My Ryobi BT3000 Shim Repair

This is how I solved the shim problem on my BT3000 about ten years ago and I haven't had a problem since.
I've seen other methods of the Ryobi shim fix but I like to keep things simple. I believe simple is better.
No holes to drill and tap, no special brackets need to be made to hold the shims in place, just plain simple.

I had my saw close to two years before I had a problem with the shims. I first noticed that raising and lowering the blade wasn't as easy as it was when the saw was new. I thought it might need a little lube so I started to give it a little shot when I noticed one of the shims was about to fall out.

I took the saw apart to put the shim back in place. The shims were still straight, only the top edge that holds them in place had bent. I thought if I turned them upsidedown they would be ok.

I thought a little more of a permanent fix would keep them from doing the same thing as I didn't want to have to do it again any time soon.
I cleaned the shims and the surface of the guide holder they mate with using a 3M scotchbright pad.
I also cleaned and polished the surfaced of the locker bracket that the shims slide against.
Next I spread a thin layer of 3M 5200 on the guide holder where the shims mate against it.
I put the shims in place in the guide holder and seated them firmly forcing them into the 3M sealer.
I placed the guide holder and shims in the locker bracket and slid it from top to bottom a few times to make sure it would slide freely and wasn't too tight.
I let that sit overnight before assembling the saw again to let the 3M 5200 fully cure.
The next day I reassembled the saw and with a little lube on the shims it worked better than it ever had before.
That was in '94 and the shims are still in place today. My 12+ year old saw still has the original shims in it.
Just about any good quality adhesive/sealant will work, I just used what I had on hand. A good silicone sealant would work just fine.
For lubricating the shims I use Boeshield T-9®, a pentrating wax designed by Boing for use on aircraft.

3M 5200 is an extremely strong marine polyurethane adhesive/sealant designed for below the waterline use.
Once the shims are held in place with this adhesive they are almost permanently bonded but can be removed if need be. Use the Fast Cure as it isn't all that fast. The data sheets for the 3M5200 can be viewed here.

 Locker Bracket, Guide Holder and Shims

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