# Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline)



## snakelee (Sep 20, 2014)

Is Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) ok to use on slot car?


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## Bubba 123 (Sep 10, 2010)

snakelee said:


> Is Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) ok to use on slot car?


2 thick a viscosity ... better 2 use power-steering or auto-transmission oils

Bubba 123 :wave:


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## TK Solver (Mar 18, 2004)

Vaseline might work in a pinch but it doesn't seem like it would last long. It's not the viscosity so much as the film strength. http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1763/lube-oil-properties

A more comprehensive article... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease_(lubricant)


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## snakelee (Sep 20, 2014)

*lube*

will it (vaseline) break down the plastic parts?


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

No, Vaseline will NOT hurt the plastic parts.


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## leonus (Dec 17, 2013)

I use some stuff I got off eBay called liberty synthetic oil. 

Not sure what it is exactly, but it works really well..

Its kinda pricey, but I reckon the one little bottle will be close to a lifetime supply..


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

Stay away from ATF and the like, it will attack many types of plastic if you use it often and will also remove paint. Use something that is labeled as being plastic safe. If you run pancake cars those are especially fussy about the oil that you use. I use Superlube, it can often be found in hardware stores, but Slot Car Corner has it in bottles with a pinpoint tip and a captive cap. There is even a special version of Superlube.


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## a110alpine (Oct 30, 2012)

i have used vaseline as a lubricant for over 50 years. it is not the only one i use. i also use it a masking agent . a little goes a long way. i don't know about you guys but i occasionally take my cars apart and clean all the moving parts then lube accordingly . milan of mtr32 only uses vaseline. he makes some super fast and good looking cars. you can check him out on youtube.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Slathering bear fat*

Vaseline? Are we talking H0 slotcars?

Then why not "I cant believe it's not Butter!"? Stay out of the medicine cabinet and the refrigerator.  

Big scale guys might use grease-a-lene in their rock crushers, but in reality it's not a whole lot different than the factory "whale snot" lubricant we have to clean out of new AW chassis so they'll loosen up and run enough before we begin rebuilding them.

H0 slot cars are a somewhat delicate mechanism, not a squeaky hub on a Prairie Schooner, or the bearing box on a Burlington Northern caboose. The best bet is to try and avoid using sticky gummy lubricants in small scale slot cars. Should one absentmindedly start up dead cold; gummed, grumpy, components increase your chances of letting the smoke out of the windings or killing a pole. The whole voodoo to good slot car tuning is about removing frictions. Why would you purposely use a product recommended for diaper rash, dry knees and elbows; that creates a ridiculous amount of friction when cold and then completely melts away under heat? 

Step up and use a good lightweight synthetic for normal rotating parts and a low sling assembly lube type product in heavy load areas as required. Neither will gum up the works to excess. Your warm ups will take less time and service/cleaning will be easier. A quart of oil and a 6 oz tube will last you a lifetime. 

Always hand roll your chassis before applying current to a cold slot car.


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## kriket (Feb 15, 2013)

I mix a little bit of mobile one synthetic motor oil with vasiline just to thin the vasiline out a bit and it worked pretty well for me.


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## mrtjet (Dec 3, 2013)

I have used Slick50. Works well, and lasts,and lasts.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

Came back after being away for a few months, and almost bailed when I saw the *Shills* thread. But that's taken care of, so I'm catching up on some recent threads -



Bill Hall said:


> ... use a good lightweight synthetic for normal rotating parts and a low sling assembly lube type product in heavy load areas as required.


Care to give one or two specific examples of "a good lightweight synthetic" and of a "low sling assembly lube," Bill?



> Always hand roll your chassis before applying current to a cold slot car.


Dang! :freak: After all these years, I'm still amazed at the obvious things I should have known about this hobby - but didn't, until someone said them. 

Thanks, Bill.

-- D


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## Boosted-Z71 (Nov 26, 2007)

I thought the reason you let the cars sit & not hand roll them before applying power is to get that wonderful burnt smell that will last for days in the house.

Boosted


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Depends where your putting it, lol...........that was uncalled for


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