This weekend my hydraulics did not always make electrical connection when I returned the head to home to use them. Many times I had to jog forward or back a couple inches and they would start working. Wiped of the copper bus bar which looks tarnished but no dust or crude on it. This seemed to help some but still needed to jog some times after that. Do I need to go in and clean up the contact in the carriage and how do you do that? Should I be doing some PM regularly that I am missing?
I don't know all that much about the LT35, my mill is an LT40!
On my mill there is a spring-loaded ground contact that rides along on the bottom rail, maybe it needs to be cleaned up a little! That spring-loaded contact is only for the hydraulics!
It could just have a little sawdust in there that interferes with the ground!
I clean mine every so often with a light sand paper or emory cloth and wipe down with ATF. That having to jog about is annoying! Brian
Pretty common problem. Last time it happened to me WM said tighten the little spring connector. I did and has worked fine ever since. May even be a slight bow in the copper bar allowing better or worse connections at different spot.
Yes, if the 35"s have the same spring loaded arm that contacts the strip, you may have to move slightly closer to the strip. I have had this situation with both LT40's that I have owned.
I will clean the copper strip with some fine steel wool, coat with ATF and tighten the spring loaded contact.
If it was all hydraulics that didn't work then suspect the copper strip and contacts there. If it was just individual circuits, there is a micro switch on each valve that needs to be adjusted. The manual explains how. The micro switch activates the pump to power that circuit.
Pretty good chance it's the micro switch.
I've been through 3 already. I always keep a spare on hand
Take Two: Was milling yesterday morning and the hydraulics shutdown. Shut the mill down, had a cup of coffee and it clicked... hey...been here before. Cleaned up the bus bar and everything running fine. I keep a piece of scotchbrite in my tool box to clean the copper but had neglected to do it for a while.
On my first outing this year, at one point I lost all hydraulics on my LT40. Bummer!
Part of the contact shoe assembly consists of a white plastic block, That had taken a set and was keeping the contact shoe from making contact. By pushing on the contact shoe I was able to make it work to pack up and go home for analysis and repair.
I would suggest that you remove the entire contact shoe assembly, clean it, make sure the springs are functioning properly, lube as needed and reassemble.
In my sawmill tool box I now have a spare contact shoe, and a white plastic block. When you have spare parts it seems like the machine knows it and you do not need them.
GAB
Get yourself a couple of cans of DE-OX-IT spray. Every time you clean/lube the felt, spray the copper strip and the contact shoe. Pretty much eliminates the problem. that way you only need to do a polish job once a year. at least thaths how its working for me.
Just picked up a can of the CRC Electronic Contact Cleaner but have not used it yet. supposed to be a better product as it leaves an anti corosion film so you technically could use less. We'll see, but I will always use a similar product for the head aches it saves.
I find a kick with the toe of my boot will help jog it loose and keep me sawing for the day. I adjust it the next morning before I start sawing.