jayco Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I've got a rotary selector in my Lincoln 225 AC that is so stiff to turn that I'm almost afraid of breaking it when selecting amperages. The welder works fine otherwise, even though it's 30 years old. The rotary shaft is nylon and there are traces of what was once a lubricant. That's the question, what would be the appropriate lubricant for this application? James Flannery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Give lincoln dealer a call and see if they recommend something....Or put in a new switch,,,you knew it would wear out someday,,,,,just not this soon I bet....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 A lot of the vintage stereo guys use this.DeoxIT - CAIG Laboratories, Inc. Radio shack has it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alabamablacksmith Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 (edited) In any mechanical electric, I always use dielectric grease, like the kind you put in spark plug caps, great water and dirt resistance as well as lubrication, I would use some contact cleaner(available at Radio Shack or Walmart) then apply the dielectric grease to lube. Matt Jackson Edited May 30, 2008 by alabamablacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Jayco, try this, grab onto the selecter nob with your hand, pull it toward you, hard, then swicth positions. I had one and this procedure worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I have the same welder and simply use WD40 once a year. Spray all the contacts and run the dial thru the ranges a few times. The difference will be like night and day after you are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayco Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 For now, I took the easy way out and used the WD40 on the selector switch. It worked! The switch has loosened up nicely and I can change amp settings without problems. Another thing I did while I had the machine apart was to use some sandpaper to clean the contact points at the pivot of the selector switch. The two copper bars (visable in my second welder picture) must be clean to carry current properly. The bars in my welder were pitted and burned. After cleaning and reassembly, I noticed that the old welder was easier to strike an arc with! A definate improvement! Whether this is a 'permanent' repair or not, I cannot tell at this time.....but I'll see. The hardest part in working on these machines is the tiny screws that hold the sheetmetal housing together. Ridiculously hard to get all the holes lined up for reassembly. If you decide to clean or work on one of these things, be sure to disconnect the power first! James Flannery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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