Oil Fill Quantity for Victor 1630

[11andrew11]

I have an late 70s/early 80s Victor 1630. That's what Victor told me based upon the S/N. It's early enough that it has a 5 HP motor, as opposed to the 7.5 HP versions. I've sourced several manuals for it online, though they are written in imperfect English. The manuals point to the areas that require oil/lubrication and also make recommendations for the type of oil to use, but they are vague on the quantity. While that wouldn't normally be an issue, I have one fill cup that has me wondering.

There is a fill cup on the right side of the gearbox (see right side of attached picture) which I believe supplies oil to several of the rotating shafts. I don't have a good idea of how much oil is required here and I can't see very well into the fill hole. The manual just says "fill it with oil gun". I have been adding oil in 250ml increments and have now added about 750 ml, which seems like a lot to me given the type of fill cup. None is leaking out anywhere, though.

Can anyone tell me roughly how much oil goes into this oil cup?

Many thanks,

Andrew

 

[Martin W]

Probably not much help, but I would think there should be an oil plug on the side also. When oil comes out there, it is full. Nice lathe by the way!
Martin

 

[11andrew11]

Probably not much help, but I would think there should be an oil plug on the side also. When oil comes out there, it is full. Nice lathe by the way!
Martin

Thanks Martin. I'll take a look for a plug another plug. At the other end of the shafts, I barely had to add any oil to the cup, but then again it might have already been full. I'm not sure. This is my first lathe, so I'm having to learn along the way. I did drain the gearbox for the main spindle, the threading gearbox and also the apron. The oil cup in question seems to be separate from the threading gearbox, which is shown in the picture on the left side of the picture.

 

[Firstram]

Can you post pictures showing the whole thing?

 

[11andrew11]

Sure, no problem. Does that help?

 

[Firstram]

Is that a sight glass on the left side of the gear box above the shift lever?

 

[11andrew11]

Is that a sight glass on the left side of the gear box above the shift lever?

Good eyes! There are actually two sight glasses towards the left sides of the forward facing panels.. One on the upper panel at 10 o'clock from the F/R lever (leftmost lever) and another on the lower panel directly below the leftmost lever there. The upper is for the headstock oil and the lower is for the feed gear oil. However, the oil cup that I'm looking at does not feed fluid into either of those reservoirs, as far as I know.

 

[11andrew11]

I PM'd Eyerelief since I read some posts about his Victor 1640. I want to leave this for other Victor owners so, here is his helpful response:

Here is what I know, which isn't much. Apparently that fill hole was made because there is a wall inside the threading gearbox that is just a little bit too tall to allow a proper fill to lubricate the lead screw and the shafts. That description doesn't make sense to me, thinking a small hole in the bottom of the wall should allow oil to naturally fill. I think they were more worried about the shafts leaking the gearbox dry. I have never been able to find a definitive word as to how much to put in either. Nor have I found a drain plug to empty the reservoir if there is one. The fella that I purchased my machine from advised that he simply added a little "occasionally" just to drizzle a little over the top of the lead screw and threading shafts, using the same oil that is used in the gearbox. I have read online of others doing the same. I don't know for sure, but think he did this at start up, only pouring in an ounce or two (30-60ml) or so. I say this because when I picked up the machine from him, the brass fill plug was missing so he likely lost or discarded it out of convenience. I have been using this practice now for the last couple years with no problems.

 

[gadjeep]

Does anyone else have an early model victor 1630 with no sight glasses or drain plugs on the apron/gearbox? I'm struggling to make sense of mine.

 

[11andrew11]

Does anyone else have an early model victor 1630 with no sight glasses or drain plugs on the apron/gearbox? I'm struggling to make sense of mine.

Sorry, but mine has both the sight glass and drain plug. What's going on with yours? I'm happy to try to help you if I can.