On the 3 wheel side are all the wheels supposed to turn together? Currently the one wheel side turns with the middle and right wheel. The left wheel turns on its own. For reference it used to be a track model that I turned into an individual wheel version after the track kept falling off. Thanks!
Polaris 280 wheel question
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Two of the wheels (front and single side) should be driven by a driveshaft, and therefore turn the same. The rear wheel is driven by front wheel connecting with the smaller wheel. I'm not following which of your wheels isn't turn in sync.
If the ones driven by the driveshaft aren't turning in sync, then check the teeth and the driveshaft. I had missing teeth on mine and the driveshaft was worn down. If the wheel that is not driven by the driveshaft isn't turning at the same speed, ensure that the smaller wheel is engaging with the front wheel when touching the pool. If not, you may need to replace the mechanism that helps the small wheel engage with the rear wheel. Mine was missing the clip that kept it from going to far out of range and the spring was really loose, so it wasn't engaging.
I'm not familiar enough to know if converted ones have same mechanism, but that's what my 280 has and those are the issues I just recently fixed (amongst others).
If the ones driven by the driveshaft aren't turning in sync, then check the teeth and the driveshaft. I had missing teeth on mine and the driveshaft was worn down. If the wheel that is not driven by the driveshaft isn't turning at the same speed, ensure that the smaller wheel is engaging with the front wheel when touching the pool. If not, you may need to replace the mechanism that helps the small wheel engage with the rear wheel. Mine was missing the clip that kept it from going to far out of range and the spring was really loose, so it wasn't engaging.
I'm not familiar enough to know if converted ones have same mechanism, but that's what my 280 has and those are the issues I just recently fixed (amongst others).
The wheel that isn't on the driveshaft isn't touching the small wheel at all..
I've rebuilt my 280 about 3 times in the last 10 years. There is not a single part left from the original unit! It came with the house 12 years ago and was fairly worn out when I got it.
Couple things to check:
You can adjust the rear wheel forward to engage the idler wheel (small one in the middle), but by the looks of it, it could be the swing axle that the idler wheel is mounted to. There is a T-nut and spring behind it together with a plastic guide. All these parts can be had for about $10-$15 on-line - Swing Axle Kit C-36.
Does the idler wheel move and spring back?
And, like gonzodog said, check for wear on the teeth inside the drive wheels. If the shaft is okay, but the front wheel is worn, it might have been adjusted too tightly against the shaft. Quick fix for this is swap the front wheel with the back wheel (there is nothing touching the teeth on the back wheel - so no wear.
If you do this, 2 things to be aware of: the bearings WILL fall apart if you're not careful - like BB's bouncing around. Also, very easy to "strip" the slotted head - use a tight-fitting screw driver for removing. Pool stores want like $10/ea for the bearings (there are 2 on each wheel); you can find those on-line for $5-6, sometimes less if you buy in quantities of 4-8.
EDIT: During my last rebuild, the wheels come already mounted with tires, bearings and adjustment plate. If the wheel gears are significantly worn, just opt for a tune-up kit like this: ($145 online)
The other thing - when mounting the wheels and adjusting to the axle you DO NOT WANT a "tight" fit, rather a 2/3 to 3/4 "engagement" of the drive axle to the teeth. It's a little tough to get this right, but you'll get the hang of it.
Oh, and be careful if adjusting the wheels to not loose the little copper/brass star washers under the adjusting screws. I did and replaced with stainless steel ones from the hardware store. That'll work - for maybe a week or two and then the wheel falls off. Been there, done that. Something about the alloys and water chemistry and galvanic action or some such. There is a reason they are not Stainless!
Let us know if any of this works.
Couple things to check:
You can adjust the rear wheel forward to engage the idler wheel (small one in the middle), but by the looks of it, it could be the swing axle that the idler wheel is mounted to. There is a T-nut and spring behind it together with a plastic guide. All these parts can be had for about $10-$15 on-line - Swing Axle Kit C-36.
Does the idler wheel move and spring back?
And, like gonzodog said, check for wear on the teeth inside the drive wheels. If the shaft is okay, but the front wheel is worn, it might have been adjusted too tightly against the shaft. Quick fix for this is swap the front wheel with the back wheel (there is nothing touching the teeth on the back wheel - so no wear.
If you do this, 2 things to be aware of: the bearings WILL fall apart if you're not careful - like BB's bouncing around. Also, very easy to "strip" the slotted head - use a tight-fitting screw driver for removing. Pool stores want like $10/ea for the bearings (there are 2 on each wheel); you can find those on-line for $5-6, sometimes less if you buy in quantities of 4-8.
EDIT: During my last rebuild, the wheels come already mounted with tires, bearings and adjustment plate. If the wheel gears are significantly worn, just opt for a tune-up kit like this: ($145 online)
The other thing - when mounting the wheels and adjusting to the axle you DO NOT WANT a "tight" fit, rather a 2/3 to 3/4 "engagement" of the drive axle to the teeth. It's a little tough to get this right, but you'll get the hang of it.
Oh, and be careful if adjusting the wheels to not loose the little copper/brass star washers under the adjusting screws. I did and replaced with stainless steel ones from the hardware store. That'll work - for maybe a week or two and then the wheel falls off. Been there, done that. Something about the alloys and water chemistry and galvanic action or some such. There is a reason they are not Stainless!
Let us know if any of this works.
The teeth on the wheels look fine and everything turns together except the rear/left wheel. Just wasn't sure if it needed to move with the rest or if it was supposed to be independent. It used to be a "trax" model if that makes a difference.
Were you able to get the wheel adjusted? If you loosed the rear wheel axle screws some, you may be able to slide the wheel forward to engage the idler wheel. I also replaced the t-nut and spring on my idler wheel, and that helped. The plastic guide/clip is also needed, to keep the idler wheel to moving up and down, and not out to the side.
You definitely need the rear wheel to be engaged by the idler wheel.
You definitely need the rear wheel to be engaged by the idler wheel.