Discussion Category:  Vacuum Pumps

Repair of bearing

Are there instructions for the replacement of the XDS10 bearings front and rear?

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Asked by

mmmdodge
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Knuckles

You and me both, chum. You'll need a thin socket wrench to start looking, I know that much...Anyone else think the XDS range is designed for bearing failure?

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mmmdodge

The Tips seals are easy but I do not know if the top screw is left or right handed and do not want to strip it out.

Manuals or instructions from Edwards would be very helpful.

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N8

I think the XDS35 line has even more bearing problems than the 5 and 10. Expose them to even the slightest amount of heat over a generous amount of time and the bearing will be cooked.

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Knuckles

That's interesting. I've just temporarily replaced a 10 (which seized) with a 5. The 5 runs noticeably cooler - the 10 must have been around 80 deg at the motor casing. Presumably the 35 runs hotter still (winding volume/surface area and all that).  Edwards' latest range has been completely redesigned, with a conventional axial-gap motor and more bearings, so I guess the pancake motor arrangement *was* a failure.

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N8

Yes, there are much more problems with the XDS series than Edwards would like to admit. I had some 35's that were clocked at 90+ degrees fahrenheit. Also, we ordered over 100 of them to replace the oil pumps on mass specs and there has been an alarmingly high failure rate. 

 

You're right, the new nXDS series is much much better. Besides looking like something out of Star Wars, they run much cooler and have a lot of nice features like autoranging voltage and the ability to change the frequency right on the pump itself (an up/down arrow). We've had a demo version running on an Agilent mass spec for just about a year now and its still as quiet as when we got it. Also, the pressure is impecable. 

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howard2012

Edwards recent policy on service of their products is to tell the customer nothing. They have service centers around the world and want to keep them busy. My understanding is that there are special tools needed which they have for assembly at the factory but will never show the customer. I have RV service tools but have not been able to get any info on the XDS tools. I'm sure the screw referred to earlier would be a normal right hand thread, but metric of course. Howard

 

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Knuckles

In the event we replaced the 10 with a Varian Triscroll. So far, so good. Quiet, better vacuum, cooler.

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N8

I've never really had too many problems with the 5's/10's. It was the XDS35's that gave me fits. The Triscroll is a good option too. What I've learned from all of this is to stay away from the 35's. 

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vactech

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