Polaris 480 gearbox - can I get parts or do I need to buy the whole gearbox?

[Fuzz1]

I'm rehabilitating a pool that has been down for several years, and I'm doing it on a shoestring budget. Today I picked up a Polaris 480 for $50 from a guy who said it "just sits there." I took it apart and I see that it needs one gear from the inside of the "Gearbox." I haven't found anywhere online that sells individual parts for the gearbox... just the whole gearbox itself. Does anyone know where I can get just one gear?

For lack of the proper terminology let me define the 3 gears inside of the gearbox via words that I would use to describe them. There's the impeller, which drives the idler gear, which drives the drive gear. I need the idler gear... the one in the middle.

The idler gear bearing has worn down so much that the gear "teeters" which allows the teeth to slip. Because the teeth were slipping it caused teeth wear also, but only on the idler gear... the teeth on the impeller and drive gear look pretty good.

BTW, hello to everyone. I used to frequent this place years ago, but haven't been around for a long time. I bought a new house with a pool that needs some serious rehabilitation, and will probably be hanging around again for a while.

[Watermom]

Sorry, can't help with your question, but just wanted to welcome you back to the Pool Forum!

[Fuzz1]

Thanks Watermom.

I recall you from about ten years ago when I first joined. You were very helpful to me when we built a pool and I had my first exposure to pool chemistry. I dived in hook line and sinker, and used to frequent here every day. I also recall Youngdav, who gave me somewhere on the web (I have no recollection of where any more) to post an EXE Saturation Index Calculator I wrote. I was really into it back then.

I see that my current login is from 2006, which I think was after the forum crashed and we had to recreate our logins.

RE: the Polaris gear in question...

I ended up replacing one of the nylon bearings on that gear, and spacing it over just a little bit with a nylon washer. That combination gives it plenty of bite. This'll get me through the rest of the year at least.

If anyone wonders, the bearing was a size that I couldn't find at Orchard supply, so I bought two and nested them together. One was larger and had the proper outside diameter, and the other was smaller and had the proper inside diameter. The smaller nested into the larger and together they were just right.

Smaller:
Servalite NFB-6025U
Nylon Flange Bearing
1/4x3/64

Larger:
Servalite NFB-8025U
Nylon FLange Bearing
1/4x1/16

I also had to buy the big ring nut that holds the backup valve together.

All tolled it cost me $50 for the Polaris 480, $8 for the backup valve nut, and about $1.25 for the nylon flange bearings. I'm feeling pretty frugal right about now. :)