verification of 770 manual oiler function

[Fenichel]

Is there a good way to verify the functioning of the channels fed by a 770 manual oiler? I temporarily unscrewed one of the connections at the manifold, and oil was present there, but it's hardly practical to go through the several connections that way very often. It would be nice to learn that there were a few places to look behind the bellows, to see that various surfaces were all appropriately oily.

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[Uman]

I had trouble with the Z-axis oiler and had to disassemble the fittings and rerouted the oil lines to reestablish flow. Since then I run the Z-axis down and check for oil residue on the exposed channels and often squirt oil manually to assure coverage; cheap insurance. Check the X-axis by running it to each end and inspect for oil residue at the end face, if dry, then investigate. I have found kinked oiler lines at the mount clamp and corrected to solve the problem. The Y-axis requires removal of the bellows at one end to inspect.

From what I see, the manual oiler system relies on a free flow distribution network and each circuit has its own flow rate, based on line flow restrictions, and the path of least resistance gets the lions share of oil. Compound discrepancies in a line will reduce or restrict passage in that circuit.
I have a manual oiler on my 1100 and have assisted the plunger with a little push, every so often, to increase the pressure/flow rate.

[popspipes]

I had problems with the Z axis oiling on my 1100, it would after three or four pumps though, I installed a check valve in the oil feed line to the Z oil block to keep it from siphoning back down, it fixed that problem, I now have one of the X axis ways that isnt oiling, I just oil it by hand.

[RedneckPhysics]

Is there a good way to verify the functioning of the channels fed by a 770 manual oiler? I temporarily unscrewed one of the connections at the manifold, and oil was present there, but it's hardly practical to go through the several connections that way very often. It would be nice to learn that there were a few places to look behind the bellows, to see that various surfaces were all appropriately oily.

It's definitely not the easiest thing to keep track of! The parallel distribution system is a bit of an Achilles heel on all of the series 3 machines. I've spent many hours sweating over it, so much so, that I feel compelled to write-up what worked for me.

With my machine, the X-axis was especially bad on one side. There ended up being rocks/pebbles, excess silicone sealant, and metal filings in one of the oil passageways that prevented any oil from making it to one of my ways. It was a ***** to fix, but it's working well now! So, it's DEFINITELY worth being anal retentive about checking this thoroughly once, then re-checking often.

With frequent checks, you'll eventually learn which restriction orifices are problematic. That's normally where a blockage will occur. They act as check valves, and as regulators, so there are some delicate, and very tiny spaces for debris to catch on in there. On pro. machines, they make it part of the maintenance cycle to change these orifices every few months... with our machines, that's a daunting task, as you'll have to partially remove the machine table.

On my 770, I've found 3 common trouble spots that I have to keep monitoring. They'll clog up within 2 weeks without cycling the oil pump. So, I make it a habit to give the machine 2 pumps every few days (4 to 7 days), if left idle. It's worth the extra oil in the chip pan.

In my opinion, most straightforward (and reliable) way to check for functioning, is by direct observation. Look towards the end of the 770's e-manual, there's a great diagram there that outlines the distribution system, and where each point ends up depositing oil. You'll need to clean out chips, remove all way covers, and grab a few expendable clean lint-free rags or wipes (I use Kimberly X90's for this). Optionally, you can use nitrile gloves as well (my preferred method).

My inspection procedure is generally something like this:
-Top off the oil reservoir if needed (The green line is NOT a good indicator of minimum level... you don't want air in the lines).
-Choose an extreme travel position for each axis (I usually do max z+, max x+, and max y- to start with, but order doesn't matter).
-Carefully remove oil from all way surfaces and as much of the ballscrews as possible.
-Move the axes to the other end of the travel range and repeat the wiping step. Some oil will remain (what was under the contact surfaces of the ways, or in the BS threads). Experience helps here.
-Check for a remaining oil film by wiping the surface with a nitrile gloved finger (or a clean part of a rag, but in my experience, this makes fresh oil harder to see). If oil remains, wipe again. The glove will act as a good squeegee as well.
-Move the axes a bit into their travel ranges by an inch or two to cover the oil exit points (although on the 770, I haven't seen any travel positions where oil will just squirt out of the joints wastefully)
-Pump 2 or 3 pumps of oil into the machine. Optionally, you can jog each axis one by one as you're doing this, which may save time.
-Move the axes through at least one full motion along the travel range to distribute oil.
-Check with your gloved finger for the presence of oil at each position by wiping across the way surfaces, ballscrews, etc.
-I usually print the oil diagram, and check off each point as I go. Makes life easier, and gives you a permanent record.
-Also, check for "symmetry" in oil distribution. you should see about the same amount being distributed at similar points if everything is at 100% (for example, the left and right dovetail ways on the Z-axis). Some differences will occur between each axis, but the left and right sides of one axis should be about the same I've found (even with the gib point providing some extra oil on one side). For example, I normally see a lot more oil going to the y-axis ways than to x or z. I assume this is mostly gravity causing a small pressure difference.
-For dovetails, I try to check that the oil eventually makes it onto both load-bearing surfaces (faces). If I'm not mistaken, the oil is distributed to the non-angled surface first through the saddle, then works its way down around the radiused cut in the interior dovetail edge, to the angled surface. If oiling is too light, this won't occur for some time I've found.
-If oil isn't found at some points, give the system another 2 pumps, and jog the axes again.
-If still no oil, or if seeing an extremely small amount (drops) at an oiling point, mark it as a trouble spot. Try wiping the surface, cycling oil 2 to 3 pumps, and and jogging the axis in question, to see if you can start oil flow again.
-If still no oil after all of this, it's going to require intervention.
-Finally, after pumping a good bit of oil through the system, you might have a good opportunity to check for leaky lines, as oil will pool up around leaky threaded joints, or on low bends in the lines. Hard to spot sometimes (if only way oil were fluorescent!). Leaks may, but not necessarily always, cause the manual oil pump to retract more rapidly than normal.

The first step to fix clogged oil lines is the "WD-40 Flush". There's a white paper on the Tormach site. I've found that it helps with light clogs, but moderate to full blockages require further action. If you don't have tons of debris in the passages from manufacturing, as I had, then manually removing the manifold in question, and soaking in a strong solvent for 24 hours (carb cleaner for example) usually works. I cured my z-manifold this way.

It's worth mentioning, that some asymmetry in oil distribution is OK. Watch these though, as 2 of these on my machine were future clog spots.

I've also found that insufficient oil will indeed increase the lost motion on an axis by a small amount, but I wouldn't rely on this as a reliable way to verify proper oiling.

Of course, I would advise against running your axes dry for an extended period of time. Turcite only helps so much. Also, I'd manually re-oil the ways that aren't getting lubricated immediately, to prevent corrosion, and to help keep them lubricated if you forget to do so before jogging things around a lot more.

Check out this post if you're interested in making your 770's oil system a bit more bulletproof: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/tormac...0-tormach.html
Having a "serial", 1-by-1 multi-point distribution system almost ensures oil pressures rise enough to bypass blockages.


Hope this helps,

Mike

[RedneckPhysics]

Is there a good way to verify the functioning of the channels fed by a 770 manual oiler? I temporarily unscrewed one of the connections at the manifold, and oil was present there, but it's hardly practical to go through the several connections that way very often. It would be nice to learn that there were a few places to look behind the bellows, to see that various surfaces were all appropriately oily.

I forgot to respond to the heart of your question, sorry! I've tried to shortcut the process for checking the Y and Z axes, but it's not as reliable.

Of course, the X-axis can be fully checked without taking anything apart. You can get to the Y-axis ballscrew underneath the machine, but personally, I think it's easier to remove one cover and check it from above.

Unfortunately, just checking the connections for the presence of oil, won't guarantee they're flowing properly. Plus, you can't access the connections after the orifices easily, so it defeats the purpose of a quick check.

The quickest way I can think of for checking the z-axis, is clearing most of the chips away, and dropping the bellows from the top connection. You'll see all 4 points easily that way. Even quicker, you could try removing any tools from the spindle (or installing a small TH if you have a PDB), and lowering the Z-axis as much as you can, then doing a check. But I believe you'd have to visually inspect the Ballscrew with a flashlight. I've found it isn't always easy to see fresh way oil on the polished surfaces. If your Z-Ballscrew is flowing oil freely upon the initial inspection, I'd say you could get away with this on a day to day basis.

The Y-axis us the trickiest, as you'll have to unscrew and retract one of the bellows. I wonder if someone's already designed a quick-release adapter for these yet? Those 4 screws at the saddle-side are a pain in the neck to get to. Otherwise, I'd look into making something that only requires you to remove 3 or fewer easily accessed cap or thumb-screws.