# FYI:One man's solution to ball oilers:



## Bob V (Dec 2, 2018)

Hello everyone,
I've had my Grizzly F0750G FOR two years and have been frustrated by the ball oilers (there are 15 of them). --I was never sure whether the oil was getting where it was supposed to go. 
 I had purchased the pressure ball oiler can from Grizzley, but this seemed to push most of the balls too deep into the fittings--so the oiler would not pump--it would build up pressure but not pump oil.
 If I only pushed the ball down part way with the tip of the oil can-- then I would have no seal between the oiler can and the ball oiler fitting--so I never knew if the oil being pumped was making it's way down the channels to where it was supposed to go (I think the channels are called galleries).
Anyways, I pulled out one of the oilers: the brass housing was 6mm in diammeter and the ball was 4mm, and the opening in the brass housing was about 3.5mm--so I just put the brass tip of the oiler can on a grinding wheel (gently!) and ground maybe a mm off the tip until the diammeter of the tapered tip of the oiler can tip was about 3.3-3.4mm--
--So now the tip of the ball oiler can fits into the ball oiler fitting and seals very nicely-- and I can pump however much oil under pressure into the oil channels as I want--if I keep pumping, it drips out of the bottom of the tailstock, crossslide and saddle--so now I know the machine is getting oiled.
BTW-- I have ball oilers where the brass casing of the oilers are 6, 7, and 8mm in diammeter  (the parts diagrams in the manual is  wrong on this in my case)
-Hope this helps somebody else who has been maybe frustrated by this.
Bob


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## Bob Korves (Dec 2, 2018)

Sounds good!  It is important not to push the ball too far down into the oiler, or it can cock off into the corner, and I had no luck at all sticking things down there trying to get it back where it belongs.  The only answer for mine was replacement.  This was on a Chinese lathe, other oilers may not have that problem.  I use a short piece of clear vinyl aquarium tubing pushed over the tip of the oil can nozzle, pushing the other end of the tube over the ball.  Can see the oil going in, no leaks, no wasted oil.  A modified oiler tip with the the correct larger radius, as posted above, is also a very good idea.  What I would REALLY like is something that can get to oilers in difficult locations and still seal the connection between oil can spout and ball oiler.  I have a couple ball oilers on my lathe that are impossible with any method other than using a small tool to hold down the ball with one hand while I   S-L-O-W-L-Y  drip oil over the ball oiler, with some small percentage of the oil actually entering the oiler, and the wasted oil making a mess.  Not enough access to hold a tube or an oil can spout down on the ball.


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## middle.road (Dec 2, 2018)

I never have any luck with those little B*******.
I've got a syringe and needle where I've ground down the business end of the needle and then use that in an attempt to just nudge the ball down a bit and the dump some oil in.
Down side is that the rubber (or whatever material it's made of) plunger in the syringe doesn't last too long.


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## benmychree (Dec 2, 2018)

The cure is to file a vee shaped groove in the nose of the oil can spout, so that when the ball is forced down and the angled tip seals the ball oiler aperture, the oil can easilyflow out through the filed vee groove.  Incidentally, I HATE ball oilers! Replace the little rotters with Gits oilers (not cheap, but very effective.  Having vented, I do have a few machines with ball oilers that I have not replaced.


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## mikey (Dec 2, 2018)

Bob Korves said:


> What I would REALLY like is something that can get to oilers in difficult locations and still seal the connection between oil can spout and ball oiler.



I have several Reilang oilers that I modded the tips on (similar to the above) to make them work more effectively in the ball oilers on my Emco lathe. They seal quite well for me. The nice thing about these Reilang oilers is that they work right side up, upside down or sideways and they don't leak in use. Might look into these, Bob.


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## Jubil (Dec 2, 2018)

When I first got my g0709 I used the oiler that came with it on the initial cleanup and oiling. I noticed it pushed the ball in a long way but I figured they put it in the kit so it must be the recommended oiler. (My figuring has never been very good.) Anyway I pushed one ball on the carriage oiler in too far and it stuck. Needless to say I quit using that oiler. I had a cheap oil can from Tractor Supply with a blunt looking cone nozzle. It works fairly well but like Bob said I can't get to some of the oilers. 
I seal the bad oiler with a small screw (8-32 I think)

Chuck


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## BROCKWOOD (Dec 4, 2018)

I too cannot stand the little buggers. I too bought an oiler from Grizzly for my Grizzly lathe. The oiler was useless - plain crap. I've developed a taste for old Eagle oilers with a variety of different tips - so that's 1 half of the equation. Might try a few of the GITS ball receivers to see if they are any easier to feed oil through. The V groove is a given from way back - usually with 4 grooves around the circumference.


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## kd4gij (Dec 10, 2018)

This is what I use. It does both ball oilers and zerks oilers

https://www.amazon.com/Push-Type-Oil-Hydraulic-Tip/dp/B01N0AR9L0


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## savarin (Dec 10, 2018)

I cant get the oil can tip to seal on all my oilers so it squirts everywhere.
I think I have to make a new tip


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## macardoso (Dec 10, 2018)

I purchased a few of these https://www.mcmaster.com/1902t127. The needle is small enough to get the ball out of the way and not waste a ton of oil. Love them


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## savarin (Dec 10, 2018)

Ah, old printer ink refill bottles, never thought of that, good one


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## Bob V (Dec 11, 2018)

Thanks for all the great ideas!
--guess I'm not the only one who has trouble with these.
Bob


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## Cadillac STS (Dec 11, 2018)

Large syringe and large diameter needle meant for horses from Tractor Supply, blunt the sharp tip a bit with abrasive. Pushes the ball aside and injects oil.


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## savarin (Dec 11, 2018)

just done the ink refill bottle. works a treat thanks.


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## Holescreek (Dec 11, 2018)

A couple weeks ago while shopping an antique mall I ran across this Schaublin oiler.


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