Grizzly 15" planer leaking gearbox oil

[scott vroom]

My 3 year old G0453Z planer sprung an oil leak in the area of the headstock gearbox. Tech support says it's either the gearbox gasket, the cutter head oil seal, or a defect in the casting. In any case it looks like I need to pull the spiral cutter head and disassemble the gear box. Anyone done this? I'm looking for tips/things to watch for/special tools required. I may as well replace all 5 bearings as long as I've got it opened up.

In the pic I'm pointing to the area that the oil is leaking from (I had just wiped away the oil/sawdust gunk before taking the pic).

[Stan Mitchell]

I have the same basic machine - only it came with knives (non-z model). The gear box leaked on it too.

Last year I changed the cutter head to a carbide spiral and was careful to make sure that the gasket was in there right.
I used the gasket that it came with and it hasn't leaked since.
Seems to be a lack of care during assembly.

If all you want is to fix the leak, removing the cover and straightening the gasket is not too big a project.
The gearbox is designed and constructed with simplicity. I disassembled and reassembled it with only reviewing the gearbox photos.
Can't remember if the gearbox photos are in the manual or separate instructions.

Hope this helps some.

[scott vroom]

Thanks Stan. Sounds like you opened up the gearbox while still attached to the headstock? The tech support guy said I could do that but he warned that gravity would work against me when I put the gears back into the box and suggested I remove the gear box/cutter head assembly as a single unit and lay the gearbox horizontal when putting the gears back in place. When you opened the gear box did the gears fall out? How were you able to re-install the gears with the box still attached (vertically) to the machine? Thanks again...

[Matt Day]

I removed the gear box about a month ago so it's still pretty fresh in my mind. I needed to clean rust off the cutterhead, so I took it along with the gearbox out, and it wasn't a big deal. Basically just heavy and you need to remove the pulley from the motor side.

After you remove the allen bolts, it might take some force to pry the cover off. In the tutorials I found (on the Byrd webpage), it's like it just pops off. I had to pry it off with a screwdriver and tap it with a mallet, working it off as I went around in a circle. The gears don't just fall out or anything, but they can either stay with the gearbox/cutterhead, or come off with the cover. Doesn't really matter either way.

One thing to note is that you don't HAVE to take the cover all the way off the change/check the gasket. You can just take it out enough (like 1/4") to massage the gasket off starting at a corner.

Make sure to drain the oil and have a catchpan below where you're working.

Edit: added more info.

[tim vadas]

I've got an older powermatic 15" four post, but it's essentially the same setup. I had to fix a leak in mine, i think it was from the gasket. From where you're pointing, i'm not sure if you mean the seam on that side of the gear box, or the oil fill hole, or it's dripping down in between there? If it's dripping from above, that shouldn't be the case because the only other openings in the box are the four bolts on top that hold the gear box in place. otherwise, could be a crack in the casting, but i'm not sure how likely that is.

I assume the gasket is the problem. The easiest thing to try first is tighten up all five hex bolts and see if that stops the leak. If you do need to take it apart, it's a little easier to take the gear box off, but that means knocking the cutterhead out of the bearing on one end. I don't think that's necessary. You can drain the oil, take the drive chain off, and open the gear box while still attached. I believe all the gears are bolted together and attached to the front plate of the gear box (see byrd head installation guide: http://www.byrdtool.com/generic1520.html).

I also don't think you need to replace all the bearings while you have it open. It's only 3 years old, they're in a sealed box, covered with oil. They should last a very long time.

[Cary Falk]

My gasket leaked. I replaced it with this. My experience with the gear box mirrors Matt's

[James Baker SD]

Make sure to drain the oil and have a catchpan below where you're working.

Edit: added more info.

But don't drain the oil into a GLASS jar and then drop one of the gears. Makes for a really big mess to clean up. :-)