User hk51 sent me a PM about an oil leak on his Aciera F5, and difficulty in removing the bevel gear carrier from the top of the vertical head. I thought I should reply here in public so that others can benefit.
My F5 vertical head leaks oil, too. It's not a show-stopper, as it is little more than I have seen with a total-loss system like a Bridgeport. I don't see that there is an oil seal, but I have not disassembled the head other than to remove the quill. On the other hand, the vertical head on my F4 has an obvious oil seal and does not leak. I have seen the seal, having disassembled that head to replace the bevel gear bearings damaged by water ingress found when I received that machine. (That damage was repaired 7.5 years ago, and the machine has been just fine ever since.)
Upon studying and comparing the F4 and F5 manuals I see that, for the manuals I have, the F4 and F5 vertical heads are identical. However, the designs are different between the actual F4 and F5 that I have. I believe my F5 is about 10 years older, so there may have been a design change to add an oil seal that is not reflected in the manuals that I have.
I do not recall difficulty disassembling the F4 head, but I did have to turn up a soft aluminum drift to help push the bevel gear carrier out the top from below. The bevel gear carrier has an undercut that hangs up a little on exit. See photos below and in the next post for the F4 disassembly.
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Name: 1-Quill Assembly.jpg
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Name: 2-Head without Quill.jpg
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Name: 4-View from Top after Quill Removal.jpg
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Name: 5-Starting Removal of Bevel Gear Carrier.jpg
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My F5 vertical head leaks oil, too. It's not a show-stopper, as it is little more than I have seen with a total-loss system like a Bridgeport. I don't see that there is an oil seal, but I have not disassembled the head other than to remove the quill. On the other hand, the vertical head on my F4 has an obvious oil seal and does not leak. I have seen the seal, having disassembled that head to replace the bevel gear bearings damaged by water ingress found when I received that machine. (That damage was repaired 7.5 years ago, and the machine has been just fine ever since.)
Upon studying and comparing the F4 and F5 manuals I see that, for the manuals I have, the F4 and F5 vertical heads are identical. However, the designs are different between the actual F4 and F5 that I have. I believe my F5 is about 10 years older, so there may have been a design change to add an oil seal that is not reflected in the manuals that I have.
I do not recall difficulty disassembling the F4 head, but I did have to turn up a soft aluminum drift to help push the bevel gear carrier out the top from below. The bevel gear carrier has an undercut that hangs up a little on exit. See photos below and in the next post for the F4 disassembly.
