How much does gear repair cost compared to buying new?
A quality rebuild typically runs 30-60% of new-unit cost — and skips the 16-30 week factory lead time on industrial units. Small ancillary boxes run $1,000-5,000; heavy mill and oilfield gearboxes $10,000-100,000+. We publish both numbers plus a cash offer for your unit as-is. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
How fast can you turn a repair around?
Standard rebuilds ship in 8-12 business days — typically 2-3 days faster than standard shops — and 24-72 hour emergency service is available with free rush freight both directions. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
What if the unit isn't worth repairing?
We tell you straight, and we're the only shop that makes the alternative easy: we'll buy the failed unit for cash, and can source a tested used or surplus replacement — often faster and cheaper than repair on small frames. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Why does my SEW-Eurodrive brakemotor keep burning up its brake?
Nine times out of ten it's brake air-gap adjustment: if the gap isn't even 360° around, the disc drags, overheats, and burns the coil — a complaint maintenance techs post about constantly. Check the gap with a feeler gauge against the spec plate first. If the brake has already cooked, the motor end usually needs rewind or replacement. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
My SEW gearmotor is leaking oil into the electrical box — is that repairable?
Yes — this is a known failure pattern plant techs report even on units under a year old: the input shaft seal weeps and oil migrates up into the terminal box. The fix is a proper input seal replacement plus cleaning and re-terminating the connections. Far cheaper than the 16-30 week factory replacement lead time. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
SEW replacement lead time is months out — what are my options?
Practitioners describe exactly this trap: units either last forever or fail early, and then the factory quotes a 'ridiculously long' lead time. Your options: our rebuild (8-12 business days), a tested used unit from surplus stock, or an emergency 24-72 hour rush. We give you all three prices in writing. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Why does my SEW motor run slow or hot after swapping it?
Check star vs delta wiring against the terminal plate — mismatched connection on 4-pole motors running on VFDs at 100Hz is the classic mistake discussed in controls forums. If wiring checks out and it still overheats, the gear end may be binding from bearing wear. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Why is my Falk gear drive running hot?
Falk's own service guidance: any drive loaded past ~60% duty runs warm, but a sudden temperature climb means lubrication trouble — wrong viscosity, degraded oil, or a failing bearing adding friction. Pull an oil sample before anything else; bearing metal in the oil means teardown time. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Are old Falk Y-Series units still worth rebuilding?
Absolutely — Y-Series housings are cast iron with generous safety factors, and Rexnord still supports much of the line. A rebuild at 30-60% of new cost typically buys another 15-20 years. If yours is beyond saving, the core still has cash value to us. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
My Falk Quadrive is leaking from the backstop area — serious?
A weeping backstop seal is common on Quadrives in dusty conveyor service. Left alone, oil loss kills the backstop and then the gear set — and a failed backstop on an inclined conveyor is a safety event. Reseal early; it's one of the cheapest repairs we do. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Falk 2050Y1 vs 2060Y2 — can I swap sizes?
Not directly — case sizes differ in shaft height, bolt pattern, and torque rating. But we cross-reference upgrades daily and can machine adapter bases when a bigger case is the right long-term fix. Send both nameplates and we'll spec it. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
My NORD SK unit is leaking from the output seal — repair or replace?
Output seal replacement on UNICASE units is routine — the housing is one piece, so a proper reseal with OEM-spec seals holds. The judgment call is what the oil looks like: clean oil = reseal; glittery oil = bearings are going too, rebuild while it's open. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
NORD gearmotor hums but won't turn — motor or gears?
Uncouple the load first. If the output spins free by hand, suspect the motor or brake (if fitted). If it's locked, a gear or bearing has let go inside — stop jogging it before the housing cracks. Either way it's rebuildable. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Are NORD SK gearmotors worth repairing at small frame sizes?
Below ~2 hp a swap can beat a rebuild — used SK units trade around $200-500. But lead time rules: if the exact ratio/mount is stocked, swap; if it's an odd configuration, an 8-12 day rebuild beats a 20-week factory order. We quote both. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
What's the fastest way to change out a Dodge TA torque-arm reducer?
Millwrights struggle with this constantly: support the reducer's full weight before pulling the taper bushings, use the jack-bolt holes to break the bushings loose (never hammer the shaft), and stage the new unit on the belt tension side. We ship exchange units pre-set to your ratio to cut swap time in half. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
How do I remove a seized Dodge TXT reducer from a mushroomed shaft?
The mining-forum consensus is right: dress the mushroomed shaft end back to size before anything else — the bushing will never pass over a flared end. Penetrant plus a hydraulic pusher beats heat, which ruins bearings. If it's truly welded on, we cut it off and rebuild — the shaft matters more than the old reducer. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
My reducer's torque arm snapped — what caused it?
A snapped torque arm is a symptom, not the disease: belt surge, a seized driven pulley, or wrong arm geometry loading it in bending instead of tension. Replace the arm and the root cause together or it snaps again. We analyze the drive setup with every rebuild. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
What does vibration on a Sumitomo Cyclo mean?
Cycloidal drives have unique vibration signatures — Sumitomo's own analysis shows high-frequency peaks with sidebands typically mean ring-gear rollers or the eccentric bearing are distressed, not the input bearings everyone replaces first. A proper teardown reads the wear pattern. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Sumitomo Cyclo is 40 years old — can anyone still fix it?
Yes — Cyclo 6000-series internals are remarkably standardized, and we rebuild every vintage. The 500% shock rating means the housings almost never die; discs, rollers, and bearings do, and those are all replaceable. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
My Boston Gear 700 series is grinding bronze into the oil — done for?
Bronze glitter means the worm wheel is wearing — normal at end-of-life. The steel worm usually survives; the wheel is the wear part by design. New wheel + bearings + seals is a standard rebuild, often same-week for common ratios. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Winsmith 900 series output shaft has play — how much is too much?
Detectable end play means the tapered output bearings have lost preload; any radial rock means they're gone. Run it that way and the worm set follows. Bearings-and-seals now is a fraction of a full gear-set rebuild later. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
My Marley Geareducer is howling on the tower — bearing or gears?
On cooling towers, a howl that changes with fan pitch is usually the spiral bevel set losing its contact pattern from bearing wear; a steady growl is bearings alone. Either way, catch it before summer peak — tower drives fail exactly when you need them most. Pre-season inspection beats mid-July emergency. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
Lightnin mixer drive is leaking at the output — is my product contaminated?
On top-entry mixers gravity is against you: a failing lower seal drips gear oil toward the vessel. Shut down and check the drain path — Series 70/80 drives have a catch design, but a full reseal is urgent. We rebuild these with food/pharma-grade lubricants where required. Call (641) 519-6270 for a free teardown quote — or sell us the unit as-is for cash.
