Oil dye?

[Maker]

The oil in my lathe head stock is pretty much clear and the sight glass is dirty so I'm never 100% sure if it has the right amount of oil, so; Is there something I can add to make it more visible?

 

[ukracer]

The oil in my lathe head stock is pretty much clear and the sight glass is dirty so I'm never 100% sure if it has the right amount of oil, so; Is there something I can add to make it more visible?

New sight glass??

 

[Maker]

That would probably work too. How do you get the old one out?

 

[ukracer]

That would probably work too. How do you get the old one out?

I think @doubleboost has done a video on fitting one....

 

[Pete.]

Push it out, clean with brake cleaner, push it back in with a dab of RTV or similar. I removed the last one with a socket and a lever.

 

[bigegg]

Drop of red diesel?
(Is it still dyed red? - Last i got was yellow)
Or the blue dye added to stop fuel being stolen from coaches/buses.
Or a drop of purple meths?

 

[zzr1200]

Order a new glass.



http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section12/

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Or a few drops of pen ink.

 

[bigegg]

Or a few drops of pen ink.

Ive got a feeling most pen ink is water based.
Screen printing ink - or a bit of gloss paint - might be better

 

[Maker]

Drop of red diesel?
(Is it still dyed red? - Last i got was yellow)
Or the blue dye added to stop fuel being stolen from coaches/buses.
Or a drop of purple meths?

My first thought was the stuff they put in red diesel, or some engineers blue, but I wasn't sure if it would affect the properties of the oil.
According to Wiki, the yellow dye will go red if you add acid, it means it can be detected even if it's been massively diluted with normal fuel.

 

[brightspark]

does it leak out like. cant say ive ever had to top mine up. I wouldn't bother

 

[Migmac]

Only an idea, no idea if it would be suitable. 2 stroke mixing oil, ours turns the petrol red

 

[Bill Edwards]

Stop changing the oil so it gets dirty or change it for someone's well blackened used engine oil

In all seriousness I'd be careful about adding anything. Obviously there are some things you really don't want in oil but even some stuff that will mix I wouldn't want to add because to do so enough to change the color is likely to be a significant change from what it's meant to have.

I'd say the easy options are:
New sight glass
Tap a hole to use as a level plug and unscrew it once in a blue moon
Look in every year and forget about it unless any leaks develop. It's not like it's being used for 12 hours a day in a production environment.

 

[Gareth0123]

Why not ask these nicely for a free sample

 

[voipio]

Lamp oil dye should do the trick:

http://www.clearcraftoilcandles.co.uk/lamp-oil-oil-dye/dye-package.html#productTop
.

 

[Gareth0123]

Now that is an excellent low-cost idea.

 

[wristpin]

Years ago when I worked for Caterpillar there were three or four different dyes available as Cat part numbers to aid tracing the source of hydraulic leaks etc. May still be.

 

[zzr1200]

I'd go to Tesco's baking aisle and get some food colouring.....

 

[brightspark]

I wouldn't bother never had a problem in 40 years I think some people need to create them then spend ages trying to solve them

 

[MCKDAVID]

brightspark is 100% spot on, clearly a case of overthinking it,

Does it leak, no, is the level right, yes, then leave it... change the oïl only as / when needed

spend the time on something more interesting than gearbox oïl....