[jessebv]

Hello Everyone, I've been searching for a solution to fix my 1984 VMC40's lack of way lubrication and have come up dry so now last resort I'm asking here In hopes someone's knowledge will help me.

The problem is that I do not get even way lubrication to all of the oil ports, I've checked the pump's filter and have been manually pumping, I see oil moving through the system and it only comes out in a few places ( it pour's out only on one spot on the x-axis, there is a little bit of oil on the y and barely none on the z). When jogging the table to one side I can see the grooves cut into the tables ways, out of the four I could see two were plugged up with a black powdery dust/grime, I removed what I could from the oil grooves but still didn't solve my issues. I know I'm getting oil to the manifolds and I believe the issues is coming from plugged oil passages in the ways.

The only fix I have found is to it take the table, saddle, and column off and clean the oil channels, blow out the lines and reassemble. The problem with that is it looks like a pain in the @$$, my shop is very small and I don't have room to navigate a overhead crane (or an engine hoist) into position to lift the castings. Plus that takes a while and as in most situations I need this machine running sooner than later.
I had an idea of flushing each individual line with kerosene using compressed air, draining and repeating to flush out the build up, but this only would work with the x-axis because gravity is in my favor. plus I don't know if the junk would work its way into the ways more and cause more wear.

Does anyone have experience or suggestions with situations like this?
Is there any way of properly flushing the way oil channels without removing the column, saddle and table?
I'm trying to start a company with this machine, I need this making chips very soon. Any help will be very appreciated!!!
Thanks for your time.
-Jesse

[underthetire]

Sounds to me like the meetering units are plugged up on the manifolds.

[Al_The_Man]

+1 on the metering units, I have never successfully cleaned these as they have microfilters in them.
Usually the only fix is to replace them, if they have never been changed on an '84 machine, they most likely are in bad shape.
The pump and lines should also be cleaned out thoroughly.
If you are lucky they are in the manifolds, otherwise they are at the end of each line!
Al.

[jessebv]

Thank you for the input, I'm ordering meter units and most likely going to flush the lines to ways and ballscrews with mineral spirits and way oil and see if it breaks up the clogs.
But I'm a bit concerned that when flushing the saddle and column all that grime in the way lubrication grooves will not flush out because the lubrication lines enter from the top and it will only push the debris into the ways causing wear.
Any thoughts on that problem?
Thanks...

[ifixcnc]

Fadal sevice guys had a high preasure pump to flush the line during a PM. Kerosene will break down the grime better. Sounds like your machine was used for cutting carbon electrodes, that makes a real mess. An 84 machine has the meters at the distribution blocks, chaange them all, pay attention to the number codes on them. Drop the lube tank and fill it with K1, then cycle the heck out of it.