I want to break in my new BLI Mike. I have heard that the side rods and crossheads should be lightly lubed before running. Would hair clipper oil be a good choice for this?
What about the oil that came with my air nailer?
I don’t have any LaBelle at the house just now and am anxious to get started.
BB
I can’t report on the oil for your air nailer, but oil used on BLI engines and most HO models must be Plastic compatible or you could have a driver that starts to take a shape that is not round.
Plastic compatible oil should be used!!
Bruce;
Do you want to ruin your new locomotive due to impatience?
Or do you go and get the appropriate lubricants for you models?
Dextron auto trans fluid, plastic safe and a heat resistance value you will never come close to. A quart is $2 and you will never run out. I use a Q tip to apply it to the running gear. Never had a problem. Why spend $8 for 2oz. of LaBelle this, Walthers that, and Kadee the other thing.
I have lubed two brand new BLI’s with Dextron Auto Transmission Fluid. So far, so good.
However, I ran them for at least 60 minutes of running time before I lubed them. It won’t hurt.
I used only Dexron Automatic Transmission Fluid on HO and G scale models. I apply it with either a toothpick or shish-ka-bob skewer. One bottle should last several lifetimes even for a large club layout, and as others have mentioned it costs much, much less than any “hobby” lubricant. As soon as a product is labeled as a “hobby” item the price goes up 500%.
BB,
Going to the other end of the cost spectrum check out Neolube at micromark.com (under lubes). Got a favorable writeup in MRR mag some time back.
If you have other steam locos with non-prototypical side rods(shiny) Neolube will darken them to a more appropriate coloration. The pic at micromark.com shows before and after application.
Jon