A router is a woodworkers best friend. The PRL from Woodpeckers makes it the perfect friend! I’ve been using my PRL V1 for almost 15 years without issue. The PRL V1 is no longer for sale – the PRL V2 has taken its place. Recently, the handle crank became hard to turn. After some digging-around and unscrewing, it turns out this was caused by dust between the nylon gear and the faceplate. Here’s how I fixed the issue.

Place the PRL on a sturdy surface:

You will need some tools: 9/16″ wrench, 4.5mm Allen wrench, and some lubricant (I used 3-1 oil but WD-40 or similar will work fine):

Place the PRL on its side with access to the 9/16″ bolts which hold the router in place:

Remove the router from the PRL for easier access to the gears and chain:

Once the router is removed, flip the PRL on its face with access to remove the gears and loosen the chain. Locate the gear underneath the crank handle (it’s the one with large metal stop-system and two Allen nuts) :

Unscrew the two Allen nuts to remove the stop-system:

One the adjacent side of the PRL, remove the single Allen nut holding the metallic gear:

the chain should flow freely to create slack to access the gears:

Now loosen the chain from around the nylon gear located below the hand crank:

Turn and pull the nylon gear by hand until it comes free from the face plate:

Now comes the fix! Clean the base of the gear and the inside hole on the face plate. First with a dry cloth or paper towel to get ride of the larger debris. Finally spray the areas with oil/WD-40. No need to use very much as it will dry eventually; use just enough to slide the gear back into the faceplate.

Once it’s all clean, slip the nylon gear back in the faceplate, place the chain back on the nylon gear, place the chain back on the metal gear, and screw the Allen nut so the metal gear is secure and the chain flows around all four gears. Re-secure the metal stop-system to the top of the nylon gear with the two Allen nuts. Finally, re-mount the router into the Lift.

Give the crank a whirl! Hopefully it’s back to new and cranks easily.