Flex XC 3401 Leaking Oil? Cleaning Procedures?

[slickvet]

Hey guys, I bought a flex 3401 brand new about 1.5 to 2 yrs ago and have done roughly 15 cars in that time with the machine.

I've been noticing that it looks like it is leaking oil and the bell housing is full of gunk.

Is this normal wear and tear and how should I go about cleaning and or re-greasing this machine? Is this something that I have to do once every year or so?

http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af157/aerispsu/photo-44_zps61f9e664.jpg
http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af157/aerispsu/photo-3-3_zps7acd38e1.jpg
http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af157/aerispsu/photo-2-3_zps6848f0d8.jpg
http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af157/aerispsu/photo-1-4_zps7ac01ad6.jpg

[primo spaghetti]

wow thats just crazy. hopefully its not a normal thing...

i just bought a flex...id be interested to see what kind of feedback you get here...

[Chris Thomas]

That's not normal. Have you ever oiled the felt ring? Maybe used too much lube?

[slickvet]

I only very lightly dabbed the felt ring with the appropriate lube after I bought the 5" backing plate. Everything else hasn't been touched.

[primo spaghetti]

i think i know where the "oil the felt ring" originated, but ive yet to read it in the flex user manual...

is it really necessary? i opted not to oil it (yet), but im thining if it was important, Flex would have told me to do it.

[Marc08EX]

I would contact Flex or the online retailer you ordered it from and see what they say. That's definitely not normal. If it's normal then I'd be disappointed with my Flex. Please let us know what they say.

I never oiled my felt ring and I've had my 3401 since '08.. Never had issues.

[slickvet]

Well I bought it here from autogeek... It came with a 1 yr warranty but I'm pretty sure I bought it sometime around last sept. or a bit sooner.

If its something I could just clean all that oil up and go I would but seeing as how it's not normal coming from you guys -- I realize that this is not good.

The oil stuff inside is certainly not from me lubing the ring, as that lube is clear/yellow. This stuff looks like black gold, engine oil or something.

[primo spaghetti]

hey just to maybe give you some comfort i found this post...it doesnt look quite as bad as yours, but nevertheless, here it is...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/flex-polishers/43245-flex-3401-round-2-concerned.html#post571739

[slickvet]

Wow mine didn't spray grease while I was working luckily, but I just happened to notice black oil coming from the handle while I was working on a friends car last week and today decided to do a clean up. Well, I don't know what to do -- I saw on other forums that if they overheat, they shut off and mine's never done that.

Oh by the way, it works fine, but when I saw that -- well you can guess my reaction was like "the heck is goin on here?"

[Eandras]

To me that looks like like the bearing is getting to hot causing the grease to liquified and leak out through the bell housing.

Looks like the bearing will have to be replaced as they are sealed.

Ed

:autowash: :buffing:

[NIS240SHU]

In that first picture it looks like you have a decent-sized crack in the cast aluminum housing. Maybe you set or dropped the DA down on the ground?

It looks like gear lube for the orbital mechanism to me.

[slickvet]

No, it's never been dropped. When I cleaned all of that off, it's perfect although I agree in the pic it looks like a crack -- it's not.

What I have decided to do is wait until I use it again in the spring. I'm not going to clean the inside part of it, since it is lube. I'm just going to see how much to repair it will cost & if its more than i want to pay, ill use it until it goes.