Rivett 1020S Cross Slide Oiler Problem

TravisR100 · Aug 6, 2019

Now that i have the cross slide off I thought I’d check the oilers. They don’t seem to work. Each one had a wad of felt jammed down in it and they were so gunked up and stinky I don’t know anything could have gotten through them.

I pulled the plugs of felt out and unscrewed what appear to be plugs on the side of casting that T into the oil port. I couldn’t figure out where the oil would even come from until I looked underneath. This is what I see.

The two fittings with the loop that goes between them go up to the oiler ports. The straight section then goes to a fitting that goes up into the back of the casting toward the rear of the bed. Difficult to even get a good picture.

Once I took the felt out I blew out the openings to get all the old oil out so I could see down inside a bit. There wasn’t much to see. With the felt gone I can see where the oil should come from.

I fired up the machine and ran both the longitudinal and cross feed mechanisms as this is supposedly what works the pump. But I don’t get any oil.

Any suggestions short of major surgery?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

TravisR100 · Aug 6, 2019

Seeing how this was plumbed and where all the ports were I was able to figure out that everything was completely blocked up. Compressed air while plugging holes expelled even MORE felt that had to be shoved down into the hole in the casting. But could finally get air through it. I’m thinking now that I’ve blown something to plug the supply line even though a few minutes ago it was obviously clear because when I blew air I could see oil moving on the apron oil site gage.

Now I just need to try running it again and see if oil will pump through. Alas, I blew a fuse. [emoji2361]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

norb · Aug 6, 2019

I had bought a large Grand Rapids surface grinder with very little use on it. The ways were pristine. It sat unused for about 10 years before I got it and the oiling system was all plugged up. I replaced everything pump, metering check valves, lines and felt. Old oil turns to wax and gums up the works. Replacing everything is the best way to insure proper lube.

TanglewoodTool · Aug 6, 2019

I recently had my carriage completely disassembled. The oil pump runs off of the feed shaft (the splined shaft) and will pump as long as the shaft is turning. There's five oil lines, four for inside the apron and one larger one that feeds the saddle. Most of the blockage I found was in the pump itself and in the oil lines under the saddle you have pictured. I ended up taking them all off and giving them the compressed air treatment. A decent amount of work though as you have to take the cover off the apron.
Best of luck,
Alex

bll230 · Aug 7, 2019

Don't know if the Rivett uses the bijur metering fittings like the Monarch, but all my fittings were permanently blocked. I determined this by making an adapter to attach the fittings to a one shot oiler.

From the Bijur website.

Screen Shot 2019-08-07 at 12.13.47 PM.jpg

TravisR100 · Aug 7, 2019

Well I at least determined that the oiler pump itself is running but I question the plumbing. I have an oiler line that comes out of the back of the apron.

The photo above is somewhat canted but that line runs right up on tope of the feed screw.

From there it just drips oil onto the top of the feed screw. Is that correct or is that line supposed to be attached somewhere?

Here is a video of it pumping.

YouTube

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

TravisR100 · Aug 7, 2019

Some success. Yesterday after blowing out the lines to the cross slide oiler felts I ran the machine to see if it would pump oil up to these ports. I thought that it wasn’t working since I saw no oil.

But today after seeing the feed rate of this drip tube on top of the feed screw I thought maybe I just wasn’t waiting long enough. Indeed that was the case. After letting the machine run for 20 minutes I got oil in the oiler ports on top of the cross slide.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

TravisR100 · Aug 7, 2019

Time to order some new felt. I measure the diameter of the oiler ports at .400”. I ordered some 3/8” felt cord from McMaster. Part link below.

McMaster-Carr

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

bll230 · Aug 7, 2019

It looks like the oil drips onto the leadscrew and then onto the worm wheel. That would put oil on two items with one drip tube. What about the other worm wheel? Does it have a dripper? Do the parts drawings from the manual show any of the oil tubes?

rustytool · Aug 7, 2019

My Rivett has no oil line to the leadscrew but it does have one to the longitudinal feed worm but not to the cross feed worm.
Every Rivett I've ever seen is just a bit different from the others. The whole production run seemed to be a work in progress.
I just squirt oil onto the leadscrew if I'm going to be threading. Maybe they figured the cross slide was't needed.
The worms do partially run in oil that's in the bottom of the casting though.

TravisR100 · Aug 7, 2019

bll230 said:
It looks like the oil drips onto the leadscrew and then onto the worm wheel. That would put oil on two items with one drip tube. What about the other worm wheel? Does it have a dripper? Do the parts drawings from the manual show any of the oil tubes?

No, unfortunately none of the oil lines are described very well in the drawings. But that drip tube does seems like it’s there intentionally and not by accident.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

bll230 · Aug 8, 2019

It is fortunate for you that the manual has all the engineering drawings. I took a look at it on the the Rivett website. If only Monarch had been so helpful....

TravisR100 · Aug 8, 2019

bll230 said:
It is fortunate for you that the manual has all the engineering drawings. I took a look at it on the the Rivett website. If only Monarch had been so helpful....

Those drawings are very helpful. Unfortunately a lot of them are missing the key sheets.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

gbent · Aug 8, 2019

The waylube system on a Rivett was designed by an idiot. Mine has external oiling to both the feed shaft and the lead screw, that recirculates into the apron. There is no way to access the waylube pump without removing the front of the apron, no way to drain the waylube, and no strainer of any kind on the pump suction line. If the feed shaft is disconnected there is no automatic waylube and no way to hand pump.

rustytool · Aug 8, 2019

Mine has a drain plug on the bottom of the apron.
I agree that the system isn't great.
It's like knew they had to do some kind of automatic oiling system to compete with the 10EE but fell short.
Maybe it's because they came from the world of watchmakers lathes.

TravisR100 · Aug 13, 2019

rustytool said:
Mine has a drain plug on the bottom of the apron.
I agree that the system isn't great.
It's like knew they had to do some kind of automatic oiling system to compete with the 10EE but fell short.
Maybe it's because they came from the world of watchmakers lathes.

I too have a drain plug on the bottom of the apron.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

TravisR100 · Aug 17, 2019

bll230 said:
It looks like the oil drips onto the leadscrew and then onto the worm wheel. That would put oil on two items with one drip tube. What about the other worm wheel? Does it have a dripper? Do the parts drawings from the manual show any of the oil tubes?

Now that I have the apron off, yes, there is an oiler tube that drips on the other worm wheel.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Search

Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web

Search

Rivett 1020S Cross Slide Oiler Problem

TravisR100

Cast Iron

TravisR100

Cast Iron

norb

Cast Iron

TanglewoodTool

Plastic

bll230

Hot Rolled

TravisR100

Cast Iron

TravisR100

Cast Iron

TravisR100

Cast Iron

bll230

Hot Rolled

rustytool

Stainless

TravisR100

Cast Iron

bll230

Hot Rolled

TravisR100

Cast Iron

gbent

Diamond

rustytool

Stainless

TravisR100

Cast Iron

TravisR100

Cast Iron

Similar threads