m-lud
Stainless
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2016
I also have a couple of opinions, each of which are their own topic.
First, I will absolutely be divorcing saddle/cross slide from the apron lube system on both the 61 and 10ee. I will lube carriage/x slide from its own one shot set up. This will stop, or slow the draining of apron oil, plus other benefits imo.
Second, I will gut all the bijur fittings, verse replace them.
See those blocked lines and the unnecessary wear ? You probably have another 4 or 5 of those metering units in apron, besides the saddle. One lube system, 10 points of failure. You can thank those pop fittings for your blocked lines and unnecessary wear.
Not just Monarch, all sorts of machines use them. And they are the #1 cause of machine damage I have seen.
I'm no doubt in a minority opinion in gutting the fittings and using them without the filter and checlve. But I'm not the only one. There may be other considerations, or issues to sort out in doing so. But in the end, I want oil to go where I'm pumping it, not maybe or hopefully. Reduce points of failure.
All the oil pumps have their own filter too, including one shots. So you don't need clogging filters in a bijur fitting.
k va
For anyone curious, I did it here in a Bridgeport:
Bridgeport Maintenance Funny Time
And starting roughly here on a 61:
Getting a Monarch Series 61 Back in Service
I borrowed TGS's Post from another thread.
Ill take a look at those links but first.
That monarch apron oiling system is a cluster of potential failure.
I agree. By time you discover feed clutches ,worm drive or half nuts aren't getting oil damage is done.
I respect those that took the time to repair theirs.
Ill have oil up to the sight glass for the gears on the apron but the pumping system will have manual pump and adjustable valves. Something like aquarium air valves for metering each oil line.
With the monarch apron system one valve stops everything. All these worn worm gears you see were ran dry and failed. Not failed yet but badly worn.
That could be poor maintenance but I don't trust it. If the worm gear oil is not dripping enough oil you cant adjust it. You have to remove the apron oil pan or the whole apron.
Make it simple stupid!
I used the aquarium air valves as an example. If they are not oil friendly or junk there are better valves. Four oil lines inside the apron can be metered by 4 small manual metering valves behind the apron.
Monarch made a system that is suppose to be idiot proof. Put oil in the sump and forget about it. That takes oiling out of mind. Not good
If they could have added a manual pump to prime and over ride the apron system.
I have spent a huge amount of time studying and reading threads about apron oil pumps not working. Its pitiful with all of the issues with it. It's not rocket science to make it better.
My carriage will be drilled for Gits ball valves but still have the oil manifold for carriage and cross feed
It was an era of machine building.. Monarch isn't the only company that had oiling systems that had failed.
Machines sitting idle for years has hurt some of these systems from working. But its evident from ground up metal parts that they quit pumping oil long before the lathe went Idle.
TGS hit a nerve with his post but I have been working on a different oiling setup.
If you read his 61 series Threads he has been planning modifications to his lathe.
Suggestions and thoughts needed