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Author Topic: Century SA Carriage Casting P/N CA-1004 Question Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 02-01-2003 05:11 PM                     I never tried to swap a the carriage casting (Century Part No. CA-1004) with a Cineshittie or a Westrex machine. They look alike, but I am not sure if they will interchange. I have a busted Cineshitty that the frame knob is frozen, and I really don't want to dismantle the machine to find out there may be a part needed that I don't have. The machine is running, and I have no spare heads to replace it with at the moment. I have seen this happen on an ORC projector twice, and in one case there was handfull of teeth from the rack and pinion assy laying in the bottom of the projector because someone obviously tried to turn it too hard on a mis-frame. Has anyone had any experiences or nightmares trying to swap parts around in this area with a Westrex, Century, Cineshittie or an ORC?  |  IP: Logged Jon Bartow Master Film Handler Posts: 287 From: Massachusetts Registered: Nov 1999 posted 02-01-2003 09:17 PM                     Paul, Usually on a Century (or Century knockoff) I have found that when the framing knob is frozen the intermittent drive gear on the verticle shaft is the culprit. It gets all gummed up and can't slide up and down anymore. I've never switched parts between the real thing and a knockoff before. I'd be wary of doing so with out some serious time on my hands to switch back if necessary. My reccomendation: if the framing knob is non-functional now, take the beast apart and see whats going on. worst case scenario, you need some obscure part and have to put it back together again and the framing knob still doesn't work. but probably after a good cleaning and relubrication of all parts you will be in business. Jonathan  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 02-01-2003 09:34 PM                     I'll check that again, John, just to be sure. Thank you.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-02-2003 12:56 PM                     I agree with John! Check to see if the gear is seized to the shaft. If it is replace it with one of the LaVezzi Stainless shafts and ears. They won't seize up. I've only seen one intermittent carrage that had actually seized in all of the Centurys I've worked on over the years. It seized at the V where the carrige and the mainframe mate. As far as swapping parts betwen manufactuirers its touch and go. Better have everything you need when yout ake it apart...or hey, that could be your "learn to thread in frame correctly" machine..... Mark @ CLACO www.clacoequipment.com  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 02-02-2003 05:47 PM                     Jon and Mark, you are absolutely correct. I waltzed down to the theatre today, and while the machine wes running I tried to move the frame knob just a tad, and observed a small binding in the linkage of the intermittant drive gear. It looks like it has just had too much Lubra-plate mixed with axle grease, wheel bearing grease, Vasoline, and Century Gear Lube all dissolved in WD-40. A good dismante job and deep cleaning will probably correct the problem, as long as the gear and bearing retainer is not sprung. Thank you, Gentlemen.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-02-2003 07:28 PM                     Paul, It is best to just replace the vert shaft and gear. If you don't it will most likely just seize up again. That has been my experience. Ya know like I've said Lubriplate sucks for use in projection equipment. Its piss poor rease at best and it always dries out over time. I will again stress the use of Superlube for the gear train and Century oil on the vert shaft where the intermittent drive gear slides up and down. Order LaVezzi C2-G-93 gear and shaft assy, and all new bearings for at least the vert. shaft!! Have a 7/16 barrell lap handy for any gears that might have burrs in them. If you don't clean em out first then you may end up with a gear stuck on the shaft and a bad scrape fomr same left on the shaft to boot! Mark  |  IP: Logged Jon Bartow Master Film Handler Posts: 287 From: Massachusetts Registered: Nov 1999 posted 02-02-2003 09:44 PM                     Paul, as Mark has said it is best to replace shaft, gear and bearings for the verticle shaft (get the shaft gear combo with TWO keys, I've found them to be a bit steadier). However, I have many Centurys that I have merely taken apart and cleaned, lubricated and re-assembled and they are just fine. What I do is after cleaning all of the old junk out (the key slots in the gear are the worst) is to use a silicone lubricant on the shaft and inside of the gear only. I've been doing that for about four years now and every one that I have done is still working like a champ. The problem that I have is that at a couple of my theaters they actually thread in frame 99.999% of the time, so the framing knob never gets moved. After a few years of not being moved and then they try to turn it... any grease/oil that was in there has long since dried up. And so a lot of work for me. So I started making it a habit during my routine maintenance calls to move the framing knob through it's full range of travel and to put a drop of lube in there (silicone or oil, depending). Jonathan  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 02-02-2003 11:11 PM                     I have a new shaft on hand, and new bearings, and a new shutter drive gear. I think I will just rebuild the whole vertical shaft. I might have a intermittant drive gear, but if not, I'll order one. After about 45 minutes of crowbar work, a can of brake cleaner and plenty of knobgitwitzen, I was able to flush out all that Plitt's crap that was hardened and coagulated between the vertical shaft and the intermittant drive gear. I used a thin coat of Century Gear Lube and lightly coated the shaft, re-lubed the gears, and did some more knobgetwitzen. I have the frame mechanism travel running nice and smooth now, but when I bring it down all the way, I have noticed the vertical shaft is pitted. I agree with both of you - it is time to rebuild the vertical shaft. At least, I am confident that it'll work for a while until I can get a chance to rebuild the vertical shaft. I did this between shows, so I was not able to tear it down. But, it'll run... I found the old can of wheel bearing grease and some other stuff that was used, and tossed it all in the garbage.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-02-2003 11:15 PM                     Watch out on the Indian machines...some of the threads don't match. So you may need new collars for setting the loading on the Intermittent drive bearings (screws down on the gear). Steve  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 02-03-2003 12:48 AM                     Very good point, Steve. I certainly thank you for the reminder. I am concerned about that - especially the bearing fit of the Century bearings in the Cineshittie bearing retainers. But if the others parts you suggest are different in thread pitch and what-have-you are different, I'll have to order some more parts. I didn't even think about that bearing loading collar..... I have a Century CC I am going to make operational as an emergency back-up just in case I run into a snag. The only thing I need is the knob and spring for opening the gate. Those parts are now on order, along with GR-9 for the actual vertical shaft rebuild.  |  IP: Logged

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