G&L Headstock Way Oiling

Working on getting my 340T up to snuff and I have decided that the oil flow to the ways on the column is severely lacking. The parts book is less than stellar in illustrating the setup but there is a pipe plug in the top of the head and I can see thru it that it appears they have pipe cleaner wicks wrapped around a pipe with oil flowing across it. These wicks are then supposed to take oil over to the copper tubes that then oil the ways. There are 6 wicks according to the diagram but I can only see one thru the hole. I assume the wicking is too deteriorated to do the job anymore as I can see plenty of oil on the pipe but I only get like 3 drops of oil out in 20minutes onto the ways. The big job is there looks like no access to me. I think the only way I can get to them to replace them is to pull the entire feed mechanisim off the headstock. Anybody ever done this job know?

I can't recall on ways, but I do remember on the spindle bearings under the glass cover on front of head there is a adjustable metering flow set set screw you han use to increase the drip to the bearings. Or on the newer ones anyway. You may want to remove the flat covers and look inside the head. be careful not to drop anything in there as once a apprentice of ours dropped an Allen wrench in there when changing the oil. had to pull the frt covers off to find it.

Yep the allen screw is under the glass on this machine for controlling spindle bearing oil, I set it for about 45drips a minute as per the book. I don't seem to have any flat access covers on my head. There is one on the back on the column side but when I loosened it it felt like it had some shafts stuck into it or something as it was really heavy and tight, so so I just put it back.

Yeah dropping stuff inside the spindle frame isn't recommended. I had a whole series of magnets, different sizes and strengths, telescopic etc for just that eventuality. They saved my bacon a few times over the years.

Regards Tyrone.

Made a video showing the oiling issues. Anybody ever pulled the feed assembly off the head on a G&L? Huge job or not too bad?