Help identifying this sound the machine is making. Calling CW experts ;)

[Ton80]

Good Morning! Last night I was running a project and I kept hearing a sporadic change in the sound the machine was making. I was finally able to catch it on an audio recording in hopes that some of the experts can identify what is happening. Physically, the machine is carving and routing fine. There is some vibration occurring within the flex shaft that goes along with this sound and I can feel it when holding the flex shaft.

I was running a job that was a high priority so I needed to push the machine on. I did give it a rest every time this happened and that allowed the machine to operate normally for long enough to get some more of the project completed. Now, I know this might not have been the smartest thing, but like I said, this was a high priority project so I took my chances.

I initially thought this was the sound of gears wearing but watching the machine carefully I didn't see any problems and the carve turned out perfectly. It seems it's got something to do with either the Flex Shaft and/or the Cut motor. There sounds like there is a small drop in the cut motor RPM associated with this condition. I will pull the flex shaft core when I get home today and inspect it for any signs of wear but apart from that, I don't really know what else to look at.

The audio file is hosted on my dropbox so if this link doesn't work PM me and I'll email it to you. It's about :30 long and right at :10 in is where you will hear the sound associated with the problem. Any thoughts on this?

http://db.tt/ADXaawid

Thanks
Ton80/John

[chebytrk]

Flexshaft.......
Need to check it.

[chief2007]

I agree - check the flex shaft - Look at it closely, most likely you will find where it has deformed and started to loosen. How many hours are on it?

I had one I caught just before it fail - make close to the same noise.

If you have close to 250 hours I would suggest changing the brushes on the a/c motor as well.

[henry1]

Deffinatly your flexshaft you need to lube it ,if you didn't you better

[Ton80]

I will pull the flex shaft tonight and inspect. Any suggestions on where to specifically look for signs of wear? There are roughly 170 hours of carve time on the machine so it's probably a little early for brushes but it is an item I will look at and probably order anyway to have on hand.

The flex shaft was lubed last year and runs very cool but prior to that it was fairly hit too touch so maybe those months of hot running excelerated the wearing of the flex shaft.

[Kenm810]

The Flex Shaft is a good wager, -- I would also check for a wobbling bit or carving head,
mine sounded something like that the last time the lower metal corrugated bearing tolerance ring
dropped out in the middle of a project.

[chief2007]

Look towards the ends, as well as along the body - when mine went it look as though it was trying to unwind, thus loosen the the twist of the flex shaft. Had signs at one of the ends plus an area about mid way on the shaft - you have to look pretty closely at it or you will miss it.

If I remember right , the flex shaft with the housing is about $75 plus tax (if applicable) and shipping so if you need any spares get them when you make your order to save on shipping cost.

[lynnfrwd]

Here is a test for your flexshaft core - Grab the core at each end with your fingers, pull taunt, and twist. A good flexshaft will have little rotational movement (<90 degree of rotation).

[Ton80]

Ok, took the core out tonight and I'm thinking it needs to be replaced based on your comments, Connie. Attached is another link to a video of the core so someone can verify. I've not tested the core like this in the past so I have no reference.

http://db.tt/zb6qM6xH

[bergerud]

If you only think it is the flex shaft, I bet it is not. From the sound of your machine, the flex shaft and silencing spring would have to be in really bad shape. I hear the motor drop in rpm when the sound occurs. To me, this means either the motor loosing power or it is under a large load. I would look at the bearings in the spindle first. Maybe the top bearing is dry and vibrating. If the spindle bearings are ok, then, I would suspect something wrong in the motor.

[AskBud]

If you only think it is the flex shaft, I bet it is not. From the sound of your machine, the flex shaft and silencing spring would have to be in really bad shape. I hear the motor drop in rpm when the sound occurs. To me, this means either the motor loosing power or it is under a large load. I would look at the bearings in the spindle first. Maybe the top bearing is dry and vibrating. If the spindle bearings are ok, then, I would suspect something wrong in the motor.The spindle bearings in the truck are a sealed unit, and should have no lubricant added. Excess lube on the Flex may run into the top hat causing seepage into the bearing area, which could damage the spindle bearings (thus, a possibility for the noise).
We do not know what bit was being used at the time of the noise. It might be best to see the MPC and a picture showing where the bit was when the noise occurred. We need both. Too bad you did not take a video rather than just the audio.
AskBud

[Ton80]

50335There were two bits in use, the 1/16" carve and the 90V. I am attaching the MPC file but I don't see anything out of the norm with this project that would have caused a heavy load. There was no particular point where the machine was making that sound. At first it would make the sound maybe every few minutes after running for about 45 minutes but it would only make it for a second or two which made it hard to track down. It wasn't until I neared the end of the project ( about 2 hours in ) that the noise started to last like you heard in the recording. I will go snap a picture and post it from my phone of the project board.

I'll look for info on maintenance section of the website and try to dig a little deeper. Hopefully I will get home in time to call LHR before closing today and do some troubleshooting.

The flexshaft twist I posted, does that look about normal or just slightly more than normal?

[Ton80]

*edit: it looks like an older picture is also attached and I don't know how that happened. Must have been something with Tapatalk. The two photos of the Coast Guard project are the ones you want to look at. */edit

Here are two pictures. The sound was heard several times along the bottom half of the pattern. It was also heard during the centerline carve of the text.

[AskBud]

*edit: it looks like an older picture is also attached and I don't know how that happened. Must have been something with Tapatalk. The two photos of the Coast Guard project are the ones you want to look at. */edit

Here are two pictures. The sound was heard several times along the bottom half of the pattern. It was also heard during the centerline carve of the text.Your first picture (the one that is bright orange) appears to be a different carve, as I see no rope. It also looks rough as if it had a dull bit or a flex shaft (or flex connection) problem. I do see where the bit seem to have changed depth (see the line) on the right (I'm not sure what caused that issue). The centerline text does not appear too deep, so if that bit is sharp (which it appears), I say the flex may be your problem.
AskBud

[chief2007]

@ Ton80, That is correct - needs to be replaced - Connie had me do that same when my flexshaft was bad

I would replace the entire assembly, shaft, spring, and cover. Then no worries on that assembly. watch the new flexshaft temps. if it doesn't cool down after a couple of carvings, lube it.

Also do as AskBud stated - check for any excess lube in the truck you don't want to miss anything.

[lynnfrwd]

There should be no need to lube the replacement flexshaft from us. We are lubing them in-house now to make sure you don't have an overheating issue. If it starts to overheat within the first 10 to 15 minutes, then check your installation.

[Ton80]

@Bud, yeah that first picture was a different carve and was posted to another thread. The Tapatalk app for the iPhone seems to have attached it

My bit is sharp and I clean them every few carves.

[Ton80]

Well I just ordered the whole flex shaft assembly and will spend the next 3-5 days just double checking the machine since I won't be using it. Hoping this is the cure and will post back results once the new one has been installed.

Thanks
John

[bergerud]

I do not know why you all think a bad flex is the cause. I cannot imagine it making such a noise and creating such a drag torque unless the spring and flex were totally destroyed. After listening again to the sound, I notice that the noise persisted even as the motor spun down. This leads me to continue suggesting that the problem may be the top spindle bearing. The truck is not a "sealed" , unserviceable unit. It is easy to check the top bearing and even to repack it with grease if it is dry. I would take off the top hat and inspect that bearing.

[dbfletcher]

I do not know why you all think a bad flex is the cause. I cannot imagine it making such a noise and creating such a drag torque unless the spring and flex were totally destroyed. After listening again to the sound, I notice that the noise persisted even as the motor spun down. This leads me to continue suggesting that the problem may be the top spindle bearing. The truck is not a "sealed" , unserviceable unit. It is easy to check the top bearing and even to repack it with grease if it is dry. I would take off the top hat and inspect that bearing.

Unless LHR has changed things, the top spindle bearing used to be a Ceramic High Speed bearing. Any type of lubrication would destroy the bearing/races in short order.

[bergerud]

The bearings are not ceramic. The top bearing is 6000 2DU and the bottom bearing is 6001 2V. These are standard steel bearings. LHR, PLEASE, correct me if I am wrong but I believe there have never been any ceramic spindle bearings. Please confirm that the A,B and C machines all have steel bearings. Please.

[lynnfrwd]

I've got a hardware tech looking into this thread to get their take on it all.

Connie

[bjbethke]

Well I just ordered the whole flex shaft assembly and will spend the next 3-5 days just double checking the machine since I won't be using it. Hoping this is the cure and will post back results once the new one has been installed.

Thanks
John
You might want to check your front motor bearing, I had one come apart about a year ago. there is a post about that. It was carving OK but some times it made odd noises like that. It's easy to check. I rebuilt the motor. Easy to fix.

[crawls]

The sound is the flexshaft core decoupling/coupling at a high rate from either the spindle or cut motor, more likely the cut motor. As the flexshaft warms up, the sheath gets a little longer allowing the core to float far enough to one side to disengage. There are a couple of causes; 1) one of the sheath ends came loose 2) the sheath has lengthened over time due to heat cycling 3) the core is getting hotter because it's worn out. For whatever reason, with 170 hrs the machine is due for a replacement flexshaft.

All bearings on the machine are steel. The only difference being the cut motor and spindle bearings have nylon cages instead of steel cages for a higher speed rating. Plus the front cut motor bearing and top spindle bearings have double seals to combat over-lubing.

Chris

[dbfletcher]

Chris,

Thanks for clearing the ceramic/steel confusion up. Not sure where that first started... but I guess I'm guilty of hearing one of the senor senor members state that and just regurgitating the info as if it were gospel with out really doing due diligence.

[bergerud]

Thank you Chris. If I recall it was ****** who originally mentioned ceramic bearings because he thought he remembered one of the LHR engineers saying that they were ceramic. From that, came many mentions of ceramic bearings in posts. It is nice to finally put it to bed. Thanks again for the info Chris.

I hope the new flex fixes your problem Ton80.

[cnsranch]

with 170 hrs the machine is due for a replacement flexshaft.Chris

Are you saying that the flexshaft has a life of 170 hours?

[lynnfrwd]

Are you saying that the flexshaft has a life of 170 hours?

I don't think he is saying anything that should be carved in stone (or wood)!

[gapdev]

Check the Video he posted of his Flexshaft Core. It, without a doubt, needs to be replaced.

When my Flexshaft was vibrating, it made a similar noise.

Kenny

[chief2007]

Agree that there is no set lifespan on the flexshaft, it boils done to how much it is used, what you are carving, and proper maintenance and lubrication.

When I lost my flexshaft it was from a machine I purchase used, didn't know the history as it was from an estate sale. No problems whatsoever from my replacement flexshaft from LHR.

[bergerud]

I could not watch the video at home but I just watched it at work. The first thing I noticed is that Ton80 appeared to twist the flex the wrong way. The flex cable is unidirectional; it is made to take a torque load only in one direction. The direction which tightens the windings, not the direction which unwinds it. I would not think that the amount flex in the unwinding direction could mean too much. How much twist is there in the clockwise direction?

I tested my two flex shafts. I have a new one and one with over 500 hours. They both flexed about 90 degrees in the clockwise direction. The new one would not hardly flex at all in the counterclockwise direction while the old (still good!) cable flexed just like in Ton80's video.

I hope the new flex fixes the problem, but, I do not think it will. Sorry Chris, but I cannot buy the flex disconnecting theory. The problem is causing a load on the motor. If something was slipping, the rpm would go up not down and the carving would show it. What ever is causing the vibration is consuming significant horse power. If the flex was vibrating and consuming that kind of power, I would think that the silencing spring would be destroyed.

I still have to go with the spindle bearing.

[Ton80]

Wow, I missed our on a lot of action today since my last post.

@Bergerud, in that video i may have twisted in the opposite direction it would spin within the shaft, it did have that same amount of twist in the opposite direction. I will also check out the bearings as you suggested. Though I have to admit I'm not sure exactly what signs of wear or non-wear I would be specifically looking for. There doesn't seem to be any documentation specific to maintenance of this part but would I be correct that under Part#141 on Page 8 of the Exploded Part Listing is where i want to look? I'll look up BJbethke's thread also as a reference.


I don't know who Chris is but I'm assuming he is the LHR Tech that Connie asked to view this thread? Sounds like he agrees the flex shaft needs to be replaced if I read his message correctly. I'm guessing that determination was made based on the audio file and the video file I posted.



My machine has actually been used for probably 80-90% Vcarves over it's lifespan so far. I have only recently started working more with patterns and the 1/16" carving bit. One thing I notice is that the patterns are easier on the flex shaft and the motor. I did have issues with the flex shaft heating up pretty hot last year and I pulled it and lubed it being very careful to wipe all the excess lube off the shaft after it soaked. It took me a while though to determine if "too hot" for my touch was the same as what LHR meant in their documentation at that time. I have seen they recently removed any grey areas on making that determination by supplying actual numbers to base this on. So it could be the the 170+ hours were harder on my flex shaft than most users that work primarily with patterns.

Thanks to all for your continued help on this.

[lynnfrwd]

See this post for photos of excess lubrication in bearings.

http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?p=161494



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lynnfrwd]

Never mind thread is long and I thought it would take directly to the post. It doesn't.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bergerud]

Yes Ton80, the bearing is under the Flexshaft Pivot Assembly #141. I would test the shaft for any play. It should have none. There is always a little play between the inner and outer race of a bearing but there is a wave washer under the top bearing that is supposed to push up the outer race of the top bearing and take up any play that both spindle bearings have. If the bearing does seems bad (discolored, metal dust, melted seal, etc.), you could continue to investigate. Remove the spring clip and carefully pop off the bearing seal with a dental pick. My hope is that you will find there is no grease. If this is the case, for sake of trouble shooting, you could grease it, reassemble and give it a try.

If, on the other hand, the shaft has no play and the bearing looks normal then, I am probably wrong about the bearing. I would check the motor next.

(I assume that you did take out and check the silencing spring which is between the the flex shaft and sheath. Right? It is the assumed good condition of that spring which leads me to eliminate the flex shaft as the cause.)

[mathman]

Never mind thread is long and I thought it would take directly to the post. It doesn't.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This the one you meant?

http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?18901-vibrating-flex-shaft&p=161494#post161494
(http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?18901-vibrating-flex-shaft&p=161494#post161494)
David

[Ton80]

Never mind thread is long and I thought it would take directly to the post. It doesn't.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No worries ! I actually spent last night and this morning reading that novel ;) I did see your pictures and will use them as a reference. Thanks.


@Bergerud. Will do! I'll post pictures of what I find when I do investigate the spring and bearings. At the time I pulled the shaft, I did not pull the spring out because I was a little nervous I might not get it back in properly.

[gapdev]

The flex cable is unidirectional; it is made to take a torque load only in one direction. The direction which tightens the windings, not the direction which unwinds it.

If this is true then the core should only go in the sheath in one direction?

I was told by Tech Support to reverse the core and that it did not matter which direction it goes into the sheath.

We need some clarification.

Kenny

[gregsolano]

I had the same thought, should we be taking care of which end goes in which way when removing flex shaft? I never have.

[lynnfrwd]

My understanding is it doesn't matter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bergerud]

It does not really matter. It is the same as bolt threads. A right handed bolt is still right handed if you flip it over! I do flip mine each time I lube it just to even out the wear.

I think the "twist" test only makes sense if you twist it in the tightening direction. Maybe the engineers should think about that.

[dcalvin4]

How about using a mechanics stethiscope to locate sound closer
denny

[AskBud]

How about using a mechanics stethiscope to locate sound closer
dennyThat's a good idea Denny! if his new Flex does not get rid of the problem, it will help as he will need to isolate the source. Plastic tubing could be a substitute.
AskBud

[dcalvin4]

My cousin is a mechanic an sometimes uses a screwdriver
denny

[Kenm810]

Ya - I remember that from automotive class way back in High School,the instructor
used to rib us about being careful which end of the Screwdriver we stuck in our ear.


We've come a long way since back then. :wink:

[Capt Bruce]

I've found the tubing idea has advantages over the screwdriver (used both over the years) in that it takes your ears further away from all the competing noises and vibration going on. Just for what it's worth.

[Ton80]

http://img.tapatalk.com/ad34d93e-b69a-a163.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/ad34d93e-b0a8-6532.jpg

Still haven't gotten the flex shaft but I inspected the inner spring which looked fine to be. No wear visible. Inspect the flex shaft again and did note that twisting on the direction of the wind the shaft was stiffer but it still rotates about 90 degree in direction opposite the wind. Took off the top hat and just snapped a picture of what I have. Does this appear like I should proceed further or is this a normal appearance? I would think wiping the parts seem in these pictures with mineral spirits is a good idea.

[lynnfrwd]

50475

Inside is where you can tell. Bearing in truck has too much lubricant. One on the corner is a good bearing.

Lynn

[bergerud]

That looks bad. Does it spin smoothly? Is there any side play? I would keep digging. Take off the clip and pop off the seal. If the grease is gone, I would grease it, put it back together and, for the sake of trouble shooting, carve something. If it is the bearing, you will, of course, need a new bearing.

Edit: that square flex shaft hole does not look square in the picture. Is it ok?

[lynnfrwd]

I don't believe you should be greasing your bearing.

The good bearing is the clean bearing. The other one has excess lubricant that has run down into it from the flexshaft and made it bad.

[bergerud]

Connie, these are greased, sealed bearings. Bearings are always greased. The flex lube problem is that the grease gets washed out. Bearings which loose their grease vibrate, squeal, and shutter. Re packing bearings with grease is something done all the time. In this case, the bearing has probably been damaged by the shuttering and should be replaced. The greasing is really only to confirm that the bearing was the cause of the problem. If it was the cause, it should work fine after it is re greased.

Look closly at your picture. There be grease in that good bearing.

[Ton80]

That looks bad. Does it spin smoothly? Is there any side play? I would keep digging. Take off the clip and pop off the seal. If the grease is gone, I would grease it, put it back together and, for the sake of trouble shooting, carve something. If it is the bearing, you will, of course, need a new bearing.

Edit: that square flex shaft hole does not look square in the picture. Is it ok?

I will have to wait until tomorrow to pop the spring clip. Don't have anything around to remove it without worrying about the clip going AWOL. The hole is actually square. Tough to see it in my pictures but it's definitely square. There is no movement or sloppiness at all in the spindle or the truck.

[Digitalwoodshop]

I am going to Join "Team NO Grease Bearings", especially the High Speed Spindle Bearings.... But LHR is really the Expert on this topic... I would ask Connie to confirm with Engineering and let US Know....

And that Square Hole looks BAD..... The Trick is to stick the Flex inside and hand turn it.... Does it Click, Jam, Wobble, or Just Plain Spin inside... Don't go TOO Deep.... Just the normal depth...

At this time I would just get a new Truck..... Between the damage to the Square Hole and the Bearings.... I am VERY FRUGAL.... But even I would go with a new Truck at this point... Only because you are dealing with the HIGH SPEED....

Make sure you get the 2 roller Bearings and Screws.

Good Luck,

AL

[bergerud]

Al, the bearings in the truck are standard steel bearings. NSK 6000DDU on top (same as in the motor) and NSK 6002VV on the bottom. They are packed with grease like all sealed bearings we have ever seen. There have been misconceptions posted many times on the forum about these spindle bearings. Some have said ceramic, some have said no grease. It is all wrong. Just regular bearings. The only thing a little special is the VV on the bottom bearing. The VV means that both seals are non contact seals (for high rpm). The bottom VV bearing is actually packed with even more grease which I assume is because the non contact seal is not as good.

Failure of the top bearing caused by flex lube would have to be because the grease gets washed out.

Ton80: The new firmware feature in release 1.181 will allow you to spin up the cut motor without having to carve something. (You may be able to use this feature to listen for where the vibration is coming from if you put the flex back in.)

[lynnfrwd]

The direct for "team no grease" came from the mouth of the head engineer. I have asked him to look into this thread. He said it would do more harm than good to grease the bearing.

The cut motor feature really needs to be done with the assistance of a hardware tech at least until we all learn more about it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bergerud]

I must admit, I have a hard time understanding the things that happen on this forum. My suggestion to grease the bearing was to trouble shoot the problem, not to fix it. If after taking off the seal and discovering that the bearing was damaged or had no grease, grease it and test to see if the vibration changes. That way you will know for sure that the bearing was the problem. Of course it may cause more harm than good to grease a good greased bearing. The assumption is that we find a bearing that needs grease. The head engineer's opinion is based on a probability that the bearing is good. Al's opinion was based on thinking that there is not supposed to be any grease in the bearing at all.

The facts have now been significantly distorted to the point that others reading this thread will think that the spindle bearings are not supposed to have grease in them!! It is not enough to simply have opinions. Things have to be explained and make sense. I am an educator. I try very hard to explain why I think the things I do. I am always ready to be proven wrong. There is much misinformation on this forum and I think we all have to try harder to be accurate.

Ton80 has bought a new flex shaft because of what members have said in this thread. I may be wrong but I do not think there is anything wrong with his flex. After seeing his video, I pulled out both of my flex shafts and tested them. After noting that he flexed it the wrong way and that my older shaft behaved the same as his, I concluded that his flex was probably alright. I try to do research and experiments before I speak. I really want to be right. I did not suggest for him to use the new user test procedure without first testing it myself.

Maybe I expect too much from some machine owners. I would suggest that one changes his own bearings when I probably should be telling them to send the machine in to get repaired. I am sorry, but that is the way I think. I do not assume that everyone is incompetent.

[Ton80]

I will insert the flex shaft into the Square insert and test it advised by AL. Back in my original post I mentioned that even when this sound was heard there was no apparent change to the carve quality which to me seems to indicate no problems with the spindle or truck components ( yet ). I'm just guessing and speaking out loud here. I'll take some high res pictures using macro mode when I get home so you can see a more accurate view of the square spindle insert and then video the shaft inserted while turning the spindle.

That sound was also sporadic and initially would only last for a second or so. As that particular job ran when the sound started to last longer to the point that you here in the audio recording, but still sporadic and it would only happen after the machine ran for a period of time. I will run a test carve so I can attempt to better track down the source of the noise and report that back to this thread.

[bergerud]

If you see a nice square hole in the spindle end, it is probably alright. The picture just looked bad. I think the top bearing is still the prime suspect. If you are not happy with popping off the seal from the bearing and looking inside, you could consider my suggestion to use the new "user test" feature in the 1.181 firmware. All I see it does is put the carriage in the middle (load bit position) and spin up the motor. The motor spins until you press a button. The usefulness of this is that the truck does not move, the motor, flex, and spindle just spin. You can use the screw driver-to-ear listening technique which was suggested earlier in this thread.

(You use this at your own risk since LHR does not recommend using the new feature without tech support. Press 0-8-4. The LCD will ask you to insert a board and remove the bit. To be safe with the CT or Rock, make sure that allen bolt is tight even though there is no bit.)

I know you think the machine has to be under load or warmed up for the vibration to occur. I am sure that is true. If a bearing is bad, however, you will hear some nasty stuff through the screw driver. The other spot you may want to listen to is near the front motor bearing where the flex connects.

[lynnfrwd]

The instructions on how the test work is now posted under SUPPORT > MAINTENANCE > SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS.

Again, these tools are meant to assist the customer in pinpointing the issue over the phone with a hardware technician. Do not hesitate to call us, if you need assistance.

[Ton80]

Well the new flex shaft assembly arrived today. First thing I noticed right away is the new shaft is MUCH harder to twist. As a matter of fact there is barely any twist at all. Very noticeable difference to the original one with 170+ hours of time. I still plan on running the test utilizing the new firmware and screwdriver. In the middle of staining 2 cabinets at the moment so it might take me till the weekend to get to this.

Just a comment on the way the flex shaft was shipped. Both ends of the sheath were wrapped in plastic bags but both ends had holes in the bag and the flex shaft slid out and before I could catch it, the end hit the basement floor and now I have to clean off the particles that stuck to it. In the future I think you need to take better care in shipping the units so this can't happen.

[signman9999]

Ton
you will want to check the flex shaft and make sure it is lubed.

[lynnfrwd]

It should be lubed. We are doing them in-house for now to make certain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ton80]

I had a chance to clean up the top of the truck tonight and snapped a better picture which should show that the insert for the flex shaft is a nice square. Inserting the tip of the flex shaft and rotating it by and revealed nothing abnormal. The shaft fit tight and holding the spindle while twisting the flex shaft left and right, I noted no looseness at all. I wiped the grime away with a cloth lightly dampened with mineral spirits so it is nice and clean unlike this picture.

50537

I'm going to download the new firmware tonight and hope to run a test tomorrow using the new testing function. Figure I am going to start the test with the original flex shaft until I hear the noise. At that point I am going to swap out the old flex and insert the new one and run the test again.

[Ton80]

Installed the new flex shaft tonight and bypassed testing out the old one. There was such a difference between the rigidness of the two I have to believe that was the problem. I have been running a job and standing here the entire time and so far everything is normal. Flex shaft is staying cool and any abnormal noises are gone. Keeping fingers crossed ;)