Vintage Hobart Model 4112 issues running under load.

[masterbeef]

Hi all,
my brother had picked up an old Hobart 1/2hp, #22, model 4112 from some fella through a classified sale site. Got it home, cleaned it up, lubed the gear box and hooked up a new power cord and added a ground to the case, as it previously did not have a ground. Ran it in his garage and it ran smooth so he assumed all was well.
Had a sausage making event over the weekend and we tried to use that machine to get the initial grind going. Started it up and it ran smooth until meat was fed down through hopper. Upon the auger/housing filling with meat, the motor just plain stopped turning and it just made a humming sound. Had to shut it off as it seemed that there was a popping sound coming from within. I was in different room flushing hog casings, so did not witness the issues. We were using a new blade and plate, so it had nothing to do with them or the auger. Just seemed to not be able to handle the load of meat. Any thoughts as to where to begin to investigate? He had said the brushes looked good when he had it apart, and there was plenty of lube in the gearbox. Plate and knife were also lubed with H1 lube spray. Commutator maybe?

 

[old sarge]

I have no clue but in looking over a parts manual, my first thought was the clutch (who knew it had one?) Here is a link. Good luck!

http://www.whaleyfoodservice.com/EquipmentManualsIntegration/Manuals/HOB1055.pdf

 

[dward51]

Did you check the brushes when you did the other work? They wear down and out. Badly worn brushes will greatly decrease the power of a motor. Bad brushes can also spark, pop and smoke. Pull them and look at their condition. There should be no charring or chipping and the spring holding the tension on the brush should have plenty of spring left in it.

I would also look at the armature commutator, as armature problems can also be related to brush problems (but bad or worn brushes are more common).

 

[masterbeef]

Wow! An actual parts manual!! That is awesome.
Yeah he had checked the brushes when he had it apart after first purchasing, and said they were fine. I was thinking along the lines of electrical issue, but when old sarge mentioned clutch, I am thinking that is another thing to look at.
When that one stopped working, we switched over to my Enterprise 2622 and that thing worked flawlessly. Ended up making just over 700lbs of sausage, so it was a long day. Combination of Polish, Mild Italian, Fresh Chorizo and Farmers.
He took it home with him and plans to investigate the issue.

 

[old sarge]

masterbeef - Good to know the manual helped. I mentioned clutch since you indicated it ran fine until under load. So I thought something might be slipping or not fully engaging. Dave

 

[bluewhisper]

I would guess that:

The clutch is a designed weak point to protect the motor in case of jamming
The clutch has either become worn from over-use, or
The clutch may be contaminated with oil and is slipping too easily