Greasing up (a drill)

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

I have this Wolf drill with two grease nipples on the spindle. See second image to the mid right and third image just under the bulge.

If I pump some grease in where does the old grease go? The drill is pretty noisy so I want to see if regreasing it will improve the noise but I don't want to pack it full of grease to the point of breaking.

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Nipples on machine tools aren't always for grease, often they are for oil

I tend to pump air through them first, to blow them out, then oil or grease as recommended

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Before I worried about grease, I think I would make sure that the earth wire was in good condition and that it was fed via an RCD. The old grease dries out and new grease or oil would more than likely squeeze the old grease towards the brushes at one end, and be flicked out of the way at the chuck/gearbox end. If its as old as it looks, perhaps the whole drill would benefit from a strip down and clean – if you are up to it. Looking at the photos though, the grease/oil nipples seem to be just on the gearbox and it might be the motor bearings that are noisy and so a strip down may be in order just to oil them.
BobH

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

unscrew the grease nipples and see if there is any traces of grease down the tapped hole,I would expect to find grease it is unlikely that they are oil nipples on a drill of this type,then pump some grease in,don't over do it,Wolf tools were very well made so I doubt if there is too much risk of excess grease getting into the electrics. A label on my Meddings 10 speed drill says lubricate (via a grease nipple) gearbox etc after first 5 years use so not a lot of lubrication is required,though the wolf drill must be at least 40 to 50 years old and may not have been lubricated in this time, big portable drills generally did not get a lot of use,too much like hard work,

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

You have hit on a common machine tool problem. Grease nipples when rolling element bearings are used. These shouldn't have much grease in them but we are expected to add more from time to time and no way to easily get the old stuff out.

Usually excess grease will go somewhere where it doesn't matter when more is pumped in, This may be achieved by the use of seals which may have perished on old machines.

What I generally do is pump in enough to ensure that what was in has mostly been pushed out. Or dismantle clean everything, examine and replace bearings if needed and start from scratch as far as greasing goes.

If the drill uses a high speed/dc/universal motor and steel gears it's likely to be noisy what ever you do,

John

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[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

I've only had the drill for a few months and it only gets used occasionally. That said I have no real idea of its past so Im gonna spend one day and strip it down. Will check if its grease or oil in there at the same time.

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I have found that the grease often solidifies in old equipment, the oil seams to evaporate and leave the clay filling. It is worth putting some thick oil in the bearings if it is not possible to clean.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Gordon W on 31/03/2016 16:25:30:

I have found that the grease often solidifies in old equipment, the oil seams to evaporate and leave the clay filling. It is worth putting some thick oil in the bearings if it is not possible to clean.

To right it does, any grease in that is likely to be halfway to solid if it's 30 years old or more. Take an old Centec apart and you'll see. Two days soaking in petrol and you still need to scrape lumps of it out.

Mind you I have an old B&D 7" metal angle grinder that shrieks like a banshee and has done for the last 18 years of occasional use. Still I don't care if it does seize as it only cost me a fiver.

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