and it looked like it had just arrived. I did not see any caller ID from Ryobi, so I then logged onto my "Toolbox" and left a service request.

On the 23rd I received and answer from Mr. Clinkscalers stating that he had in fact called on the afternoon of the 18th and that nobody answered. (I now know who the "unknown caller" was.... but I'm also wondering why one would make a call and not ID oneself so I could call them back?) He also stated that there was no reported problem and that I should call customer service for any warranty consideration.

At no time have I considered any "warranty consideration" and have clearly stated that my only goal is to find out the "why" and what prevention if any that I can take. In any case, I called him back that afternoon and left a message that I'd like to discuss this further, as I like the product but wish I had an answer as to what the problem is and what if anything can we do to prevent it from happening. I haven't heard anything further from him at this time.

So, here is our service request exchange:


SUBJECT: Power tool repair/service inquiry — MODEL NUMBER: RE1802M — SERIAL NUMBER: XXXXXXXXXXX
02/23/10 08:24: Mr. Smith:

I personally called you on 2/18/10 at 3:44 PM, and the phone rang and rang, with no answer and no machine picking up at 607-XXX-XXXX, which is the number you left in the recording on my answering machine om my phone.

There are no known issues with the RE1802M motor housing related to swelling of the housing, at least not that we are aware of. Regardless of what certain individuals may have posted somewhere on the Internet, it is just not a known issue or known occurrance with any of the Ryobi router motor housings.

If you believe that the unit you have has some sort of manufacturing defect in the housing, then your nearest authorized warranty service dealer should inspect it, and if that is their determination, they would then need to contact Ryobi customer service at 1-800-525-2579, to see what warranty consideration Ryobi will provide, if any, based on their findings, since the the product is no longer within its 2-year warranty.

If I can be of any other service to you with Ryobi propduct, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Sincerely,

T. Clinkscalers
Consumer Response
One World Technologies, Inc.


02/23/10 01:15:

I'm in the process of having to change the motor housing on this product for the second time! Apparently it swells in diameter over time and will not fit in either of the fixed bases and/or is therefore not adjustable.

The first repair was done under warranty and I just received a new housing part and will be doing my own repair at this time.

I made my first call to Ryobi Tech support over three weeks ago and asked that the problem be "elevated" so that I can be informed as to what or why the problem exists and if there is any cure, beyond ordering a new part every two years or so.

I called again last week and there was no record of my call, or any such problem with this particular model. I then asked that it be "elevated" again, and was tranferred to "customer relations" where I left a message to be called back. I STILL have not received a call!

This problem is well known with other customers and has been discussed on the internet, yet your customer support appears to have no record of any such problems.

While the tool is out of warranty and no longer manufactured, I think it is a good router set (except for the "swelling" of the motor housing). I really would like to know the basis of the problem and any possible cure or preventive measure that I can make, and/or pass on to other owners of this router.

Respectfully,

C.W. Smith

*************

At this point, I'm a bit frustrated with the statement, "There are no known issues with the RE1802M motor housing related to swelling of the housing, at least not that we are aware of. Regardless of what certain individuals may have posted somewhere on the Internet, it is just not a known issue or known occurrance with any of the Ryobi router motor housings."


Considering recent news events, it's almost like I'm dealing with Toyota management!

Bottom line is this is now a tool that is long out of production and warranty. While it owes me nothing, so to speak, it still sold for $149 when new. While I bought it for less on clearance, it should still be a functioning product. (My old 1984 Ryobi-made router still works, why not this one?) I still think it can be a decent tool if Ryobi would simply "belly up to the bar" and tell us what we need to do to fix the problem. If they picked the wrong material for the housing and it doesn't like such and such envrironment, then so be it and perhaps there's no fix. But to continue with the same old "WE KNOW NOTHING" makes me a bit disappointed in what I would otherwise consider to be a decent company. I have several Ryobi tools and pretty much like them all.

Now, I won't be returning to Binghamton until next week and I will try to find the time to replace this housing and take pictures along the way. The housing itself is pretty inexpensive and I posted a source and price earlier in this thread. Of course I fully understand if no one considers it worth the hassle.

As far as Ryobi is concerned, if I don't get an answer by tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to climb the ladder a bit higher. Again, I don't expect anything from Ryobi beyond an honest answer and hopefully maybe a storage remedy, if one exists. As far as their record keeping, I hope to make that part of the conversation. In the mean time, if any of the members think it's worth their time, give Ryobi a call and register your concern.

CWS

[lago]

I have the same set and problem. I have noticed that the problem is more severe during the winter. Don't have the problem during the summer.

Ken

[BrazosJake]

You folks got no idea how much better you've made me feel about this, because I thought I was the only person with this problem or was crazy (posted either here on Ryobi's site back then). And I'll try some dry lube I have left over from skiing to see if that helps.

I always think that oil + plastic is a no-no. And moly grease sounds messy, so dry lube may be just the thing.

Thanks to all for your group therapy-like responses. :-D

Don.

LATER:

What I have found out is that the ring on both the D-handle and conventional handle bases, is just flat smaller in diameter than the motor housing. When they get together they jam soon after assembly and before they progress more than a quarter-inch.

The motor has been attached to the plunge base, hanging on a table for a year or two, so there was nothing to keep the swelling down, I suppose. Maybe the blood rushed to its head?

It is really a design flaw. I hope cw has better luck than I have had with Ryobi.

It's too bad. They hardly ever miss much with a design, but missed here IMHO.

Don Again.

For a dry lube, you might try the white teflon they sell for Pinewood Derby cars. It's designed to stick to the surface, though I find graphite a better lubricant.

[1woodbutcher]

I know this sounds stupid .....but..

Same problem here. Ryobi was really no help. Out of all the things that I have tried, PAM cooking spray has yeilded the best results. The problem is that the first pass of the router slings tiny sawdust particles all up in the gears. The different lubricants dry and wet) "collect" the particles making changing bases even harder to change.

Pam sems to "repel" the particles. Someone told me that ScotchGuard does the same thing, but I have not tried it yet as it is expensive.

If anyone has found an "easy" solution, I really need to know it.

[WestofLongBeach]

OK, it HAS to be, in my opinion, that the tool when assembled compresses the spiral housing. The compression forces the diameter to change slightly, in an area where tolerances are critical.

What else could it be? The housing grows? I haven't watered mine, I can tell you THAT.

Don.

[phi1l]

OK, it HAS to be, in my opinion, that the tool when assembled compresses the spiral housing. The compression forces the diameter to change slightly, in an area where tolerances are critical.

What else could it be? The housing grows? I haven't watered mine, I can tell you THAT.

Don.

Actually, for amorphous polymers, at the molecular level, smaller organic molecules can wedge themselves into the polymer matrix, forcing the matrix and the polymer casting to expand. This is a well know problem with rubber, but I don't recall ever seeing it as problem in plastic. ... Of course, I haven't seen may situations where plastic is used in a very close tolerance application.


You may not have watered it, but if you oil it, it will grow

I don't have this router, but the problem intrigues me. The thing seems to work fine for awhile, & then later it doesn't.
It is something that shouldn't be happening unless the wrong material was used in the casting. But you do bring up an interesting possibility. Possibly in assembly, the plastic part is being put under compression, if too much compression is applied, the plastic may "relax" over time & deform, expanding its diameter. If this is the case, a single "adjsutment" of the diameter after the relaxing is done, should be a permanent solution. If it is expanding, as the result of absorbing oil, the expansion will just continue over time, & the "adjustments" will have to be repeated, periodically.

I'm sure that some Ryobi engineer somewhere knows the answer, but it sounds like Ryobi want's to be of no help on this issue.

[LCHIEN]

sounds like Ryobi screwed the pooch on this one. They made a bad choice in materials and maybe users worsened it by trying to oil it when they started sticking.
They just sort of ignored it and hope it went away by itself. I'm sure they realized after a while that it was a bad design but did not make any kind of recall as it was not a primary safety issue. Yes, one of Ryobi's bad seeds.
I've never had the opportunity or desire to buy one used - its been well documented here that the RE18xx routers had a problem with sticky bases IIRC going back quite a few years.

I think this router has long been out of production. Ryobi seems to have short runs with most of their products, have a big promotion and then a big clearance sale and vanish never to be seen again. THis way they get production costs minimized and sell it at a low price to good value point. The BD3600 belt disc sander and the OSS were two such items that were good products. The BT3000/BT3100 were an exception they ran production for many years like 14-15 years.

[WestofLongBeach]

Hm. I had a stupid idea, and never embarrassed to show my amateurishness: I wonder if applying a few circle clamps (is that the right name?), like the ones with a screw for tightening them in line with the band that you use to clamp dryer hoses, would make a difference?

Over time, I mean. Maybe after use, and between uses, or as a cure once the darned thing has already gone out of tolerance.