Oiler Check Ball

[ErikG]

I was cleaning up a Michigan Oiler #3 and noticed that the check ball is missing. How important is the check ball and will it work with out it??

Erik Grund

[Joe Morris]

The importance of the check ball depends on the engine it is used on. On some engines the location of the oiler tube in the engine make the difference, If the engine has the oiler tube located more towards the rear of the cylinder and the engine has good compression the check ball is not really needed in most cases. The majority of the engines you see at shows are using regular machine oilers without any problem. It is good to have an engine oiler with the check ball if the engine has a lot of blowby because the filler hole is air tight which keeps oil from being blown out all over the engine every time it fires. Hope this helps alittle. Good luck in a good hobby.,Joe Morris

[Andrew Mackey]

Some engines depend on the checkball for proper operation. F-M Z and IHC 'M' engines come to mind, Detroit engine works engines especially ( All Benjamine Middleditch designed engines for that matter!!) All of these engines depend on pressure built up within the oiler to supply oil to the bearings and rings, and the check ball regulates the differential.

[Chuck Moss]

My experience has taught me that with, or without oiler depends on the engine. For example, I have a 2 HP Fairbanks Morse Z Dishpan throttle governed engine that usually would not feed oil from the oiler with the checkball. Feeds well with the same oiler with the checkball removed.

Sometimes it would feed OK with the checkball, but usually it wouldn't.

Chuck

[Joe Musser]

Originally Posted by Andrew Mackey

Some engines depend on the checkball for proper operation. F-M Z and IHC 'M' engines come to mind, Detroit engine works engines especially ( All Benjamine Middleditch designed engines for that matter!!) All of these engines depend on pressure built up within the oiler to supply oil to the bearings and rings, and the check ball regulates the differential.

??????? I am not trying to be smart here but I have no idea what you are talking about I thought the check ball was simply to keep blowby from blowing the oil in the oiler all over the place I have an IHC M and I have always been under the impression that the check valve on the rear of the engine caused a small amount of vacum in the crankcase to help pull the oil into the wristpin and so on

Joe M.

[KidDynamo]

Originally Posted by ErikG

I was cleaning up a Michigan Oiler #3 and noticed that the check ball is missing. How important is the check ball and will it work with out it??

Erik Grund

Putting a checkball into an oiler can be pretty easy. If your oiler originally had one, there is probably a hole drilled crossways through the threaded portion which would have had a piece of brass rod through it, but not interfering with the threads. The ball is inserted and then the rod pushed in and punched lightly to hold it in place. There just has to be a reasonably true circle for the ball to seat against and the ball must be a workable size so that it can move freely, backseat itself into the oil reservoir, and allows oil to drip from the oiler.

I have just stuck whatever ball I had that would work in the oiler that I am using on a Fairbanks ZA 3 hp. I bought the engine without an oiler and found that without the check ball, the oil would fill with bubbles. I never waited around to see if it was feeding or not; I put a ball in and it works fine.

I don't know what's up with the "pressurized oiler" business. Most of my oilers won't contain any pressure. I'd be interested in an explanation, though.

[Mike Monnier]

Actually, the FM Z engines do not require a check ball and were shipped with a machine oiler. The owner's manual states that you should drill a 1/8" hole in the oiler pipe just below the oiler. Mine runs this way without any problems.

[Patrick McNallen]

Originally Posted by Andrew Mackey

Some engines depend on the checkball for proper operation. F-M Z and IHC 'M' engines come to mind, Detroit engine works engines especially ( All Benjamin Middleditch designed engines for that matter!!) All of these engines depend on pressure built up within the oiler to supply oil to the bearings and rings, and the check ball regulates the differential.

<p>I have a Middleditch engine, a Colton brand. I don't know if the oiler is original, but it has a check ball and spring and a non-vented, threaded, gasketed cap. As the piston comes up in the cylinder, it uncovers a passage from the oiler to the crankcase, which at that point in the cycle has a distinct vacuum on it. The oiler check has no lower seat, and the spring holds the ball against the upper seat. The oiler has to lubricate the cylinder and both ends of the rod. The mains have grease cups, and the rotary governor and ignition contacter are completely external. This engine has the gasoline injector/fuel pump that works off crankcase pressure/vacuum to pump gas up from the tank and then inject it into the cylinder. It works great. The air supply is separate, and throttled through a rotary valve by the governor. I haven't had this engine apart, but I'm pretty sure it is a 3-port design, somwhat like a Franklin oilfield engine.