Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cinemeccanica Victoria VIII Oil Problem

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Topic: Cinemeccanica Victoria VIII Oil Problem

William Hardie
Film Handler

Posts: 8
From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 02-04-2002 03:00 AM

Hi Everybody:

The problem is, on 3 of my Vic VIII's all you can see is foam in the lower bezel (Sight Glass) when the projectors are running. With all my other projectors , the oil can be seen swirling around the lower bezel the way it should be, and you can check the oil level when it is running. With the foam, it is hard to tell if the operating level is correct.

At the upper bezel where the magnet is, the oil is pumping fine on these 3 foaming projectors. The bezel fills completely. We, My Relief Projectionist and myself, took the back covers off the projectors and checked the oil pipes for blockages and found none.

The only thing we didn't check are the pumps themselves. 2 of the pumps are the gear pumps, close to the sump, and the third pump is one of the piston kind. Could it be the pumps are pumping air as well as oil? And if it is this, what do I look for.

The projectors are running fine, and are as quiet as any of the other Vic VIII's that are pumping properly. I was told that as long as the upper bezel is filling with oil, not to worry about the foam.

Any suggestions one of you have, I would greatly appreciate.

Thanks,

Bill

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Don Sneed
Master Film Handler

Posts: 451
From: Texas City, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 02-04-2002 06:32 AM

Bill I seen this once in Houston, I don't know if this would apply to you or not but a projectionist once use a thin oil as use in projectors that was a 5 weight HD oil (HD= High Detergent) it cause foam in the site glass, after switching back to the proper oil, all was fine....I had a Simplex that did the same thing, using the correct oil, we drain the oil, put in fresh oil, all was ok....

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 02-04-2002 10:35 AM

I agree that using the wrong type of oil could cause this problem. I recall that oils intended for use in the intermittent had formulations without detergent (which can cause foaming), and sometimes contained an anti-foam chemical additive.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-04-2002 12:53 PM

Since I assume that the same oil is in all machines you may have more heat in some that caused the oil to breakdown.
It is messy but leave the back off and see that oil is being actaully pumped to all locations

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William Hardie
Film Handler

Posts: 8
From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 02-04-2002 05:39 PM

Thanks for the suggestions, I try running with the back cover off one of the projectors and see if the oil is flowing through all pipes and pumping to all locations. Our platters are on the operating side of the projector so I don't have to worry about oil flying on them. We use the Cinemeccanica Oil in our projectors.

Thanks,

Bill

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-04-2002 06:26 PM

Be sure to wear safety goggles so you don't end up with well oiled eyes. Its hard not to have oil all over the place when running a vic 8 with the cover off. You could fashion a plexi cover too that would deflect at least some of the oil spraying off of the gears.
Also discard of the oil peoperly. Not buy putting it into the popper oil! I was on a routine maintainance call at a theatre once and we had drained the oil(it was black)and we had just gotten each of us a fresh coke. Well, the projectionist picked up the cup of oil and drank some! Needless to say, oil sprayed everywhere!
Mark @ GTS

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 02-06-2002 02:28 AM

I heard of one incident in which a projectionist used a glass coke bottle to store projector oil in without washing it out properly first. Shortly after he changed the oil in the intermittent unit, it seized. The engineer who repaired it discovered that the failure had been caused by traces of coke caramelising inside the cross box.

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William Hardie
Film Handler

Posts: 8
From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 02-07-2002 02:11 AM

Thanks for the advice. I checked our worst foaming projector and all the pipes are flowing properly. So do you think it might be the pump pumping air as well as oil?

When we do oil changes or have to top the levels off we only replace the oil with new oil.

Thanks again,

Cheers,

Bill

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-07-2002 09:54 AM

I usually drain and change the oil in any projector or movement every 1000 hours once the machine is over a year old

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Paul Cunningham
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 02-10-2002 06:49 PM

We have 2 Vic 8's, in one the oil runs perfect, in the other it doesn't actually foam but gets many tiny air bubbles in it which makes the oil turn creamy/opaque. This really annoys me but I haven't been able to work out why it happens. The same oil is used in both projectors. Obviously air is getting in somewhere and I would like to know if you find out where.

Paul

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Stan Gunn
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 176
From: Clematis, in the hills near Melbourne Australia
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 02-11-2002 05:26 AM

Hi all
the correct oil level as far as I have taught over the past 30 years is the oil is on the the centre mark of the lower oil gauge when the machine is running.
This will allow enough oil in the sump to reduce bubbles in the upper oil sight glass, again I recomend the SHELL TONNA 68 as it used as a hydraulic oil with a tackiness and anti stick action which is perfect for the slideing action in the movement.
It is an anti foam oil so it cures all of your problems.

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KALEE FOREVER.
ALL PARTS FOR VICTOR AND KALART VICTOR 16MM PROJECTORS.SERVICE TO 35 AND 16MM PROJECTION EQUIPMENT.
35MM sprockets made to order.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-11-2002 10:24 AM

When first introduced the oil that came with the Vic8's was a red transmission fluid

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