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Author Topic: Oil substitution for Pro 35? Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 10-05-2003 01:24 PM                     I finally got it it all back together with new gaskets and seals this weekend; I'm ready to fill it up and turn it on. I have no oil yet. My local cinema dealer requires a $25 order for Strong, and I have no use for the huge amount of Ballantyne oil that would get me. Does anyone know of any types of oil that I could pick up at the auto parts store that would work well in my Pro35? The stuff Strong sells is probably just repackaged motor oil.... Danny  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-05-2003 01:41 PM                     Use Simplex/Century oil  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 10-05-2003 02:24 PM                     oooh,, nice. I happen to have a can of Century oil here. Danny  |  IP: Logged Dennis Udovich Film Handler Posts: 71 From: Sheboygan, WI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 10-05-2003 02:46 PM                        I don't think its a good idea to switch oils. We have Simplex and Pro 35 and had problems if the wrong one is used. One oil is heavy than the other.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-05-2003 04:07 PM                     Simplex XL oil is lighter than the century standard simplex (used for e7's and supers) The Pro35 originally was speced at SAE20 which is the same as Century/Simplex standard oil  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 10-05-2003 04:13 PM                    I think for an oil bath situation there should not be a problem unless it revolves around the head leaking oil for some reasone do to it being thinner. Now for simplex you do not want to get a thicker oil in there because the pump will have trouble pumping it through the filter and through the tubing to the splash. It will also give trouble with lubricating the intermittent if the oil is to thick.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-10-2003 07:23 PM                     I too recommend Simplex oil for Simplex equipment. However, in a pinch, one may use Chevron GST oil ISO 32. Darryl is correct about the Simplexes in that too thick of oil equals too many dollars in repairs.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-10-2003 07:38 PM                     It is all well and good to say simplex oil for simplex but remember Simplex XL's/P35 and the like use a lighter oil than the standard, the super or the E7 The later is a SAE 20 same as century and the Pro35 THe XL was a capella oil of approximately SAE15  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-11-2003 12:10 AM                     Gord, The present X-L oil is a SAE 9 weight, we recently had some analyzed. The only other oil I'd use in a PRO?35, Century, or DP-70 situation is LaVezzi Oil which is synthetic and by far the best oil there is for either of those applications. Its also by far the beest oil for use on shaft seals. You will also notice that any mechanism thats run with it will run much quieter than it will using regular oils. Mark  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 10-11-2003 12:45 AM                     Of course, you don't have to order $25 worth of just oil.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-11-2003 10:41 AM                     Thats for sure....another half dozen coupler bobbins would certainly keep em running for a while. Mark  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-11-2003 11:03 AM                     I will never use that Lavezzi crap We tried and found it inconsistent for weight from order to order Non of these machines were designed for anything but a mineral based oil Also at SAE9 no wonder there is much leaking going on  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 10-11-2003 12:36 PM                     Hmmm....back to the oil thing again, eh? Danny, I have heard somewhere that 10W40 motor oil was specified. Then it was LaVezzi. Then it was Simplex or Century. Personally, I have been using Texaco WF-32 in the Pro-35's for 20 years and never had an oil related lubrication problem with it. It was only 11 bucks a gallon. I would suggest you contact Strong International and ask them what they are using.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-11-2003 01:05 PM                     Gord, Not sure who's doing your oil tests but I'd have to say they sure don't seem to be doing something correctly....all the LaVezzi stuff I've used is very consistant, and consistantly provides a quieter running mechanism. LaVezzi synthetic is compatable with equivelent mineral based oils used for the same purpose. Its also great when used to lubricate Simplex lateral guide rollers...they will never stick again. We have very few leaks with our X-L rebuilds with the 9 weight mineral based oil that Strong is now supplying. With older X-L's, no matter what oil you use, it goes right through the extremely porus castings. Powder coating the castings and proper installation of the seal kit will slow it to a drop every now and then. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Art Averett Film Handler Posts: 14 From: Orlando, FL Registered: Mar 2000 posted 10-11-2003 01:42 PM                     Here at Disney we use a substitute, Mobil DTE 24. It has been used for however long we have been using Ballantyne's in either the Pro 35 or the 70MM.  |  IP: Logged

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