# oil



## yellerstang

I have been testing oil recently. Have any of you actually taken the time to create data and decide what oil you really like?

I have been running two stock tjets, nearly identical cars.

Here is my process:

Clean car very thoroughly with denatured alcohol.

Run car until it squeaks.

Oil with selected oil. Run laps until brushes reseat and speed comes on. Drag race and time cars 20 times each. Average out the ETs and compare...

I tried this, but after about 6 sessions the cars changed and my results got skewed. (temperamental tjets you know)

Sooooo..... I might just try this again, maybe adding more cars to the test.

Years ago I had my butt handed to me in a drag racing situation, all based on oil. My oil.... lost by a foot or more on my 14' straight, his oil in my car.... I won by similar margin. We ran this about 8 times, same results each time. Clean, race, oil, clean race switch oil, repeat. The oil made a very noticeable change.

Just a note, I had tried several oils including CLP and some well known race bred oils.

No sharing of oil, he kept it to himself. To this day, Im not sure what he uses. 

Anyone care to weigh in on this? Thanks.


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## AFXRICK

I use the 40 year old Aurora X2C. Works well for my stuff.


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## yellerstang

AFXRICK said:


> I use the 40 year old Aurora X2C. Works well for my stuff.


Everybody uses something. Im asking if anyone has done technical testing for what they use, not just what do they have or what they bought. Did you test for this? Have you tried back to back testing on cars to see what actually makes a difference?

Years ago we bought the X2C oil for our then new Magnatraction and Tyco 440 cars, it is a much better oil than the old standby Aurora red oil. It was obvious, we tried it on several cars and it was plain as day.

However, this is today with so many choices. We are talking about underpowered, very sensitive tjets. Stock cars that the forces of friction have great infuence on. Skinny tired, stock magnets, stock arms, stock everything. 

In this day of deburred gears, lapped and polished gears and shafts, chassis and gearplate hole adjustments, cnc parts.... oil is a bigger deal than ever.

Im going to continue testing, I want to see for myself. I dont have a lab, just an old track, a lap timer, and some oils. Im hoping to connect with someone here who has done this too.


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## slotking

drag racing is way different than road racing when it comes to oil.
with drag racing, you need a oil that is very light, there is no time for the oil to thin up.

with road courses, a thicker oil can take a lap to thin out and allow max rpm.

there are several oil makers out there with very thin oil;
on the thin oil side I use lab oil


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## yellerstang

*lab oil*

I agree. Super thin for drags only.

Need thicker oil for road racing, something to last the duration of a heat.

My needs are both, but, I am really interested in the drag oil.

Suggestions anyone?

What is lab oil, btw? Thanks


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## Bubba 123

yellerstang said:


> I agree. Super thin for drags only.
> 
> Need thicker oil for road racing, something to last the duration of a heat.
> 
> My needs are both, but, I am really interested in the drag oil.
> 
> Suggestions anyone?
> 
> What is lab oil, btw? Thanks


not sure "IF" this is any help in anyway...
but the older "Oils", were either ATF/power-steering/hydraulic oil..
either straight-up, or in "Custom" mixtures... IE; that "RED" Aurora oil...
also, look into "Sewing-Machine" Oils....
super-thin??... try what they use(d) on watches & clocks movements (NOT those New-Fangled Quartz electric thingies....) :freak:

my 2-cents for a place to start...
OH, warning; "Marvel Mystery Oil" has a Paraffin Base (bee or candle wax)
GREAT for corrosion-protection though :thumbsup:

Bubba "Madd-Scientist" 123 & Happy Buzzard-Day!!


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## yellerstang

Hey Bubba, happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and to the rest of our friends out there. Thanks for the response.

I was once told that the Aurora red oil was a very heavy weight transmission oil designed for heavy equipment such as caterpillars and the like.

Industrial sewing machine oil typically has a Saybolt viscosity of 100, some of these are listed as light mineral oils, but they are petroleum derived. I work with these daily, I am an industrial sewing machine mechanic at a mens dress shirt factory. (yep, Im a dinosaur) These oils are light and thin, but they contain paraffin too.

My next step is to find some watch oil of some type.


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## yellerstang

*oils get sticky*

Hey, one thing that I have found is that denatured alcohol really cuts the crud in our slot cars. It cleans deeply. A few drops on a running gear plate with compressed air to dry it makes a very clean car.


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## Rich Dumas

Using the correct oil is especially important if you race pancake cars. The T-jet "squeek of death" can ruin your whole day. I have never tested oils in a systematic manner. There are hundreds brands of oil that a person might evaluate. Testing each one would take a great deal of time because you would need to determine if a particular oil might cause you to have higher lap times until it warms up, what your lap times might be and how long the oil might last. Since that last factor would be affected by the amount of oil that you apply you would have to be very careful to use the same amount of oil for each test. Back in the '60's I used the original Aurora red oil on my cars and that worked better than any other oil that I had tried at that time. I have tried many types of oil over the years, some of those were highly touted, but they let me down under racing conditions. Since I have found a brand of oil that has never let me down I am no longer very eager to try anything else. I use Superlube, many hardware stores carry it and it is one of the recommended lubricants for my 2014 Corvette. I get my Superlube from Slot Car Corner, it comes in a bottle with a pin point tip that has a captive cap. I did evaluate superlube VS several other brands of oil on some of my 1/32nd cars and found that they were a bit faster with Superlube.


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## yellerstang

Hi Rich,

I like the Super Lube oil and grease for my 4 gear cars. It holds up very well under hard use. I hand the 4 gear cars to newbies on my track, they get run hard and are great beginner cars. 

Im still testing oils. Its gonna be awhile.... Thanks for the comments.


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## Boosted-Z71

I use this "Thunder Oil" http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thunder-Oil...988441?hash=item3aab890b59:g:yawAAOSwstxVX7dx, I found this about 4 or so years ago and this is all I use on any bushing type application, it has never let me down and seems to last forever, and fast right out of the box. 

I do thin it just a bit about 15% for anything with ball bearings, and have not galled a bearing yet. I have used the XC2 oil as well, and I am mainly a road racer with one drag car I built for Jim's mail in competition on here. I used the Thunder oil on it and it was the quickest car in the bunch. I have not seen any downsides, except it is easy to over oil with their applicator. 

Boosted


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## yellerstang

*Tjet oil*

Hey Boosted, that is one of he oils that I DONT have!


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## Rich Dumas

I forgot to add that you should use an oil that is plastic safe.


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## yellerstang

Yeah, and it matters. So many choices, so little time.... too much fun.


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## yellerstang

*best oils found by actual testing*

All of these comments yet no one has mentioned that they actually tested their oils and actually compared them. Im kind of surprised by this. Of course, some wont tell....


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## alpink

Jess, I think most people have just found something that works well for them, however that happened.
I don't think many have tested and documented as you are trying to do.
I use an oil that I got from Hiram when I bought a Fray/SS car from him.
he supplies two grades, one for everything except the bottom armature and one that is a little thicker for that.
they say L. A. B. on the label and the thicker is a little darker brown.
Hank likes to use oil for barber shears because it resists collecting dirt.
I found that to be too light and evaporate quickly.
red transmission fluid works quite well and may be the base for the "new" Thunder oil.
few of these folks keep secrets from others. they just haven't done what you are doing.
I find your investigation quite interesting seeing as you surprised quite a few with the speed of your cars at Hank's last drag race.
perhaps, in time, someone who has done the research you are doing will find this thread and give you their results.


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## yellerstang

Hey Al, nice to see you weigh in on this. Im still testing and tinkering, Im thinking about trying a slightly different test method.

I will keep you posted. I hope others have something to add to this too.

Jess


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## Boosted-Z71

Jess, Glad I could add one to the mix, I test by running laps, a lot of laps, anything that wont make 50+ or so laps on a big track, for me is not going to cut it, I build cars, I then run them to death or rebuild, which ever comes first. 

I am glad your doing this, please post your results, and just like Al stated I doubt if very many have done research like your doing, My research was quite rude compared to you, I picked a mule and ran it until it squeaked, oiled and counted laps again. My experience with drag racing is slim to none, I am a road racer, so if I would think if it made a pass without squeaking, its lubricated enough, I assume most guys tear down between passes any way. 

Its been my experience that dirt collection comes from over oiling and a dirty track.

Boosted


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## yellerstang

Al, one more thing.. I know that Hirams oil is very good. Its well proven with the Fray style cars and holds up nicely to lap after lap of serious, hard core racing with souped up tjets.

I would bet it works great with a higher powered car too, something like mean greens and hot magnets, bigger tires, and taller gears.

You mentioned the hair clipper oils, they are super fine. I have tried them in the past, but not in this test.

I have found that my light weight oils tend to migrate up the bottom armature shaft and contaminate the motor brushes after about 10 or 12 passes on my 1/8 mile track. There is a point of diminished returns on going to a thin oil on the bottom arm shaft. Hiram's oil addresses this point, one oil for the gear train, one oil for the armature. That makes sense. 

I have been told in the past that a pure synthetic with no additives is best for these cars. Synthetic motor oils like Mobil 1 all have additives to keep the oil in the engines and not weep out of gaskets. So do transmission oils. I have been told, right or wrong, that these additives slow a tjet down a bit.

I have a long way to go with the testing....

Jess


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## yellerstang

*dirt*



Boosted-Z71 said:


> Jess, Glad I could add one to the mix, I test by running laps, a lot of laps, anything that wont make 50+ or so laps on a big track, for me is not going to cut it, I build cars, I then run them to death or rebuild, which ever comes first.
> 
> I am glad your doing this, please post your results, and just like Al stated I doubt if very many have done research like your doing, My research was quite rude compared to you, I picked a mule and ran it until it squeaked, oiled and counted laps again. My experience with drag racing is slim to none, I am a road racer, so if I would think if it made a pass without squeaking, its lubricated enough, I assume most guys tear down between passes any way.
> 
> Its been my experience that dirt collection comes from over oiling and a dirty track.
> 
> Boosted



The dirt is always an issue with these cars. Your road racing test makes sense, you need to be quick and not have to pit for oil.

I dont know about the other guys out there, but I refrain from tearing a car down to clean it for fear of not getting something exactly as it was before taking it apart. These cars are soooooo fussy.

These are great posts here guys, I appreciate all of your input. I hope I can follow through with my efforts to see what works the best for me.

Jess I will share, too.


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## slotking

http://www.onestopslotshop.com/tools.html

u can find both lab and habby oil here


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## yellerstang

slotking said:


> http://www.onestopslotshop.com/tools.html
> 
> u can find both lab and habby oil here


I will be ordering some stuff from them soon. Thanks.


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## slotking

cool, they have some good stuff


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## stirlingmoss

I have always used tri-flow oil on the friction areas and comm. drop oil on the lower pancake/brush area.


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## Boosted-Z71

Tri-flow was recommended for wiper assemblies on the Professor Motor controllers, Just a drop on the wiper after cleaning them and you could really tell the difference in the trigger, never considered using it on a slot car.

Boosted


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## yellerstang

*Need to get more oils*

After reading a few more posts on oil, I think I need to add a few to the mix.

I can tell you without any reservation so far, CLP on the gears with any Mobil 1 product on the armature loosens things up nicely.

Also, four out of four cars had a considerable amount of oil residue in the chassis. I am deep cleaning with bathroom spray cleaner and hot water, then a final cleaning with denatured alcohol and compressed air. Gets the gunk out. You can hear the gears rattle when they are totally dried out.

Tonight I tested 4 cars on vintage Mobil 1 10w30. All cars ran consistent times on the drag strip after some track time to reseat the brushes and get everything lubed again.

I have about 6 oils to test, more are coming soon.

Jess


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## alpink

the man is on a mission I tell ya.
.
.
LOL


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## yellerstang

*Oil*

Hey, anyone using Liquid Bearings? These oils are mostly repackaged from something else.


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## LDThomas

Just saw this thread. As a tribologist and engineer, I can offer a few suggestions on how to find the perfect oil for your needs. Sorry, no time now. Back later today.


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## toomanyhobbies

yellerstang said:


> Hey, anyone using Liquid Bearings? These oils are mostly repackaged from something else.


I have a bottle on it's way to me. Recommended by a seasoned T Jet racer who wins quite often. I'm rethinking my decision though. I am sure it's just repackaged synthetic oil. But which one? 

Dominic


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## yellerstang

I emailed them in request for MSDS Sheet, doubtful if I get one. That data usually tells it all.


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## slotking

> Sorry, no time now. Back later today


It's later today!!
Forget about having to work or dealing with real life isues!!
Slots are more important than having a place to live and food!:wave:


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## beast1624

I have had GOOD success with Valvoline Synthetic 0W-20 on magnet cars. I am going to try it on the more 'thirsty' T-Jet chassis (Dash and AW) and will report back. Up to now I have used L.A.B and FREEJET for the T-Jet style. It works great on all formats but the Dash and AW chassis seem to soak it up. The original Aurora chassis seem to go longer using these two.


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## Bubba 123

beast1624 said:


> I have had GOOD success with Valvoline Synthetic 0W-20 on magnet cars. I am going to try it on the more 'thirsty' T-Jet chassis (Dash and AW) and will report back. Up to now I have used L.A.B and FREEJET for the T-Jet style. It works great on all formats but the Dash and AW chassis seem to soak it up. The original Aurora chassis seem to go longer using these two.


??? Anyone try "Liquid-Graphite" types of lubricants ???? 

just ask'n, never tried it myself.... yet..... 


Bubba 123 :thumbsup::freak::drunk::wave:


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## beast1624

Bubba 123 said:


> ??? Anyone try "Liquid-Graphite" types of lubricants ????
> 
> just ask'n, never tried it myself.... yet.....
> 
> 
> Bubba 123 :thumbsup::freak::drunk::wave:


Me neither but a good idea! All I know from a technical standpoint is: "Lube helps."


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## Bubba 123

beast1624 said:


> Me neither but a good idea! All I know from a technical standpoint is: "Lube helps."


NOT being a Scientist...
my take on this is; stable-lubrication, @ a Minimal-Viscosity or restriction/friction (??) :drunk:

Bubba 123 :wave:


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## LDThomas

slotking said:


> It's later today!!
> Forget about having to work or dealing with real life isues!!
> Slots are more important than having a place to live and food!:wave:


OK, you win. :freak:


Synthetic oil is made up from basically the same periodic chart elements as conventional oil. The difference in their performance comes from the physical structure of the molecules. Conventional oils generally have a round molecular shape. This gives good lubricating qualities but the film strength is rather meager because the molecules simply roll out of the way. This is why additives are used to increase the viscosity. The thicker the oil, the harder it is to move it out of the way.


Synthetic oil, on the other hand, generally has a long, thin molecular shape. These molecules tend to tangle up with one another and give incredible film strength compared to their conventional kin. It is this improved film strength that gives the dramatic improvements seen with synthetic oils.


Most any of the "0" weight synthetic oils will give a definite performance increase over regular oils. Royal Purple makes several oils in the 0W-8, 0W-10, and 0W-20 range. Mobil-1 and others also have 0W-20 grade oils available. I have used most of them with great success. I have run 12 hour T-Jet enduro races without re-oiling during the race. The initial lubrication was enough to last the entire race. No conventional oil will match that level of durability.


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## yellerstang

Im goin shoppin for some Royal Purple...


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## slotking

Thank you SIR!

I will try some as well


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## LDThomas

Caution when using the "0" weight synthetic oils: That great film strength is also a killer if some oil gets on your comm. Your car will basically come to a stop because the film insulates so well.


Only use a FRACTION as much light synthetic as you would some conventional oil, like Freejet or LAB. All you need is a film of synthetic oil rather than flooding the bearing hole as is normal with other oils. In this case, less really is more.


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## LDThomas

NOTE: I have been fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of the lead chemist that created Mobil-1 and she steered me toward very thin synthetic oils. I mix my own racing oil and it is basically the same viscosity as water - very thin. I use so little that I am still on the same 1oz. oiler that I have been using for over 3 years. A little goes a long way!


If money is no object (like for slotking  ), there is an oil out there for 100,000+ rpm use that is used by dentists on their drills. It only costs about $45.00 / oz. Great stuff!


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## alpink

LDT, and these synthetics are plastic safe?
may I ask what you thinned the oil with?


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## LDThomas

ap,


I have not had any plastic problems for over 10 years that I have been formulating my own slot racing oil. That includes T-Jets from all vendors, Tyco/Mattel cars, G cars from all vendors, Slottech cars, and Wizzard cars, to name but a few. That includes using many off the shelf brands of synthetic.


I mix various lubricants to get the desired final product but I don't thin them. I start with "0" weight oils. "0" = viscosity of water.


My super secret additive (sorry, no way I am telling) is one that allows the oil to get on the comm and the car will still run. I have literally flooded the comm and still ran a decent lap time. (P.S. - Not recommended. Makes one heck of a mess to clean up.  )


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## alpink

LOL regarding "secret ingredient"!
I think I have a good idea....

thank you for sharing your results.

do you think the Royal Purple oil in small dispenser bottles (usually associated with RC) is the automotive oil repackaged?


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## LDThomas

Sorry, but I have no idea if it is the same.


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## yellerstang

This is too much fun.... bench racing here and smack talk like at home...


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## cwbam

It seems like there are a Few different applications & types of oiling slot cars

I always like the very small diameter hypodermic applicators
mostly for inline and a few magnatractions.

I've received a few chassis from a great builder Dragracer and the chassis was Really oiled and floating and they run great,
but I'm lazy, I try to use as little oil as possible so fewer clean ups.

Dragracers have a completely different oil usage then just running some laps.
with racing falling somewhere in between.

Should oil on gears be a little more heavy then oil for armatures?


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## yellerstang

One thing that I have found is that it can be difficult to get the remaining oil OUT of the chassis holes, after repeatedly cleaning a chassis with lighter fluid, spray foam bath room cleaner and hot water, and then again with denatured alcohol, some cars will continue to run without squeaking (on the track is where you see this, not so noticed on a transformer free wheeling).

I have a good ultrasonic cleaner, but I hesitate to use this after each oil test, it takes too much time.


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## yellerstang

Super clean car, run on track until it squeaks, then oil....


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## slotking

> If money is no object (like for slotking ), there is an oil out there for 100,000+ rpm use that is used by dentists on their drills. It only costs about $45.00 / oz. Great stuff!


of course money is no object! I gonna mug my dentist:beatdeadhorse:


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## slotking

hah
new avatar
I love invader zim


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## LDThomas

slotking said:


> of course money is no object! I gonna mug my dentist:beatdeadhorse:




lol !!


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## stirlingmoss

all this research and development just to put a drop of oil on the little toy cars?? really??


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## alpink

Really!


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## yellerstang

*Really*



stirlingmoss said:


> all this research and development just to put a drop of oil on the little toy cars?? really??




Yep!!


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## toomanyhobbies

stirlingmoss said:


> all this research and development just to put a drop of oil on the little toy cars?? really??



I've raced real cars, RC cars and now racing slot cars competetively and I can tell you that a competition is a competitiion no matter the size of the car. I get the same thrill racing these little cars that the real cars gave. Anything that will make me more competitive is interesting to me. 

Thank you Jess for starting this thread!


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## yellerstang

*oil oil oil*



toomanyhobbies said:


> I've raced real cars, RC cars and now racing slot cars competetively and I can tell you that a competition is a competitiion no matter the size of the car. I get the same thrill racing these little cars that the real cars gave. Anything that will make me more competitive is interesting to me.
> 
> Thank you Jess for starting this thread!


Hey Dom, you are welcome. Sometimes I think that I enjoy the search for information as much as I do applying it to the hobby. I certainly appreciate the information that folks share (or covet) about slot cars. Obviously, by the interest generated in this thread, a LOT of people are liking this too.

Again, thanks to all who participate in my quest for information. I will keep you up to date on what I find, too.


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## Bubba 123

LDThomas said:


> Caution when using the "0" weight synthetic oils: That great film strength is also a killer if some oil gets on your comm. Your car will basically come to a stop because the film insulates so well.
> 
> 
> Only use a FRACTION as much light synthetic as you would some conventional oil, like Freejet or LAB. All you need is a film of synthetic oil rather than flooding the bearing hole as is normal with other oils. In this case, less really is more.


thinking on trying some 90w trany/differential gear grease.....
"THAT ought to STAY "PUT" !!! :freak: :drunk:
especially in COLD weather (just bringing some laughs to you guys :thumbsup

Bubba 123 :freak: :wave:


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## Bubba 123

LDThomas said:


> ap,
> 
> 
> I have not had any plastic problems for over 10 years that I have been formulating my own slot racing oil. That includes T-Jets from all vendors, Tyco/Mattel cars, G cars from all vendors, Slottech cars, and Wizzard cars, to name but a few. That includes using many off the shelf brands of synthetic.
> 
> 
> I mix various lubricants to get the desired final product but I don't thin them. I start with "0" weight oils. "0" = viscosity of water.
> 
> 
> My super secret additive (sorry, no way I am telling) is one that allows the oil to get on the comm and the car will still run. I have literally flooded the comm and still ran a decent lap time. (P.S. - Not recommended. Makes one heck of a mess to clean up.  )


actually, water has a rather "Thick" viscosity, considering the topic of super-light-viscosity lubricants.. even though H2O, has very little in lubrication..

Bubba 123  :wave:


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## yellerstang

Bubba 123 said:


> thinking on trying some 90w trany/differential gear grease.....
> "THAT ought to STAY "PUT" !!! :freak: :drunk:
> especially in COLD weather (just bringing some laughs to you guys :thumbsup
> 
> Bubba 123 :freak: :wave:


Bubba, I use the 90wt synthetic gear lube on the cars that my grandson runs here, he is soon to be 5 years old. I put together some Mustang bodied stock tjets-you cant oil these unless you take off the body. The 90wt holds very well, and the cars run fine.


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## Rich Dumas

One thing that makes testing oil more complicated is that you have to be sure that all of the oil is removed after each test. Water, even with a detergent in, it is not a good solvent for removing oil. I once had the misfortune of spilling some oil on the carpet in the trunk of my car. I took out the carpet and blotted up the oil as best as I could, then went over it four or five times with a carpet shampoo machine, but the oil was still there. You will probably have to use an organic solvent if you don't want to use an ultrasonic cleaner. Be sure to choose something that is plastic safe.


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## yellerstang

Rich, I found that one out too. I had cleaned 2 cars that refused to squeak for oil even after vigorous cleaning. First cleaned with lighter fluid, then bathroom cleaner and a tooth brush and hot water... then denatured alcohol... I didn't have to use the sonic cleaner, but I thought that I might. Yeah, the oil stays in the plastic.


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## toomanyhobbies

yellerstang said:


> Sometimes I think that I enjoy the search for information as much as I do applying it to the hobby.
> 
> Again, thanks to all who participate in my quest for information. I will keep you up to date on what I find, too.


Re...searching for Info: It's all about the hunt!!


Re...Sharing info: My Liquid Bearings should be here tomorrow. I'll let you know my thoughts. I guess it would be much the same as the royal purple in that it stays put. 

Dominic


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## yellerstang

Dom, I have the same oil on the way to me, might be here today... I will let you know.


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## slotking

just grabed some royal purple to test out
but it is 0/20

but I will compare to my old oil


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## yellerstang

slotking said:


> just grabed some royal purple to test out
> but it is 0/20
> 
> but I will compare to my old oil


Let us know please....


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## slotking

not a big test
but my vrp dyno is what I used.

the number went from 1.69 to 1.71 with a simllar results on 2 other cars.

but i did get some on the comm and it dropped to 1.62 so i had to clean the comm an brushes.


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## yellerstang

*Test*

Ok, so what oil are you comparing to?


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## yellerstang

*liquid bearings arrived*

Geez, I have a work bench full of oil containers! I just got my Liquid Bearings in the mail, so I will be adding this to my list. I will be getting back to it again soon.

I just started cleaning my four cars again for the next test.

Im looking for a fine tip oiler, something like a hypo that I can use with the testing. I have been using a pin for an oiler at the arm hole, dang its so easy to flood these things and mess it up.


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## alpink

you can buy hypo's for just that purpose.


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## slotking

> so what oil are you comparing to?


my own mix with a base of mobile 1 20w


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## yellerstang

I have 3 oils tested so far. Experience so far has shown me that 0w whatever oil on the motor and a lighter oil on the gears works great.

I have a way to go on the testing, but I am still at it.

Im betting that slotking has a good mix...


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## stirlingmoss

this is the micro oiler I use except mine is filled with tri-flow oil.
you can find them on tower hobbies.


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## yellerstang

Ok, here is a little update.. I have tested 5 oils so far on four stock tjet cars. The cars are all well broken in, they have double flanged wheels and slip on silicone narrow tires on the rear and stock tjet tires on the front. All have stock replacement type brushes. No mods on the cars, just runners.

Out of the four cars, 3 are very consistent. If one runs slower, for the most part, so do the others. If one picks up with a different oil, the others have also. One car of the four has not been consistent, but not all the time.

I plan on checking a few more oils, but it takes time. Clean four cars, run them until they squeak, re-oil with new oil, race them on the road course until they get back up to speed (cleaning always affects this). Each car gets marked for the race (one blue lane and one white lane) to keep them in the same lane for the entire test. One lane is always about .003-.004 seconds slower than the other-after the test I have to fix that.

I have tested vintage Mobil 1 10w30, new Mobil 1 5w20, Liquid Bearings, Super Lube, and Mobil 1 5w20 (on motor shafts) with WD 40 on the gears. I have Cam2 transmission oil. Mobil 1 90wt gear oil, Mobil 1 0w40, and a few others that I would like to try yet. 

It takes me about an 1.5 hours to do each test, so its going to take a little more time to get these done. Thanks for the read on this, Im looking for feedback too.

Jess


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## alpink

Jess,
thank you for your dedication and reporting.
this will surely aide a lot of guys, especially newcomers.

Lendell, this should be pinned.


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## yellerstang

*Testing*

Al and all, you are welcome. Its been fun doing this. After Im done I might do a similar test with motor brushes. That would be fun.


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## slotking

have you tried safe on plastic brake cleaner?
it should remove any oil lickity split.

I use that or electronic cleaner to displace clean my chassis. I also use it after a sonic bath to displace the water


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## yellerstang

*cleaners and oil*



slotking said:


> have you tried safe on plastic brake cleaner?
> it should remove any oil lickity split.
> 
> I use that or electronic cleaner to displace clean my chassis. I also use it after a sonic bath to displace the water


I try to stay away from the spray cleaners, the odors bother me too much (track manager really growls about them). Even with lighter fluid, you have to be careful because it softens and expands the silicone tires. If they get exposed, the tires slip on the rims. So, I try to be careful about this stuff.

Many of the simple things we use can cause other problems, many of them health related. 

Try foam bathroom spray on your next oil spill, it cleans very well and you wont get complaints! Yeah, I know... who knows whats in that one either...


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## toomanyhobbies

Jess, I found that the liquid bearings did not make my car run faster, jump higher (remember the Keds sneaker commercial?!!!) than any other light wt oil I used. I've been using Marvel Mystery oil without issue for a month before getting the liquid bearings. I do see less frequent oiling needed, and, becasue I'm using less oil, an easier cleanup at teardown.

Dominic


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## yellerstang

toomanyhobbies said:


> Jess, I found that the liquid bearings did not make my car run faster, jump higher (remember the Keds sneaker commercial?!!!) than any other light wt oil I used. I've been using Marvel Mystery oil without issue for a month before getting the liquid bearings. I do see less frequent oiling needed, and, becasue I'm using less oil, an easier cleanup at teardown.
> 
> Dominic


Hey Dom, you are giving away our age... but then most of us tjetters are from the 60's and remember the old commercials too. Fun.

I have the liquid bearings in my test, but have more to go. Its doing ok so far.


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## yellerstang

Still testing. I got another oil or two done, I have to retest one. I had an issue with 2 cars out of the four going significantly slower on this oil, I think its the cars. The retest will tell me.

Its not a lab, its not science, its just my basement! Still having fun...


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## yellerstang

*Merry Christmas to everyone*

Hey all,

Merry Christmas to all, thanks for putting up with me here and my postings on oil, brushes and what ever..

Have a safe and happy Holiday Season.

Jess


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## alpink

right back atcha Jess.
wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year


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## slotking

NP

merry CHRISTmas

can we change the name of this thread to black gold?
:tongue::lol:


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## stirlingmoss

What ever happened to thunder oil? I used to use it back in '98 Steven Sreet use to sell it, He also sold really good silicone tires.


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## slotking

some guys really like it
I did not because it left gunk on car.


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## yellerstang

I have tested industrial sewing machine oil, very clear, very light. 10w or lighter. No residue, works nice.


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## slotking

> I have tested industrial sewing machine oil


me too, but it left my care in stitches:jest::jest::jest: 

sorry, I could not stop myself!! :lol::lol: yes, another oil joke!!

I have also tried hair clipper oil. and a whole bunch more


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## yellerstang

*sewing machine oil*



slotking said:


> me too, but it left my care in stitches:jest::jest::jest:
> 
> sorry, I could not stop myself!! :lol::lol: yes, another oil joke!!
> 
> I have also tried hair clipper oil. and a whole bunch more


Too much fun.


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## smalltime

http://www.lubeshop.mahorkc.com/

Habby's lube is the bomb.

Every car in the K.C. team's box at the Fray in Ferndale, for the last two years has been oiled with this product.


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## yellerstang

*bomb*



smalltime said:


> http://www.lubeshop.mahorkc.com/
> 
> Habby's lube is the bomb.
> 
> Every car in the K.C. team's box at the Fray in Ferndale, for the last two years has been oiled with this product.


Im sure its great oil, without question, especially for long endurance road racing.


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## stirlingmoss

I'm still stuck on tri-flow.


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## slotking

> I'm still stuck on tri-flow.


wow, you so far behind the curve!! oct-flow is newest and best

ok
sorry
I just figured 8 is better than 3


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## yellerstang

*tri flow*



stirlingmoss said:


> I'm still stuck on tri-flow.


Yep, gotta get some to try....


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## yellerstang

*not over yet*

Hey all, I just got Royal Purple 0w20 to try, I want to test it straight and with a mix. What do you suggest? Rem oil? WD40? Lighter fluid?? Thanks...


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## alpink

Wd40 !


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## yellerstang

*WD40 in the cut*



alpink said:


> Wd40 !


Al and all, Im liking this combo. I have to tally up totals and see what worked out the best, I have tested 13 different oil and oil combos so far. I need to get the data on the pc and see how it looks.

I can tell you this... 0w20/WD40 combo is very good.

Jess


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## [email protected]

Just picked up a half full 1 pint can of Midwest Dental handpiece oil. :hat:


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## yellerstang

[email protected] said:


> Just picked up a half full 1 pint can of Midwest Dental handpiece oil. :hat:


From what I understand, that is highly refined, high rpm oil. Sounds like something to try...


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## alpink

*in common*



[email protected] said:


> Just picked up a half full 1 pint can of Midwest Dental handpiece oil. :hat:


something that dental oil and clipper(barber) have in common is,
they resist retaining dirt


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## yellerstang

*Results are posted: The Great Tjet Oil Shootout! Your results WILL vary.*

Ok, well, after a few months of tinkering with tjets and oil, Im done with my oil test. That is, until I find the next best thing, anyway...

Please keep in mind that we are dealing with Tjets. Tjets translates as "finicky little buggers, as most of us know, you really dont have to do much to these cars to make them slower than expected just by taking them apart. Finicky.

So, here is how it went down... 4 stock cars, small slip on silicone tires on double flanged rear wheels, Willys bodies, Autoworld 1/8 mile track, 18v 5 amp power supply, timed with a Tracker 2000 timing set up with dual sensors-one for start and one for finish in each lane. That means ET only, nothing else.

Each and every car was torn down, the comms cleaned with an eraser, the brushes cleaned with lighter fluid, then rolled in a rag and lightly buffed on paper. The cars were then cleaned with denatured alcohol, the comm and brush openings in the chassis were swabbed out, then the whole car was totally scrubbed in hot soapy water with a tooth brush. After a hot water rinsing, they were blown dry with compressed air. After careful reassembly, each and every car was run until it squeaked for oil, then lubed with the test oil.

After all of that, they were track run on my road course, of course the brushes and idler gears needed to re-seat themselves to get up to speed again. Once the cars seemed ready to run, they were re-oiled, pickups cleaned and off to the drags. The re-oiling and cleaning pickup shoes were done about every five runs. The track was constantly wiped down and cleaned with alcohol. I tried to keep this test steady and repeatable. For the most part this worked. (I abandoned one test, re-cleaned a car and went through it again because it was way off its benchmark performance.)

So, it was 4 cars, each run 15 drag races, each run with 13 different oils. It was a lot of work, but fun. If you look at the (15 race average) ETs shown on the chart, you can decide what worked for me. Maybe not for you, certainly not for road racers, but for me and my drag racing STOCK tjets, well, I am a happy camper. 

The ETs shown in the chart are averages of those 15 drag races per car.

The very fastest runs on each car are as follows:

Black Willys.... 1.231 ET using Royal Purple 0W20 w/WD40 (30%)


Red Willys..... 1.164 ET using Mobil 1 5W30

Blue WIllys.... 1.184/1.185 using Mobil 1 0W40 w/WD40 (30%0)/Liquid Bearings. (These two oils were about dead even on this car.)

Yellow Willys... 1.15 ET using Royal Purple 0W20 w/WD40 (30%)

I know what some are thinking, this guy must be nuts. Maybe. But, I learned a bit about my cars and what oil they like. In tjet racing, every little tiny bit can make a difference.

So, thanks everyone for your input, patience and the read of this long winded ordeal. Happy Racing.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR THE OIL TEST RESULTS PLEASE! Thanks.


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## alpink

thank you for your outstanding and extensive effort.
your results should help a lot of people get a leg up on performance.
I will certainly try one of those concoctions
LOL


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## yellerstang

Thanks Al. I dont mind sharing, years ago the guys at VHORS (specifically John Yensid Forlino and his pal Kevin Chesney) helped us out. No secret stuff, just common sense. Just passing it on a bit to those who may benefit.


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## LDThomas

Thank you for all the effort and for sharing the results.


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## stirlingmoss

alpink said:


> something that dental oil and clipper(barber) have in common is,
> they resist retaining dirt


so does tri-flow.


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## yellerstang

*your welcome*



LDThomas said:


> Thank you for all the effort and for sharing the results.


You are welcome!


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## Boosted-Z71

Awesome results, Many Thanks for taking the time to do the testing and posting the results. The data confirmed a few things for me.

Boosted


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