I have a Hurco Hawk with an auto oiler and if I pump the oiler piston manually for quite a few strokes there still isn't any visible oil on the ways. The system consists of a whole lot of small copper tubes going to inaccessible areas. How do I make sure everything is getting the oil it should be getting?
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Auto oiler system plugged?
- Thread starter Bluechipx
- Start date
- Replies 10
- Views 1,256
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
A lot of work! basically you disconnect the pipes at the delivery ends and see if oil is coming though, if not you ;-
Take it all apart clean it spotlessly and check each metering orifice is actually passing oil. …………….N.B. if the machine is old and has seen a lot of service, it's not unusual to find the oil drillings in the castings clogged as well.
Has it got a brand name like Bijur etc etc
Take it all apart clean it spotlessly and check each metering orifice is actually passing oil. …………….N.B. if the machine is old and has seen a lot of service, it's not unusual to find the oil drillings in the castings clogged as well.
Has it got a brand name like Bijur etc etc
I could probably make an oil tank to hook up to the system that would create a higher pressure like 100 psi and see what it does over time. I tried air pressure and it didn't seem to do anything, but I didn't hear any big leaks so there isn't any open lines.
If you built a dam behind the oil reservoir would the pressure be the same? lol. Jeez, first you stir up shit over the fish tank.... now this!
Actually, I just went through this on a Tree mill that had no oil flowing. The problem was all the check valves were 100% clogged. The more I learned the system, the less of a surprise that is considering how small the passages are in the valves.
Usually, the valves are in an accessible place and the final outlet is just the end of the pipe so even if you can't access it, it's not gonna be the problem. But that all depends on how the machine was made.
BTW the Bijur manual says it puts out 60PSI. Even when I hit my valves with 125PSI of air they stayed stuck....not a speck of oil flow. Tossed them and installed $180 worth of new ones from Ebay.
Actually, I just went through this on a Tree mill that had no oil flowing. The problem was all the check valves were 100% clogged. The more I learned the system, the less of a surprise that is considering how small the passages are in the valves.
Usually, the valves are in an accessible place and the final outlet is just the end of the pipe so even if you can't access it, it's not gonna be the problem. But that all depends on how the machine was made.
BTW the Bijur manual says it puts out 60PSI. Even when I hit my valves with 125PSI of air they stayed stuck....not a speck of oil flow. Tossed them and installed $180 worth of new ones from Ebay.
Good one on the tank! How about I put together a pint reservoir, hook it into the system and pressurize it with a solvent? Run it for awhile then do it with oil?
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
At which I reckon you've a 99% chance of still having to take it all apart.
FWIW all your ideas and others have been tried before, ………….with a nigh 100% failure rate ………..best to bite the bullet and do the job once.
YMMV (but not by much
)I took mine out, and soaked them. I also heated them up plenty hot with a torch to try to free up the goo-goo. Nothing made any difference. They refused to flow anything.
Here's the deal....let's suppose you get half of them to flow again. So they start flowing, and you see the oil reservoir getting lower, and all is well. Except the other half are still getting no oil, and now it's even harder to pinpoint which ones.
In my case, the culprit was coolant mixed with old oil. Combine that with tiny passages and you get clogs. Permanent clogs.
Here's the deal....let's suppose you get half of them to flow again. So they start flowing, and you see the oil reservoir getting lower, and all is well. Except the other half are still getting no oil, and now it's even harder to pinpoint which ones.
In my case, the culprit was coolant mixed with old oil. Combine that with tiny passages and you get clogs. Permanent clogs.
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
Mine was tiny chips of cast iron, ...I assume from bad filling of the oil reservoir.
I may have gotten lucky, first I hooked up a real strong vacuum pump and sucked though the system for 15 minutes, then a concentrated cleaning solvent, about a quart and 165 psi that went through pretty quick followed by a quart of way oil which took a half hour at 165 psi to get most of it through. The way oil seemed to show up pretty much everywhere kinda equally. I'm actually not positive there was even anything wrong though, when I run the factory pump for awhile I expected oil to be dripping everywhere but all the ways were just barely oily. That could be how it's supposed to work?
ratbldr427
Titanium
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2006
- Location
- jacksonville,fl.
That's basically exactly how it works!The meter valves only put out a few drops each cycle.If you see a puddle of oil any where then you have a broken line or connection or someone put in the wrong meter valves,their are two types in the Bijur type systems,continuous flow and cyclic and they look alike.They are coded,don't remember the letters off hand.
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
Sounds about right, after all you may have a ''half blockage'' rtc ……..if you think it's a bit light, keep a pump can of whatever slideway oil you use handy.