Solution: Animatronics Inside Oil Leakage

To date, we have sold over 1000 animatronics model products (dinosaurs, animals, themed characters, cartoon characters, etc.) and accumulated extensive after-sales maintenance experience. Therefore, we are able to solve difficult problems for our customers and propose preventative solutions.

Here we will discuss how to solve the problem of oil leakage inside animatronics models, which has been a major source of feedback over the years.

Information Board:

#1. Clarify the cause of the oil leakage
#2. Listen for any unusual noises inside
#3. Make an incision in the skin at the reducer’s location
#4. Remove the screws / bolts securing the reducer
#5. Replace the reducer with new one
#6. Repair or restore the skin

1. Clarify the cause of the oil leakage

The first step is to figure out the cause of the oil leak so that a targeted solution can be found. The oil leak is coming from the gearbox / reducer. Based on extensive feedback and our research, we can basically determine that there are two main reasons causing the leak!

• Reason 1: When the model was placed into the container, it was not placed in a balanced manner, which caused the internal reducer to become unbalanced, resulting in oil leakage.
• Reason 2: The original manufacturer of the reducer did not do a good job of sealing, which caused the oil inside to leak out after about 1-2 months.

The solution to Reason 1 is simple:

Step One – Simply lay the animatronics model flat again.
Step Two – For a more secure measure, you can cut open the animatronics skin around the gearbox and then pour some new engine oil in.

If you encounter reason 2, please resolve the issue using the following method.

2. Listen for any unusual noises inside

Please activate the animatronics model and listen for any unusual noises at the location of the leaking gearbox / reducer. If there are no unusual noises, the problem is simple; if there are, it’s a more complex situation.

• If there are no unusual noises, you can actually leave it alone; it’s in normal operating condition. The internal oil is sufficient to lubricate the machine.
• If there is any unusual noise, you can replace the internal reducer and refill the engine oil.

The following are the steps for replacing the reducer

3. Make an incision in the skin at the reducer’s location

Locate the position of the reducer / gearbox (it is usually placed at the ass of dinosaurs or animals). Then, cut an 80cm-100cm incision (the smaller the better, as it will make subsequent repairs easier) until the reducer is visible.

• You need to use a knife to cut the skin there, whether it’s a sharp long knife 🔪 or a craft knife.
• The distance of the cut should have enough space to operate the screws and replace the reducer.

4. Remove the screws / bolts securing the reducer

After cutting the skin, you need to use a wrench to remove the screws / bolts that fix the reducer one by one. Generally, a reducer is fixed with 6 screws / bolts and needs to be removed.

• The six screws are located at the four corners of the reducer and at the two ends of the mechanical connecting rod. The mechanical connecting rod links the reducer and the motorized bearing.
• The skin position at the mechanical connecting rod should also be cut open to facilitate the operation of removing screws.

5. Replace the reducer with new one

After removing the reducer screws, it’s time to replace or install the new reducer! Then, retighten the 6 screws of the reducer back on.

• The reducer must be of the same model and size as the one being replaced.
• We will provide you with the same type of reducer.

6. Repair or restore the skin

After replacing the reducer, the final step is to repair or restore the cut skin! This is a rather delicate task. Please click to watch how to repair animatronics model’s skin minor damage.

Summarize

As long as you carefully follow these 6 steps, you will be able to effectively deal with the problem of oil leakage inside the animatronics model. If you encounter such a problem, whether you are a customer of ours or not, you can refer to the above steps to solve it.