If you think your impact wrench is not performing to its potential, it might need some maintenance. One of the major reasons why impact wrenches tend to lack durability is inadequate lubrication.
To keep your tool running efficiently and maintain peak performance all the time, you need to know how to oil impact wrench. Otherwise, water contamination and condensation can pose a terrible threat to the tool’s life.
We’ll tell you all about the process of oiling an impact wrench in this article so that it lasts longer and works better.
How to Oil an Impact Wrench?
The whole process of oiling has two parts. First, you need to clean the tool and then oil it.
Part 1: Cleaning
Cleaning the wrench is vital to remove the old oil, filth, and rust. This will help the new oil to work and spread properly all over the tool.
Step 1 – Remove the Rubber Covering
Oiling air tools start with the removal of the rubber jacket on the wrench top. However, some wrenches don’t have this rubber covering.
Step 2 – Black Plating Removal
Then move on to remove a plate at the back of the impact wrench by taking out the nuts. These nuts are attached to the wrench, and you need to use align key for them. Be careful to keep the gasket at the bottom of the plate.
Step 3 – Rod and Bearing Removal
After you take off the black plating, you’ll notice an alignment rod that must also be removed. The same goes for the black bearing as well. However, it won’t come out as easily as the rod. In fact, you might need even need to hammer or punch the tool for the rearing to come out.
Step 4 – Air Motor Removal
Like the earthquake XT, some of the wrenches require the removal of the air motor after you take out the bearing. This air motor is like a propeller motor which is visibly made up of vanes. It needs to be properly cleaned and oiled separately from the wrench.
Step 5 – Remove the Anvil and Hammer
After you’re done with the air side of the wrench next, you have to look at the hammer portions. This is quite simple since you just need to push the anvil and the hammer together from the front. Both of them are attached by a round gasket which has to be unscrewed to take them apart.
Step 6 – Clean
When you’ve taken apart all the parts, start cleaning them with oil. You can use any type of oil or lubricant you want, be it petrol or spirit. Some even suggest using grease. The thing is, you’ll have to think which is more suitable for your air tool parts.
Cleaning these parts with oil removes trash, solidified old oil, and even metal chips stuck in there.
Step 7 – Assembling
We strongly hope you remember the order with which you removed each of the parts because you’ll need it. This step involves reassembling all those parts in reverse order. The task might take some if you’re doing it for the first time. Take it slowly; otherwise, you’ll have to spend a lot of time fixing it.
Part 2: Oiling
Now that the cleaning process is done, oiling starts. Although we’ve mentioned the amount of oil you need to put, it doesn’t have to be that exact amount. You can be as generous as you want since, in the end, you’ll have to drain all that excess oil.
Step 1 – Oil Plug Removal
Remember the align key you used before to remove the black plating? You’ll need it again to take off the nut on the oil plug. The key needs to be of 4mm size.
Step 2 – Lubrication
This is where the impact wrench lubrication comes to fruition. You need the right kind of oil to apply to the air motor. You’ll also need motor oil for the rotating hammer mechanism.
The best way to oil is by using a syringe. Find the oil port and insert approximately 29ml or 1 ounce of oil in it. This will lubricate the air impact wrench hammer mechanism.
Now using the same method, insert some 7-8 drops of air tool oil inside the airport of the impact wrench. This way, you can lubricate the air motor and the vanes.
Step 3 – Turn the Tool on
You’ve lubed the major portions of the wrench by yourself, but is it properly distributed all over the tool? Not yet. It is necessary now to turn the tool on, run it for a minute or so. This will make the oil spread evenly and result in a smooth performance. It is also like a warm-up for the machine to work harder.
Step 4 – Excess Oil out
Now that the oil has been distributed evenly, the excess oil needs to be removed. Open the oil plug again and drain all the extra impact wrench oil into a container.
Step 5 – Put on the Rubber Jacket
Now that the lubricating process of the impact wrench is done, you can safely put the rubber jacket back on the wrench.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Extends tool life
- Protects under extreme operating temperatures
- Disperses water
Final Words
Effective maintenance of your tool can always give you the performance you want, and oiling is the most important part of that process. When you know how to oil impact wrench, you can keep it running efficiently for a very long time.
Last update on 2022-01-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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