Fixing my Ferrari

[NorCal]

Ferrari corker that is. I bought it used 4-5 years ago and while the jaws were in good shape, other pieces were worn. I got through the last two seasons with a temporary fix, but It has seen 2,000 - 3,000 bottles and I notice even more play the last time I used it. Now that bottling is over and we are still 3-4 weeks away from harvest, I thought I would address the problems.

Here are a few short video clips to show the extent of the problem.
https://youtu.be/FwxJrNtl2-I
https://youtu.be/gM-ih7hOu6w

My plan is to find a bolt that tightly fits the 12mm opening in the handle lever and put some bearings on the load point, where it is currently metal on metal.

 

[NorCal]

To bring the story up to date. Here are the bearings I ordered and plan on attaching to the outside of the corker..

 

[stickman]

Great thread, I need to look at my corker to see the present condition. Mine doesn't get near the use as yours, so it should be ok. Other than lubrication, do you have any thoughts or maintenance recommendations to prevent the hole from elongating?

 

[sour_grapes]

My plan is to find a bolt that tightly fits the 12mm opening in the handle lever and put some bearings on the load point, where it is currently metal on metal.

How about using a shoulder bolt with those bearings? I am sure that would be overkill, but I LIKE overkill!

Great thread

Izzat a pun?

 

[stickman]

I checked mine and the bolt hole is not elongated yet, but there was no lubricant on any of the surfaces; obviously not lubricated at the factory. I did find metal powder on the bolt which tells me damage starts from day one if not lubricated, even so, I'm sure these units are built robust enough to last a long time.
Here is what the original bolt looks like.

 

[NorCal]

This is was what my bolt looked like when I first took it apart.

Thanks for the idea of a shoulder bolt with bearing. I can't say I've ever seen that.

I checked mine and the bolt hole is not elongated yet, but there was no lubricant on any of the surfaces; obviously not lubricated at the factory. I did find metal powder on the bolt which tells me damage starts from day one if not lubricated, even so, I'm sure these units are built robust enough to last a long time.
Here is what the original bolt looks like.

 

[Ron0126]

2,000 - 3,000 bottles in two seasons???
I can think of several people that are bound to feel the irresistible urge to post a link to the US Code that dictates how many gallons of wine you're allowed to make ...

 

[NorCal]

2,000 - 3,000 bottles in two seasons???
I can think of several people that are bound to feel the irresistible urge to post a link to the US Code that dictates how many gallons of wine you're allowed to make ...

Well, it's been 4 seasons. 150 gallons this year.

 

[balatonwine]

I looked at the specs of the bearing you show. It said it has an outside diameter of 1.5'. I measured my Ferrari, and on mine, when a 1.5' is centered on the current hole, the bearing housing might overlap the curved metal at the top. If that is correct (?), you may need to weld on some metal sheet to give the bearing a flush surface. There is not any room on the internal side of the mechanism to allow a nut or bolt head for the bearing mounting hole, so you will need to drill and tap a hole to mount the bearing. The Ferrari metal is not really that thick; I am not a mechanic or engineer so I do not know if it is thick enough to get a sufficient threaded grip for the forces being applied when corking. So, personally, I would anyway also weld on a plate get more threads, even if overkill.

Given that, since I would be welding on a plate anyway, I would just drill out a new shaft hole in the plate and press in a bronze bushing. When the lever starts to show signs of play, just replace the bushing.

 

[NorCal]

Received the bearings.

Over thinking it? Check
Over engineered? Check

Looking like I will bolt one side of the bearing and weld the other.

 

[stickman]

You may have trouble welding that zinc alloy bearing flange. Maybe the right size sleeve nut or a shoulder washer is all you need. Use this instead of the bearing.

 

[NorCal]

Stickman, I think you are right about welding and I found that I didn't need to. So, wrapping this thread up, the project is complete, the bearings make the movement smooth and consistent. I shouldn't have to worry about that pivot point again.

Short video

 

[stickman]

It looks like it is mainly an upward force on the bearing, so with it right up against that lip, one bolt should hold. Good work.

 

[Rocky]

Thank you very much for the information. I think I was on the right track with bushings but I like the bearing idea much more.

NorCal, is that landscape edging spike that you are using to position the bearings? I assume you did the positioning to mark and locate the mounting bolt, right? Also, on the bolt that you used to secure the arm to the center bolt, did you flatten the center bolt for a more secure mating surface?

Thank you all for the information.

 

[NorCal]

Thank you very much for the information. I think I was on the right track with bushings but I like the bearing idea much more.

NorCal, is that landscape edging spike that you are using to position the bearings? I assume you did the positioning to mark and locate the mounting bolt, right? Also, on the bolt that you used to secure the arm to the center bolt, did you flatten the center bolt for a more secure mating surface?

Thank you all for the information.

Yes, the spike was to figure out the position, the bolt is shown in the last picture. After I Putin the bearings and tried it I noticed that the bolt going through the bearings wasn’t moving when I moved the arm. That defeated the purpose of the bearing, which is why I pinned the arm to the bolt going through the bearing. I just drilled a hole partially through the bolt and used a sheet metal screw, I did flatten the center bolt.

 

[Rocky]

Thank you. I just ordered the bearings on eBay. Wow, lead time is really out there (delivery by Oct 30).
Everyone who has a Ferrari floor corker is probably using your fix. You need to contact them and suggest this for future models!

Thanks, again.

 

[ffemt128]

I had the same issue with my first corker. Make sure to check the rod that the bottle support sits on as well. Mine is developing a divit in the rod where it locks in place allowing it to slip when the cork is inserted, hence the cork not seating all the way some times.

 

[NorCal]

Thank you. I just ordered the bearings on eBay. Wow, lead time is really out there (delivery by Oct 30).
Everyone who has a Ferrari floor corker is probably using your fix. You need to contact them and suggest this for future models!

Thanks, again.

This could be a planned obsolescence thing. if they didn’t wear out, they would sell fewer of them. For those with high mileage on their corkers, it’s a good fix.

 

[Garagista]

Since it is off season, I went ahead and did the famous upgrade to my Ferrari corker ala @NorCal. Rather than bolts, I used a pin to keep the bearings from spinning. This prevented the bearings from binding the shaft if everything is not perfectly flat. In my case, the cheap bearings weren’t flat.
Thanks for this thread.this was a great idea.