myford oiler problem

[andyp123Participant @andyp123]

Hi, I have just got a Myford and don’t really know what it is, maybe a Myford 7? if anyone can confirm what i have that would be helpful.

As i am reassembling it, we had to take parts off to transport it, i have found one of the oilers isn’t fitted. It was laying in a box. The thread seems to be well bashed (no idea how you get a thread to be like that?!!?). I see that there are new oilers on a well known auction site, but i just wondered if the thread will be the same. I think this is an old model and don’t know if threads have been updated.

doing a search the new ones seem to be all threaded 1/8th BSP – can anyone advise if they will fit my old Myford?

I’m hoping that the machine will be ok and I’ve not bought a lemon first off!

Andy

 

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

It looks very much like a ML7 changewheel version there is lots of info on Lathes.co.uk site. As for the oiler there a lots of tales of woe on their adjustment qualities but IMHO one of the best things to do with them is to make the taper very shallow on the needle making the adjustment much finer, enjoy!

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

Andy, it looks like the small glass tube is missing from the piece you have between your fingers, which is probably why it is in bits. The lubricators like yours are usually 1/8″ bsp, to check measure the o/d and if it is about 0.383″ or 9.7mm o/d it is 1/8″ bsp.

Chris Gunn

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Also 1/8″BSP has 28TPI – if you have a thread-gauge that will help if the thread crest is badly worn.

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

You can get the original lubricators from Myford  https://www.myford.co.uk/

About £30.00 each

 

David

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

If the thread is badly damaged one thought is to use a thread file or restorer . It is a square length of good steel with teeth cut on 4 faces and both ends giving 8 different thread rates, though I’m not sure it will go to 28tpi. They are available in metric and imperial. The thread will be BSP 1/8″. Remember oil is cheaper than the unobtainable ML 7 headstock bearings. Good luck. Noel.

[noel shelley]

On noel shelley Said:

… Remember oil is cheaper than the unobtainable ML 7 headstock bearings…

 

An important point!  Myford lathes have a total loss oil system.  There has to be enough oil to lubricate the spinning bearings AND to wash out metal worn off the bearings.  More metal than might be expected because adequate oil-pressure only obtains when the bearing is spinning.   Every time the lathe stops and starts there is metal to metal contact, and wear occurs.

I suggest it’s a mistake to fiddle with Myford oilers to save money or reduce mess.   Allowing too much oil through the bearings is safe.  Limiting the flow by fine-tuning the oiler is risky.  All may seem well, but bearings starved of oil wear out sooner than they should.  Probably not by seizing, think bearing lasting 10 years rather than 25.

Myford oilers may be leaky by design, so they fail safe.     Given that Myford lathes are otherwise well-designed, I think it unlikely they bungled the oilers.   Owners are less reliable, even using grease rather than oil. I’d think twice before ‘improving’ a Myford oiler…

Dave

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

headstock bearings are avail in bronze

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

The original split bearings in an ML 7 were a Glacier bearings white metal Alloy E and to the best of my knowledge they have not been available for a long time. I have an ingot of  Alloy E and did at one time consider casting new ones. The ML 7 never had a bronze bearing, the S7 had a completely different bronze front bearing.   Noel.

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

The ML7’s fitted with Tri-Leva and two speed motors as standard were definitely fitted with hardened spindles and bronze bearings from the factory, as were the capstan lathes ML7 based with two speed motors and ML7 headstock. The place I served my time had a number of both for second op work, the bronze bearings were very long lived running over three shifts per day, I can only remember one machine giving spindle trouble as a result of negligent oiling by the operator, some scraping and removal of layers of peelable shim soon sorted it out.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Yes, the bronze bearings were available for later ML7s and available as spares from Myford. But they must be run with the hardened mandrel. I fitted mine with them around 2000!

PS:- the chuck on the lathe appears to be a Pratt Bernerd Griptru. Well worth having 🙂

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I’ve read this thread with interest as my Myford 7’s main bearings have only those “Rotherhams [of] Coventry” cylindrical pots with rotary lids. As far as I know these have no more than a small hole in them, so are basically just miniature funnels with lids.

I am now wondering if these are adequate or if I ought replace them with proper Myford ones.

Assuming of course Myford had not fitted those Rotherhams ones from new anyway.

All the other oiling-points including those on the countershaft have those horrible tiny sprung-ball gubbins designed to frustrate all attempts to put oil down them, and to spread it all over their surroundings instead. I just move the saddle well along along the bed, wipe the latter clean and run the saddle back over pools of oil, and this seems to work. Similar methods for the cross and top slide and the screws.

However, it is the headstock bearings I am now worried about, so would I – or rather they – be better with the proper wick-feed or needle-valve lubricators?

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