Brake Lathe Maintenance Tips  

A brake lathe machine is an essential piece of equipment for repair and tire shops. They not only resurface brake rotors, but they also machine vehicle brake drums. Like any shop equipment, especially those used most often, you need to ensure that it is appropriately maintained so it will function at its best. A properly maintained brake lathe will not only provide an accurate cut, but it will also correctly resurface brake rotors. Most well-maintained brake lathes will last years, if not decades.

Mechanic shops have either on-car lathes (which are reliable and efficient) or off-car lathes, which are also reliable but require removing the rotor from the car. Regardless of which type of brake lathe machine you have in your shop, it’s imperative to keep a consistent maintenance schedule.

Why You Need to Maintain Your Brake Lathe Machines Daily

Your brake lathe is often used for up to seven or eight hours daily. Unfortunately, this kind of daily use can cause an accumulation of metal chips, rust, brake dust, and dirt. So, frequent inspection and daily cleaning are imperative. Without daily cleaning, the metal chips, dirt, brake dust, and rust can build up and harden in your brake lathe machine. Once this happens, the machine can malfunction.

Also, it’s essential to inspect the protective boots covering the spindles and crossfeed mechanisms to avoid cracking or torn parts that allow highly abrasive particles into the lathe. If these particles get into your brake lathe, it can have disastrous consequences.

In addition, you also need to check and clean your brake lathe adapters daily, as dirty adapters can cause a rotor or drum to be improperly mounted. If you don’t clean the adapters, you may accidentally mount a drum or rotor crooked, causing it to be cut unevenly. This mistake will cost you money and time, and you may also have to throw away the miscut rotor or drum. A simple cleaning could prevent this from happening, as keeping the brake lathe parts clean is much easier than accidentally ruining the drum or rotors.

What To Look for During the Maintenance Process

Disconnect the power

Before cleaning or inspecting your brake lathe, it’s essential to disconnect the lathe from the power source and lock all moving parts. It’s also imperative to wear eye protection and protective clothing if you are doing repairs or making adjustments.

Check for missing, damaged, or worn parts

The first step during brake lathe maintenance is to check for missing, damaged, or worn parts, including protective covers or grips. In any of those cases, replacement parts are necessary before using the lathe again. Otherwise, you may risk injury, damage to the machine, or damage to the rotors or drums.

Examine the tool bit

The lathe’s tool bit dramatically impacts the finish of a drum or rotor. A dull tool bit can leave a rough finish, causing poor brake performance, quick brake pad wear, and brake noise. Conversely, a tool bit in good condition will produce a smooth finish on your rotors and drums. If your tool bit is worn down, it’s a good idea to replace it for maximum performance.

Inspect fasteners, covers, and guards

Another essential step is to ensure all fasteners are tightened securely and all covers and guards are in place. A loose fastener could cause significant problems.

Check the brake lathe’s oil level

With the proper amount of oil, your brake lathe will work correctly, avoiding a slowdown in your work day. Therefore, checking your oil level and refilling it as necessary is imperative.

Look at the condition of the silencing devices

Another thing that’s easy to forget is checking the rubber silencing bands on the silencing devices. These rubber bands need to be checked for tears or rips, as the last thing you want to happen during machining is a flying silencing band. Not only can it injure the operator, but it can also damage the lathe. So, replacing the bands is vital if they show any wear and tear.

Examine the safety decals

Ensure any damaged or missing safety decals on your brake lathe are placed. Then, you can order new ones as necessary from the manufacturer.

How to Clean A Brake Lathe Machine

Don’t use compressed air

Cleaning your brake lathe is just as important as inspecting the parts for wear and tear. But first, don’t use compressed air to clean debris or dirt from the brake lathe. While it may seem like an easy solution, you don’t want metal chips flying around the area and getting into machined parts or injuring the shop’s employees.

Clean the outside of the machine

Using a simple degreaser, thoroughly clean the outside of the lathe. Some mechanic shops use WD-40 or its equivalent to protect against rust.

Clean the adapters

It’s also essential to clean the adapters once you remove them from the arbors, especially the inboard adapter. This adapter sometimes has metal chips fall into its opening, causing uneven mounting for the next rotor or drum. Again, using a brush to clean the adapters is the best choice for a thorough cleaning.

Ensure the tool bit holder is clean

The tool bit holder is one thing that mechanics often miss when cleaning their brake lathe. Removing any chips or burrs from the bottom of the tool bit holder and the slot where it’s mounted is essential.

SVI International Has The Parts You Need!

Regardless of your brake lathe manufacturer, SVI International likely has the necessary repair parts to give your lathe a lifetime of machining. We offer nuts, adapters, silencer bands, tool holders, and brake lathe bits from numerous manufacturers. Plus, you’ll be able to receive the parts quickly with our three “Ready Ship” warehouses strategically located across the United States. In addition, we offer same-day shipping, so you can avoid extended downtime and keep your business going! Finally, our same-day shipping is a fraction of the cost of most other automotive equipment repair parts suppliers.

So, let SVI International be your equipment repair parts partner! Our forty years of experience can protect you from downtime, your employees from potential injury, and your customers from an extended return time. So, request a quote from us today – we look forward to hearing from you!

Why You Need a Garage Door Exhaust Port

One of the essential parts of a well-run mechanic shop is the safety of your employees. Employee safety should include proper ventilation or air control, which keeps your mechanics from breathing in contaminants like metal particles or chemical fumes. Because mechanics and body shops use highly flammable materials daily, removing these fumes and gasses from the air is necessary to have clean, breathable air (and reduce your fire risk).

However, if your shop does not have the necessary ventilation, it can affect the health and safety of your employees. With contaminants flying through the air daily, your mechanics will inevitably breathe in the fumes rather than clean, fresh air.

There are different options for ventilating your shop or garage. If you don’t have a fan-assisted system, your next best option is a garage door exhaust port. Exhaust ports allow car fumes to exit the garage, protecting the employees from breathing in harmful contaminants.

Why are Garage Door Exhaust Ports Important?

Any shop with running vehicles, paint sprayers, or other chemicals needs air ventilation. One easy way to provide a safe environment for your mechanics and employees is to install a garage door exhaust port. An exhaust port allows a hose to remove contaminated air and exhaust using a garage pass-through. The exhaust hose rids the vehicle’s fumes from the garage, protecting your employees from harmful exhaust. Vehicle exhaust can be deadly if it is not removed from your garage.

Not only does it remove unwanted and unsafe fumes from your garage space, but the exhaust port also prevents the hose from kinking, which can be a nuisance.

Lastly, a garage door exhaust port helps maintain the temperature in your garage. These exhaust ports are made to fit tightly to keep bad weather, wind drafts, or excessive heat from entering your garage. This tight fit keeps your working environment at a consistent temperature year-round.

Does Your Auto Shop Need a Garage Door Exhaust Port?

 According to OSHA guidelines, it’s critical to ventilate exhaust fumes properly. So, if your garage or shop works on running vehicles or bodywork, you need some way to circulate the air for the safety of your employees. So, if you don’t have a fan-assisted system, you must have a garage door exhaust port.

Without a garage door exhaust port, the fumes from the vehicle or spray paint, or other chemicals can negatively affect your employees’ respiratory systems. However, a properly installed garage door exhaust port allows harmful gasses and fumes to exit the garage without causing any harmful side effects to your mechanics.

Tips On Installing an Exhaust Port

Thankfully, installing a garage door exhaust port is relatively easy, but there are some tips to keep in mind. Usually, an exhaust port kit includes everything you’ll need to install it except for some essential tools like a caulk gun, silicone caulk, screwdriver, drill, and aviation snips.

Find the correct exhaust port for your shop’s needs

Before purchasing a kit, you’ll want to measure your garage door to determine its thickness. Exhaust ports are available in various sizes and diameters, so you must choose the proper measurement.

Purchase the exhaust hose first. You’ll then need to select an exhaust port that snugly fits around the hose. Choosing an exhaust port with the same thickness as your garage door is also essential.

Determine the exhaust port’s placement

There are a couple of things to remember when selecting where the port will go. First, you’ll want the hose to be in a place that won’t be in the way of your workspace or employees. You’ll also want the port mounting location to be a few inches off the ground to avoid rodents like mice or rats.

Mark the location of the mounting holes

To make the drilling easier, mark the mounting holes with a marker. It’s easiest to take the sleeved part of the exhaust port and trace around the outer diameter. You can also mark the other side at this time.

Cut the mounting hole

Cut one side of the mounting hole using sheet or aviation snips. These shears will cut through your garage door’s metal and give a sharp cut. After making the first cut, you can mark the second side and cut. Doing it this way will prevent any mistakes.

Drill the holes

Once you remove the metal sheet, it’s time to drill the screw holes for mounting.

Mount the port

Now it’s time for the final step- mounting the garage door exhaust port! First, insert the sleeved part from the inside garage door with the sleeveless part on the other side. If the screw locations match, it’s time to tighten the screws. You may need your caulk gun at this point, as there may be slight gaps between the port and the garage door. If so, seal the holes with silicone caulk.

And there you go! Once you’ve successfully installed your garage door exhaust port, you can test it to ensure it works. Then you’ll have a much safer and healthier work environment for your employees!

SVI International is the Premier Supplier of Automotive Equipment Parts

If you haven’t already partnered with SVI International for your previous automotive equipment repair parts, such as auto lift, brake lathe, or compressor parts, let us help you with your garage door exhaust port.

 Not only can we help your shop with our Quick Port Garage Door Exhaust System, but we also have a vast inventory of exhaust port repair parts, from hoses and crush proof door ports to blowers.

One of the essential parts of running a successful mechanic or auto body repair shop is having a trusted parts supplier. SVI International has been the premier supplier of automotive equipment repair parts for over four decades. Not only do we have over forty years of experience, but we also have an extensive inventory, fantastic customer service, and a fast shipping promise. If you’re ready to have a trusted supplier on your side, contact us today!