Greetings!
I have recently made a purchase of a Universal III press and am currently ironing out shipping. The sole wrinkle in getting this press into my studio is that the carriage is too wide for a few interior doors (this is a old home) by three inches. My two options are to keep said press in the garage, potentially for a few seasons (which is in itself less than ideal) until I can install a new exterior door directly into the studio to accommodate the Vandy, or to remove the carriage for shipping and installation. How fraught-with-potential-disaster is option B? I assume I would need to mark the cylinder gear position as it is removed for reference so that the grippers line up properly once I put the carriage back on. I assume that this is not that cut-and-dry.
Any advice would be deeply appreciated.
The shims are made of very thin Mylar with holes for the screws to pass through. After loosening screws, use an extension magnate to lift them out of their holes. The shims should have some oil residue and may stick to the underside of the racks.
The timing of the cylinder can take a couple of tries, but because of the sectional racks, it can be done after being installed it’s supported by the bed unlike the SP15 and later SP20s, which because they have long one-piece gear racks the cylinder is started at the very end of the bed.
Thank you for your reply!
I am confidant that the removal using a engine hoist will go smoothly as long as the carriage will roll off simply once the bumper blocks are removed (I can take photos to refer to for the re-installation). What I am more concerned with is the procedure for re-timing the cylinder which I have no experience with. The shims under the racks along the bed are to level the racks? Is it possible to mark their position after I remove the racks or do they tend to stick to the underside and fall out?
Thanks for the kind assistance!
Also, remove the hand crank.
You will need to remove the bumper blocks and springs, which are accessed from under the press bed and inside the end of the cabinet. The Universal III carriage is quite heavy. Use an engine hoist to lift the carriage on the end and set on a dolley and blocked in a manner that will not stress the carriage bearings. The cylinder timing can be done after the carriage is reinstalled by removing the end sections of the gear racks. Be careful with any shims under the racks. If DIY is not your thing, you may want to hire an equipment rigger.