Karl_T
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2008
- Location
- Dassel,MN,USA
Cal Haines send me this PM. Its worth a post for everybody else. Even a sticky IMHO
Forget about the specs in your old manual, a lot of improvements have been made since then. Basically you need ISO 32 spindle oil in the 10EE headstock; ISO 68 gear (aka circulating) oil for the headstock center reservoir, quick-change gearbox and back gear unit. 80W SAE gear oil (not to be confused with SAE motor oil grades--see link) is about ISO 68. You can probably use ISO 32 oil in the headstock center reservoir, if you like.
Spindle and gear oils are basically the same thing. What you don't want is an oil that's intended to be used in a system with a filter (as I've explained several times before); that includes motor oils, hydraulic oils and automatic transmission fluid.
Over the years Monarch specified Mobil oils for most uses. The current Mobil oils are: DTE Light (not to be confused with DTE 24 hydraulic oil) for the spindle and DTE Heavy-Medium for the various gearboxes. I understand that the availability of gallon containers of DTE Light and DTE Heavy Medium is a problem. McMaster-Carr does stock gallon containers of these “High quality machine and lubricating oils” which should be a much better choice than ATF or hydraulic oil:
RelaTECH Machine 32, ISO 32, McM part number 3025K25
RelaTECH Machine 68, ISO 68, McM part number 3025K34
I haven't had any luck getting spec sheets for the RelaTECH oils. I requested them by e-mail but was referred to a local distributor. Regardless, those are what I would use at this point in time. I'm sure that Shell and other oil companies have gear/circulating oils that would work just fine, I just haven't taken the time to try to locate them.
In case you missed it, I posted my thoughts on the subject here:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...problematic-oiling-system.396554/post-4054511
current 10EE lubricants
Forget about the specs in your old manual, a lot of improvements have been made since then. Basically you need ISO 32 spindle oil in the 10EE headstock; ISO 68 gear (aka circulating) oil for the headstock center reservoir, quick-change gearbox and back gear unit. 80W SAE gear oil (not to be confused with SAE motor oil grades--see link) is about ISO 68. You can probably use ISO 32 oil in the headstock center reservoir, if you like.
Spindle and gear oils are basically the same thing. What you don't want is an oil that's intended to be used in a system with a filter (as I've explained several times before); that includes motor oils, hydraulic oils and automatic transmission fluid.
Over the years Monarch specified Mobil oils for most uses. The current Mobil oils are: DTE Light (not to be confused with DTE 24 hydraulic oil) for the spindle and DTE Heavy-Medium for the various gearboxes. I understand that the availability of gallon containers of DTE Light and DTE Heavy Medium is a problem. McMaster-Carr does stock gallon containers of these “High quality machine and lubricating oils” which should be a much better choice than ATF or hydraulic oil:
RelaTECH Machine 32, ISO 32, McM part number 3025K25
RelaTECH Machine 68, ISO 68, McM part number 3025K34
I haven't had any luck getting spec sheets for the RelaTECH oils. I requested them by e-mail but was referred to a local distributor. Regardless, those are what I would use at this point in time. I'm sure that Shell and other oil companies have gear/circulating oils that would work just fine, I just haven't taken the time to try to locate them.
In case you missed it, I posted my thoughts on the subject here:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...problematic-oiling-system.396554/post-4054511
