Generic oils?

I have to turn in our Awana car in two days, I'm late to the speed party, but what is the best oil to use that can be bought locally? I don't have the time to order krytox 100.

Is there a local parts store oil that works well?

Next year Ill be better prepared.

Thank you!

 

My local scout store sells krytox

 

I dont have a scout store that Im aware of?

 

I see you are in Washington, there are stores in Tacoma, Everett, and Seattle. Are any of those near you?

 

about a 3 hour drive

 

If you’re looking for an absolute Hail Mary, I used Z Max Transmission Formula one time, and it was only a few thousandths behind Krytox. Again, I’ve only used it once so I’m not 100% sure but if you’re willing t9 roll the dice then I’d say try to get that.

 

Hold it a second. You can still get Krytox GPL-100 at a scout store?

 

DerbyDad4Hire, or Derby Evolution can get it to you. Both are in Utah. Standard shipping might only be 2 days

 

Ill look into that, would it still work ok if I oiled the axles the night of the event, at the event? I wont be able to take the wheels back off, Id have to wick it in and go race

 

Yep it will wick in, add 1 good heavy drop to the outside & spin it in at medium speed a few strokes. If you can get to the inside hub do the same, if not add 2 to the outside. Try not to add so much that it’s slinging out, that’s unnecessary. It takes a bit to creep in there.
DD4H, lightning oil is the thinnest but doesn’t last as long.
Evolution BB oil will last longer.
Maybe not the best method or answer but both oils are faster than krytox.
It really comes down to who answers the phone first & can get it out tomorrow.
If you have any interest in league racing some people mix the two & use about half as much as mentioned above but that’s another conversation.
& there is the rabbit hole on day one.
Good Luck

 

Hi all, First post, but been reading for a couple of years. I have read about the oils, assuming proper prep, how much faster is oil than graphite? For scout class, I am torn. I know whatever I choose I am essentially locked in since you can't mix the graphite and oil. My concern is oil is less forgiving but is advantageous. Am I wrong about that? Is oil faster than graphite or is it only worth it to squeeze the last smallest amount of speed left on the table?

The car is a ladder car design.

 

This is a little off topic, but I was looking at that drawing. Is that the car you are building? I think you will want more weight behind the rear axle than what is shown in that drawing, even if you’re not going to use fenders.

 

Yea this is the car. Really? I have read and I know I am a little light compared to what most do with these ladder cars, but I am also conservative and I worry about wiggle. Our track is wood. So I thought I would sacrifice some speed on weight position to save it from stability loss? Am I far off?

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Your drawing shows 6 cubes ( about 1 oz. ) behind the axle. Two ounces in back is the usual guidance. We built fender cars this year. Even with 72 gram bars in back, we still had 15 grams on the DFW. At 9 grams, our fenders added lots of forward weight.

We race on an aluminum track, so I don’t really have an answer for wooden tracks. But I imagine that if your alignment and drift are good, you will be fine with 20 - 25 grams on your DFW.

 

Thats awesome feedback, thanks. I am going to rethink this. I also read T-Bones post in the other thread about weight .

 

You won’t go wrong by listening to T-Bone.

 

I changed it. Large weight is 51.3g ~ 1.8oz and 5 cubes ~25g or .88 oz Your post put the DFW into perspective. I thought more weight would add stability but I sense that too much weight on the DFW slows the car from friction against the rail. It needs to steer the car but not slow the car, thus having it weighted properly is key.

 

I like it! That looks great.

 

Hangtime is spot on with the weight.

For oil, I recommend it 100% if your rules allow for it. As for a speed difference, I’d say that oil is faster by anywhere between 0.02-0,03 when done correctly.
As for the when done correctly part, that just means that your wheels and axles are polished and that everything is cleaned out. Then when you apply oil, you will have that speed advantage over a graphite car.

 

Thank you all for the feedback, time and expertise.