Past due oil change

[trainman2]

That is interesting my lathe has a grease zerk on the chuck side and just a hole on the lock nut side.
Guess they are different head stocks.
I tried to grease it but it seems to be plugged. Must have been a few ways to lube these head stocks.
It would not surprise me to disassemble the headstock and find the path blocked. There should be a path- but just knowing how tapered roller bearing races are made it would be hard for where the hole in the casting on my lathe is to end up at the correct place for a clear shot at the outside edge of the race so it can get into the rollers.
I have pulled mower deck spindles apart that had grease zerks that wore out with greasing only to find sealed ball bearings.
Unfortunately My headstock does not have any oil level sight glasses only the change box.

Do you have the owner's manual for your machine? Does it say to use grease?

 

[455dan]

I have 2 from similar lathes and also one a Member helped with. Going to look into it.

I pulled the zerk and it does seem to be an offshore "stock" looking item since the bottom was open with a spring sticking out. I found a plate where your sight glass is and it is dead ended- just casting underneath. also tried injecting some oil at the zerk hole but no luck there. Maybe one of the Central Machinery shortcuts on my machine, versus boring the casting and including sight glasses for the bearing oil.

 

[trainman2]

Removed the rear flange and seal. Remarkable very little oil came out even less than I expected. I then replaced the seal and adjusted the locking nut by putting an indicator on the spindle and tapping it back and forth to measure the end play. tightened it for ~0.001". Before starting I measured it and there was NO END PLAY... This did not seem right .?
Removed the front seal and sight glass expecting to find more oil but found only slightly more. On to the gearbox and apron. Definitely did not need 5gal of oil.