Reduced voltage motor starter

[weressl]

Hi, I have a reduced voltage motor starter with the contacts submersed in oil.
I am trying to find oil to add/change, any ideas what oil might be in the starter ? transformer oil ?
Supply house said the oil is obsolete but they can get it in 4 oz containers at $60 bucks each, that will be very expensive
seeing I need 5 gallons.
This is an old Cutler Hammer starter you pull the arm forward to start the motor and when at speed push arm back to run.

Thanks for any help
Dave

That is outrageous! Depends on where you are look for a transformer repair service, they buy it in bulk for $4-8/gal and sure would be willing to sell it at some profit margin. That would also assure that you would not be ADDING PCB contaminated oil. (EPA had a deadline to have all those oil filled equipment tested and labeled for PCB content. That was a long time ago.)

If not, try this one:

http://products.lelubricants.com/item/transformer-oils/transformer-oil-6760/6760

 

[Jraef]

Yes, there comes a time to get out of the dark ages and replace the device which is much safer as well as much more reliable. In addition what is the cost of down time while renewal parts are being sourced if they are even available at all.

At least the OP is planning to replace it with an electronic soft start as soon as one is available free (down time, indeed). Until then adding oil is better than not adding oil. I think....
But based on some of the anecdotes posted, maybe spending the money for a brand new soft start is better than waiting for a free one.

I think these are both excellent points.

Dave,
While you are spending time trying to figure this out, is the head rig running? If so, tell the boss it's like strapping on a bomb vest with a timer on it, but you don't know what the timer is set for. You are going to have to wear it for 60 days, hoping beyond all hope that the timer is set for at least that long. And for what? Saving the cost of a new soft starter, minus the surplus value of the old one and minus the lost production revenue while you mess around trying to find a way to keep the old crap running? So what, $2000.00 net difference, maybe less?

Would you wear a bomb strapped to your chest for 60 days just to save $2000.00? Because that's what he is asking the workers in that head rig to do, although they likely don't know that... If that thing goes off and starts a fire, will everyone get out alive? Are you 100% sure? And even if they do, was the $2000 savings worth the fire damage losses?

If the head rig is not yet running and you are going to start it up after finding this oil, then how much production revenue is being lost while you wait, compared to getting a new soft starter off the shelf somewhere and getting on with it? Still seems like chasing a nickel with a dollar.