Lack of blade lube control

[Brad_bb]

I've always had a problem with control of the lube on my 2014 LT15 since new.  It has the jug mounted up high with a plastic valve on the jug, and a brass 1/4 turn valve under the engine.  I just got back to doing some milling after almost 9 months.  Everyone has always said to adjust the flow at the tank valve, and just tweak it with the brass valve.  I'm not sure if it's the surface tension of the water or what, but I set the tank valve to a good flow rate, but after milling a few minutes the flow slows to nearly zero.  I go back and adjust the tank valve again, and same thing. It's always been either too much or too little.  I use dawn and water and my jug is at least half full.  I'm not sure what to do to control the flow rate?  Is the answer a different valve?  Is it a surface tension problem?    Any one solved this one?

[ladylake]

 Is the tank vent plugged.  Steve

[booman]

Sometimes just opening everything all the way and flushing it out helps.  Make sure there is no debris in the water jug.

[Brad_bb]

Nope, it's all clean.  Vent cap is off the jug.

[Brad_bb]

I wonder if the lube needs to be pressurized more than just the head created by gravity in order to the control the flow with a more fine adjustment valve?

[SawyerTed]

I switched the plastic ball valve on the tank to a brass gate valve.  It gave very good control of the drip rate without vibrating closed or open. 

[jpassardi]

I retrofitted mine to a Cooks diesel felt dripper, much better with pitchy pine. No plans to go back to water base.

[Brad_bb]

I only cut hardwood, so dawn and water work fine.  I might pick up some cotton spindle lube and try that.  I found that Shoupparts carries it in 1 and 5 gallon. 
Cotton spindle lube

[Brad_bb]

Milled last night.  I just went back to jug valve wide open and using the ball valve under the engine.  It still puts out too much lube/cleaner and does not have the fine adjustment needed.  I'm going to look for a finer adjustment valve to replace the ball valve.  

[doc henderson]

I stopped using the yellow cleaner as it would precipitate out and clog stuff up.  I switched to a solenoid valve just out of the tank, so it comes on when the blade clutch is engaged.  this allows the tube to mostly drain out.  My fine adjustment is a thumbscrew type valve so it can adjust over several rotations of the screw. I rarely change it unless sappy wood required much more flow.  mine is gravity as well   I use the cotton picker spindle fluid and dawn as well.  I like the blue color for seeing how full the tank is.   

[booman]

Brad, I have a small compressor at the sawmill and occasionally I blow the whole line out with all valves wide open.  Just gravity draining doesn't clear well enough.  I think maybe algae is building up inside the line.  I wonder if bleach would also work.  I also have two valves at the bottom and I set the one on the right for my flow rate and the one on the left for a quick on and off.  The valve at the jug is full open. 

[Ljohnsaw]

I used what I had on hand. A hose bib for flow rate and a quarter turn gas shutoff valve to turn it on and off. Works great for me. My tank is about two feet above the blade with the valves midway.