Timer Issues - Noise

The timer on my KA-6 is making a faint noise as it runs. Can a drop or two of oil help alleviate that or is that not a good idea? The timer is a C8535 Intermatic, which came with the boiler. The boiler system is 5 years old.

Thanks!

Bon Jour Mon Ami,

There will be a little fine fly ash in the timer cabinet. If your timer is making noise you can purchase a bottle of the easy flow turbine oil with the zoom spout at your plumbing supply house. The long flexible plastic spout collapses back in to the bottle.

Oiling the timer gears may take more than 5 minutes overall(the stoker fire will go out GGGRRR) as you need to shut the power off and then push the mounting plate in the tabs slowly back in the metal cabinet to install and remove it.

Once you have the timer out you can squirt a little bit of oil on the top gear and let it drip down to the other gears and then reinsert the timer back into the metal cabinet making sure you push it in from the bottom first to let the clips on the side grab it first.

Its best to go to an electrical supply house and ask for a replacement time motor for your timer as it will eventually die like mine did and you have to replace it.


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Replacing the timer motor is not hard to do it just takes time to do it in the right sequence.

1. turn power off
2. remove the timer mounting face plate from metal cabinet following the directions in the cabinet
3. remove both timer wires from front and rear of the mounting plate, put screws in magnetic parts catching tray
a. mark down which wire goes where on a piece of paper as you remove them
4. flip mounting plate over.
5. remove screws securing timer motor from mounting plate, put screws in magnetic parts catching tray
6. remove old motor and set it aside
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install the new timer motor nesting the gear in the clock face gear, reinsert the mounting screws for the timer motor to secure it in place, reinstall the power wires in the front of the mounting plate.


I think I have the sequence right anyway but you need to plan on losing your fire too and restarting a new one GGGRRRRR.

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Added stuff:

All you have to do is disconnect the two timer wires that pass through the mounting plate and the screws that hold the motor in place against the mounting plate as the drive gear is nested right in with the 30 minute clock face. You will see how it is assembled when you flip the mounting plate over to remove the timer motor.

If you have a magnetic parts tray that will help you avoid any mishaps due to losing a mounting screw.
Please do not oil the gear on the timer motor as the timer motors two wires are fully exposed and I am not sure if the motor shaft is sealed but I do not think it is as the timer cabinet is not weather proofed.

When I purchased my replacement 30 minute timer motor it was $28.00 and change at the local electrical supply house-much less than the $150 plus dollars keystoker wanted for a complete replacement timer which is all they sell apparently.

I still have to purchase a spare timer motor for the boiler parts box so I have one in stock.

Keystoker needs to add instructions on how to replace the timer motors in their owners manuals.

Get a new timer. When it dies, and it will, you know it will be at the most inopportune moment.

I might add that it is likely the motor rpm that causes the noise. The gears set quickly reduce that rpm to a crawl and noise is not from that.
A wee bit of oil is good...but excess oil gathers dust, not good...a q-tip with some amount may help in not over doing this.