Viceroy Sharpedge gearbox and platter assembly

[DavidB]

I've been asked to repair a Viceroy Sharpedge where the spindle seems to have come loose and rocks from side to side and was wondering if any section drawings of the gearbox and platter assembly are available so I might be able to work out how the assembly is put together. To slightly complicate matters it was converted from a plane blade sharpener to a flat lap for glass with the addition of a steel plate in place of the grinding wheel. The steel plate has been removed, as it was held on with 4 bolts, and what this reveals is a disk about 10" in diameter with an hole in the centre of about 3/8" and I don't know if this platter is original or how it is fixed to the gearbox shaft. Any information would be appreciated.

[Denford Admin]

I've added some more Sharpedge info here:
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=3244

[DavidB]

Many thanks for the prompt reply to my query. Although the PDF listed as 12/16 assembly shows the smaller Sharpedge the first leaflet you posted does have a drawing of the larger machine which I am looking at. From that in can see that the 10" or so plate is not original. If I can assume the larger machine has a LH threaded spindle like the smaller one then maybe this plate will just unscrew so I can remove the gearbox to address any issues it may have. I may be able to give it a try later.

[bradders]

Hi David,

Here at Denford's I keep getting asked, if we can supply the AC Delco diaphragm pump for the Sharpedge, unfortunately we do not have any of these pumps in stock now, is it something you have replaced or come across while you have had your Sharpedge ?

[DavidB]

The Sharpedge is not actually mine but belongs to a local glass blowing school nearby where a friend had it converted about 8 years ago.

The pump was removed after the conversion to the flat lap, the lap is currently used for grinding features on glass pieces such as the bases. Having said that the pump looked to me like a bog standard petrol pump that would have been fitted to many different vehicles so I would have thought an autoparts store would be a good place to try. IIRC it looked very similar to that fitted to my frogeye sprite and you can or could get rebuild kits with a new diaphragm at least. As the AC Delco part number is in the parts list you uploaded earlier that would be a good place to start looking for applications.

A bit of a browse for AC Delco 7990443 doesn't turn up anything. That doesn't really surprise me as it may be an obsolete designation. Nothing turned up on the AC Delco site but it's one of those things where if you give them a ring and get the right person they may be only too willing to help and dig out the information/applications, or in some other cases they don't want to know. Regarding the autoparts store that may not be so good these days as how many cars use mechanical fuel pumps. It would probably have to be a specialist dealing with older vehicles that used them.

[bradders]

David,

I think my old Morris 1000 had one

[DavidB]

Yes that's one of the common BMC applications that occurred to me also. Whether the internals differ any due to the use pumping oil I don't know, the oil would be thicker than petrol and IIRC the lever compresses the spring which pushes on the diaphragm drawing fluid into the pump and when the lever is returned the spring pushes the oil out, so the spring is what generates the fluid pressure and if the item being supplied doesn't need anymore at that moment, like a carb, none is pumped. I've emailed a UK site earlier that listed AC Delco numbers near the one in the parts list but not heard anything back yet, if I do I'll post the information.

Regarding the modified Sharpedge, currently having popped in a short while ago and tried to unscrew it, including with the application of heat, no go. I won't have been helped by the upper platter having a hole in the middle which has probably allowed water into the joint for 8 years. The next attempt will probably to try and dismantle the reduction gearbox in situ and see if the shaft can be removed upwards.

One of these days I'll get back to my Triac conversion to EMC2 the I'll post in the Triac section. The next major step will be to make the stand for it.

[bradders]

David,

Looking through the Sharpedge literature, it mentions an adjustment to the pump, I think this could have been to do with the different viscosities of say petrol and oil, whether this was done with a simple adjustment of a screw etc i am not sure.

[DavidB]

I've now gotten the platter addition off and am wondering if you have any information about how the wheel arbor is fixed onto the Radicon gearbox. Maybe it's pressed in?.

Having largely dismantled the gearbox it was full of an oil, water and silicon carbide slurry. The bearings are toast but the worm and wheel have survived remarkably well. I may be possible to rebuild it but the arbor extension would have to come off. The main catch tank had been allowed to fill up with the grinding grit which flowed into the original catch tray where it built up and made its way into the bearings and gearbox.

There is one on ebay at the moment and it is laikely cheaper to get that and modify it again than repair the current one. The one on ebay is not quite the same though as it appears to have a black plastic (GRP?) top tray, whereas the one I have is cast aluminium. Is the basic assembly the same with a belt driven gearbox or is it more like the smaller one shown in the information you've posted with a combined motor gearbox unit.

Many thanks for all your help so far.

[bradders]

We are not sure about the catch trays being interchangable, all the drawing we can locate have been up loaded on to the forum. Does the link below help you ?

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=3244&p=11719&hilit ... dge#p11719

[DavidB]

I expect they're not interchangeable but the one on ebay would have served as the basis for a new conversion.

Currently I've cleaned the extension shaft above the gearbox and what I thought was rust pitting was actually a hole with a grub screw in it packed with rust and abrasive. I'll remove it later, most likely by drilling it out, and hopefully the gearbox can then be removed and might end up being rebuilt with new bearings and a new extension shaft. We had tried to unscrew the platter but in the end I can see that wasn't going to happen as it had been welded to the shaft.