Beseler 45 question

I just picked up a beseler 45MCRX from a local auction. The motorized lift is slow and the motor gets pretty hot when elevating the head. Are there lubrication points on the enlarger frame? How do you lubricate the gearbox on the lift?

Thanks
RSN

Is it only slow when lifting the head and faster going down? If so, there is a spring that helps in the lifting that may need adjustment.
Michael

The spring is in the lower horizontal tube. Best to find the instructions first by Google. If you don't find them, send my you email and I will send you the copy that I found. What head is on the enlarger?

When I got my 45MX, the motor on the lift was pretty caked with dust. A cleanup and a little WD40 and it works like new. Check the spring tension as mentioned above too.

I would recommend trying oil before adjusting the lower spring - it's wound pretty tight and if you let it go sproing its a hell of a pain to wind back up, especially if you don't quite know what you are doing - as I didn't.

WD-40 is great for getting the gunk out - unfortunately WD-40 itself dries to a gooey gunk in a week or two.

The best lubricant for most machine work is plain old SAE-30 motor oil (you can use any oil, 5W-50 won't hurt anything), it never goes to gunk, stays pretty much where it is put and provides a good lubrication film even at low velocities. Stay away from 3-in-1 and the like, they turn to goo too - Singer sewing machine oil was OK, but the modern stuff isn't. For gears smear on some Lubriplate (or moly disk-brake lubricant - which doesn't throw oil and sticks where it is put). One exotic lubricant a fellow engineer swears by is a mixture of STP and ATF - he used it in his rail dragster's engine, don't know if you plan on getting your MX running that fast.

Make sure that the chassis is on the same gear tooth on both sides. If it's not re-align it. To do this you have to run it all the way down, remove a stop pin, hold onto it- run the motor down until it goes off the track and then push it onto the track while running the motor up until it catches.

I have realligned the carriage already. The head is a condenser with a fairly large filter drawer in it.
The carriage drops pretty fast but gets slower as it lifts after passing the half way point.
Probably needs more spring tension but i will try lubing it first.

Thanks
RSN