old radial drill leaking lubricant through quill and feed shaft

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This machine came into my shop yesterday, It is leaking profusely from the quill and feed shaft.
The client has been using a 10 wt way oil on all his machines and it is my experience that older machines require a fluid grease in most cases.
This radiqal drill is 55 years old but in pretty good shape. The manual call for a no fluid grease for the feed shaft(the bearings have no seals and the quill has grease zerks and runs through an oil bath. I have recommended a change to a medium wt oil (40 wt non detergent) for this bath, but I am not sure of the weight of grease to recommend for the feed shaft case, and will the oil seep past the grease?

Help

7/1/098:55 AM

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rttechMember

Hi Joe

The Fluid Greases are Rated
NLGI # 0,00 & 000

(Normal Greases is NLGI # 1.5 to 2 depending on how cold)

The oil will mix with the grease as the shaft rotates therefore the NLGI # 0 would resist mixing the most and with oil dilution occuring you may be able to run a normal grease and allow the oil dilution to soften the grease enough for lubrication and slow the oil loss down,

(PS Best to fix the seal)

Regards

Rob S

7/8/094:22 PM

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sniperjoeMember

can't replace the seal there is no seal and the machine has no accomodation for one.
We have been running a 40 wt oil in the gear case after flushing the 10 wt way oil the owner ahd been running and I may clean out the feed case and flush the three stacked bearings(open race)and put the 000 grease in. Thanks for the post

7/8/095:03 PM

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bruce381Member

I agree if there is no seal at all then a semi fluid #00 or a #000 would be a good shot

8/11/093:08 PM

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