ML8 Mounting Template

[Newboy999]

It's not all that hard to take out and replace the spindle but you do need to be careful not to damage the front bearing – new ones are available but at a price, and changing the bearings is a bit tricky. Let me know if you want more info.
When new, the ML8 was supplied with a link belt – mine is still going strong though I’ve had to take out a couple of links over the years as it stretched. The original one was leather but you can get new polyurethane ones.
Don’t grease the bearings – they run on light (ISO-32) hydraulic oil – just a few drops in the holes at the top – don’t flood the housings.
Unlike the metal lathes, Myford didn’t harden the spindle of the ML8 so both the threads and the morse tapers are more easily damaged. As supplied, the lathe had fibre washers on each end of the spindle to prevent faceplates etc. from getting stuck on the threads - easy to make a couple.

Thanks Norman. Do you know if there is a maintenance document/schedule anywhere?

 

[Normancb]

Apologies – only just saw this.

As far as I know, there was never a maintenance manual for the ML8 but it’s all pretty straightforward. The main thing is to look after the bearings. They are taper ball races and very robust but very expensive to replace. They need to be given a few drops of oil – I keep an oil can nearby and give them a shot at the start of a work session – the oil works its way out and runs down the headstock, which gets a wipe now and again. The bearings can be adjusted by loosening the collar on the outboard side – with the motor disconnected, tighten the collar until the bearings just start to drag then loosen just a fraction till the spindle rotates freely with no end float. You need a special tool to replace the bearings.

The bed is nickel plated. Keep it clean and give it an occasional coat of wax to keep things sliding freely. Put an occasional drop of oil in the oil point on the tailstock and on the barrel screw.

Some people loosen the belt tension between sessions – I usually forget.

The threads on the locking levers are triple start – I put a drop of oil on them about once a year.

Over time you can get an accumulation of crud under the tailstock. I take mine off and clean under it about once a year.

 

[Newboy999]

Apologies – only just saw this.

As far as I know, there was never a maintenance manual for the ML8 but it’s all pretty straightforward. The main thing is to look after the bearings. They are taper ball races and very robust but very expensive to replace. They need to be given a few drops of oil – I keep an oil can nearby and give them a shot at the start of a work session – the oil works its way out and runs down the headstock, which gets a wipe now and again. The bearings can be adjusted by loosening the collar on the outboard side – with the motor disconnected, tighten the collar until the bearings just start to drag then loosen just a fraction till the spindle rotates freely with no end float. You need a special tool to replace the bearings.

The bed is nickel plated. Keep it clean and give it an occasional coat of wax to keep things sliding freely. Put an occasional drop of oil in the oil point on the tailstock and on the barrel screw.

Some people loosen the belt tension between sessions – I usually forget.

The threads on the locking levers are triple start – I put a drop of oil on them about once a year.

Over time you can get an accumulation of crud under the tailstock. I take mine off and clean under it about once a year.

Thanks very much for the guidance. I will give it a go later this week.

 

[Newboy999]

Thanks very much for the guidance. I will give it a go later this week

Hi Norman

I’ve just been out to give the lathe an oiling. Am I looking for an oiling point or does the oil go straight on the spindle?

 

[Normancb]

Top of the headstock, either side of the belt cover. there are two flat headed slotted screws about 15 mm diameter, one above each bearing. These are the oiling points - take them out and dribble a bit of oil down the holes.