All this talk about vegtable and other cooking oils.. Has anyone tried using RC car gear oil?

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_25_1460_133/products_id/7468/n/Kyosho-TCD-Differential-Gear-Oil-Red

These oils are designed for plastic gears. I've been using somthing simular to this for a while now on standard technic gears without any problems. Don't see why it wouldn't work on LA.

Since I'm also into off-road RC hobby, these diff oils are not suited for LAs. Diff oils are used to actually give a limited slip effect as the diff unloads, which in theory 'binds' the gears. They come in varying thicknesses, Nitro RC buggies and monster trucks use a very thick oil that it literally needs to be spooned out. Utilizing these diff oils inside the LAs will add more resistance which we don't want. I personally had great success using RC silicone shock oils for LAs and gears. I use 10wt shock oil, as they're thinner and can sip through the LA's shaft easily. I recommend high quality oils such as Team Associated's. Note the higher the number, the thicker it will be.

Here they are:

http://www.amainhobbies.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=shock+oils

Edited January 18, 201114 yr by Out of Sight

Since I'm also into off-road RC hobby, these diff oils are not suited for LAs. Diff oils are used to actually give a limited slip effect as the diff unloads, which in theory 'binds' the gears. They come in varying thicknesses, Nitro RC buggies and monster trucks use a very thick oil that it literally needs to be spooned out. Utilizing these diff oils inside the LAs will add more resistance which we don't want. I personally had great success using RC silicone shock oils for LAs and gears. I use 10wt shock oil, as they're thinner and can sip through the LA's shaft easily. I recommend high quality oils such as Team Associated's. Note the higher the number, the thicker it will be.

Here they are:

http://www.amainhobbies.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=shock+oils

Out of Sight, you are absolutely correct. Didn't dawn on me about the effect these would have on the fine toloaraces that would be inside a LA. Work just fine for other lego gear/friction applications, but could hinder a LA.

I've also used gear greese as well.(for standard gears not LA) If it were possible to disassemble the LA this might be one of the best option, but since no one has found a way to do this without destroying one, shock oil might be our best bet. Thanks for the clarification.

Wow - this sounds complicated and since I don't have an ultrasonic bath or heptane, I might as well just scrap the 10 LA's I soaked in the olive oil unless I can hang them upside down with the rods extended and hope it drips out, though it seems unlikely since there are fairly small openings between the body of the cylinder and the rod. I could just buy new ones and start over with just lightly greasing them with the mineral oil I bought, but I don't see that Lego sells them piecemeal, at least that I could find, I know they used to sell small service packs of various items, but I am guessing they got out of that business. I could buy from Bricklink, I checked there, but there aren't too many to be found in the USA in an amount of 10, and man I didn't realize they were going for about $6-$7 USD, wow. Guess you live and learn.

Since this seems to be an emergency ... and the dripping maybe really slow ...

The pieces and everything else should be at room temperature, 20 deg C that is - to get the olive oil into the mood. Get an ultrasonic bath - in Germany some retailers occasionally sell them rather cheap. Get a well fitting glass container. Place the glass container into the bath. Fill up the ultra sonic bath with water - if you want to go all the way, use demineralized water, as used for steam irons and what not (this is just to keep your bath clean, it doesn't do anything else).

Put your adversely affected Lego pieces into the glass container. Fill up the glass container with the solvent "heptane". This may be somewhat complicated, don't know where you would get this stuff from. Again, in Germany they sell this as "white gas for cleaning purpose" - don't laugh, I looked it up on LEO (as if that would matter) - "hexane" would work as well. And other non-polar solvents - but NO aromatics!!!. ABS - the LEGO plastic - and hexane/heptane don't do much to each other. But olive oil would dissolve pretty nicely in the solvent(s). Then, after buzzing them for about 15 min do what you wanted to do, get them out of the bath and hang them upside down. Collect the gunk and dispose it, as you would dispose paint solvents. Repeat the procedure maybe twice and you should be all set.

BE CAREFUL THOUGH. The solvents are flammable. Smoking would not be a good idea. They are not toxic, so I guess this is a plus. I would do it right away, just get that dirty stuff out of your LEGOs!

Good luck and all the best

Thorsten

I have ordered direct from Lego LAs and other various gears / parts without any bother.

Just ring their toll free phone line as shown on the website.

Wow - this sounds complicated and since I don't have an ultrasonic bath or heptane, I might as well just scrap the 10 LA's I soaked in the olive oil unless I can hang them upside down with the rods extended and hope it drips out, though it seems ...

Hi TechnicFreak,

well, that was essentially the message: It is not complicated to soak the LA's in heptane, but who on earth has an ultrasonic bath and at the same time heptane at hand? (Well I do, I am a nerd chemist though and I do have heptane in the lab ... but nobody else probably has) BUT: The real message is: What is the lubrication all about? Could it be that the MOC's, MOD's, or whatever people built requiring lubrication to "function" is - well - designed "on the edge"? In that case I guess we all have to live with the chance that things may go wrong.

10 LA's though, man THAT IS BAD ... how about sending them to me, I'll try - and send them back for free. We may end up with 10 dirt crap LA's but it would be worth a try. I'm in it.

All the best,

Thorsten

Edited January 19, 201114 yr by Toastie

This is what I use and works a treat,silicone oil end of story and no temperature issues ether.

http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.screwfix.com/sfd/i/cat/04/p3804004_l.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.screwfix.com/prods/52410/Van-Car-Accessories/Car-Lubricants/3-In-One-Oil-Pro-Silicone-Spray-Lubricant-400ml&usg=__jKfUGe7ZOt4cuCsaoS_YCskIhTY=&h=200&w=200&sz=7&hl=en&start=4&sig2=5Vab58y9UNLAnqDj5KN0Wg&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=KICVc-WqMRtoQM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsilicone%2Bspray%2Boil%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=fnM3TZCzMsaWhQeSysWwAw

Thorsten - well I just opened a few sets, pulled them out, filled a bowl with olive oil and immersed them. I appreciate your willingness to help me out but the shipping to Germany would probably cost more than they are worth. I checked Lego Education USA, i get their catalog, but man they want $15 for 1 LA, and the 2 different end caps that go with them. Not worth it, I tried the tipping them upside down on a long axle, didn't get much drippage, too tight a tolerance where the rod comes out, so I might try the post above yours and call Lego and see what their prices are.

Thanks, Eric

Hi TechnicFreak,

well, that was essentially the message: It is not complicated to soak the LA's in heptane, but who on earth has an ultrasonic bath and at the same time heptane at hand? (Well I do, I am a nerd chemist though and I do have heptane in the lab ... but nobody else probably has) BUT: The real message is: What is the lubrication all about? Could it be that the MOC's, MOD's, or whatever people built requiring lubrication to "function" is - well - designed "on the edge"? In that case I guess we all have to live with the chance that things may go wrong.

10 LA's though, man THAT IS BAD ... how about sending them to me, I'll try - and send them back for free. We may end up with 10 dirt crap LA's but it would be worth a try. I'm in it.

All the best,

Thorsten

Got some of this stuff in my garage for cars, door hinges, etc, but was hesitant to use anything like it because of the warnings others posted about them 'melting' ABS plastic.

This is what I use and works a treat,silicone oil end of story and no temperature issues ether.

http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.screwfix.com/sfd/i/cat/04/p3804004_l.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.screwfix.com/prods/52410/Van-Car-Accessories/Car-Lubricants/3-In-One-Oil-Pro-Silicone-Spray-Lubricant-400ml&usg=__jKfUGe7ZOt4cuCsaoS_YCskIhTY=&h=200&w=200&sz=7&hl=en&start=4&sig2=5Vab58y9UNLAnqDj5KN0Wg&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=KICVc-WqMRtoQM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsilicone%2Bspray%2Boil%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=fnM3TZCzMsaWhQeSysWwAw