Jobo CPE-2 rotation is "wobbly"

domaz · Jul 31, 2008

I recently acquired a Jobo CPE-2 off E-Bay. Of course the seller knows nothing about it and stated that the motor "worked". Well I try it out last night and the motor does indeed work but it wobbles the tank all over the place while rotating. This makes the rotation very noisy and probably stresses the motor quite a bit. This is just with a 1500 tank filled with 500ml of water for testing.

I tried to figure out a way to take the magent coupling off so I could look at the drive shaft (could it be bent?) but I can't seem to figure out how to do it. Is this a problem anyone else has had? Is there an easy fix I hope?

jp80874 · Jul 31, 2008

I have a CPP-2 with lift. Another area to consider, and much cheaper if it is the problem, is the rollers the tank rolls on. When I bought my unit, also from eBay, it had white nylon rollers. Jobo then had service in Ann Arbor, MI. Sight unseen, they suggested new rollers for the wobblies. The unit had been used for the 1500 series tanks. Since I was going to use the 3000 Expert tanks they suggested the black rubber rollers, two to a package, part 92167. The package containing the spare set of black rollers I bought shows them being used with all series tanks, only the placement changes with the size of the tank. I hope this is the problem.

John Powers

pwitkop · Jul 31, 2008

I had issues with wobbles with my cpe2 when the magnet came of the processor and I didn't get it glued on straight. Do fix the problem, not only for motor issues, but also because the wobble will work the magnets on the tanks loose, in my case it happened in the middle of a processing run. If the problem is the shaft or the magnets aren't straight that is.

Peter

snallan · Jul 31, 2008

It will be worth checking the placement of the magnet on the base of the drum. The magnet is contained in a plastic housing that is pushed on to four pins on the base of the tank. When pushed on correctly, the cylindrical housing should be flush with the base of the tank all round; if you can see any gap between the housing and the base, the magnet needs to be pushed on a bit more firmly. See this document on Mounting Magnets and Cogs from Jobo.

Cheers

Peter Williams · Jul 31, 2008

John's idea is a good one. I bought my CPE-2 off of Craigslist and the seller did not have any rollers for it at all. I bought new rollers and it works great.

domaz · Jul 31, 2008

Thanks I will check the magnet base- I was having problems with it coming off so maybe it's not mounted quite right. I got new rollers, but they are the white kind. They also don't seem to make very great contact with the 1500 tank. Any way I can raise the roller a tad bit for better support? And does anyone know how to actually take the magnet drive off the processor so I can check the drive shaft?

snallan · Aug 1, 2008

The magnet on the drive shaft is held on by a screw in the centre. You will need to hold the magnet firmly, so that it does not rotate as you undo the screw.

One thin to check if you are removing the drive magnet. Once you have loosened it slightly, try to wobble it up and down, or side to side. Jobo used two different drive shafts during the evolution of the CXX processors, one had parallel sides, and the other was tapered. I just wonder, if someone had converted from cog drive to magnet, and had put a parallel socket magnet on a tapered shaft, it may not be sitting straight on the shaft, therefore causing a wobble. Some more info in this Jobo document.

mrtoml · Aug 1, 2008

domaz said:
Thanks I will check the magnet base- I was having problems with it coming off so maybe it's not mounted quite right. I got new rollers, but they are the white kind. They also don't seem to make very great contact with the 1500 tank. Any way I can raise the roller a tad bit for better support? And does anyone know how to actually take the magnet drive off the processor so I can check the drive shaft?

Have you got the rollers set properly?

If I recall correctly, there are 2 ways to set them - one with the white rollers facing inwards, for smaller tanks like the 1500 and one with the rollers facing outwards for the larger tanks. I also had a set of rollers on mine that were only for the larger tanks and couldn't be adjusted so when I got a 1500 series tank I couldn't use it until I ordered the right rollers...

Mick Fagan · Aug 2, 2008

I have the CPE2 as well and I also have a PDF version of the manual, which is far better than the official manual that came with the unit.

If you would like the PDF manual, send me a PM with your email address and I'll forward it to you.

Page 10 of the manual shows the two positions that the rollers are required to be in for either the 2800 or 1500 tanks systems to work correctly.

I would suggest that you may have your rollers set up for the bigger 2800 tanks.

Look around for a couple of small, almost boomerang shaped pieces of plastic, these clip in, in place of the rollers and the rollers clip into these, in a higher and closer position.

Mick.

2F/2F · Aug 2, 2008

First things first: The top could also be on crooked...at least it could be on an Expert drum. I'm not sure if this is possible with the smaller ones, as I have never used them.

Also make sure the rollers are installed pointed the right way, and firmly seated. They point outward with large-diameter tanks (3000-series), and inward with small-diameter tanks (like yours).

Mick Fagan · Aug 2, 2008

Two Effs, the CPE2 cannot use the expert drums and there is no provision, requirement, or possibility, of having the rollers on the wrong way around on this model of machine.

Mick.

2F/2F · Aug 2, 2008

(My original seems to have never made it to teh board.)

Thanks for the correction. I was unaware that there was this difference between the CPP and the CPE. I must have been thinking of the CPA...? Is there such a model?

This makes the CPE processor almost useless to me. Expert sheet film drums are the whole reason for *me* to buy a Jobo. Good thing I didn't buy one by mistake thinking I could do my sheet film in it.

jp80874 · Aug 3, 2008

2F/2F said:
(Thanks for the correction. I was unaware that there was this difference between the CPP and the CPE. I must have been thinking of the CPA...? Is there such a model?
.

I made the same mistake earlier. The CPA is much like the CPP without the heater. Both will take expert drums.

The instructions on the black rollers I mentioned earlier do not say what model they will fit. The instructions do show placement for rollers from 1500 up through 3000 These rollers may not be for the CBE since the 3000 tanks are shown. On the other hand they may fit all, eliminating the need to mention model. Sorry to be no help at all to the OP.

John Powers

fotch · Aug 3, 2008

jp80874 said:
I made the same mistake earlier. The CPA is much like the CPP without the heater.
John Powers

The CPA has a heater. The difference is the CPP has electronic temperature display/control and a cold water solenoid.

Jobo CPE-2 rotation is "wobbly"

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