Shaft Oiler or Grease?

[Terry Heddin]

On a gasser with 1/4" shaft, is it better to remove and grease the cable every session, or use an oiler and occasionally pull and inspect?

 

[user 27523]

Grease = Parasitic drag, I am sure everyone has their own top-secret brew.

 

[Mark Anderson]

Either method works. you still need to remove the shaft after running either way. Personally, I never got the whole oiler thing. Another thing to worry about. Grease it and go racing.

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Can't tell you how many times I've seen people launch a boat for a heat and the boat goes nowhere.
"****,,, Forgot to tighten the collet"
Oilers for me. What's to worry about?

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I've always used lithium grease, never had a problem. Then again, I don't use a collet on my scale boat, I use a floating shaft with a ferrule at the stub shaft so tightening a collet isn't an issue.

 

[Danny King]

Oiler and still a good idea to remove the shaft at the end of the day.

 

[Roxyflash]

I’m going to try a oiler on my slingshot I always been a grease the shaft theory.The only thing I have noticed is the oiler can be a mess using castor oil it can get in the hull the seaducer I rebuilt had a oiler so I clean the inside with lacquer thinner to make sure when I painted the hull didn’t have oil causing problems.Using Petro kind of oil can leave a oil slick on the water so I think castor is a bean oil.Not sure what I’m going to use I like klotz products so I was thinking there benol.

 

[Tom Foley]

Oiler for sure . The guys that say they run the whole day many runs and there is still grease on the shaft must be living in an alter universe . You might have a trace but surely not on the whole shaft . with an oiler you grease the shaft , install and oil for the rest of a 3 day race and when you pull it out to clean after the race its still completely coated with a grease and oil slurry . do what you want but on my boats without oilers I grease it every other heat , sometimes every heat .

 

[john v]

I use grease and there is a zippkits collar around the stuffing tube so I can also oil it, definitely pull the shaft and I wipe the old grease off and a bit of wd40.
I usually have good luck with this method

 

[Chris Wood]

oiler all day everyday. i used to use straight castor oil. easy to clean with denatured alcohol, just grease a shaft and spin it by hand... clean the tube and the shaft and put oil on it and you see a huge difference.. i also think it help shaft life.. oil is a much better penetrant than grease and able to get in between the strands of the cable.

 

[Terry Heddin]

Is this the castor oil to use?

 

[Danny King]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Better-...uZBMaXQoHToEm8sDrBRoCjmMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[John Seybold]

Who makes a good oiler???

 

[Jarcaines]

Can't tell you how many times I've seen people launch a boat for a heat and the boat goes nowhere.
"****,,, Forgot to tighten the collet"
Oilers for me. What's to worry about?

How does this make a difference? You still have a collet that needs to be tightened.

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

How does this make a difference? You still have a collet that needs to be tightened.

Glad you asked,
After the 1st year of running oilers and pulling/checking shafts after each race and finding no wear.
I no longer pull shafts unless I'm pulling the engine for some reason.

 

[Julio Almazan]

Hi:

Either method works. you still need to remove the shaft after running either way. Personally, I never got the whole oiler thing. Another thing to worry about. Grease it and go racing.

I totally agree with Mark Anderson, but I would like to make a few observations:
1 - Greasing the axle is a mandatory necessity after each competition or training outing.
2 - Greasing the axle is a logical and essential need before starting any competition and should be a priority in the competition start protocol.
3 - The greasing or oiling system that you have decided to install on your competition boat so that it MAINTAINS that greasing or oiling is very important, as it will allow you to have it greasing or oiling throughout the ENTIRE competition.
4 - Both things, both prior to the competition and what you do WITHIN THE COMPETITION, will make the difference between a comfortable race (even if it does not mean winning) and a safe one. The result will be something that will come alone...

 

[Alan Elzer]

Is this the castor oil to use?

That's some expensive castor oil. I use regure sig castor oil only about $35 a gallon, klotz castor is $60 depending on where you get it.
I'm a oiler guy

 

[John Beardslee]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Better-...uZBMaXQoHToEm8sDrBRoCjmMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Danny,
What diameter drip hole are you using with the “Better than oil” lube?
Thanks, John

 

[Alan Elzer]

Depends on thickness of oil, I use castor with about an 1/8" hole & fill it every heat

 

[Danny King]

Danny,
What diameter drip hole are you using with the “Better than oil” lube?
Thanks, John

1/16”