Monarch Lathe

Fellows I have a friend that has a 20.0"x120", 1948 model, serial # 31,635 Catalogue size 14", how do you get the it apart to where the seal can be changed behinda the chuck, got the chuck off, what next, and does anyone have a copy of a manual for sale, thanks, Joe

Probably speaking out of turn here, but I think you will have to pull out the spindle
to replace that seal. You have to do that on
the EE. Thats all I can offer.
Shall I say gasket?

[This message has been edited by daryl bane (edited 03-07-2003).]

Joe: Most lathes do not have a seal on the spindle at the chuck end. The EE does not have a seal there, only a close fitting shield a slinger and a drain to return oil to the sump. If the drain gets plugged with dirt or goo the oil packs up and comes out around the spindle! On some lathes there is a cover that is held to the headstock with screws or bolts. This cover is in effect the seal (shield). Sometimes this cover will come off without removing the spindle, but often the cover is sandwitched between the front spindle bearings and the spindle nose ( on a "D" type this nose is bigger than the hole in the cover). On these machines the entire spindle must be removed to remove the cover. Good luck Ross

Speaking of oil leaks, my round dial machine leaks at the feed mechanism input shaft. This is under the driven pulley that the flat belt rides on. The pulley slings the oil all over and makes a real mess in the belt area. I looked in the parts list and couldn't find anything that looks like a seal listed. Before I start taking it apart, is there anything I should know? I'd also like to have the parts on hand. Can anyone tell me what I'll need?

Thanks,
Roger

Alfa, my friend put some 90 weight, maybe that is to viscous to use in there ??. Joe

Joe: Yes way too heavey most likely it won't drain fast enough from the slinger! I would use
an AW 46 Hydralic oil for the spindle. Too heavy of an oil will produce excess heat in the bearings. Ross

Roger, I didn't understand which shaft is
leaking. Is it the pulley shaft? Or is
it one of the lower shafts?

Maybe your oil level is too high in the gearbox (the pulley shaft is a couple of
inches above the oil level).

I've never seen a EE that doesn't have a
fair amount of oil coating everything
behind and below the headstock. I'm
not saying they don't exist, just that I
haven't seen one ;<)

rimcanyon: The leak is on the left end of the feed input shaft. The driven pulley for the feed works belt drive attaches to this shaft. This assembly has a large (~1" dia.) flip top oiler. All the oil levels show at the proper point in the sight glasses.

My machine was a real oily mess inside when I got it. Most of it was due to the gearbox drain cap being installed finger tight with no Teflon tape. I've cleaned up some of it, but a full disassembly would be necessary to get it real clean. It's gone on long enough that several of the rubber mounts for the motor and M/G set are pretty far gone. My lathe is certainly no show piece but it leaves a small puddle on the floor after a month or so. At a minimum I'd like to at least fix that.

Thanks,
Roger

[This message has been edited by Roger Van Maren (edited 03-09-2003).]

Roger,

I've been looking at the parts drawings for the round dial gearbox, and I can't see any particular seal or anything, so I suspect that the outboard bearing has a seal on the outer side (it seems to have a retaining involved, but the drawing doesn't make it clear just how). So far as I can tell if you're throwing oil from this area fixing it is going to involve that bearing, and I expect that this may be one of those 'hard to find' bearings.

If you don't have the manual for this lathe drop me an email and I can send you what you need to understand what's in there.

(Back to the original topic) Joe,

The spindle oil suggested by Monarch seems to vary between either "Mobil DTE Light" in the Series 62, 80 and 90 and "Mobil Vactra Heavy Medium" in the Series 61, Model M, N and NN. If you can get the model or a photo I can send you the appropriate pages from a Monarch lathe lubrication manual.

Russ,
I made up a quick and dirty spanner wrench last night and removed the nut and pulley. Just as you guessed, all I could see was a bearing. As luck would have it there were no numbers visible either. I put it back together for a job I've got to do this week. It looks like I'll have to pull the casting that holds the shaft and bearings in order to get it apart. I'll tear it down further as time is available and at least get a part # and measurements for the bearing.

Thanks,
Roger

Joe, I just took delivery of an old 14" AA Monarch today for my shop. I pulled the headstock cover off to check out the gearing and oil condition. I believe this machine to be about the same vintage as yours, the date on the plate is impossible to read. Anyway, the headstock bearings are fed by metered lube lines that I assume are fed by a cam or gear accuated pump, it was under oil so I won't know for sure until I get the manual for it. I agree that if you have oil leaking from the front of the spindle, then the return is clogged. I would try taking the cover off the headstock, removing the oil feed lines, and using clean solvent, flushing the oil returns out. Remember, what ever you put in there is going through precision spindle bearings, and that applies to compressed air as well. Keep it clean. When you have the cover off, take a minute and admire the transmission you are working on, WOW, thats a Monarch for sure. Huge helical cut gears, everything is just so massively built. After all these years, the gears were in excellent shape, and it runs very quiet as well. They are the best value for the money going. Paid only 1500.00 for this, and it's in good shape. Going to be doing lots of 316 Stainless steel. Well, hope this helps some. Bill

Mr. Bridgeport, my friend that has that lathe thinks that if it working all is well, I told him that I would help him remove the cover and clean the passages and put the proper weight oil, all of the bolts that hold the cover are stripped, that was his excues, not good enough for the quality of the lahte to be left to chance, I missed a sale on a 1941, Monarch, said it was built just to build torpedoes for the U.S. Navy, sent to Port Author Texas, sure regret that one, I did get a Seastine 18" X 13' bed with all the tooling for 400.00, has the brass tag of the head stock that reads, "meets war stanard production", did not do a rebuild yet, but it does work great, Joe