HLV-H not greased for life?.

Datum Tool

Plastic

Joined

Feb 8, 2010

Location

Indiana

• Jan 23, 2014

• #1

I guess after the first 50 years the motor bearings do need grease.I was using my HLV-H the other day and it started making a high pitch winding noise turns out that the motor bearings needed some more grease,so I had to remove plugs and install grease fittings a pump a little grease into them.

 

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Richard King

Diamond

Joined

Jul 12, 2005

Location

Cottage Grove, MN 55016

• Jan 23, 2014

• #2

They say the same thing about the spindle head too. Hardinge is sneaky because if your going to put new spindle bearing in them you have to buy the bearings from them as They have the races ground at the bearing factories so they have a special fit. If you put in class 7 off the shelf bearings ($1000.00+) they will get hot and not work...Years ago I learned the hard way you send the headstock back to them to have it rebuilt. I had a customer call me a few years ago who told me he could not afford sending the head back, as the bearings were noisey and needed grease as the head was accurate. I went over and we pulled the front flange and the rear round plate and squirted in some Mobil #32 Red Horse synthetic grease with a needle syringe and ran it at a slow speed and put it back together and haven't heard back from him...and In my business "no news is good news"...ha ha
Not the best way, but that's what the customer wanted. Rich

 

scadvice

Titanium

Joined

Jan 16, 2009

Location

"Stuck in Lodi", Ca

• Feb 9, 2014

• #3

Rich,
Thanks for the tip on squirting some Mobil #32 Red Horse syn grease, I may try that. I have a Feeler 618 type II that just the other day started intermittently having a little noise in the head. Finish is still super but I'm concerned. Have you ever done a bearing replacement on one of these and is it the same as the Hardinge HLV-H lathes or different?

Here's a link to a picture and info on this machine (Not necessarily for You, as I assume your familiar with it). Page Title

 

M

mellejonker

Aluminum

Joined

Jan 10, 2016

• Feb 20, 2019

• #4

Hello, could you explain me how to get acces to the front bearings? I removed the bolts in the front flange but it looks like be held in place by the spindle nose? Thanks in advance,
Melle

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

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FredC

Diamond

Joined

Oct 29, 2010

Location

Dewees Texas

• Feb 20, 2019

• #5

I have a Tsugami chucker that is a copy of a Hardinge HC and the front of the spindle has a pressed on cover that can be pulled off with jack screws in the spindle cover. Looking at my HLV-H the spindle appears to be one piece and the spindle looks like it would have to be pulled. If so I would replace the bearings with new ones. check the earlier posts.

 

rons

Diamond

Joined

Mar 5, 2009

Location

California, USA

• Feb 20, 2019

• #6

Pull spindle out. Leave a reference mark on a piece of tape. Easy to do.
Soak bearings in lacquer thinner. Washes out old grease.
Palm in new grease. Takes a long time but eventually it works.

Worked for me when I first got the lathe. Never had an issue.

 

M

mellejonker

Aluminum

Joined

Jan 10, 2016

• Feb 21, 2019

• #7

Thanks, I was hoping i would not have to take the spindle out, I thought Richard King described it without taking things apart, but perhaps I was mistaking.
Regards,

Melle

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

F

FredC

Diamond

Joined

Oct 29, 2010

Location

Dewees Texas

• Feb 21, 2019

• #8

Rich is very experienced, not sure if the machine described was an HLV-H. The bearing cap is part of a labyrinth seal and unless the spindle is 2 piece with a separate shield removing the spindle will be necessary.
Perhaps Rich used a rubber mallet and tapped the back of the spindle to move it out an 1/8 of an inch (After removing the spindle nut)sprayed in the lube then pulled it back together(with the spindle nut).
Rich was going to be out of pocket for a month or so. Perhaps it is time for him to be back.
I just looked at my HVL-H again and I am sure the spindle and front part of the labyrinth are 1 piece.

 

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DMF_TomB

Diamond

Joined

Dec 13, 2008

Location

Rochester, NY, USA

• Feb 21, 2019

• #9

grease is oil and soap. over time oil leaks out and grease gets drier and harder. not unusual for maintenance manuals to recommend greasing on a monthly or twice a year schedule

 

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FredC

Diamond

Joined

Oct 29, 2010

Location

Dewees Texas

• Feb 22, 2019

• #10

Just to be clear, I was not recommending the procedure of tapping out the spindle and re lubing as any kind of regular maintenance. There are risks of flat spotting the bearings and introducing one tiny chip that will wipe out the bearing. I might try it as a last ditch effort if the only other option is running semidry noisy bearings or a complete spindle rebuild.

 

rons

Diamond

Joined

Mar 5, 2009

Location

California, USA

• Feb 22, 2019

• #11

mellejonker said:

Thanks, I was hoping i would not have to take the spindle out, I thought Richard King described it without taking things apart, but perhaps I was mistaking.
Regards,

Melle

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

The way I describe is a full fix done the right way. Would not do a short term fix and rely on it too long. In addition, mixing the unknown grease in the spindle bearings with a few squirts of a different type lubricant is not good.

When I change the motor oil I drain all the used oil first before adding fresh oil.

If you can get a bull nose cover plate it would be better. Nice pictures.

 

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Frigzy

Aluminum

Joined

Apr 26, 2018

• Mar 25, 2019

• #12

Labyrinth seal and spindle are two separate parts. It's a press fit. It looks like one solid part because they must be machining them at once at the factory. Here is my spindle being assembled: