Hendey 18" lathe lever confusion

I bought this Hendey a couple years ago, got it powered up finally but nothing in any manuals that show how to shift it etc, head looks much different than most Hendey lathe pictures of gear heads. Has like an open slot to shift and one upright lever

Here's the picture

Old 8 speed head-stock. The vertical lever is high/low gear and the other you pull out and slide between the 4 positions. I've never found a chart that says what speed is what, but I think that is because it could vary depending on what your input RPM is, being as the motor isn't integral.

I counted rotations to get the different gear ratios on mine. See post #37 in my thread:Saved a Hendey from the scrappers yesterday

Thank you I haven't seen anything like it or reference to it, I assume there's a reservoir in the headstock for oil, I see the filler on top but not seeing where to check level

mark ct said:

Thank you I haven't seen anything like it or reference to it, I assume there's a reservoir in the headstock for oil, I see the filler on top but not seeing where to check level

Click to expand...

The main spindle bearings have reservoirs, the rest is all open lube. There are a couple felts inside to help gauge the flow, but otherwise it's follows the system of having the operator oil everything everyday.

In regards to the spindle bearings, most of the toppers are for adding oil, with the exception of the two for the main spindle bearings which are there more for inspection. You'll find a drain on the back side of the head-stock for the two bearings for flushing them out, and a oil level/filler port beside them. Each of the big bronze bearings in the head-stock has a little metal hoop going around the shaft that spins with it and carries oil to the top of the shaft, so your oil level will be below the shaft.

Post #44 in my thread shows a picture of the main spindle bearing level/filler port. Post #41 has some pictures of the open head-stock.

Geared head comments from Hendey circa 1920