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Topic: Can't both be right

Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-22-2000 09:38 PM

Help! I have 2 Simplex XL's set up in the "booth to nowhere" in my garage. Slight upward angle but still with traditional oil pump. One machine has a nice oil splash to the top of the window and steady drip-drip-drip to intermittent flywheel. The other positive gushes oil to the window and wheel for approximately 20-40 seconds then pretty much dries up. I'm afraid to let it run for much more than a few seconds after that. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Is it just a case of needing the upward (drive-in) oil kit, or something else? It also appears the "bad" machine flywheel has rubbed a bit on the oil tube in the extreme upward framing. Just bend it back? Thank you.

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Dave Bird

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

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

posted 06-23-2000 09:04 AM

Dave, it's easy to find out. Tilt the machine down and see if that helps pick-up more oil.

And sometimes, the tubes are dirty and just need cleaning.
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Better Projection Pays!

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-23-2000 09:34 AM

Thanks Tim, was thinking I might try that. Just for frame of reference though, the correct oil spray is a steady spatter to top of glass and drip-drip-drip to flywheel?

You mean there is an application for pipe cleaners? Assuming that's what I'll clean them with. Thank you. It's funny one machine doing it and not the other when they theoretically are at the same angle they were. Perhaps the little mesh thing is clogged on one side.

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Dave Bird

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Pat Moore
Master Film Handler

Posts: 363

Registered: Mar 2000

posted 06-23-2000 09:58 AM

Dave;
Might be that the pipe is not all the way down to the bottom of the mesh, so its actual pickup point is higher. If your getting oil into the intermittent, I wouldn't worry about running the machine longer than 30-40 seconds. It may be that the sump empties too quickly and oil isn't running down fast enough to keep it full, but that's a little strange.

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-23-2000 10:21 AM

Pat, this machine really gushes oil back under the flywheel toward the sump before it quits, moreso than the "good" machine. I will try to check that about the tube (if I can get down into there, looks like a pain). Sounds logical. The flywheel oil is most important eh? I wouldn't mind running it a little longer if that's okay to see if the spray does return. I think sometimes the intermittent oil stays on and just spray disappears. Thanks.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-23-2000 11:25 AM

I'm just spitballing here...

Could it be that the tube from the "funnel" that drips on the intermittent has become clogged?

I'm thinking that the pump sucks all the oil up to the top, then the funnel fills up and overflows, hence the "gush" at the flywheel.
After that, a good portion of the oil would still be in the funnel, leaving very little for the pump to circulate, causing the decrease in flow.

What got me thinking this is two reasons:

1) You said the tube had gotten bent/crimped.
2) If these are "old" projectors, any oil that had been in them might have turned to "varnish". Especially if they hadn't previously been filled with more "modern" oil that's made to resist that.

You said they were tilted up. Were they previously installed in a drive-in? I might imagine that somebody put cheaper, non-standard oil in them at one time or another. (Popcorn oil )
(Not to say that people who work at drive-ins always do that but it's worth considring.)

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Pat Moore
Master Film Handler

Posts: 363

Registered: Mar 2000

posted 06-23-2000 12:22 PM

Dave;
Does this machine have a governor as the sprayer? Might be that the governor relaxes after a little time and splashes oil differently. Is the vertical shaft moving vertically at all after it's up to speed? It shouldn't, of course.
If you want to be really safe, you could take the back cover off and then fill the intermittent by hand before running the machine. As far as the intermittent goes, as long as theres a drip...drip...drip or so, it should be fine.

Pat

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-23-2000 03:06 PM

Yes, these were drive-in machines, tilted up, but only very slightly (5 degrees maybe), so did not need the extreme (drive-in) conversion. I think you may have something with that idea of the funnel clogging, seems to me that may be happening. I hope to get a chance to play a bit this weekend. I left the drive-in with 3 or 4 cans of Simplex oil, so that seems okay, but perhaps a good cleaning and a change. I also left with the popcorn maker, grill, warmers. All I need now is a screen!

Oops, and some lamps! These machines were owned by a veteran projectionist, who continued to run them with 2000' magazines and carbon arcs till they closed in '92 I believe. He then maintained power supply (periodically running the machines) right up until a couple weeks ago. I regret not having him fire up those arcs one last time.
Thanks for the tips, I'm sure I'll be back for more!

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 06-24-2000 02:37 PM

Hey, thanks fellas! I cleaned the funnel, tubes (and tried to clean the oil sump, man that's WAYYY down there), and tilted the machine down closer to flat. And I think that's what helped most. It hadn't occurred to me that either the drive-in booth floor, my garage or both may not be level, when I checked this machine, it was actually tilted higher than the other (and oil was pooling in the bottom of cover), so a little work-out for me (twisting the screw below the knife-switch that may not have turned much in 50 yrs!

), and we now have more or less constant oil with both machines at a very roughly estimated 5 degree upward throw.
Thank you all. I'll figure this out!

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Dave Bird

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

posted 06-24-2000 03:02 PM

Those bases were installed in 1948 and originally had 4 star sound heads with supers the XL combo went in in the early 60's

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