Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Oil substitution for Pro 35?

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Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 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

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-05-2003, 01:41 PM:

Use Simplex/Century oil

Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 10-05-2003, 02:24 PM:

oooh,, nice. I happen to have a can of Century oil here.

Danny

Posted by Dennis Udovich (Member # 1066) on 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.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 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

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 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.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 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.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 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

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 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

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-11-2003, 12:45 AM:

Of course, you don't have to order $25 worth of just oil.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-11-2003, 10:41 AM:

Thats for sure....another half dozen coupler bobbins would certainly keep em running for a while.
Mark

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 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

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 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.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 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

Posted by Art Averett (Member # 367) on 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.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 10-11-2003, 01:48 PM:

Art, what is that stuff equivilant to? I am not familiar with it.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-11-2003, 04:11 PM:

The DTE 20 serries is a hydraulic oil
DTE 24 is and ISO 32 weight
here is a link to the mobil info
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENINDMOMobilDTE20Series.asp

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 10-11-2003, 08:14 PM:

I believe the Mobil DTE 20 is what I've been using for the past year with good results. It's definitely Mobil but I'd have to double-check the product name/number.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-11-2003, 08:49 PM:

DTE 20 is a common replacment for
Century
Simplex Standard
Super Simplex
Simplex E7
and Westar