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e writes:

Clean the rack and pinion, making sure that there's nothing stuck in
the root, the very bottom of the teeth. Uneven wear, or uneven
spacing when the rack was made? Either are possible, Rack and
pinions are available from Boston Gear, Browning and others. If it's
older US made scope, no problem. If it's a newer import, Rotsa Ruck.

It was made in Japan according to the specifications of Meade. I didn't
see a date anywhere, but I know that it is at least 10 or 11 years old
and probably more.

The "root". That's a good name for the bottom of teeth.

Accepted lube is RT-44, using way oil or any other substitute is going
to guarantee problems with lube migration, or shiny stains where you
don't want them.

Like on the lens?

Is there any convenient way to try to figure out, without damaging the
telescope or screwing up its optical alignment, whether any lubrication
has migrated into the telescope tube? If it has, is there a good way to
clean up the mess inside? Maybe if I don't see any chromatic aberration
or haloes, or something like that, when I look at the sky, all is well,
but maybe the effects are subtler than that.

IF you replace the rack, you might be tempted to use the nylon rack,
bad idea, I've done it and it didn't take long to switch back to the
brass. Rivetted sounds like an import, 0-80 screws are what I use.
It ain't rocket science, pretty straight forward job.

I don't actually know that they are rivets. I only know that when I look
at the rack (not brass, by the way, but some grey metal), the brass things
I see holding it in place don't look like screws. I can't see into the tube
very well but the one "rivet" I can see in it seems to have a kind of circular
hole, rather than a polygonal one, so I don't believe it was intended to
be unscrewed with any kind of allen wrench or other special tool.
--
Ignorantly,
Allan Adler
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT CSAIL. My actions and
* comments do not reflect in any way on MIT. Also, I am nowhere near Boston.