Leakey Blower

[mcraigl]

Mine was real easy to take apart. However, I've been told that the bolts are "special"... In other words take great pains not to damage them 'cause if you break one off, you will end up drilling and tapping for new bolts. The only other gotcha is to make sure you don't have any nasty burrs on the input shaft so that you don't bugger up the case or brass bearing that it goes through when you pull the shaft. It required a puller to get the fan off mine, but it was simple to make one. Drilled a 3/4" hole through a piece of 1/4" x 2" x 4" plate, then cut out the web on one side so it is "c" shaped and I could slip it behind the fan. I then drilled a couple of appropriately spaced holes and tapped for 3/8" bolts and voila, fan puller. I did a little looking into it, and your is either a slightly older or newer vintage than mine. Mine has little brass caps on the end of where the fan and gear shafts come through the housing whereas yours has plugs. I think the one Mike-hr has/had looked like yours. One of ours had a patent date somewhere, and one of ours has "pat. app'd for" or something like that one we were thinking the "pat. app'd for" one was probably a little bit older. When I re-assembled, I coated the shaft ends with moly grease, then just the non-detergent 30. I think 90 is way overkill since I intentionally NEVER apply more than slight torque. I don't think the oil film is under much pressure as opposed to the rear end in your truck or something. Plus it's colder'n a well digger's @$$ here right now and you'd never be able to turn the thing. YMMV. I'll pose up a pic when I get home of my Western Cheif.

[Ron Hicks]

So Ill need to pull the fan off also - cant just take the crank side off ?

I guess it would be better to take it all apart - I did want to clean it up and
paint.

What kind of bearings in it- anything like the Champion with the old races with steel balls?
I learned the hard way on a Champion I reused the pitted balls and broke a race. I need to get an old junker for parts.
Get a picture I would like to see it.
Thanks again
Ron

[mcraigl]

Ron,
I can't remember if I "had" to take the fan off or not. My unit was pretty crusty with old congealed oil etc. and I wanted to wire brush every inch of the outside and degrease the entire inside so I took 'er down to the smallest part. No ball bearings in mine, just brass bushing type bearings. Here's a couple of pix of mine. Sorry they're not the best, it's dark and cold.

ML

[Ron Hicks]

Thanks
Lookin at the side by side for sure different castings. I havent the oilers like on yours. Im sure different year models.
I see yours has had the crank handle replaced also - bet it would be hard to find one.
Thanks for the photos & all
the Good Help
Ron

[mcraigl]

Yea, Mike-hr and I built a new handle for it. The handle that was on it when I got it wasn't original and did work very well. Good luck with it.
McR

[Ron Hicks]

McR
Look on the net trin to find out a bit more
I guess Canedy Otto made things up into the 1950,s
Also found one for sale on an ebay store a bargin for onl $800.00 I think it must have Golden fan or something it had a home made handle also.
I think I found a picture of one thats all there with the crank
[IMG][/IMG]
Thats my next project , think I have enough Farmall Red to purdy it up with.
maikn a dirty pig dance
Thanks Loads
Ron

[Nick]

$800?! I got mine off eBay for $40, and the guy threw in a decent firepot with it.

I did have to take the fan off to get the whole thing apart, which was a chore because a couple of the bolts holding the fan casing together had rusted shut. I ended up replacing them all.

Mine's got the original crank, but the counterweight has been cut off and the crank welded into the piece that attaches to the arbor. I've been thinking about forging a new counterweight and welding it on, but it's not high on my to-do list.

[Jacob]

A friend of mine has an old blower that I took apart. Something had fallen into the gearbox and one of the gears got ripped up pretty good. At the time I thought it was a wooden gear, but I'd believe pressed fiber. Are these things pretty much junk when the fiber gear dies?