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Gearbox Lubrication, 14" Delta Bandsaw

Bob Borinstein

Plastic
Joined
Jan 23, 2006
Location
Austin, TX
I'm trying to do right for the 14" Delta wood/metalcutting bandsaw I have in my lab at school. I want to change the gearbox lube, but every time I call Delta I get a different answer. The manual is vague to say the least: "a good grade of heavy adhesive gear oil".

My 1st call to Delta was pleasant enough, but I wasn't allowed to speak to a Technician! The customer noservice rep had to relay all his replies to me. What I finally got was 140 wt. gear fluid. My 2nd call provided a part number for a container of Delta gear fluid, but it was no longer a valid part and hadn't been for many years. My last call said I should replace it with what was in it originally...

After asking and reading on the OWWM forum, the best guess I can come up with seems to be 140 wt, GL1 (to protect seals and "yellow metal"). Other recommendations were trans fluid, automotive gear fluids in 90 or 140 wt., mixtures of 140 and 90 and STP,ISO gear fluids, synthetics, etc. Nobody knows what the real spec is. Why is this such a difficult question to answer?
Can someone please tell me the correct lubricant to use in the gearbox?


Bob Borinstein
 
Where's the confusion? 140 wt. gear oil IS a "heavy adhesive gear oil".

Most of it sold today is GL-5 grade, which means it has higher levels of extreme pressure additives than the GL-3 or GL-4 grades. The higher levels can attack some bronze or brass parts. I can't remember if there is brass or bronze in the Delta gearbox, but you're probably safer with the GL-3 or GL-4. Natural or synthetic? Well, I guess that's your choice.

In the end, it really doesn't matter a whole lot. The automotive gear lubes are made to function for thousands of hours in transmissions and differentials, where the speeds and tooth loadings are far higher than in the band saw gearbox, and where the tolerances are far tighter. The only thing I would stay away from would be a detergent motor oil, which would allow the crud to stay in suspension. You have no filter, so you want it to settle out. John Martin
 
"My last call said I should replace it with what was in it originally..."

Heck that would have made it easy on the one I worked over several years ago. It had nothing in it, so I guess I should have put nothing BACK in it, lol. The goo that came out smelled like rear end dope, so that's what I put back in it. No leaks, no problems and we have run the wee-wee out of it.

I need tires and a table for mine. I have a rigged up piece of stel plate, but it'd be really nice to have the factory table back on it. New tires would be great because it keeps spitting the blade off if it hangs up. That is actually a nice feature because it keeps the morons away from it. They push it too hard, it hangs up and spits off the blade. About twice of this and they figure another way to do the job.... which suits me fine.
 
A while back I rescued one of these beauties from the scrappers, it had been hit by a forklift, the table and guides got trashed, as well as some guards, but other than that it was all there. I spent just under $200.00 on oem parts and made her whole again, and I have to admit it cuts truer than my DoAll Metal Master, which in it's defense has a lot more mileage on it. I used 90 weight gear oil and have had no problems cutting in either range, and I've cut plenty of thick aluminum ( up to 6" with a 4 TPI skiptooth blade ), at high speed. Even with a 6" riser block, it cuts straight and true. Have fun!-JM
 
Swarfalot wrote:
Why is this such a difficult question to answer?
I will step out on a limb here and say what I think. Your various answers mean that just about any decent gear lube whether it be 85w/90 or 140 wt, etc will do the job. I think 95% of the battle is having *any* sort of clean gear lube in there.

The comment about a lube safe for yellow metals I think is worth noting.
 
Mike C,

I got tires from Woodworkers Supply. They're on the web, I just don't remember the address. My saw is a Delta/Milwaukee, pre-Rockwell, probably 1946 or so. It had a broken trunnion, but it's the same part as used on the woodworking saw sold now, so no problem.

If you do small-radius cuts, the Carter guide for 1/8 and 3/16 wide blades is terrific.

Jeff
 
Delta customer service, like everyone else's used to be good, now it sucks. I had a great guy that I used to talk to there, but I think he is retired now, and they probably don't have anyone to replace him who has half the knowledge. sad.
 
Delta support used to be world class...now for the most part it just sucks.

Thank management for this.

Not to get into the details so someone might get in trouble...

Delta used to have information on EVERYTHING they had sold in the past and people who knew it. One day management decided to cut costs and much of that information was tossed. Then the people who knew the details were "surplused".

Delta surplus is a shadow of what they were.

TMT
 
Delta support used to be world class...now for the most part it just sucks.

Thank management for this.

Not to get into the details so someone might get in trouble...

Delta used to have information on EVERYTHING they had sold in the past and people who knew it. One day management decided to cut costs and much of that information was tossed. Then the people who knew the details were "surplused".

Delta surplus is a shadow of what they were.

TMT
 
You can get just about anything you need for that saw from Iturra Design. Genuine Delta parts or aftermarket. They are not on the web - at least I don't think they are yet - but you can find their phone number there.
 








 
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