Steenbeck oil change

[Mark Dunn]

As promised, an update.

Steenbecks are supposed to have a motor gearbox oil change every once in a while. I suspect it is (was?) a rare event.

In the case of my 1975 machine, an unprecedented event, because the drain screw was still sealed with the original paint. The motor was partially extracted for access.

Anyway, on removing it, and the sump screws, exactly no liquid ran out. A flush with brake cleaner and leaving it overnight with some fresh oil in yielded the following..the ancient oil also migrates up the coupling shaft and forms a muddy sludge around the coupling joint, now replaced with fresh grease. The '01s have a solid coupling- the beds don't hinge up- so this wouldn't be present. (However, they have a plastic cog and socket which can crack!)

Then a refill with 5w30 motor oil (after decades, how bad a choice could that be?) and the machine may be a tiny bit quieter. Or maybe not. Time required by a competent tech: 1 hour, less if you can figure the ergonomics without unbolting the motor. I regreased the motor coupling as well.

Verdict: probably not necessary, but 48 years is a bit of a stretch for oil, and I can use it as a selling point.

It may be more convenient in the newer '01 machines, IIRC the motors are better located for access. A cranked screwdriver might have got me there faster.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Mark Dunn

[Frank Wylie]

Yeech!  Pretty nasty oil residue there!

I would guess any non-detergent motor oil would probably work, but I would check with Dwight Cody to be sure.

Used to be if you cracked that nylon drive cog you were out of luck, but now with 3D printers a replacement is possible if you can model it in CAD...

 

[Mark Dunn]

31 minutes ago, Frank Wylie said:

Yeech!  Pretty nasty oil residue there!

I would guess any non-detergent motor oil would probably work, but I would check with Dwight Cody to be sure.

Used to be if you cracked that nylon drive cog you were out of luck, but now with 3D printers a replacement is possible if you can model it in CAD...

 

Well I've put 5w30 in the car, so I reckon it ought to serve at the lower revs, and I don't have too many cold starts...except for last week?

One of the Cinema Museum 35mm. 4-plates has cracked a vee-belt pulley, and they seem to be pretty close to extremely difficult to remove and replace, even if 3D printed, so it's over to the rewind table for that one until we do some heavy-duty figuring out. The plastics are just turning into......well, something that's no longer actually plastic as the word originally meant. Powdery, brittle, and so on. I've had to varnish my core spindles to stop the surfaces flaking off.

I even have some older metal rollers in a box of spares. Intact of course, but they'd be really hard on the film. Fortunately I don't have anything important that's close to failing. Well, I don't think I have.........Now I have the video tachometer on the Iphone I'm even sure of the speed to 0.1fps. No more stopwatches.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Mark Dunn

[Mark Dunn]

To follow up, I'vejust confirmed the correct oil and I'm sure Dwight Cody won't mind me quoting him here.

 

"No, we have not found the gearbox to be of need of a special lubricant. In fact, we used for many years a straight weight 30 motor oil. I switch to a 90 weight gear oil more recently for no reason other than it seemed more appropriate and perhaps leaks out less. What matters most I've found is keeping the level right (1/4" above the fiber gear). Otherwise, the gear dries out and can strip.

Dwight"

So I may switch to 75w90 next time.

[Mark Dunn]

I conclude that the residue is actually little bits of shredded gear- so the most important property of the oil is its mere presence. Dwight's photograph of a partially dried-out fibre gear was scary.