HARDINGE Conquest T51, turret prob.

I am usinga HARDINGE CONQUEST T51 CNC Lathe.
I had trouble with the turret unclamp in the beginning stages of starting upthis machine.
BUT due to the great threads posted here I was able to solve this problem,which still occurs from now to then for some odd reason, even after replacingbelts.


The newproblem I am experiencing is the turret never clamps back down,
I haveopened it all up, when I do a tool change the turret moves to position, andthen when it is supposed to clamp back down it doesn’t clamp fully. At thispoint the turret is in an off position and can be moved BY HAND. I can indexmanually, which I shouldn’t be able to do if it was clamped.
There areno alarms on the machine when this occurs, as I started the machine and crashedthree tool holders without the machine even knowing it was unclamped.
Has anyoneexperience this before, or at least know what I should look into?
I amcurrently (trying) to dismantle the turret from the main cylinder.

It sounds like a faulty prox switch. The machine should not run without the turret clamped prox switch being made. There should be a cover over the unclamp/clamp prox switches.

You should have a PMC alarm 1003 "turret unclamped. You need to look at 20PRS prox switch. It's under a cover with 8 bolts. Replace this switch and set the gap at .030" from the index plate with it fully clamped.

I have checked the switch just right of the turret, under the cover.
When I engage a tool change the switch goes off when the tools cycle, and when it reaches the tool the cylinder falls back into the switch and it lights up.
I don't know if maybe the turret got disconnected from the main cylinder.
Not sure if this would help.
but I will go over the gap and replacement