Accu Slide Motor install

[seeg]

I, like many others, lost a tooth or two in my gearbox that moves the wardrobe slide. Randy provided me with a new motor , under warranty, but our local FR dealer can't get me in until Oct. 10.

Has anyone replaced the slide motor on their own and can offer advice. It looks pretty straight forward except for the chains that are operated by the chain wheels. Any helpful tips or suggestions? I read in another thread that if you attempt this with the slide open you need to brace the slide. DW is not liking that and wants to wait and let the dealer handle it. I want to play and can devote some time this weekend to the install.

Thanks in advance

[tmmar]

Seeg,
This is a tough job. You have to remove the panel in the ceiling top over the top bunk. It is about 1-2' wide. You take the white button covers off and then remove the screws holding the panel. Then you have to get up through the opening. The motor is at the top on the street side wall. The hard part is getting up there and working through the opening. Then you need to remove the cables and replace the motor. You will need to reinstall the cables and adjust them. This site may help some. If you scroll down you will be able to access various manuals.
Good luck.
Tom

http://www.norcoind.com/bal/products...de/index.shtml

[seeg]

tmmar

I've already accessed the motor and you are right it's tight. I was hoping to mark the chains and just replace them on the new chain wheels and not have to do a lot of adjustment. I've already downloaded all the manuals but have not located the adjustment points. Perhaps opening the slide will make things easier to see.

[tmmar]

Dan,
You should be able to put the slide out a little way without having a problem when you work on it. My motor/gear box went out on me just after I started out on a vacation this past January. The unit was only 2 months old at the time so I called a mobile tech and he diagnosed the problem as a gear problem. I contacted Randy at Forest River because I couldn't get the slide in or out because the gears had jammed when they went out.
After a lot of phone call/emails because most of Goshen was closed at the time due to snow and sub-zero temps, he overnighted me a new one. The tech took about 3 hours to install the new unit. When I was at the FROG Rally this past August, I had one of the techs look at it again because it was making a noise. He checked the date code on the replacement unit and it was within a date range of bad units so they had NORCO come and install another unit. Hopefully this will be the last time I need to deal with this.
Are you still under warranty? If so, maybe you could contact Randy and see if he would OK a mobile tech coming to you to do the install. Would be worth a try.
Good luck with the install if you decide to do it yourself.
Let us know how you make out.
Tom

[seeg]

Update-I got the motor unbolted from the wall but the rearmost cable adjusters were beyond my reach. The motor was hanging by the chainwheels when DW refused any further assistance and insisted that FR do the work under warranty. Soooo, I waited until Oct 10 and was pleasantly surprised a local Wildwood (FR product) dealer completed the job in an afternoon. No issue w/ payment they just billed the factory.

I did notice the gear box had quite a bit of slop when I tore into it and my cables that actually retract the slide have a little play in them now when before they were guitar string tight. I believe I remember reading in one of AccuSlides manuals that the side cables should have some play in them so perhaps a faulty install from the factory?

I assume I got one of the new motor and gearbox as mine wasn't sent to me until
mid Sept.

[tmmar]

Dan,
Happy to hear that all worked out well with the motor replacement. Sorry you had to wait until Oct 10, but I think in the long run, having the dealer replace the motor will work out better since their work is probably warranted along with the new motor.
Tom