I disassembled my dw983 completely for replacing the gunked
up grease. It has 3 main subassemblies. You only need to remove the 4 front screws to gain access to the tension ring.
I shot it with wd40 to clean then dripped in some engine prelube for a more lasting lube. The screws are torx. I had to drill them , but thats just me. The chuck is held in with a left-hand machine screw of the same callout;Torx, sometiimes
a hex wrench will work. The chuck fastener also is given a few drops of threadlock. This can make removal a real pain. With the proper leverage its a breeze.
I personally like the hammerdrills by Dewalt more.
Good Luck!
Rob Locihfer, June 2007
