Kenwood Chef smoking

[JohnD]

I have an older model Chef A901P. It has been lying in a box on its side for at least a year.

I took it out yesterday and noticed a pool of yellow oil in the box. I thought I'd lube the gearbox sometime.

It was in use for 20 minutes or so and blue smoke came out of the top at the utensil end, where the planetary gearbox is. I surmise it has overheated from insufficient lubrication.

Does anyone know how to refill it?

 

[JohnD]

I have since discovered that the smoke was probably due to the motor control circuitry, so I have ordered the parts kit.

But I still need to re-grease the gearbox.

 

[big-all]

i thought they where packed with grease for life ??
you sure its not somthing like cooking oil or some other oil that has invaded the same space by pure coincidence ??

 

[JohnD]

there was quite a lot of it, and after cleaning the machine I found nowhere so much oil could have accumulated from splashes or spills. The mixer was in a plastic storage box with its blades and a shredding attachment, no ingredients or bottle of oil, and on its side. There is a sort of cap on the top of the gearbox for attachments, which feels greasy. If it had been standing upgright in a kitchen, it wouldn't have leaked (assuming it came out of this cap)

Web reports say the food-grade grease can degrade into oil in storage. I don't know why, but this mixer is around 30 years old. It doesn't have the appearance of modern white silicone grease.

Replacement gearbox grease is available as a Kenwood "spare" in tubes or tubs of about 110ml so it can't be too rare. There is a felt pad to catch minor seepage.

 

[big-all]

from memory mine also had an overload button so surprized your one overloaded?
to find the button from memory you raise the body and that exposes the overload button underneath

 

[Burnerman]

It must be going some for a gearbox to smoke
Are you sure its that?
John

 

[JohnD]

I thought at the time it was, but the web tells me there was a weakness in the (very simple) motor control circuit, so I have bought the kit of components (a triac, 2 uprated capacitors and 2 uprated resistors). Knowing I was short of lube made me think that was the cause. I have seen overheating bearings before....

Quite possibly the original capacitors degrade with age, it's a very common repair kit for these models. They are rectangular, not rolled. The circuit maintains motor speeds regardless of load (unless, I suppose, it stalls)

maybe the motor cooling fans blew the smoke up through the casing and out of the end.