M300 oil change

[Spark plug]

Just mucked out the lathe tonight and remembered I still haven't changed the oil's. So it's going top priority.

Dose anyone know the correct oil to be used in the gearbox, feed box and the apron, and how Mutch is required to change the lot?

 

[hareng]

It will tell you when you flip down the front tray.

Generally you want thicker in the gearbox than the slides, i do notice a difference.
I have used and coincides with Harrison spec hydraulic 68 and use hydraulic 32 for general oiling and the slides. Also Hydraulic 68 in mill gearbox but does froth a little.
Got mine from Smith and Allen 5 ltrs delivered approx £15.
Can use the red ATF quite similar and recommended for earlier Harrisons ie the 11"/140.

 

[Shox Dr]

After I rebuilt mine earlier this yr I couldn't wait for a mate getting me some oil, so used ATF in the Headstock and Apron, with EP90 in the screw cutting box. Although I felt the lathe was noisy.

That was until Last week when matey boy turns up with 25 ltrs of MobilGear 600 XP 220.

Drained the lathe and refilled using the Mobil. First problem I found was the 220 was way too thick for the Hand Pump to lube the slides, so a got rid of that and put EP90 in. Filled the Headstock and Screw Cutting gearbox up with the 600XP 220, and it runs a lot quieter now.

Happy days

 

[tigler]

Morris do a complete range of machine tool lubricants.

 

[Keith 66]

Looking at this for my 140, just got a 25ltr drum of texaco Rando 68 hydraulic oil which is a direct equivalent to that on the plate, manual says use it for everything except the changewheels. Colchester recomend 32 grade hydraulic oil and this can be got from machine mart in 5 ltr sizes.

 

[Spark plug]

Thanks for the replies Ile go oil shoping

 

[penfold]

Generic ISO68 oil for gearboxes unless the maker suggests an EP rated oil or something else special, although if you have a surfeit of power you won't notice the power loss from extra thick oil in the gearbox, and as noted above it does suppress gear noise. Don't use EP rated oils(the ones that smell bad) if they are not specified by the maker as the extreme pressure additives attack yellow metal bearings.

Ways; horizontal ways will probably be a ISO32 or ISO68 way oil; the viscosity is the same but there are tacky additives to stop it flowing away. Heavier oil will make the feeds sticky, although will help to damp vibration if your ways are worn; there's no right answer here, if you like a sticky saddle use a heavier oil, if you like it to whizz along with pinky pressure on the handwheel use a lighter one. Vertical ways(mill knees, pillar drills, etc) will benefit from ISO220 way oil. Way oils are sometimes identified as ISO VG XX(i.e. ISO VG 68 etc), sometimes just called way oil. You can use non-way oil, but it will run away quickly(no tackifiers) and need adding frequently.

BTW Shox Dr., Mobilgear 600 xp220 is ep90!

 

[Shox Dr]

Really!! No it can't be

It is far more viscous

 

[penfold]

Really!! No it can't be

It is far more viscous

At room temp the difference is about 10%, but at running temp the difference is 5%. Not sure why, I'll have to do some reading; I have it listed as an equivalent at work though.

 

[hareng]

Might be ok for slow running stuff Shox but the 220 bit stands for viscosity ISO 220 with spec of 19W at 100 degrees, but still 220 at 40 degrees.

On mine after a few hours hard graft you can feel the headstock casting being warm to touch, guessing around 60 degrees. No detactable warmth for 1/2hr.

Seems Harrison spec is between ISO46 and ISO 68 for free flowing around the bearings!
Bare in mind the top galleries to feed oil in to the bearings. The oil has to splash or rise to get in there.
Front headstock oil window wont show the oil circulating, just oil level.

Hydraulic 68 comparitive viscosity at 40 degrees is 64.6 almost a quarter, whereas at 100 degrees its 6.5. Essentially a 20W mineral based oil same as car oil.
Now you could use 10W/30W engine oil, it would flow quicker at cold temps and retain its higher than recommended viscosity at high temps. I always use a 0W/..W in car for that reason regardless of whether maker says 5W or 10W, where most of the wear takes place when cold.

Typical trick used for decades is to chuck heavier viscosity oil in to car engines to flog them on, they sound quiet.

Looking again seems the best to use would be hydraulic AW68 for its anti wear properties. Most recommendations for all lathes translate to hydraulic 68. Mobil Vactra 2.
Way oil is usually ISO32 to 46 ie hydraulic 32 or 46.

Since got the 220W i would probably use it in the apron and gearbox, but not the geared head unless thinned down. Lighter or thinned down then ok for the slides.

With 68W on slides it felt more like drag, i use 32W.

 

[Spark plug]

I've already got loads of iso32 lying around, lie get sum 68 this week and get it done before I forget.

 

[Shox Dr]

I understand what the 220 is. That was the first thing I said to matey. He reckoned it cross ref'd with the specs I gave him, however it will have been stores that
translated that into xp600 220.

I'd checked the splash factor, and it was working, but how well?