DIY drill gear repair

In detail: do-it-yourself drill gearbox repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

An electric drill is one of the most common household tools. And it's very bad when it suddenly stops working. In such cases, I really want to repair the drill with my own hands.

Image - DIY drill gear repair

Electric drill device diagram.

The design of a drill or hammer drill is quite simple. Different tool models mainly differ only in the difference in the arrangement of parts and the quality of their manufacture. The versatility of the operating principle and structures used allows you to make independent repair of the drill in most cases of malfunctions.

Any electric drill consists of a body, which houses the electrical and mechanical parts, and a chuck, in which the drill is mounted, on the main shaft of the drill. The electrical part usually contains:

  • electric motor;
  • contact brushes fixed in the brush holder;
  • start button (switch);
  • engine speed regulator;
  • reverse device;
  • starting capacitor;
  • power cord (cable).

Diagram of the percussion mechanism of the drill.

In turn, a two-phase AC motor consists of a stator and a rotor (armature) with a collector.

The mechanical part includes a gearbox and a bearing system. The gearbox transfers the rotation of the electric motor to the drill shaft, reducing the rotation speed. A more complex mechanical part in a hammer drill (hammer drill). The hammer drill's reducer provides the percussion-translational and rotational movement of the drill (drill). Its design, in addition to the gear, includes pistons (shock and flying), ram and firing pin.

A malfunction of the electrical part manifests itself in the form of a lack of rotation of the engine, i.e. when there is no indication that the engine is running (hum, vibration, etc.). If the impact drill does not turn on, and the cartridge is easily turned by hand, then we can safely talk about a malfunction of the electrical part. The same can be said if there is no speed control or reverse rotation. An expected malfunction in the electrical part is indicated by sparking during the operation of the drill. Temporary interruptions in the operation of the drill, extraneous noise can also indicate an electrical circuit.

Video (click to play).

Most often, a malfunction in the electrical part is due to wear of the contact brushes. If they are cut by 40%, then sparking and malfunctions can be observed. With more wear on the brushes, the electric motor simply does not turn on. The procedure for determining the culprit of a malfunction in the electrical part is recommended as follows (as available). First, the tester determines the integrity of the cord (cable). Then the operation of the start button (switch) and the integrity of the starting capacitor are checked. Then the contact buttons are removed and checked. Finally, the integrity of the motor windings is determined.

A clear sign of a mechanical problem is a jammed drill shaft. If the cartridge cannot be rotated by hand, and at the same time you can hear the hum of the electric motor when turned on, then the reason lies in the breakdown of the gearbox or bearing. The most common cause of mechanical failure is the failure of thrust bearings. A breakdown of the gearbox can also appear in the case when the chuck is turned by hand and the electric motor is running, and the rotation is not transmitted to the main shaft. A malfunction in the mechanical part can cause periodic malfunctions (temporary stoppages) of the drill, hum, grinding and insufficient shaft rotation speed. In rock drills, a malfunction in the mechanical part can remove the impact movement of the drill.

Finally, a malfunction can manifest itself in the drill chuck. So, it can be difficult to remove the drill when the cams do not open due to breakage in the engagement inside the chuck. Sometimes the malfunction manifests itself in the form of scrolling the chuck relative to the drill shaft. In this case, a malfunction occurs in the area where the chuck is attached to the shaft.

One of the most common causes of malfunction is wear or burning of contact brushes. The first signs of brush wear appear in the form of sparking in the contact area of ​​the brushes with the electric motor armature and minor malfunctions of the drill when the load is increased.

Image - DIY drill gear repair

The location of the contact brushes inside the drill.

Many drill models have simplified access to the brushes, and changing them is not difficult, and some drills require disassembling the body and removing the brush holder. The brushes must be replaced with new ones equal in size to the failed brushes.

They should be firmly attached to the brush holder. The electrical contact of the lead wire must be tightened well. The contact of the brush with the armature collector must be reliable. It is necessary to check the action of the spring.

Failure of an electric motor is the second largest cause of a drill malfunction. This is due to damage to the stator winding or armature. Such damage occurs due to a factory defect in the windings or improper operation of the drill (long-term operation without interruptions, the load in excess of the permissible load when the drill is jammed, etc.). As a rule, electrical breakdown of the winding is easily identified visually or by the characteristic burning smell. If there are no visible manifestations, then the motor windings should be checked with a tester, ohmmeter and megohmmeter for the value of resistance. There may be three types of wire damage - short circuit between turns, breakdown of a turn to the body, or wire breakage. Repair of the stator or armature is not carried out independently.

Image - DIY drill gear repair

Drill motor connection diagram.

To replace the elements of the electric motor, the drill body is disassembled, the contact brushes and lead wires are disconnected, and the electric motor is removed together with the support bearings.

If necessary, retract the drive gear. The faulty element of the electric motor is disconnected and replaced with a new one or the old one is installed after repair (rewinding) by professionals.

The switch (start button) and the rotational speed regulator in the drill are usually combined. The speed is regulated by pressing the button with different efforts. First, you should check the presence of voltage at the input and output terminals of the button. If there is no signal, then carefully remove the button housing and inspect all contacts. As a rule, burning or sticking of contacts is determined visually. All contacts must be thoroughly wiped with alcohol and cleaned with sanding paper. After that, the presence of voltage should be checked again. If there is no signal, the button should be replaced with a new one. The cause may be a violation of electrical contact with the wire. In this case, the wire must be soldered.

Image - DIY drill gear repair

Drill button connection diagram with reverse.

The reverse rotation mechanism is based on a system of make and break contacts. Its prevention is carried out in the same way as the start button. In addition, you should check all the wires of the mechanism going to the brushes and the stator of the electric motor.

The reason for the impossibility of starting the electric motor may be the failure of the starting capacitor. Usually, a non-working condition of a capacitor is noticeable by a color change. But it is more reliable to measure its capacity and compare it with the nominal value.

Checking the electrical part begins with determining the integrity of the power cord (cable) using a tester or ohmmeter.

The resistance between the contacts of the plug is measured (determination of the short circuit of the wires) and the resistance of each core.

A jammed chuck or a grinding noise indicates a failure of the gearbox or bearings.First of all, you should disassemble the drill body and inspect the condition of the gears in the gearbox. The wear of the mounting splines or the destroyed teeth of the gears indicate the failure of the part. This gear must be replaced. The gears are inspected along the entire circumference, smoothly turning the shafts by hand.

The bearings are checked by turning the shaft in them. If the shaft is sluggish, start by lubricating the bearings. If this does not help, then they are removed from the axle using a special puller. The bearing cage is scrolled by hands. If movement is difficult or extraneous sounds are heard, then the bearing should be replaced.

During prolonged use of the drill, the cartridge may fail. Sometimes this manifests itself in the impossibility of removing the drill - the adjusting sleeve does not rotate or, on the contrary, it easily scrolls, and the jaws do not move apart. This indicates wear of the gear joint in the chuck due to metal shavings and dust. In this case, the repair is reduced to replacing the cartridge. The chuck is usually fastened to the shaft with a left-hand thread and is fixed with a screw. The cartridge can be removed by unscrewing the screw and turning the cartridge in the opposite direction with force. In some models of drills, the chuck is installed using a tapered surface in an interference fit. In this case, it must be knocked out with light blows to the end from the side of the drill body.

To repair a drill with your own hands, you need the following tools and devices:

  • pliers;
  • screwdriver;
  • skein;
  • a set of wrenches and socket wrenches;
  • vice;
  • bearing puller;
  • nippers;
  • emery cloth;
  • tester;
  • ohmmeter;
  • megohmmeter;
  • calipers.