Centec 2B

[500e]

Any one with a Manual looking for info on vertical head there is a dipstick what oil and is there a drain.
friend has one was round there to day and unscrewed dip stick as you do to find nothing showing on it, so before we fill would be nice to drain any residual out and flush.
There is also a nipple on top bearing presume grease.
The manual I have seen says No32 I think dip stick fill to level it has stood for a few years but no leaks show

 

[Rannsachair]

Any one with a Manual looking for info on vertical head there is a dipstick what oil and is there a drain.
friend has one was round there to day and unscrewed dip stick as you do to find nothing showing on it, so before we fill would be nice to drain any residual out and flush.
There is also a nipple on top bearing presume grease.
The manual I have seen says No32 I think dip stick fill to level it has stood for a few years but no leaks show

The head rotates, so you can invert it to drain the oil out of the dipstick hole.
I asked Smith and Allan for an equivalent, they provided

 

[500e]

Thanks @Rannsachair you dont know approx how much.
Never thought of turning it upside down

 

[Rannsachair]

Thanks @Rannsachair you dont know approx how much.
Never thought of turning it upside down

I used a large syringe to fill it, under a litre from memory.

 

[RichardM]

I have a copy of the 2A with vert head manual, PM me your email as it's too big for here. I used to use sae 30 oil, filled with dip stick resting not screwed in as I found that if it was screwed in the brass drive gear was starved of oil.
Oil will leak out as there are no seals on the quill.

 

[not done it yet]

dont know approx how much.

It’s got a dip stick, so not difficult to determine volume - only need to do it once (hopefully).

Regular Centec users likely have a faint horizontal stripe at quill height.

I’ve never drained mine, and don’t intend to. ISO 32, I think, but ISO ’heavier’ would leak more slowly.

Same grade as the main gearbox (see the plate on the column). Check it, for a modern equivalent?

The only question I have is: Did Centec conform to the (modern-day) accepted method of checking the level? I assume they did, so top up regularly, with a few squirts from an oil can.