4904 Headstock Bearing oil system?

[Buickgsman]

How much experience is out there with headstock bearing oiling? My bearings must be pretty dry and they are a tad loud. The machine probably hasnt spun in years and years and I have added oil to the cups but I dont know if I am getting oil to the bearings. Any ideas on how I can ensure the bearings are wet? I would love to NOT have to replace them when I tear the lathe apart. A cosmetic restoration would be ideal. Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks
Bob

 

[Kennyd]

I'll be honest Bob, I never really thought about it...I just keep the oil cups full with light oil (hydraulic fluid actually I think it is). Hopefully the galleries are not plugged on your machine, but I suspect its just bone dry in there so you will have to keep oiling for a while.

 

[PurpLev]

I haven't had the top open in a while, but I dont remember seeing the cups delivering oil to the bearings. I think the cups are delivering oil to the gears in the headstock (it HAS been a while). - since you are restoring , and probably have the top open check to see where the cups are tunneling the oil.

as a start, keep the cups full, and let the lathe run on slowest speed for a while to let the bearings free up and lube up (if oil is heading their way) and smooth out. worst case you'll get an indication after it is run for a while if you really need replacement. I think Kent (architard) recently pressed those bearings out and back in, he might be able to shed more light on whether the oil cups are getting oil in there, or if the bearings are prelubed and sealed.

 

[Kennyd]

The front and rear Gits Oilers/oil cups (4) on the headstock are directly inline with the spindle bearings, see my very crude addition in red to the picture below:

 

[Buickgsman]

Thanks Sharon and Kenny,

I actually went out after work today and poked around to see if both the front and rear gits cups oil the bearings. It looks like the front do the spindle bearings and the rear oilers do the back gear shaft. So, I shot a good amount of gear lube into the bearings, until I saw it come out the inner bearing area(with the headstock cover off) and then I stopped. It quieted down a good amount but it is still noisy. There was some rusty brown oil coming out the front bearing. My guess is the guy I bought it from stopped at the car wash with it on the way home however many years ago he bought it. So, I will probably replace the bearings to quiet it down. The rest of the lathe looks top notch.. the ways dont have so much as a scratch, everything seems to work nicely so no complaints here. And the VFD...:lmao: I love it!


Bob

 

[architard]

The front cups do indeed lead to galleries that feed the bearings. As you noted the rear cups feed the back gear bushings. When you say gear lube, do you mean grease? I don't think grease is recommended for bearing lube because it's a magnet for chips and you don't want them clogging up your bearings.

I believe the quadrant gears and the tumbler gears are the only spots that are supposed to be greased on this machine.

The correct oil for the headstock bearings is Mobil DTE 24. You can order it from Enco in a gallon container. That size will probably last you for quite a while.

 

[Clausing]

Having just replaced the front and rear spindle bearings in my Clausing 4914, it is true that the oil cups on the front side of the headstock are for the spindle bearings, and the rear cups are for the back gear bushings.

I would also like to say that grease is only indicated for the quadrant and tumbler gears, it does quiet the whole works down. Be sure that the chip deflector (at the bottom of the headstock under the chuck, between the ways) is secured. Otherwise if you use air to clear chips you will blow those chips up into the gearbox and onto the gears.

Also, check your spindle runout, your takeup collar may need to be adjusted, and that will take noise out of the spindle bearings.

Don't forget to run oil through the headstock cover (spingball oiler) for additional lubrication to the tumbler gears and the spindle shaft, and to oil the spindle with the machine running in forward, you will see the oil being pulled into the bearings instead of waiting for gravity to let oil trickle towards the bearings.

You have a great machine there.

Clausing