oil on moving parts?

gw:

Most moving parts should use a light oil, plastic-compatible if there's any risk of it landing on plastic parts (and there almost always is). DON'T pour it on. Place a drop on a piece of glass, and then use a toothpick or needle to pick up a small amount and transfer it to the bearing, rod, or other thing being oiled. I use some unknown brand called Turbo Oil, which I bought from a RC model shop, and it seems to work fine. I don't know if it's entirely safe on plastics, though with the small amounts I use, I haven't had trouble as yet.

For gears, you don't want to use an oil, but a grease that will stay in place. Again, model RC shops have light greases that should work fine. I strongly suspect most of these to be common white lithium grease in small expensive tubes. Some people like moly greases, which are basically dry lubricants in a grease carrier. I'm no tribologist so I can't say yea or nay; I just use whatever light grease the model shop has. Don't overdo it. You want just enough grease to do the job. You can always add more.

For Kadee couplers, do not use grease or oil. Use dry powdered graphite. I use the stuff sold at the hardware store for door locks. It seems to work fine. Kadee sells their own brand, "Greas-Em".

Summary: Oil metal bearings, grease gears, and dry-graphite couplers. Leave the self-lubricating plastic bearings alone.

Cordially yours: Gerard P. President, a box of track and a gappy table.

If you have the manufacturer's instruction sheet, you won't go wrong following the maker's recommendations. If the locomotive came to you lacking the instruction sheet, there is a good chance google will turn one up for you. If no instruction sheet is available, you want to lubricate all metal to metal moving parts. Plastic-to-metal or plastic-to-plastic moving parts will work fine and last a long time without lube, the plastic is very slippery. However the urge to lubricate runs strongly in model railroaders, and its perfectly all right to put some lube on the plastic moving parts too. Gears ought to get grease, Kadee couplers want a puff of graphite, and everything else (rods, valve gear, axles, wheel bearings) wants a light oil. Back in the dark ages plastic sometimes broke down or lost its paint when exposed to ordinary oil. The Labelle company offers a line of "plastic compatible" oils. Many folk will tell you that Labelle is the only way to go, and I will confess to having a tube of it on hand. On the other hand I have used 3 in 1 oil and never had my plastic cringe away from it. Other folk recommend automatic transmission fluid because automatic trannies have plastic parts inside them which stand up to the fluid. I haven't tried it myself so your mileage may vary. Ordinary

10W30 motor oil is too thick for model use IMHO. Avoid brake fluid, it will eat paint and plastic. I have used ordinary automotive grease and Vaseline petroleum jelly for grease. There is probably something better out there but I don't have any, what ever it is. Go real easy on the oil. The motion of the parts tends to fling it off and it goes everywhere, onto the wheels, commutator, the rails, and makes the entire locomotive greasy.

David Starr

I have not been able to find "non-plastic compatible" light oil with any ease.

I use Mobil 1 in a LaBelle needle oiler. A $4 quart will last 2-3 lifetimes.

, grease gears

I use Lucas Red 'N Tacky #2 Synthetic - it's amazing stuff.

, and dry-graphite

Sounds good.

Rob

Red 'N Tacky #2 is outstanding on gears. Been using it on Lionel tinplate loco gears for about 5 years. It tends to NOT run as much when heated as other greases I've used.

Got mine at a NAPA store

Ray H.

"David Starr" wrote

Yes, but when you over-lubricate the bearing pads on an old open-framed motor, you get such a lovely smoke effect when you first twist the rheostat! (Not to mention the realistic smell of hot oil...)

Pete

General rules:

- Things that move slowly or are enclosed are adequately lubricated with oil.

- Things not enclosed that spin fast need grease.(or pressure feed oil)

- Things that will collect dirt and fluff need dry lubrication. (eg graphite)

Of your list above, all but the worm need oiling, the worm gear needs grease. Motor armatures, commutators and brushes should not be oiled. Motor bearings should be sparingly oiled to avoid oil getting to the brushes.

Greg.P.

Everyone seems to use graphite powder as it don't drip on the roadbed. I would like to know were to buy it for myself .

Phil Anderson

On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:54:11 -0700, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and "azrock" instead replied:

In hardware stores in the lock and key section.

-- Ray

Locksmiths.

Greg.P.

Mcmaster.com

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Just about any hardware store used to have it. I haven't bought it for years though.

I used to use a tiny bit of Aurora AFX oil on my N gauge trains, and I mean a tiny bit on all the moving parts. I never had anything wear out, even with trains running many hours a day for years. I had more problems with the two Con Cor Hudsons and their horrible drivetrain issues than anything else I had. I had no problems ever with my better locos, like the Trix F units and Con-Cor PA-1's and a half dozen Atlas/Rivarossi? 0-

8-0's. The 0-8-0's didn't pull well, but a couple of them could pull a decent train without spinning the wheels too much.

BDK

"Greg Procter" wrote

What movie did these lines come from?

Q: "Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

A: "I'm a locksmith. And I'm a locksmith."

Police Squad

LOL.

loco gears for about 5 years. It tends to NOT run as much when heated as other greases I've used.<

I looked this stuff up and it's a grease, right? The data says; "Red "N" Tacky #2 is a smooth, tacky, red Lithium 12-HO grease fortified with rust and oxidation inhibitors. It is fortified with a high degree of extreme pressure additives that give a True Timken load much higher than other greases of this type."

Doesn't seem to indicate this is a synthetic.

Read again !!!

Groet, salut, Wim.

"Steve Caple" wrote

Give the man a cigar! (Actually it was in one of the "Naked Gun" movies, but I'm easy.)

Hello, and its good stuff IMHO. I used it to replace the original gear grease used in the drive train of a Gilbert AF GP-7 loco. As the other poster indicated it holds up very well when heated. Sincerely,

John Wood (Code 5550) e-mail: snipped-for-privacy@itd.nrl.navy.mil Naval Research Laboratory

4555 Overlook Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20375-5337

OK, I did. The msds sheet calls it a petroleum hydrocarbon plus additives. The specification sheet calls it a Lithium grease. Where does it say synthetic? As it's designed for high speed ball bearings I have no doubt it's a very good grease for our model RRs!

Simply to compare the words or advertisements I have a grease that on the tube says "a synthetic multi-purpose grease"! The name is "Super Lube". The msds sheet calls it a _synthetic hydrocarbon_! This grease I've used and it seems to work well.

Neither product has plastic compatible statement that I could find but neither is designed for model gears so it's not going to say in the specs.