Wheel Balance Machine Info NEEDED

Bruce in southern OH

Bruce in southern OH

Well-known member
Manbee Equipment Co., Chicago, Il., Dynamic and Static Wheel Balancer needed, picked this up today with Don P. and brought home, Don, Jack and I tested motor and lights, a few need replaced, machine needs a bath. What we need is an instruction book for this unit, you can read the name plate info from photo, any information would be appreciated, thanks in advance, Bruce

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I,ll take a shot at how it works.
Take a wheel and add some weight big weight.
Spin and my guess with the angle of deck the heavy side will be at bottom.
look for a change in hole. the 2 holes 3 in row at top is to fine tune it.
The brake is to stop it,and speed control.
Add weight at top.
 
According to my research Manbee was aquired or a division of Bear later became Applied Power. What does the aluminum cover with the holes in it say and does that cover hinge up could you get pictures. Brian
 
What are the numbers above 1,2,3, are there lights under the holes? ---separate bulbs, or a neon tube arranged in a circle

Have you taken off any side panels ---is there electronics(tubes), have you plugged it in yet??
If it has electronics and you intend on making it work the electrolitic capacitors should be replaced to prevent damage to other parts of the electronics (transformers, tuning coils) that are special to this machine ---resistors, capacitors are commonly availible, the transformers and coils are not

I suspect that the spinning wheel lights up some of the holes to show where to put theeights, one indicator tells inside, outside, an adjustable control for sensitivity

searching the patent # could help

Is the spindle movable (loosly mounted)

probably a power switch, and a motor switch to start spinning, a knob to adjust speed

inside probably a shutter wheel to sense location, a signal generator to sense vibration, electronic amplifier, power supply to trigger a neon tube ---spin up the tire, watch the flashes through the holes, turn the knob on the rod ---this is all a guess---it could also be mechanical, take off the side plates and take more pictures
 
Many of the early dynamic balance machines had a crude clock angle indicator to aid in knowing where to put the weight. I have no experience with that machine so I can't confirm the workings of it. There would have to be a reference point so that you would know where the 12 O'clock position would be on the wheel in relation to the light ring. All the type I use for rotors have a strobe light so you can see the reference visually but with a light ring it may key off of a certain position on the drive spindle as a reference locator. All the Bear Alighnment types used a wheel driver and a strobe light that I know of. This unit may predate that type of equipment. Vibration is generally indicated by a transducer placed against the rotating shaft that will give you a measure of amplitude on the vibration. It can be measured in inches per second (or IPS) or they might have just lost the clock angle when it gets close to being smooth enough (the light ring will just keep rotating when smooth). I just don't know on that one. It may require a chart to give you the location to add weight on the light side. The weight change chart would be based on an average for all wheels that would fit on the machine spindle. You will definitely need an operators manual if it used a chart.

This may not be any help in getting that to work for you but it won't hurt either.
 
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Thanks, I know we will find someone that has used or has information, I will just keep it up on forum until someone that has not been looking at forum for a couple of days sees the post, hopefully they will reply, Bruce
 
Does the machine turn the wheel.
Put 2 large weights on wheel.
Put on low speed your tire ,maybe 26 28 dia.
Now you know where it need weight 180 from added weight.
Look and see if you can read in the hole.
I would guess you add new weights at top .
trt it.
 
Yes you can use as a static balancer, ( push lever and it raises wheel and you place a bubble level on wheel and add weights that way ) then you can use the motor which turns wheel to do dynamic wheel balance. It turns on one light at 12 o'clock for a reference, then mark tire with white chalk, next turn on low speed motor and the wheel turns, I will have to check out to make sure all the light work. ( so I can figure out if light mean where to place weight ) The three horizontal lights are to tell you how much weight to add 1oz. 2oz. or 3oz. How it knows this I do not know, will have to take skin off and clean up and photograph and post. thanks Bruce
 
Bruce, with regard to the lead weights you have, they are no longer available due to EPA regulations. New weights today are larger, as they contain no lead. Do what you want, but the old ones look better.
 
I can see how the speedometer works. The tyre diameter is at the bottom, and you read off the speed for that wheel size by seeing where the line that passes through the desired speed crosses the circle plotted from the tyre diameter.

I guess so if a customer says it shimmies at 45 then the assembly can be rotated at the right road speed .

I can see that the outer holes (lights) are for saying where to put the weight, and in the one pic I can see 1, 2, and 3 for the weight mass. So what is the singlle hole/light below the centre for?

Mart.
 
Mart/everyone, you and I need a book on this machine, with it running it looks like something from the old LOST IN SPACE TV SHOW, or something from a old OUTER LIMITS SHOW, just a great looking little machine, think I will wipe down with some soapy water and shine up with Gibbs oil, let me know what you think!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!!!!!1
 
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