Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Grease leakage Vic 5 shutter box

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Posted by Thomas Jonsson (Member # 1902) on 09-28-2004, 03:13 PM:

I recently replaced the shutter gear box in
one of my Vic 5. Today I discovered a large
portion of grease on top of the "filling hole
screw"(are those the right words?). The screw
was properly tightened. Could heat have caused
the grease to expand so much it was squeezed
out of the gear box?

I use a 4kWatt lamp and no water cooling. The
projector head gets quite hot.

Thomas

Posted by Andrew Jefferson (Member # 2565) on 09-28-2004, 11:47 PM:

Has the grease been there since you first layed eyes on it? (like when you first unwrapped it from the packaging?) I just installed a new shutter box into one of my V5's and it had grease on it, i just wiped up the excess with a rag and nothing has leaked out since.

Is yours the rubber encased one with the metal gears opposed to the metal cased one with nylon gears?

Posted by Thomas Jonsson (Member # 1902) on 09-29-2004, 12:34 PM:

Found out today that it´s some kind
of safety valve that let´s out grease
if the preasure gets too high. So what
happened is quite normal.

I used to have the gear box with metal
gears, but it was very noicy, so I had
it replaced with the one with nylon gears.

Thomas

Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 09-29-2004, 01:36 PM:

Yes, the valve allow the grease to exit from the shutter box if you put too much grease and, I believe, when the temperature increase the first time you use the shutter.

I have a question. Should I remove the valve's holder when change the shutter grease? I've been told to remove the entire valve or the shutter can be damaged. But the "valve" consist in a little hole that allow the grease to leak out... What is the purpose of removing the entire valve? Perhaps the little hole is not enough to evacuate correctly the grease and this can damage the shutter?

I have a shutter that is leaking grease everywhere and I been told that I damage it in this way...

Bye
A

Posted by Phil Blake (Member # 2012) on 10-01-2004, 10:12 AM:

We had the same problem with all our V5's , the service tech advised not to run grease in them , but used automatic transmission fluid , I have filled ours up with 30 grade engine oil ,they require topping up a few times as the oil mixes with grease , after the oil has settled , no more grease leakage and you can guarentee the gears are properly lubricated , the grease tends to flick off the gears allowing them to run dry. fill em with oil.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-01-2004, 11:56 AM:

Thomas,
For your sort of application I would get rid of all the internal grease applied at the factory and run them with Mobil 1 synthetic gear lube instrad. The Mobil 1 gear grease is the synthetic equivelent to 90 weight gear lube... the type thats used in many auto differentials and the synthetic stuff would take the high temperatures of your 4kw lamp indefinately without ever changing it. In fact, they would probably run for ever with that stuff in there. Normal heavy grease makes no sense at all as Phil Blake point out "it will just fly off the gears" and then they are essentially running without any lube at all on them. Synthetics are the best there is and not very expensive as compared to the price of that gear box!!

Mark @ CLACO
Live On Vacation!! (Via Tape Delay)

Posted by Thomas Jonsson (Member # 1902) on 10-01-2004, 02:42 PM:

Hi Mark,
Thank you for your advice. Does it work with
both nylon and metal gears?

Thomas

Posted by Rick Long Jr (Member # 541) on 10-01-2004, 07:19 PM:

Definetly go with the synthetic gear lube. It works just fine with the nylon gears. Just fill the box to about the halfway-point on the shafts. Any more and it'll leak past the seals. I've replaced so many I've lost count, but with the gear lube, they definitely last longer.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-02-2004, 01:30 AM:

"Definetly go with the synthetic gear lube. It works just fine with the nylon gears. Just fill the box to about the halfway-point on the shafts. Any more and it'll leak past the seals. I've replaced so many I've lost count, but with the gear lube, they definitely last longer."
There are different gear combinations in the vic 5 and they do have very specific lubrication requirements I beleive there a re 3 or 4 different lubes depending on the gear box

One type does not fit all

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-02-2004, 01:51 AM:

quote: Gordon McLeod
One type does not fit all

Er ahhh wrong Gord! The synthetic stuff is far MORE compatable with all the situations and versions of that gearbox than any other lube around.

Mark @ CLACO
Live On VAcation!! (Via Tape Delay)

Posted by Rick Long Jr (Member # 541) on 10-02-2004, 08:14 AM:

Gord, every Vic 5 I've ever worked on over the past 18 years have all had the same 5v 307 and 5v 309 nylon gears. The gearboxes themselves have had some changes/improvements over the years, but the gears are the same (save for the new metal ones). Either way, I'VE found the ones I put synthetic gear lube in run quieter and last longer.
As well, every manual I've ever seen lists only the above part numbers.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-02-2004, 08:26 AM:

Rick,
There are only two gear boxes that I am aware of, its just that Gord is too stubborn [Mad]

to admit that synthetic is better... [thumbsup]

. He has anti-synthetic printed all over him for what ever reason....you can see it between his smile.... [Razz]

. Perhaps its just that extending the life span [Wink]

of something cuts into the servicing buisness a bit... [Eek!]

. I don't know for sure why but perhaps someday he will come around to it all [Smile]

. Perhaps the Vic 5 could go the Christie route and dispose completely of the gear box and follow the belt route [evil]

.

Mark @ CLACO
LaVezzi Oil... "Official Oil of the Salt Lake City Service Techs [Cool]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-02-2004, 02:55 PM:

I have 3 different gear boxs in service
One has white hard plastic gears
One has a brass looking gear set
the third has steel gears
Each has its own lubricant
And they have given no greif to speak of in fact The metal ones only got put in when 2 plastic ones stripped after the threader left the dowser open for a 1/2 on a 4k lamp and warped the shutter and it hit the frame and stripped the gears and snapped the belt
I have added APG90 gear oil to the grease packed ones to prevent it from being thrown away from the gears

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-02-2004, 03:03 PM:

I think the brass ones are the original type and are no longer made. The steel and nylon are curent. At heast you've changed over to gear lube... now to get you to use the good stuff.

Mark

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 10-02-2004, 03:19 PM:

I have not seen the brass ones in almost 20 years.

Posted by Andrew Jefferson (Member # 2565) on 10-04-2004, 04:07 AM:

I had to change the gearbox in one of ours because one of the nylon gears had split in half and separated from the axle...

That has happened to at least four of our projectors that have only just had their 5th birthday!!!!

With all running the current steel gears it's kinda hard to have a decent conversation in the booth! (the rubber casing doesn't help much)