The rain has arrived....... 3 hours of workshop time and the lathe is running. well sort of. I'm having a mare setting up the belt tension and alignment on the counter shaft. I fitted the metal atlas pulleys and shaft because it also has roller bearings but the end pulley is damaged and out of balance causing a vibration. I put the complete Halifax counter shaft on but now there is a nasty/annoying clanging noise coming for the spindle shaft. It seems to be the small amount of play where the final drive gear locks to the pulley assembly for normal speed. if i reduce the belt tension it helps a bit but i don't think then it would then be tight enough in use

I have run it for quite a while and kept the oil topped up and the spindle spins freely but there is still a small amount of binding at one point. Is it likely that it is this slowing up that is causing the pulley to bang against the locating pin?

If you attempt to put the preload on whilst warm, you run the risk of the bearings being too tight when the spindle contract due to cooling, and that might set up a brinelling situation.
OK wont do that then

Thanks in advance