Electric Power Tool Parts 101
This article defines the basic parts of most power tools, explains how they work, and what to look for when they stop working.
Diagnosing Electric Power Tools 101
This article is a troubleshooting guide for problems and malfunctions common to most electric power tools.
Power Switch Repair 101
This article is a 101 repair guide for power tool switch replacements, explaining the general steps involved in replacing a switch assembly.
I was regreasing my saw and I wanted to replace the felt grease seal #31 on the diagram. I was unable to get the pin out of the blade clamp no matter how hard I pounded on the punch. Is there a trick to this?
Hi Dave,
Take a razor blade and slit the top of the felt at a slight angle,then open it up enough to get over the shaft. Once its back in place it will close back up.This is the only really practical way to replace the felt seal other then replacing the assembly.That pin is there so tight that even if you got it out and back in,it would never stay in.We have done dozens this way and never had a problem.Hope that helps.Good luck.
Tinker
I'm having problems with my saw. The shaft is loose and it also doesn't hold the blades anymore. Anyone know what might be the problem or which parts I need????
I am trying to help a gent w/ a dw 304. The terminals are broken at the triac which means that and trigger assy. As you may know that patr is obsolete wow its not that old. Can you get just the triac, or can I just attach the wire it direct to the winding? It may not be variable but ......oh well better than to junk it. I will research in the meantime .
What do I do about getting a switch module for this sawzall?Is there an aftermarket switch that I can get for it?That is still available,and not discontinued.
I'm changing the armature on a Dewalt DW304P "sawz-all", as the old one came apart. In looking at the inside do I need to lubricate any moving parts. The transmission comes to mind, I see some grease on the outside of it and don't know if it leaked out from inside. Thanks in advance
Hi there,
When working on those sawzalls, you will find that there will be grease packed in the gear case to keep that worm gear assy working smoothly. I have seen a few saws that have got really hot and the grease start to ooze out from places it should not be coming from:o .I hope this helps,
Gene
Reply: Lubing Tools
gbp
Thanks for the help, is there a need to open it up and repack it. If so what type of grease do you recommend.
Reply: Lubing Tools
genek
Hi there,
Unless there was an issue as I ran across in my previous post with the saw getting extremely hot, I wouldn't worry about taking the tool apart. They normally have plenty of grease inside. If you want to buy some, go to an auto parts store and pick some up. Tell the people there what you are using it for and they will get you the correct product. Just a grease to pack gears at high temp is good too. I hope this helps,
Gene
I would suspect that the bearing sleeve is the part causing the shaft wobble. It is item #32 on the parts diagram. To solve the blade holder issue you should just need a new blade clamp kit. It is item #30 on the parts diagram.
i have just ordered parts for that saw today. i would like to warn you that the gear kit in my saw somehow stripped out and now skips. the blade barely moved and became completely useless within a month of usage. After i stripped apart the saw, i found that the gear was stripped out over 3/4 of the gear. It left grounded up shavings in the grease as well. I'm not sure if this saw was abused prior my use but i found this to be a problem and hope that this is not a common problem with this type of saw. During my internet surveiling for the proper part to replace my bad gear, i noticed that the trigger switch is obselete and not available so i hope that i never run into a bad switch. well i hope you fix your saw and i hope that the new gear i just ordered is the correct one and will fix the problem. Any other suggestions will be definately considered and thanks for reading.
this is ocd-opie from revamped tools, later!
Reply: Dewalt Dw304p
Dave_in_PA
Regarding the blades not holding, I find that my blade clamp gets gunked up with grease and sawdust often. I just spray WD40 into it while working the yellow release lever to clean all the junk out.
Hi Dwight. It looks like Dewalt has used four different switches in the DW304 reciprocating saws. Depending on which switch you have, the tool will need to be wired differently. It's pretty easy to tell which switch you have by looking at screen printing or etching on the switch itself, and looking for the brand of the switch. There is an Eaton switch, a Lucerne switch, and two Capax switches (one with a locking button and one without).
Here are the four wiring diagrams. Make sure that you determine which switch you have before wiring the tool.
Power Tool Parts 
