How do you open a Kopp/Allspeeds variator?

[Maker]

It's the original motor from my lathe with a Kopp variator on the end.

3 in 1 oil for scale, because I don't like tea.
Brewdexta replaced it with a new 2 HP motor and inverter when he got the lathe but kept it for some reason and now I have it to take apart. I'd ideally like to take the motor off so I might be able to lift it onto my bench (Emphasis on the "might", the motor is probably only one fifth of the weight, it's bloody heavy). There's 4 bolts that look like they hold it on the motor but taking them out did nothing.

Should I just leave it on the motor to take apart?

There's a ring of bolts on the front face that look like they would open it up. Is this correct?

Any tips for opening it? Anyone ever done it before?

I'm going to do it in something to catch the oil BTW.

 

[Maker]

I should add I think it's knackered, turning the pulley by hand makes a bit of noise with an occasional tuneful ding.

Just out of curiosity, how much is a new variator? I'm guessing quite a bit but it would be cool to put one back in the lathe.

 

[tomsutton529]

I saw a motor being striped down at a rewind shop shop yesterday, They went in from the back, so cowling and cooling fan off then see what is what. The lad who brought in was told to take the bolts out on the face plate but apparently that wont get you very far..

If you are hearing noises when you turn the pulley and you really want to use the Motor then I would drop it off at your local Motor rewind shop.

 

[Maker]

The motor is 415 volt, 3 phase and only 1.5 HP, I don't really care about the motor but I want to have a look inside the variator, just to see how they work.

I think some of the noises I was hearing were caused by bits of crud under the cover hitting the fan. I've drained a load of thick black oil out of it now so hopefully there won't be much to end up on my bench.

 

[tomsutton529]

If it just an investigation of the variator then I would start with the bolts to the left of the flange between the motor and variator.

 

[Maker]

I took them out but it didn't budge. I'll try hammering it.

 

[Wallace]

Parts list.

Identification.

Brochure.

 

[Digger6135]

I took them out but it didn't budge. I'll try hammering it.

That distance piece fits very snuggly on a stepped register splitting at the motor side you should find a rubber cushioned drive coupling, if you then take off the distance piece from the variator, you should find that the end cover of the variator is held by recessed allen head cap bolts, the are usually two forcing screw holes to jack the end cover away.
Word of caution..make sure the variator is facing upwards when you remove the cover (after first having drained the oil) there are quite a few bits that can fall out of position, do the dismantling in a clean enviorement as they are precission devices.

Digger6135

 

[Maker]

I unbolted the distance piece from the variator and hammered it enough to get a pry bar in the gap, then pried it further off but it's still attached to the shaft. I stood it on its end with the shaft facing up, unbolted the front plate, and took it all apart. Three nice shiny balls, two cones, two weird thrust bearing looking things and just general ground, hardened loveliness.

And I did it in far from a clean environment with far from clean hands.

Pictures to follow.

Oh, and I can't get it back together.

 

[Digger6135]

I unbolted the distance piece from the variator and hammered it enough to get a pry bar in the gap, then pried it further off but it's still attached to the shaft. I stood it on its end with the shaft facing up, unbolted the front plate, and took it all apart. Three nice shiny balls, two cones, two weird thrust bearing looking things and just general ground, hardened loveliness.

And I did it in far from a clean environment with far from clean hands.

Pictures to follow.

Oh, and I can't get it back together.

There is certainly a knack! The vairiator I have is possibly the smallest one they make / made, let me know how you get on,

Digger6135

 

[brewdexta]

Brewdexta replaced it with a new 2 HP motor and inverter when he got the lathe but kept it for some reason.

I kept it because the company I bought it off where still using it just before I bough the lathe so it worked, I don't know if it was noisy as a bag of spanners or as quiet as a church mouse though. They had disconnected it because they were moving into bigger premises and had a shinier lathe at the new place.

I couldn't see how to use an inverter on the motor without digging into the windings as it was fixed in star configuration with no way of changing it to delta, and a new 2HP motor wasn't much so out it came. I thought if I kept it somebody might want to restore it the way it was, that's why I kept the speed adjustment too.

Also it could prove to be good ballast for the mother-in-law