It's safe to assume that you have the correct oil in the machine and it gets changed regularly, isn't it? (Of COURSE it is! )

Other than that, I'd sort of make an experiment. Try it now, with the room cold and observe. Try it later with the room warm and compare results.

Generally speaking, I'd imagine that as long as the machine gets oil within a few seconds you aren't in any real danger. I'm sure there's going to be a higher rate of wear and tear in that period but even when the oil is running normally there's a short "dry" period before the oil makes its way up to the top of the machine.

Heck! I've seen Simplexes run completely dry for DAYS with little to no effect once the right oil was put in them.

If this concerns you a lot, just minimize use of the machine under those conditions.
 

Make sure you havre the correct oil for thr machine. The oil should be changed every now and then depending on hours of use and condition of room. Clean the oil pick up screen usually when you change oil. This may be part of your problem. You need to remove the back, undo the oil tube, and take out the oil pump. Clean the screen carefully, put some Simplex into one of the operings and rotate the gear untill oil comes from the other one. Reinstall pump and set for proper gear mesh to main drive shaft. Make sure projector back and door are completely clean from oil and reinstall rear door. This is were most oil leaks happen. I do not recommend any sealer but the new P-6644 door gaskeys work nice. Hope this helps.
Dick
 

Welcome to film-tech Dick Glad to have you aboard!

 

And as long as we are on oil, Here is something I learned the hard way. During a show, the Simplex SH1000 sound head simply froze and stripped both brass gears in the transmission gearbox, the fiber gears between the soundhead and picture head plus a few of the breakaweay gears on the vertical shaft. When I opened up the soundhead gear box I found that there was no oil at all in it, but plenty of powdered brass. Yet, the glass oil indicator window showed a "full tank." Seems that the tube that connects the glass indicator window to the gearbox casing had gotten clogged. Putting oil in the filler cap would only fill the glass window while no oil was getting to the gearbox. The solution naturally is to unscrew the connecting tube and clean it thoroughly. From then on, when you add oil, clean off the filler cap and blow into it. The oil should be forced down the glass window and into the gearbox. When you stop blowing, it should slowly rise back up. A false reading in the oil window can be very distructive, as I learned. A technican told me that he has seen the brass gears in a soundhead grind away in less than an hour when a soundhead was inadvertantly run dry.
 

This oil filter and points of seepage remain items on my hit list for the Simplex. We're staying after it.

It does sound as though cool temperatures might have something to do with the slow circulation of oil in the projector. I wonder if the oil is correct -- it's pretty thin and you have to get to pretty cool temperatures to see it thicken to a point where it won't get through the machine okay.

Pat
 

If it doesn't leak oil, how will people know it's a Simplex?
 

Have to admit, they're better than they used to be.

Pat
 

I'll add one more thing to the original question and that is the spring that is between the impellors inside the pump. I've seen this spring suffer from compression set somewhat and replacing it and both impellors will help get a pump back to its proper pumping volume.
We've installed alot of Mellinneum's and have had only very minor seepage on a few of them and that was easily taken care of. For the most part they stay tight as a drum, and I totally agree with Rick on the fact that Strong has done and is still doing an amazing job with the X-L, and the 5 Star sound reproducer. There have been many seepage points on the X-L that have been totally fixed. I agree that the Yamaha oil sight glass needs fixing next. I think thats the last real seepage point on the entire projector.
Mark @ GTS
 

I agree that the cold weather will be a slow oil factor but I have started rebuilt X-L's in my garage at 40 and below and the oil takes right off. As long as you have the pump out I agree with Mark you might as well look at the vane spring and vanes. I usually pull very slightly on it before reassembling. By the way My X-L's don't leak either. Vary clean smooth surfaces and a clean P-6644 works for me every time.
 

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Bill Purdy
Component Engineering
 

Dick was recommended to me by Ken Layton as being a possible source for a schematic for a 1930's amplifier that I got a couple of years ago.

Dick came up with a manual for a similar RCA amplifier that enabled me to get the amp running in no time. Thanks Dick!!
 

Randy.
 

Josh