Oil Change For Ironrite #890

[launderess]

Ok, everyone makes a huge deal over how one must change the oil inside the gearboxes of IronRite ironers.

Well, today popped the back cover of my portable IronRite #890 and found lots of clumpy thick grease clinging to some parts. There was also a tiny pool of oil at the bottom of the gear box. According to my Ironrite owners manual, and everything else I've read, there is supposed to be a plug at the bottom right of the gear box for draining oil. My unit has no such opening, nor can any such thing be found anywhere near the gear box. So how does one get the old oil out of the gear box? Or, do I just add more oil? Add no oil at all?

FWIW when UPS delivered my unit, it was upside down, and oil had leaked everywhere. At the time didn't think too much about where it came from, just cleaned things up. Of course now it is clear the oil came out of the gear box, thus the small pool inside at the bottom Also there is a small pin hole in the gear box cover, any idea what this is for?

Thanks,
L.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The small hole is to allow for air expansion when the ironer warms up the oil and the air above it. I hope the oil spill did not ruin the pad or cover for the roller.

 

[launderess]

OIC

Thanks for the explination!

My unit does not have any sort of "paper" cover either. After removing the cover to the gear box, one is directly into the machinery, nothing else is there. As the unit is pretty much MIB (previous owners like many Ironrite owners bought the thing then hardly used it), do not think anything is missing.

Oil leaked over mainly the back and table of the unit, nothing on the roller pads or cover (thank goodness).

Was thinking last night while reading my Ironrite owner's manual (actually it is for the 85 and 89 models, but seems to be the same one for the 890's as well), and perhaps the portable units did not have gear housing full of oil.

All standard Ironrite ironers have a warning about never being tipped on their sides after being set up (units arrived without oil, this was added by the Ironrite tech after the units were put together). This was because tippping the units on their sides would cause the oil to seep out of the gear box and into the motor. Indeed before moving a standard Ironrite, it was advised to either drain the oil, or make absolutely sure the unit was kept upright at all times during the move.

By their nature the 890s "tip" on their sides because being portable are stored vertically. This leads me to think the oil level could not be that high otherwise it would leak each time the unit was put away. Does this make sense?

Would ask the "Ironrite.com" people, but is seems their website is down, again. Perhaps they've finally moved on to other things. Putting up and maintaining a website is expensive and time consuming, so maybe ....

L.

 

[jetcirclefill]

My service manual and parts list (from 20 yrs. ago) shows the 890 as using grease. Part #S8767. I was ordering from, Ironrite Corporation
25th and Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222
412-261-7000
They still had many model 95's on hand for $460 + shipping.I would be surprised if they were still there, but it may be worth a try.
Pressure on 21" machines was 130#. On the the 25" machines it was 200#.

 

[launderess]

Thanks JetCircleFill

Any chance of posting a scan/pic of the 890 parts list?

"Grease" makes sense as it would explain the thick layer of "gunk" one sees in the bearing housing. Grease also makes sense as it would not leak out when the unit is in a vertical position for storage.

L.

 

[launderess]

In case anyone was wondering what a portable Ironrite looks like, pipe:

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