Sears Suburban antique Electric actuator disassembly

[staninlowerAL]

I'm trying to disassemble this Sears Suburban actuator to determine why the jackscrew, reference #5 does not move when the motor runs/turns the 3 gears on the lower end of the assembly, to include the lower end of the jackscrew which is pinned to the clutch gear,reference #8. Cover tube, reference #6, when screwed into the base, reference #3, allows access to the jackscrew, reference #5 to be rotated/turned by hand from the top so it appears there is some sort of connection that is loose/broken between the top and bottom of reference #5 jackscrew. Hoping for some suggestions/guidance on removing this assembly from the brake assembly, reference #7/housing to see if repairs are possible. At this point I have not been able to remove the cover tube ref. #6 from the base, ref. #3, probably has never been removed in 50 years. Tks for any ideas.

[Jim Becker]

Just guessing, maybe clamp #3 in a vise and use a strap wrench on #6? Put it up toward the top end to avoid collapsing it? Have you been soaking that threaded joint with penetrating oil?

[staninlowerAL]

Tks, Jim. My initial efforts at cleaning/soaking as well as clamping in a vice (I used a pipe wrench instead of a strap wrench on the tube) were unsuccessful. I will try again with the base cover installed since the plate #3 is rather thin and it slipped in the vice when torque was applied to #6. I have also considered removing the clutch gear #8 from the jackshaft and see if the assembly will then slip up through the top and allow inspection of the jackscrew. Probably not today, the weather here is unusually cold/windy for the deep south (more like what you guys get a little farther north), and I'm limited to an open shed for workspace. I will report any success that I have.

[staninlowerAL]

Update on this project: Jim Becker's advice was the key to disassembly, cleaning, soaking, tapping around the tube then holding the base in a vice to unscrew the threaded tube from the base. 1st pic is before investigation, 2nd and 3rd pics are after getting the cover tube removed and freeing up the top anchor point of the jackscrew (the square block at the upper end). Rust was holding the square block so that it could not move. The top end with the hole for attaching the load with a pin was also frozen up with rust. Runs smoothly up and down, have not reassembled/reinstalled it yet but should be OK. Thanks, maybe someone might find this information useful someday.