Changing Myford ML7 Headstock Spindle & Bearings Assembly Part 1

[@markpack4494]

Thanks for the video, I was able to put my ML7 back together with a new back gear, could not have done it without your help....

[@SteveJordan]

IMPORTANT UPDATE. Since making this video I have found that it is a false economy to buy a second hand spindle and bearing set, unless you know they are in exceptional condition, (something that is basically impossible to see by eye). This used set that I fitted to the lathe in this video looked fairly good, but after installing it and using the lathe I found out that the bearings were much worse for wear than I previously thought, in fact they were just as bad as the ones that I replaced!... Eventually I bought a brand new spindle and bearing set directly from Myford.UK. I fitted the new spindle set in the same way as seen in this video, but obviously didn't have to make any alterations to the bearings. Also the spindle & bearing set from Myford is so well machined and matched that the bearings do not need to be scraped. SEE PART 2 VIDEO about this subject.

[@KnolltopFarms]

Thank you Steve, I certainly wish that I had the option to buy a new spindle and bearings, but not only have they quit making them, the 13" South Bend is a rather popular lathe, and so it's the most difficult smaller sized SB to find parts for, new or used. They do still have a few parts for SB's retailed by Grizzly Tools, but they're so expensive a spindle and bearings would likely cost more than my entire lathe did, so...I'm pondering the possibilities, but wish I had the skill to refit the old girl with some Timken Bearings. Thanks for the video, and have a great weekend...Chuck

[@georgfantner2917]

Dear Steve, wonderful videos! You mentioned that it is best to buy a new spindle and bearing set. Do you have any idea where to get those? I can't find them anywhere?

[@SteveJordan]

I bought mine from Myford UK they seem to have a few made up every now and again, so if they do not have any now you could ask when they will have them. They are very expensive though

[@bootleggerblacky]

Hi Steve,great videos! Would it be ok to make some “Oilite” bearings to fit the ML7 ? To run with an original soft shaft?

[@donaldnaymon3270]

Nice work. Myford lathe is well built and engineered very well. Thank you for sharing.

[@SteveJordan]

Banggood Health Protection -- bit.ly/33tNTBx Banggood Health&Care Protection -- bit.ly/3d7QpSy

[@peteblairakathemadscientist]

Thanks Steve. I just thinking about doing this but still not convinced I need to yet!

[@bewseybill3691]

Thanks Steve, very helpful as I am in the early stages of restoring a ML7, having had the bed reground at Slideways in Northampton.

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Bill, Thanks. Does it cost a lot to have the bed reground?

[@bewseybill3691]

Had done a couple of years a go now. Think it was in the region of £175

[@Shazzzam74]

Hi Steve, great video. I don't own a Myford but love watching you work with yours. Just an observation. I own a South Bend 9a and an upgrade we do on the south bend is put a very thin spindle bearing in place of that washer and pin set up. It allows you to tighten the nut at the end but not lock up the spindle. -Adan

[@SteveJordan]

+Adan Hi Aden I will look into that to see if I can do that on the Myford. Thanks...Regards Steve

[@gordtaylor2635]

Using 4 threaded rods to help align the bearing caps would help prevent the shims from moving. I have a Myford clone (Colt) which has a ball bearing headstock but similar in construction. Great video.

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Gord, Thanks. That sounds an interesting lathe. I haven't seen one of those, they must be quite rare?

[@peteip2080]

Steve, I like your videos. Good useful practical information. Keep up the good work. Cheers Peter

[@Derekmurrin-zt1xe]

Very informative video... Quite knowledgeable individual!

[@jongibbs8112]

Hi Steve, Thanks very much for your video. I had a problem with my pulley/pinion gear slipping and so had to take my spindle off to Loctite the two together. I found your video account extremely useful and informative. Many thanks again. Jon

[@tinaliebe5118]

Hi Steve thank you for that but can you please tell more about the and flow like that is the tolerance and what does it mean ❤😊

[@SteveJordan]

Hi, Do you mean the end float?

[@tinaliebe5118]

@@SteveJordan yes float sorry I must have Heard wrong thank you Steve

[@machiningbasics1729]

Nice job as usual . The ml7 bearings are far superior to the ml4 ones that are a single split shell and i did machine out the headstock to take ml7 bearings on mine

[@SteveJordan]

Thanks, that must have been an interesting job to do.

[@TrevorWForrester]

Hi Steve, great video. Putting the drive gear in an oven for about 1/2 hour at 150-200 c would expand it enough to enable it to slide right on.

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Trevor, Thanks....I didn't think of that.

[@ebenfourie9057]

Thanks for taking the time to video this - a really useful resource for ML7 owners. In the video you mention not using the back gear to lock the spindle when removing a chuck. Could you please explain the correct way to do this.

[@SteveJordan]

+Eben Fourie Hi thanks. .. the method of removing a chuck from the Myford is explained in my other video on ' How to remove a stuck chuck from the Myford ml7'.... It is basically the same procedure, but just holding the spindle gears while you undo the chuck. Regards Steve

[@glennfelpel9785]

Very well explained it is quite nice how you keep things thorough and simple. Thank you for the information on the Molly Slip, do you have any suggestions of a lubricant for rust protection?

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Glenn, thanks. Because I'm using the lathes so much I just use a inexpensive WD40 type spray oil to keep the rust off. If you have chucks and tools that you do not use much you can spray them with this type of oil and wrap them in cling-film. I think Duck Oil is very good but is a bit expensive for me! The cheaper sprays seem to be working ok even in the metal shed where there can be more condensation in the winter.

[@ctprjcstv3998]

You speak like 50s narrators. I like it!

[@eddyfontaineyoutu100]

Very nice demo and explanation. Thanks !

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Eddy, Thanks.

[@dense505crew]

I have seen the shims cut in one piece with a U shaped cut out in the middle which keeps them in one piece but you don't have to try and punch a neat hole.

[@SteveJordan]

Thanks. That is a great tip. I often overlook things like this

[@Jungle-boy169]

Hi Steve. I watched your video with great interest. It is well done and very informative. Yesterday I used an ML7 which belongs to a friend who hasn't used it in many years. We were boring some holes into stainless round bar with sharp drill bits without any issues until we stepped up to 10mm bit. The pully seems to slip on the spindle shaft and is not fully engaged with the gear. The chuck would stall with minimal pressure on the bit. Does the pully have a grub screw to secure it to the spindle or is it just the little notched piece that engages the gear that makes the connection. Any advice or help would be much appreciated.

[@lostjohnny9000]

I had the same issue with my ML7 when I purchased it. The chuck would stall even when doing the lightest drilling in brass. The headstock pulley was slipping over the brass gear (acting like a torque converter) The previous owner had over-tightened the drive belt to compensate for this. I had to strip down the headstock to remove the pulley + back gear bush assembly. Instead of purchasing a new one, I used Loctite to bond them back together. I made sure the lubrication hole in the bush was aligned with the oil nipple hole in the pulley. My ML7 is now running as expected i.e loads of torque now and no chuck stalls.

[@pjhalchemy]

Thanks Steve. Very well presented and thorough. Enjoyed seeing the nuts and bolts of the spindle assembly on your ML7. Is that Molly Slip a particular product? I found the Canadian site for them but they seem to only have sprays or powders that may be like your slurry. Haven't seen it in the US. Thanks for another fine video. ~PJ

[@wither8]

Molyslip is just a brand name for a generic formulation of a lubricant with a certain percentage of molybdenum disulfide particles (chosen for its ridiculously low co-efficient of friction) suspended within a generic soap. Loctite Moly Paste has a pretty high concentration of moly content (generally you want > 40% by weight) and should be available globally at any of the standard industrial suppliers (McMaster, MSC, Grainger, whatever's popular in your region). Beware generic brands that don't declare the percentage of moly content as they tend to just use EP2 generic grease and toss .05% moly content in there and put a pretty sticker on it often found in the auto section.

[@CreaseysWorkshop]

Hi Steve, my ML7 has a 15.8mm hole in the back and it looks like there is a screw between the gear and the spindle. It doesn't appear to have any slot in it though so I hope I never have to remove it! Mine is definitely stock standard as I have owned it from new in 1980.

[@SteveJordan]

Hi John. Have you had to adjust the shim thickness much on the bearings over the years since you had your lathe?

[@CreaseysWorkshop]

Hi Steve, no I have never touched them at all. I tried checking the play on it after watching your video and the most I could get with a bar in the chuck was about half a thou or less. So they appear to be doing pretty well.

[@SteveJordan]

Hi John, That's interesting. Great to know that they do not wear too much. Mine is about .002" thou at the moment. I'm going to leave it like that for a while, as it is machining very well now. I will let them run-in for a while and maybe adjust the shims at a later date.

[@dense505crew]

Don't forget, if you don't have a link belt that can be broken then you have to remember to put the belt around the spindle when you fit it into the headstock.

[@SteveJordan]

Thanks. That is an important point I didn't include in the video!!!

[@olofjosefsson212]

Hello Steve, thanks for all your intresting Videos to the Ml7. I have one question. Do the oil groves at the Front bearing have to be on the same side or opposite ? Best regards Olof

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Olof the bearing halves just drop into place. The one half with the oil hole goes on the top of the spindle. Other than that, I don't exactly know what you mean?

[@JuanVincente]

Don’t you need to scrape the bearings in so that you get better contact between the bearing and hardened spindle also it will allow for better lubrication? And with the shims wouldn’t it be better to cut up a feeler gauge so you get consistent thicknesses especially when you are trying to scrape and dial the bearings in.

[@tinkermouse-scottrussell3738]

Thanks for sharing Steve, Myford should have the torque specks for the bearing cap fasteners just to keep the force consistent?

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Scott, thanks.

[@arnljotseem8794]

Thanks for yet another informative video, especially useful for Myford owners. I have a Super 7 myself, but very much is the same. Regarding the Molyslip; was that the MLG you used? How did you determine that you needed a new spindle and bearings? Is it any point in changing just the bearings, og should the spindle be changed together with the bearings? Thanks

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Arnljot, Thanks. No the Molyslip I use is the Engine Protector liquid type that you add to car engine oil. You can only get the new spindle and bearings as a matched set from Myford UK. The old spindle and bearing set had too much free-play and caused machine chatter and poor finishes. I could probably have re-scraped them to work properly, but this would have taken many hours of work and a lot of patients to complete! My Regards Steve

[@jasonsmith6074]

steve ,in the middle on the pulley there is a grub screw ,what does this do ?? does it screw down onto he shaft

[@SteveJordan]

I can't remember off hand, but I'm pretty sure it does.

[@elsdp-4560]

THANK YOU...for sharing.

[@Corsairflag]

Hi Steve. I am looking for a used unhardened spindle for my 4th axis CNC I am building. Condition of the bearing surface is not important as it will be machined for ball bearings and fitted with a toothed pulley powered from a stepper motor. If you have one to sell or know anyone who has one, I would be appreciated. Phil.

[@kencarter9094]

Hello Steve, this is a fabulous video and shows exactly what is going on. Thank you. My father passed away and I thought I would turn on his ML7. I turned it on in back gear and the machine ran fine. I then put some oil in the headstock pulley (both holes), turned the lathe on and within 5 seconds the headstock pulley seized up and now I can only run in high gear. Does this make sense to anyone? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Ken did you disengage the toothed mechanism before using the backgear. See my video, 'using the backgear on the Myford ml7'

[@kencarter9094]

@@SteveJordan Hello Steve and thank you for your response. Yes, the tooth mechanism was disengaged and I was running in backgear before I oiled the pulley bearing. Could I have put too much oil in and putting the screw back in forced oil somewhere to cause binding?

[@SteveJordan]

Did you re-engage the tooth mechanism and move the lever out of backgear? Do you use iso 38 hydraulic oil? If so you could slightly slacken off the spindle bearing housings, undo the Allen bolts by just a quarter of a turn and see if it runs. If they are slightly tight they maybe stopping it. It's hard for me to know what is wrong with it, not seeing it.

[@kencarter9094]

@@SteveJordan Hello Steve. Yes the sliding key on the bull wheel is not engaged with the small driving gear on the pulley therefore the pulley should spin freely on the spindle shaft. This is not the case so I suspect the pulley has seized on the spindle shaft.

[@kencarter9094]

@@SteveJordan Hello Steve, thank you very much for all your help. I am having difficulty finding iso 38 hydraulic oil. Do you think AW32 hydraulic oil would be fine? The AW stands for anti-wear.

[@paulklasmann1218]

I'm a little confused about the use of grease, I read that only oil should be used for the bearings. Im restoring a Super 7 and the past owner had blocked all the oil channels with grease.

[@SteveJordan]

You need to use the proper hydraulic oil on the bearings.. ISO32

[@paulklasmann1218]

@@SteveJordan Thanks for the reply and your videos. It's much appreciated.

[@tonelessdiy]

Steve Jordan, many thanks for your videos. Just a quick question as I'm a little bit confused. Is there an option for a spindle with a bigger bore??? I thought all ML7 had a bore of 15mm... and a 17mm bore would be a nice upgrade.

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Nick, Yes you can buy the hardened spindles with the bronze bearings. These are the ones with the bigger bore. Myford sell them new, but they are very expensive. Sometimes you see them second hand though on Ebay.

[@tonelessdiy]

Many thanks for the valuable info. I don't own a Myford yet but I'm funding for a grey S7 over a year now and I hope they do offer this modification for the S7 as well.

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Nick. I think all the Myford Super 7 lathes have the larger bore spindle as standard.

[@dense505crew]

Steve, did you measure any radial or axial movement before you stripped the headstock?

[@SteveJordan]

Yes. I had something like .007" movement on the lift test. If I took out more shim though, the spindle was prone to seizing. Apparently a previous owner had run the lathe without any shims and hadn't even tightened the bearing caps down. This is what I think distorted the bearings over time. I was getting vibration even on light cuts. Since I have changed the bearings I can do .070" cuts on steel with feed and get great finishes. I could probably take deeper cuts, but I do not like putting a lathe under unnecessary stress and I haven't got coolant. I am very pleased with the results.

[@georgedickson6490]

Hi Steve I have removed my head spindle and trying to strip it down to replace a back gear The problem I'm having is I can't seem to be able to remove the spacer just in front of the pulleys Have you any advice on how to remove this Regards Geordie

[@zenoist2399]

I had the same problem. The spacer was eventually removed by heating up with a blowtorch and hammering off with a lump hammer and piece of wood.

[@brunogx7]

Hi Steve, Did you install a grub screw on the drive gear. I would like to know if it's really necessary to lock the gear with this screw. It seems difficult to drill and tap between the gear and the spindle. Thanks. Bruno.

[@SteveJordan]

+Agent Faucon No I didn't bother. It was a tight fit and never moves. If it was loose I would have just used a bit of loctite Regards Steve

[@williamstuart2471]

I also would like to know what this grub screw does. no mention of it in the reasembly

[@brunogx7]

@@williamstuart2471 It avoids any movement between the gear and the spindle as Myford was probably not using Loctite cement. I installed mine without this screw, no problem.

[@skjoldhjvrkstedsforening4930]

this moly lube u use? what brand is that? And do u have a link?

[@SteveJordan]

I bought mine from a local car parts dealer, but this one here is exactly the same www.amazon.co.uk/RDGTOOLS-Molyslip-2001E-Engine-Supplement/dp/B0731D3WM6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1506412523&sr=8-2&keywords=molyslip+engine RegardsSteve

[@skjoldhjvrkstedsforening4930]

Thanks Alot young man. Regards from the owner of England and Oxford Bridge Burning. Wiking Jonas in Aarhus. ( London bridge also had a good burn ) :D

[@zenoist2399]

This might be a dumb question but if you have a lathe can't you just make a new spindle?

[@SteveJordan]

I always add up the cost to see if its worth buying or making. This would take a long time to make having such critical size limits, plus one has to make a bronze split bearing to match. Then there is all the other costs as well with no guarantee that one would not make an error. No I would rather buy a new set any day. Then just get on making other things. Precision machining costs are worth at least £25 an hour when one adds up all the outgoings.

[@zenoist2399]

Thank you for the reply.

[@ShuffleSk8Ter]

weird...I thought the myford had a taper front bearing like my old hendey lathe ...hmm

[@ShuffleSk8Ter]

also wanted to say I did a video on how to remove a stuck chuck on a threaded on spindle type

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Lawrence, I'll have a look at that one. Its the later version of the Myford that has the taper bearing. The Myford Super 7.

[@ShuffleSk8Ter]

I had the super 7 :) and sold it for a much needed profit ....I kinda wish i still had it though

[@gangleweed]

@@SteveJordanHi, that tells me an awful lot...….I always assumed all Myfords had a tapered front bearing and when you showed the straight type I was puzzled...…...all clear now it was on the Super 7.

[@mtn.srlrascu6675]

How is possible doesn't have a ball bearing with oil or grease. Like this is going to last nothing. Old style, very old style. When the industry was without ball bering

[@SteveJordan]

These bearings are old fashioned but can last for decades if you use the right type of drip oil. They are relatively easy to maintain as well.

[@rogerfortier6934]

Should you not hav put the belt on first

[@SteveJordan]

Hi Roger, yes i would have if I used a standard belt. I use high quality Fenner (made in USA) link belts, that one can put on, or take off with the spindle in place. Regards Steve