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1962 10EE with oil leak between headstock chambers

SteveBerl

Plastic
Joined
Feb 3, 2014
Location
Northern California, USA
I've got a 1962 Monarch 10EE. There are 3 oil compartments in the upper part of the headstock. One on each end that seem to oil the spindle bearings, and one in the middle that oils the stuff in the middle (feed/thread selector?). The layout is like the one in the picture in this thread.

Using the picture in the above mentioned thread for reference, my problem is that oil seems to be leaking from the rear spindle bearing chamber (sight glass marked F in the picture) into the middle chamber (sight glass marked A in the image).

If I get the oil levels set in the sight glasses, then go away for a week, F is down almost to nothing visible in the glass, and A is overflowing so that the glass is completely full.

Any thoughts on what could cause this sort of leakage? How hard might it be to repair?

Is it terrible to run with the middle chamber (glass A) overfilled? Will that break anything?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
 
I've got a 1962 Monarch 10EE. There are 3 oil compartments in the upper part of the headstock. One on each end that seem to oil the spindle bearings, and one in the middle that oils the stuff in the middle (feed/thread selector?). The layout is like the one in the picture in this thread.

Using the picture in the above mentioned thread for reference, my problem is that oil seems to be leaking from the rear spindle bearing chamber (sight glass marked F in the picture) into the middle chamber (sight glass marked A in the image).

If I get the oil levels set in the sight glasses, then go away for a week, F is down almost to nothing visible in the glass, and A is overflowing so that the glass is completely full.

Any thoughts on what could cause this sort of leakage? How hard might it be to repair?

Is it terrible to run with the middle chamber (glass A) overfilled? Will that break anything?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Per that thread - and others, sealants were found useful, I got my Round-Dial's 'static' leakage down to near-zero over three months idle, then ceased to worry about it.

When running, there is some churn that "could" markedly increase loss.

Due to major family duties, I hadn't run my Round Dial long enough to have noticed a difference before hauling the motor out for overhaul.

Square dials had the advantage of many years of field experience, lube system was revised, should be better-yet.

OTOH, there is but 3 or 4 ounces max of lube at stake per-chamber, so it might not be your most pressing priority. Just keep 'em fed 'til a HS refurb is on your menu..

Bill
 
I have a modular 1962 square dial and I have the same problem. Hopefully somebody here found the solution. I thought it drained from the front of the spindle, my lathe seems pretty level so i dont know what the answer is.
 
My 1945 square dial does the same. The front reservoir leaks down much quicker than the rear.

I'm quite sure this is super common; If I remember right, there are discussions about this here on PM that I was able to find using Google.
 
There is no cure and in fact no one even knows why it does it.

However I will surmise that is it capillary action of some sort.

My round dial rear leaks to the middle and unless the cast iron is porous, then I can not see any other way other then capillary action.
 
My theory is that the oil is leaking out between the headstock casting and the EE-2888 (a solid bearing that on of the threading gears runs in). I think that Monarch must have used some sort of sealant between EE-2888 and the headstock and that flushing the headstock with the wrong type of solvent dissolves the sealant and leads to a leak.

Here's a post that discusses the issue and includes a diagram of the rear spindle bearings, etc (see the second half of post #32):
This post (post #22) begins a discussion about the oil leaks, overflow, etc., for the front bearing of square-dial 10EEs:
Cal
 
I mentioned in another thread that my front bearing sump leak stops at a particular spindle position. If I remember to put the "2" cam up before I walk away I see the same oil level a month later when I return. You might try seeing if that works for you.
 








 
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