Lubricating valve gear

I did a search but didn't find a really direct answer to this question: Is light machine oil (such as 3 in 1) ok to use for lubricating metal side rods and valve gear? How about on brass axles turning in metal side frames? It would seem to me that it'd be alright, but I thought I'd check. A hundred or more brains is better than one brain! (especially when they're Trainboard brains!)

 

I oil my side rods and axles. I makes a big difference, they run better. The only think I would check is to see if the oil effects plastic or paint, just in case some of the oil gets on these parts. I would not worry about it hurting the metal parts.

 

Petroleum based oils will affect most plastics, so I have found it best to use a plastic compatible oil and grease to use on today's engines and car trucks.

I got some of my Dad's old adrenaline syringes, ground the point off just to the edge of the hole, honed off the burr, and use the light oils and greases in this type syringe for applying to HO equipment.

The needle is short, a very fine size, and By watching closely I can apply only enough to see when it capillaries into the mating surfaces. That is way less then a drop, and is enough to last six months of hard everyday running. Surface tension on this amount captures it in the bearing area, preventing migration, according to tests run by NASA.

Any more than that applied will allow the oil to migrate to other surfaces. I only apply oil to motor bearings once a year the same way.

It has worked for me. I have clean engines and have run on brass and nickle rails with no oil residue accumulation on either.

I do not use 3-N-one oil anymore because it makes the rubber plunger in the syringes swell up and become useless.

 

I'll step up to the plate.

There is a product used in the barber industry called 'Wahl Clipper Oil'. You can get it at most any professional beauty supply house.

It is much finer than 3 in 1, which is much too heavy for our small parts.

Wahl comes in a neat bottle with a built in metal applicator that works much like what Watash was talking about. It's not very expensive and unless you are running 34 4-8-8-4's every week the bottle should last you numbers of years.

 

You are correct Chris, Wahl oil is good. I also have used about a fuzz less than a hair of Trombone valve slide oil my Dad used. It is excellent on brass as well as steel and pot metal. It doesn't seem to affect plastic, but then I have never put enough on to get onto any plastic either.

Neither of these oils are affected by water, since they have a bit of a wax base, so work as a slippery surface even if they seemingly "dry up" to look at.

Both also prevent galling.

 

I'll step up with a whole new idea to this..... I use smoke fluid oil for electic smoke units for steamers to lubercate side rods. Only I do the same application as Watash has said in a needle (I'm Diabetic) so needles are at a premium to me, so I add less then a drop in any location! And it works well as all the other oils merntioned the smoke fluid oils are another new idea, and its not failed me yet!

I will WARN anyone please for the love of your steamers DO NOT use 3 n 1 oil on side rods, its a "cutting oil" and will attack plastic an goes everywhere you don't want it! Thus I don't use it in any of my loco's. Its oil made for door hinges in your home or a machinist turning some type of metal on a metal lathe otherwise your asking for trouble! I repair alot of trains, steam and diesel, an a big problem I find is the use of the 3 n 1 oils which tore up plastic bears in diesels an or driver spokes that are plastic in steamers. And with a metal to metal contact, say, from the axle to the bearing or bearing location, eventually the oil will enlarge the bearing to then have "play" in it and throw off the quartering possibly in a steamer to bind it up, or in a diesel it will enlarge the bearing or bearing location so that the axle gear or "idler" gear will not mesh properly an fall short from it an either chew up one or both gears, or loosen the gear from the axle on diesel loco's with metal axles an plastic or nylon gears an the gear will slip on the axle from it making the plastic swell.

But I found this to be the biggest opperation failure in my shop to alot of loco's I had in for repairs an replacememt of parts being over oiled an then the use of 3 n 1 oil to do so....

I use White Lithium Marine Grease, thats made for fishing reels, on all gearing, in both steam an diesels, an for the side rods, I use a needle applicator with it full of smoke fluid used to make the electric smoke unit opperate which as I said works very well! And most of the smoke fluid oils are plastic safe, an paint safe normally won't hurt the painted surfaces if it makes contack to it. Hope this helps