Replacing counter shaft bushings

EOD1959

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I need to replace the counter shaft bushings on my 12" Atlas/Craftsman lathe. I have a bunch of oilite bushings that are .750 id x 1.00 od so I need to turn them down to the correct size. So I look thru 47 pages of Atlas info, and all I can find is a part number (L3-109). Does anyone know the correct od?

Thanks Dennis
 
Dennis,

L3-109 ID 0.751", OD 0.877", Length 1.500"

Tolerance on the diameters probably +/- 0.0005". At least that's the variation I get measuring both ends of two new bushings that I got recently from Clausing. You will need an expanding arbor to hold the parts accurately. Use a very sharp cutter And don't sand the OD (it will close up the pores in the Oilite).

Robert D.
 
Thank you Robert. I didn't want to tear down the counter shaft until I had turned down the bushings.
Again, Thank you sir.

Dennis
 
Yeah, I figured that was why you were asking rather than just miking the old ones.

Robert D.
 
EOD1959,

When turning oilite, use a low RPM to avoid slinging the oil out, thus spoiling the bearing.

Oilite is made of powdered bronze mixed with steric acid. The powder is compressed into a briquet with special equipment applying very high pressure.
The briquet is sintered at approx. 90% of the melting temperature of bronze to bond the powder particals. During the sintering process the steric acid creates tiny passages from outside to inside.
These passages are then filled with oil by placing the bushings into a vat of heated lubricating oil and pull a vacuum on the vat for several minutes.
Air is removed from the passages and oil is drawn in. (The oil foams just like beer as the air is pulled out) This is one of the first attempts in America to design obsolecence into a product.
Items like a fan will run until the oil is consumed, then the bearing wears to failure. The consumer is expected to buy a new one!

If the centrifugal force created by turning slings the oil out its never as good as origional. Soaking in oil dosn't work as well as the vacuum process to refill.
I would recommend 30 to 50 RPM for a 1 inch diameter oilite bushing. Yes it takes a lot longer, but quality is the goal.

If a method of applying oil exists, I replace oilite with solid bronze, making a more robust repair. Oilite doesn't handle vibration well.

An old man's two cents.

Restorer
 
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