Powermatic 66 Tilt Lock Pin?

[kelsey harrison]

imageedit_2_6863904777.jpg
Our powermatic 66 tilt mechanism is slipping as though there is a stripped lock pin. The manual doesn't even indicate how the handwheel/shaft connects to the saw tilt bracket, but my guess is it is this hex piece I indicated in the photo. It looks stripped. Our saw has a differential right in this region that can tilt the blade or raise the saw cabinet, so that hex piece fits into a sleeve to its right. Has anyone experienced this problem before? Am I diagnosing it right? The blade tilts to 89.8 deg and 45 can be reached if you push with all your weight against the handwheel (toward saw cabinet). Saw is usually cleaner than photo but my boss loves white lithium grease (and its so thick and collects dust into a paste. thoughts on this welcomed too). Do we need a replacement part? and if so, do we need a new lock pin? or is it something else?

Thanks for any and all help!
Kelsey

[Bob Vaughan]

That looks like the inside of a Taiwan-made Powermatic 2000, not a Model 66

[John McClanahan]

I don't remember my PM66 looking like that.


John

[Peter Quinn]

Are you sure that is a PM66 you are looking at? My manual shows exactly how everything to do with angle and height adjustment goest together, and nothing looks like whats in your picture. Ive used some very old extremely used versions and never had one slip from an angle setting in use even when the locking knob in the middle of the hand wheel was completely stripped and shot. On the lubrication thing, white lithium is my lube of choice on a TS trunion, clean the mating beers with a soft bridle brush, vacuum a bit down there, blow it out, relube, let it dry, real the best option I've found. Does require periodic maintenance, nothing lasts forever. If you are having trouble hitting 90 or 45 degrees, on the 66 there are bolts with lock nuts that set the limits on both ends of the trunions movement. Possible these are out of adjustment, possible you have a bunch of junk stuck to them so you can't hit the limits. So check that. And check the nameplate. Is there a big american flag on the front? Does it have a riving knife? If so its not a 66.

[kelsey harrison]

Wow, this is an unexpected series of responses! What kind of saw could it be? A knock off? Or a different model? I'll check the limits on the trunion, thank you! Theres no american flag on the nameplate, and no riving knife. What have I got??

[Peter Quinn]

It does say powermatic on there yes? Does it actually slip in use once set? I've had the set screws on the hand wheel loosen, they sit on a flat on the shaft to which they are attached, there is a little non permanent locktite on them but still they can back out over years, and when that happens you can be turning the wheel and it moves but feels like it's slipping, which it sort of is. So check that the hand wheels set screw is oriented toward the flat on the shaft and that they are good and tite. I've seen the center locking knobs strip, no idea how to fix that, but if didn't seem to affect performance so long as all adjustments are made under tension...ie coming up to your setting to take out slop.