Oil for Lathe GearBox

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

Hello All,

Can anyone advise me of a suplier of Texaco Meropa 1000 Oil in small quantities? I have searched the Web without success. Quantities of 5 or 10 Ltrs would be ideal.

 

I need to change the oil in my BD-1230 Lathe headstock gearbox but the only firms I have seen one the Web want to supply in 45 Gal. amounts which is far too much and very costly.

 

Does anyone know of a good equivalent to Meropa 1000 ?

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Are you sure it is Meropa 1000?  This strikes me as very thick oil for a headstock.

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

Hi KWIL

Thanks for your reply. 

 

Yes, I wrote it down when I had the machine delivered new and the gearboxes were all filled in order to commision the lathe. Meropa 1000 is classed as an extream pressure oil specifically for gearbox use, and can go up to 1500 from as low as  about 100 if I remember correctly.

 

 Trouble is I don’t have a clue just how that compairs with other manufacturers oils, and in any case I han’t found anyone in the UK that supplies oil in small quantities (except shops like Halfords) for specialist needs, apart from one odd one on Ebay.

 

Perhaps I will send them an email to see if they have an oil that compare’s. 

 

The Machine has a 2Hp motor so there is a fair bit of torque generated in the box and so needs a fairly good oil, It probably would compare with SAE 90 for car differentials, but I don’t know and I am no expert !!

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

My Harrison M300 headstock runs on very thin Hyspin AWS 32. The oil in the screwcutting gearbox is a 220 grade

 

try  e mail to      ukcustserv@texaco.com   this is their office at Canary Wharf , London.

 

Regards

 

K

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

Hi KWIL,

Thanks for the link, I will try that.

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

Hi KWIL,

 

I just thought, your Harrison M300 will be a similar size to my Chinese BD1230 with possably an even bigger motor to the bd1230, so it is interesting that the Harrison uses such a relatively light oil. I have looked in the machine manual and it say’s to use Meropa 1000 in there as well.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Codehopper,  here is another link which shows Castrol range.  I think the 1000 refers to SG as in SG220 oil.  Castrol have a 1100.  Have a look here.

 

K

Edited By KWIL on 18/02/2010 16:29:39

Edited By David Clark 1 on 18/02/2010 18:33:31

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Motor is 3hp on the Harrison M300.  AWS 32 [or NUTO 23] grade oil is a Hydraulic Oil, it really is like water.

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

Hi KWIL,

I just sent an email to the ukcustserv@texaco.com and it bounced! I will go on the web and see if I can pin down a newer email add.. The Castrol info looks good but again it is difficult to find small quantity suppliers.

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

If I want anEP oil, I go to local carspares shop + buy `EP90` in a convenient sized plastic bottle. In fact, I make up a concoction of EP90, STP or Wynn`s (ultra sticky jollop) and a quantity of Molybdenum oil (black as yer hat! as its full of tiny balls of graphite). This I use as a slideway lube on the Myford. The sticky jollop makes it stay put, graphite gets into the smallest of spaces gives very good lubrication.

I do use  the recommended oil as supplied by Myfords for bearings but dont get through half as much since I ditched those awful leaky red oil pumpcans sold everywhere. I now use a quality `Reilang` oilcan – no waste!

John

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

Hi John,

 I think that your idea is probably the way to go. The Meropa 1000 feels very like EP90 and going by what KWIL says about his Harrison M300 which has a bigger motor and uses a hydraulic oil that is like water in consistancy, then I can’t see that I should have too much of a problem with using EP90.

[Dave TointonParticipant @davetointon92281]

G’Day All,

Be carefull using modern automotive gear oil in older machinery. It contains lots of detergents and chemicals that will eat brass and bronze components. If you put it in an old Fergy gearbox it’ll destroy it in weeks!

Regards

Dave Tointon

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Just got some 30 grade for my BH lathe, been using multi grade until now. Ian S C

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

Hi Dave and Ian,

Thanks for your post, my lathe is only a few years old and has all steel parts in the Headstock/gearbox so should be ok with something like EP90. Ian, was the 30 grade you mention a standard car type oil I wonder. I am guessing you mean something like 15W/30 or similar?

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

No Codehopper, it straight 30 grade for small engines, it cost about twice as much as the 20/40 I was using before.I suppose today would be good for an oil change with the temperature in the high 20s(yesterday was over 30 and I couldn’t be bothered). Ian S C

[Frank DolmanParticipant @frankdolman72357]

     This is far from being the first “Oil” thread that we have had and the

   answers seem to be no more authoritative than usual.  Any old oil is

   better than none, no doubt, but the amazing differences between the

   solutions adopted above are horrifying when the damage that might

   be done to expensive and treasured machinery is considered.

 

     Could an eye be kept open for a “Workshop Practice” author to get

   it all sorted?

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I have an article on lubrication to go into Model Engineers’ Workshop.

It was written by Mike Haughton who was a chemist and worked with an oil company I believe.

This will start in issue 163.

regards David

 

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

Hello All,

It may well be that you have had similar threads before but its not much use if you cannot supply the answer to my origional question without sniping.

 I asked for an answer as to where I could obtain the correct oil for my machine, I know what the correct oil is, but that is of no use if I cannot obtain it

 

From the answers above it is obvious that other people have the same problem and have to resort to using whatever they can get their hands on.

Likewise, an article in the Mag. does not help me at all because I know what Oil I need but just cannot obtain it.

 

Someone out there must have been able to obtain oil of the correct type and correct amount for amateur use, ie in small quantities, but they are seemingly not willing to pass on the information.

It looks like there is a good business opportunity  here for someone to start supplying oils of all types in small quantities .

 

As regards to the question of duplicated requests for information, could the moderator perhaps sort out some sort of index so that people can go straight to a subject without trawling through all the various lists which can involve reading thousands of posts?

 

 

.

[HasBeanParticipant @hasbean]

Try here I’ve managed to get equivalent oils for my S7 as well as cutting fluids etc. very helpful.

 

Paul

[CodehopperParticipant @codehopper]

This is more like it ! At last someone with a usefull bit of information.

I have sent them an email already so am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Many thanks Paul.

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