# Oil Loss, South Bend 10K Spindle



## Wheels17 (Mar 21, 2013)

I have a 1978 10K that I bought about a year ago.  It seems to be in pretty good shape, and I've had a lot of fun with it. 

When I purchased the lathe, the spindle bearing cups would stay full for a couple of weeks, but now the left spindle bearing oil cup has started draining down over a period of 3-4 hours.  I always check and refill before I use the lathe, and the bearing caps don't get warm while the lathe is operating. I'm not sure yet where the oil is going, as it takes less than a single pump on a small can to refill the cup.  

I'm not even sure which one is wrong. 

 Is the chuck end plugged in some manner and it should also decline at this rate?
Is there something wrong with the oiling system on the other end of the spindle?  

Thanks in advance for any help I can get with this.


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## Halligan142 (Mar 21, 2013)

Have you ever pulled the spindle?  There are usually 2 things that contribute to oil loss.  Well three.  The first would be that the oil cup itself is loose and leaking.  The second is spindle clearance.  If the spindle clearance is to great oil will have a tendancy to leak oil of the bearing rather than get recycled.  The last and hardest to check is clogged oil return holes.  There are two small holes in the bottom edge of both sides of the bearing beneath the spindle that sit in a sort of channel.  These grooves collect the oil as it is slung to the ends of the bearing and the holes return it to the reservoir under the wick.  If these are clogged or partially clogged you will notice oil leaking from the edges of the bearing.  To check them usually requires pulling the spindle.


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## Wheels17 (Apr 5, 2013)

Halligan142, thanks for the info.  It's taken me a while to get to this(I spent a lot of time on your videos, very nice.).   It looks like the oil was coming out between the fiber washer and the machine casting.  I noticed your comment about the clearance being a source of oil loss(south bend oiling and cleaning), but the bearing is smooth, with less than .001 play.  I've never pulled the spindle, so it's probably a good idea to do so and see what is going on.  I purchased the rebuild book and parts kit from Ilion.

I got started on it today.   I've stripped the reversing gear and the back gears out and cleaned them up.  I rigged a puller with some  threaded rod and short pieces of pipe.  I just got it to move with a puller, and will continue tomorrow morning.  One odd thing that I noticed is the pattern that I see on the surface of the cast iron under the fiber washer.  



It's not really as bad as it look in the picture.  You can't feel it with a fingernail.  It is more a surface roughness difference than worn away areas.  

I have the parts for the needle bearing mod, so it is only of academic interest.


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## Halligan142 (Apr 6, 2013)

I've actually seen lathes that have worn a groove in that area from improper adjusting of the take-up nut.  Once you get the needle bearing in that will also help with oil control because you'll be able to run that nut tighter without it binding.  Just be sure it's not too tight.  You can actually tighten it up so much you can make the cone pulley bind between the thrust bearing and bull gear in backgear.  Also on some lathes, not all, there are little brass clip looking things that fit into the oil return holes.  These break the surface tension of the oil and aid in oil return to the reservoir.  If they're not there they are easy to make out of brass or copper wire.   Mine didn't have these but I added them.


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## Wheels17 (Apr 6, 2013)

I've got the spindle out and it looks pretty good.  A few marks on the bearings, but nothing that looks serious.  It looks like the lathe may have set for some time, as there are stains on the spindle in the area of the cone pulley that match the grease distribution grooves.  Both the cone pulley and the back gear had a thick yellow grease, not the Teflon grease.  

One odd thing, the bearings don't seem to be centered in the bores.  They are both about 1/16 toward the chuck.  I don't think it's a problem, and the lathe has been running cool and quiet, so I'm going to leave them alone for now.

Thanks for mentioning the oil control clips.  I'd heard about them, but didn't understand what they do.  My lathe doesn't have them.


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