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Author Topic: Xenex II fan replacement Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-02-2005 03:17 AM                        I've got a Kniesley Xenex II lamphouse at my drive-in and the internal fan blower is starting to crap out. When I power up the control section of the lamphouse, the fan is susposed to come on and create enough air movement to activate the "sail switch" in the rear of the machine. When I flip the system on, the fan just barely turns, sometimes just making a "humming" sound. I have found that if I take off the screen on top of the lamphouse and physically spin the squirrel cage, it will finally take off on it's own. By opening up the lamphouse, I can see that it's a standard DAYTON blower - meaning I can run down to my local Grainger and probably pick one up. My question is...Can I replace this thing myself without having to remove the lamp and reflector? It looks like a 4 screw deal, but physically getting the old one out and the new one in place is what's getting me. I really don't want to break a 3 week old $1,000 light bulb to replace a $50.00 fan.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-02-2005 09:08 AM                     probably it needs to have the two bearings oiled and it will be fine  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 08-02-2005 09:14 AM                     Most Dayton blowers have sleeve bearings and should be oiled at least every six months...two oil points for front and rear bearings on the motor.  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-02-2005 10:03 AM                        I've seen on the sticker on the side of the motor a place where it says "OIL HERE", but how do you get oil into those holes the way it's horizontally mounted.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-02-2005 03:19 PM                        You don't. Remove the old fan. Take it apart and clean it thoroughly. Reassemble it where gravity will pull the oil straight down. (You may have to drill more holes so that the motor (only) can be rotated 90 degrees. You may wish to oil it and get it up-to-speed outside of the lamp. You certainly don't want oil to splatter on the new bulb. Louis  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-02-2005 06:36 PM                     Its true, just clean and oil it.... unless you find that on disassembly the bushings are really chewed up or if you can't get them off the shaft. Then replacement is in order. I always get a big charge out of those lame manufacturers out there..... especially Strong and Christie that continue to mount these motors with the oil holes upside down. It IS really amazing that they can get anything completed and back to the dock to ship out. Mark  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-03-2005 01:50 AM                     Oir Xenex II's can be oiled through the top of the lamp house via 2 holes in the top of the case. Remove the plugs and bang, there you go. I've yet to have one seize up, we oil every 6 months or on par with the 1000/hr maintenance, whichever comes first. Though the idea of cleaning those monkeys out sounds more and more appealing...  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 08-03-2005 02:54 AM                     Dom, you have Xenex I's not II's. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-03-2005 03:23 AM                     Aaron, I think I've got a serious problem...I keep mentally upgrading the booth.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-03-2005 06:30 AM                     What problem? It is cheaper to mentally upgrade than to actually buy the equipment!  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 04-08-2013 09:46 PM                 It has been 2805 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Bob Ezra Film Handler Posts: 75 From: Carbondale, CO, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 04-08-2013 09:46 PM                     Old topic but... Louis said " You may have to drill more holes so that the motor (only) can be rotated 90 degrees." can you explain further? Thanks  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 04-08-2013 10:32 PM                        Rarely are these motors mounted so that oil flows downhill to the bearing. Careless? Who knows? It sure won't last very long that way. Be aware that the "good" Dayton motors were made in Mexico. The new ones are China. If you get 6 months on a new one, good luck. Louis  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 04-09-2013 08:58 AM                        The motor on the fan of my Xenex II finally seized up to the point where it would never stay running for more than 10-15 minutes. Got tired of taking the screen off and sticking my hand down inside the hole to "jump start" the fan. Most of the time it worked, sometimes it did not. I ended up buying another fan just like it from Grainger and mounting it externally on top of the lamphouse and blowing it through the air intake hole on the top of the machine. I disconnected the wiring to the old fan and routed it up to the new fan. I also removed the squirrel cage assembly from the old fan, essentially making the old fan housing a directional duct-work to blow on the vane switch. It was kind of ugly looking, but it worked and it only had to last me about 6 months until we replaced the equipment with the digital stuff.  |  IP: Logged

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