Summit Dana is Bandit, is it not? Even that control could use metric. However, if the two screws were different pitches, that would account for them attempting to patch the installation with gears because I don't believe circular interpolation would work if the XY were different.
That control may not have even used encoders, but resolvers instead.
You might as well get right into a new retrofit of it, if the rest of the machine is decent.
First you get good, then you get fast. Then grouchiness sets in.
(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)