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Topic: oil for the Simplex XL circa 1949

Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 01-22-2000 02:55 AM

I have four great and powerful Simplex XL tank commando units and will be overhauling the little bugger here real soon.

The manuals I have are circa 1949 and I am sure that oils have somewhat upgraded since then. What is the best oil to put in the gear housings?

As reference they have been using some clear oil intended for compressor units. Somehow I think this may be a bad idea?

Any ideas from fellow tank owners?

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"If it's not worth doing, I have allready been there and done it"

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 01-22-2000 12:34 PM

Simple solution: just call your local theater equipment dealer and ask for a gallon of Simplex Projector Oil.

Also, download the 1960 Simplex XL manuals and the Simplex PR-1014 manuals from the Adobe Manuals Download pages if you want more or newer information on the oils used in the machines.

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-22-2000 07:47 PM

Am I to understand that you have some of the early XLs? Identified by the different back door (uses a flat gasket), shutter shaft, and intermittent among other items.

In any event, it uses the same oil R-59 as the current units.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-22-2000 10:00 PM

The oil cheat sheet is basically as follows
Simplex XL #10SAE non detergent
Simplex SUper, E7, Century, Ballantyne Pro35
Prevost P55 is SAE20 non detergent
Gaumount Kallee and Hortson is SAE30
Soundhead oil is SAE40
Motiograph AA (AAA) intermitent greese is APG90 outboard gear oil

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 01-22-2000 11:21 PM

I have one of the early units but the rest are from the mid sixties. I can't believe this thing is still running.

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"If it's not worth doing, I have allready been there and done it"

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Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-23-2000 09:45 AM

Gordon, what's the oil cheat sheet say about a Brenkert BX - 40/80? I'm using very light, approx 5 wt. hydrolic jack oil. Seems to work fine.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 01-23-2000 12:16 PM

Jeff:
You can get all the Brenkert oil you need from Edward H. Wolk Co. in Chicago (www.edwolk.com)

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Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-23-2000 01:13 PM

Thanks, Ken. I'll call them and get some of the correct stuff.

Jeff

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-23-2000 01:42 PM

Very light oil usually #10 but definitley with no detergent. Some people claim that the original oil was the famous or imfamous Marvel Mystery Oil.
I red a article from during the war and they recomended cutting regular oil with benzene due to shortages and rationing during the war but I am a little suspisious of that solution
Vic 8's used to get a red transmision fluid as a lubricant from Cinemecanica and General Sound by mistake ordered a GM equivelent to the ciemecanica that was provided by Ford and most of the movements bound up but the GM stuff ran great. Nowdays the oil they send is a very dark colour
FP20 oil will also run in a brenkert

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Bruce McGee
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1776
From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular.
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 01-23-2000 04:25 PM

Am I running the wrong grease in my Holmes? I am using automotive Hi-temp wheel bearing grease in the Holmes, and am going to rebuild another gear case shortly. If I used the wrong grease, tell me, and I wont make the same mistake again!

Thanks!

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Stephen Winner
Film Handler

Posts: 57
From: Richmond,VA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-25-2000 06:41 PM

We've been running, for about 15 years...12 before I started here... Ordinary SAE 30 weight non-detergent motor oil in our Simplex XL's.

While it has never caused any problems, I get the impression, this is the wrong thing to run in these things!

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-25-2000 06:48 PM

>>"We've been running, for about 15 years...12 before I started here... Ordinary SAE 30 weight non-detergent motor oil in our Simplex XL's.
While it has never caused any problems, I get the impression, this is the wrong thing to run in these things!"<<

Yup, it is too thin for the soundhead...SAE 40 ND is really as thin as one should go. If you look at how the oil clings to the bronze gears while running at speed, the 30 weight splashes more...the heavier oils cling to the gears and allows the upper gear to get good and proper lubrication.

Somewhere I read something about SAE 30 being an EMERGENCY sub for an RCA soundhead.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 02-03-2000 09:50 PM

<<As reference they have been using some clear oil intended for compressor units. >>

Sounds like the old Texaco Capella Oil.

I had good luck with 90 wt. gear lube in soundhead gear boxes (no leaks, either!)

Brenkerts run fine on automatic transmission fluid (or similar). Anything thicker and the mechanism bogs down.

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Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-04-2000 04:35 PM

Tim, I had been running my restored Brenkert on hydrolic jack oil (for the past month). Pretty light stuff. I didn't notice any problem with the mechanism speed. However just got some "real" Brenkert oil from Wolk, and I notice that the rotary oil slinger throws quite a bit more oil around than it did before.

I'm glad I got the right stuff.

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