Gallery, Projects and General > How do I??
How do I get the old oil out of the headstock?
AdeV:
I've got a nice big drum of new hydraulic oil arriving tomorrow for my lathe. Before I put it in, I'd like to clear out the remnants of the old oil - which is as black as the Ace of Spades, and probably contains bits of the mid-range drive gear (see posts elsewhere...) which ought to be fished out...
There doesn't seem to be any means of draining the headstock right to the bottom, so I'm guessing the oil will have to come out of the top? Given this, what's the best way?
I can think of a couple of options:
1) Try to syphon it out with some plastic tube. Probably quickest, but also the most tricky, especially as the level really falls.
2) Wick it out through some rope - would that even work?
3) Wipe it out with rags & towels - this will be fine when I'm down to the last few bits, but there's still quite a lot in there, so I think this could take forever
4) Some obvious method I can't think of?
Many thanks in advance!
bogstandard:
Just pick the lathe up and pour it out. :lol:
Joking aside, if it has a head gearbox, it should also have a drain plug. Mine are actually behind the change gear area. Oil goes everywhere when I take the plug out while I am struggling to get a bit of guttering under it to get the oil into my drain bucket.
If you are really worried about the oil being very bad, drain out as much as you can, top it up with some new oil, run for say half an hour and drain out again. That should get rid of most of the contaminants.
I am due to do mine again. I might even make a drain extension so that I can just turn a tap on and off to get it out. I will have to see if I can get past the gears.
If you can get a bike pump down to the oil, that will soon suck it out.
Bogs
AdeV:
--- Quote from: bogstandard on November 11, 2009, 06:36:09 PM ---Just pick the lathe up and pour it out. :lol:
--- End quote ---
Ha! Only if you come & help me.... :D
--- Quote ---
Joking aside, if it has a head gearbox, it should also have a drain plug. Mine are actually behind the change gear area. Oil goes everywhere when I take the plug out while I am struggling to get a bit of guttering under it to get the oil into my drain bucket.
--- End quote ---
I confess I've not been all over the lathe looking for a plug. I will do so tomorrow.
--- Quote ---
If you are really worried about the oil being very bad, drain out as much as you can, top it up with some new oil, run for say half an hour and drain out again. That should get rid of most of the contaminants.
--- End quote ---
I suspect that there are bits of one of the gears in it. Whilst it's almost 100% certain they'll stay put in the sump, I would hate for a piece to work loose & jam in a gear causing even more damage...
I like the bicycle pump idea, I think I'll give that one a try; I'm sure I've got one around here somewhere...
:thumbup:
Davo J:
There are some pictures in the link below that show the drain plugs and one way of getting it out, it is simular to Johns lathe. There are a few tips on belts etc in that thread also.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=216408&page=7
Dave
John Hill:
If you are going to use a bike pump it will work better if you take it apart and invert the washer thing, that way it will actually 'suck'.
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