Lube for Drive all gear box

This is somewhat of a continuation of my radial drill project.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...uestions-342771/?highlight=radial+drill+press

But is only a lube question. I have gone on Drive alls home page and did not find an anwwer that made sense. Also searched past threads and found some interesting info about not using some newer synthetic gear lubes. My drill press went through a flood and motor and gear box were both underwater for a couple of weeks. Motor is fine now. Pulled the cover off to inspect gear box and all appears to be fine. The original owner had drained it after the flood. Some ice in the bottom but all below the gears and a small amount of original oil. Cleaned it out pretty good and every thing appears fine. So the million dollar question is what kind of gear lube to I put in. Would guess it was about 80 wt that I finished removing. Even heating it up did not make it run any faster. So would a 80 wt non detergent type oil be ok to use? And how do you know how far to fill it up? There is a add plug on top and a drain plug on bottom. No overfill plug like on some machines or any kind of dip stick to check level. Is this tranny some sort of "total immersion" it would appear to me that it would be some sort of splash lube system. Any thought on what and how to proceed? Regards, John.

handsome devil said:

This is somewhat of a continuation of my radial drill project.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...uestions-342771/?highlight=radial+drill+press

But is only a lube question. I have gone on Drive alls home page and did not find an anwwer that made sense. Also searched past threads and found some interesting info about not using some newer synthetic gear lubes. My drill press went through a flood and motor and gear box were both underwater for a couple of weeks. Motor is fine now. Pulled the cover off to inspect gear box and all appears to be fine. The original owner had drained it after the flood. Some ice in the bottom but all below the gears and a small amount of original oil. Cleaned it out pretty good and every thing appears fine. So the million dollar question is what kind of gear lube to I put in. Would guess it was about 80 wt that I finished removing. Even heating it up did not make it run any faster. So would a 80 wt non detergent type oil be ok to use? And how do you know how far to fill it up? There is a add plug on top and a drain plug on bottom. No overfill plug like on some machines or any kind of dip stick to check level. Is this tranny some sort of "total immersion" it would appear to me that it would be some sort of splash lube system. Any thought on what and how to proceed? Regards, John.

Click to expand...

Found this hope it helps: Maintenance Instructions

Ramsay 1

Will have to look up equivalent of Mobile 626 because that number means nothing to me at this time. On that page {which I don't know how I missed this before?} they say to fill to "oil level hole". I have not found that yet. I looked with trouble light last night but the paint is shedding off the thing so maybe I missed it. I have not started the process of knocking off all the loose paint and there is a lot of that. So I guess I go back and look harder. The model number of mine is #406 or #405 and I couldn't find that number either. But just like the page you linked maybe I missed that too. Thank you so much for the link it gives me somewhere to look for oil level and type of lube. Regards, John.

Mr Devil,

Machine tool gearboxes of the Drive-All and Lima type are pretty much equivalent to late '20's/early-mid '30's automotive gearbox technology, with straight-cut spur gears and ball bearings with seals. Your Drive-All should work nicely with common or garden variety SAE 90 or 140 oil, available from any automotive supplier. There really should be a level plug in the case, which would have the level partially up on the lowest positioned gear, for splash oiling.

cheers

Carla

I've been running SAE 90 gear oil in one for years...

carla said:

Mr Devil,

Machine tool gearboxes of the Drive-All and Lima type are pretty much equivalent to late '20's/early-mid '30's automotive gearbox technology, with straight-cut spur gears and ball bearings with seals. Your Drive-All should work nicely with common or garden variety SAE 90 or 140 oil, available from any automotive supplier. There really should be a level plug in the case, which would have the level partially up on the lowest positioned gear, for splash oiling.

cheers

Carla

Click to expand...

It is said among the Model A Ford community that the drive-all cluster gear (four gears together) interchanges with the Model A three speed transmission cluster gear.

Model A takes "600W" non-compounded oil which is a little rare in our modern world. Most of the Model A supply houses (Snyder's Antique Auto one of many) carry quart jugs of this oil which enough for a fill on the Model A Tranny.

Many Model A enthusiasts use STRAIGHT STP motor oil additive. I have driven my Model A for many years and miles in this condition. Many OTHER Model A enthusiasts claim (with a sneer) STP is NOT a lubricant.

It seems to work for me - and is easily available.

Joe in NH

I was kind of thinking along these lines as this thing will not get used often and figured that an old fashioned differential lube/oil would be fine in this application. Not to mention cost, but guess it will take maybe 2-3 qts so no matter what I put in there shouldn't cost to much. But was kind of hoping a straight 80-90 wt would be fine.

Went out and looked again and I cannot find the mysterious oil level hole? We were real cold for a couple weeks like a lot of people and today we were at 40 degrees. My shop floor looks like I hosed it down and everything is dripping water. I had clean clothes on and didn't want to kneel down and start getting up close and personal {I was on my way out}. But I looked where the parts diagram showed .25 plug should be. No dice. It will be cold tomorrow so the water will have froze or dried up and will look once again. Maybe the plug is flush and hard to see but I sure didn't see it this afternoon. From the parts diagram the oil level looks likd it is just below the bearing housing on the end which if worse comes to worse I can do without finding the oil hole. But I want to learn to do this right as far as adding the amount of fluids.
Thanks people for telling me my original idea was going to be good enough. Glad I don't need 55 gal drum of this Mobile gear lube. Some of this stuff is pretty pricey. Also glad I do not need a new Drive-all gear box. Those new cost more than 2-3 times the resale value of most radial drill press's.

Regards, John. PS: Mr Devil sounds rather prestigious!

I bet it will be easier to find the plug by removing the cover and looking from the inside, maybe with the help of a mirror.

Paolo

Mobil 626 - as suggested in above link by Drive All - is ISO 68

A gallon of ISO 68 hydraulic oil down at the auto supply would seem to be a workable choice for low usage equipment

A far as "enough" the cluster must dip into the pool enough to make effective full length splash and that will be "enough"