On Sunday, November 9, 2014 4:31:52 PM UTC-8, wrote:
Diesel folks,
I took apart the apron on a used lathe I bought and the sump had gobs
and gobs of gobs of gelled oil. Even though the sump in the apron is
not supposed to get any water in it I'm sure some gets in from
condensdation and maybe coolant leaking in somewhere. So this tiny
amount of water must be enough for the type of bacteria that eats oils

The bacteria that eat oil are usually anaerobic; oxygen kills 'em.
It could be a LOT of things. Best plan, is just to remove anything in the
sump that comes out in a slotted spoon, and unclog any filters.
In the old days, one might some carburetor cleaner to the oil and
circulate it to do a 'clean-out', but that's VERY BAD unless your ventilation
is top-notch.

Naturally, if you dislike the look, or history-mystery of the lube, it's time to
recycle it and maybe pay attention to the filter/pump/manifold/pipes