What is the right glow plug for your engine?

[ianfolkson]

CMB Factory run and test all their motors with just 10% Castor.
But for high nitro we found you need synthetic to help the nitro mix.

 

[Jeff Lutz]

I just bought fuel from him and he mentioned the truex mix was 14 percent oil and he uses 2 oz per gal of castor. that was on the 65 percent nitro mix. I really would like to get away from castor myself . I know it seeks heat but even all the way back to the pylon race days it gums and slows the engine down when hot and causes power loss. Today we were looking at a old webra 90 and that thing was so gummed up from all the years of castor. in the old days the guys would scrub the castor off the piston with comet to get the speed back when they started slowing .

What you guys were running back then is not comparable to running a low mount of castor that has friction modifiers in it like todays. When I was a kid a lot of guys (even Don Pinckert) was running 20% oil with 10% being castor. Even that is too much oil and too much castor. If your mind Is made up though, run all synthetic.

 

[Timbo Whalen]

What you guys were running back then is not comparable to running a low mount of castor that has friction modifiers in it like todays. When I was a kid a lot of guys (even Don Pinckert) was running 20% oil with 10% being castor. Even that is too much oil and too much castor. If your mind Is made up though, run all synthetic.

Yeah, with price of engines and components, I sleep better at night running 2% BeNOL....15% KL-198.
Back in the day, we used Blendzall green....supposedly Otto has some 'special' castor he likes, so the rumor goes.

Best fuel I recall using was Ron Logghe's Pro Power. He used Union Carbide's UCON LB-625 (now handled by Dow Chemical-Canada) at 14% and 2% castor.
I believe John Beardslee had a hand in the development. Logghe Bros. were big player's in drag racing fuel ranks, building top shelf chassis', too. Brilliant minds.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?....

 

[Zimmerman]

"special" castor is pharmaceutical grade- AKA Bakers AA

 

[shoboat]

Tim, Jeff, and Others,

I have a special Redline oil and UConn 625 oil so I guess it is time to see if there is any difference between them in my fuel.

Thanks For All The Information Guys,

Mark

 

[Timbo Whalen]

Tim, Jeff, and Others,

I have a special Redline oil and UConn 625 oil so I guess it is time to see if there is any difference between them in my fuel.

Thanks For All The Information Guys,

Mark

We couldn't tell the difference between Redline 40504 and UCON-LB-625, performance wise. With the Klotz KL-198, we did....easier needle settings, maybe a bit more rpm, better throttle response on high nitro and milling time.

Redline 40504 is pricey, relatively easy to get, unlike LB-625. LB-625 appears to be only procurable through Dow Chemical-Canada, in 53-55 gal drums. It is a water insoluble PAG (Polyalkylene Glycol) primarily designed for gas turbines, fire resistant hydraulics, and compressor lubrication....so, lubricity in high temp environments comes to mind.
And good luck getting Dow Support to talk to you, as their interest is in high volume sales coming through the door. They used to offer samples to accredited sources, but not anymore.

Benefits​

• Anti-varnish
• Good deposit control
• Excellent hydrolytic stability
• May be combined with other natural oils, organic solvents, plastizers, resins, or gums
• Low to high viscosity ranges
• Low friction coefficients
• Outstanding load carrying capacity
• High extreme pressure failure loads
• Low pour point temperatures
• Noncorrosive to metals
• Food grade options
• Fire resistant
• (From Dow site- https://www.dow.com/en-us/pdp.ucon-lubricant-lb-625.85990z.html#overview)

 

[Timbo Whalen]

Tim, Jeff, and Others,

I have a special Redline oil and UConn 625 oil so I guess it is time to see if there is any difference between them in my fuel.

Thanks For All The Information Guys,

Mark

Forgot to mention, Mark....LB-625 comes in a variety of viscosities and modifier packages...Ron Logghe had all that figured out....also, out of all the 2T synth's out there, LB-625 integrates the best, on a mixing and molecular level, with castor oils- again, IF it's the correct viscosity, and incorporates rust inhibitors, anti foam agents, detergents, and lubricity additives.

 

[Timbo Whalen]

"special" castor is pharmaceutical grade- AKA Bakers AA

ACS Grade is the highest grade, which does include 'pharmaceutical'. Both Baker's AA and ACS Grade are First Special Grade, or 1st cold pale pressed.

 

[Wasted wages]

And it makes a great refrigeration oil…

 

[Timbo Whalen]

And it makes a great refrigeration oil…

 

[Buckshot]

So a post about glow plugs turns into a discussion of fuel/oil. Train..Wreck…

 

[Jeff Barnes]

Thanks for all the information guys

 

[John Beardslee]

So a post about glow plugs turns into a discussion of fuel/oil. Train..Wreck…

So Buck, you don’t think oil plays a roll in glow plug development?
John

 

[Buckshot]

John,
Oil has nothing to do with glow plug development, only how it effects the glow plug.

 

[timothy johnson]

So a post about glow plugs turns into a discussion of fuel/oil. Train..Wreck…

Yes Buckshot, I agree!! I thought Al's comments would result in some positive comments about his efforts to provide some better quality plugs for use with high nitro racing engines, not so.
For me I have experienced significant plug life difference with OD 289s vs other brands. With the correct needle pipe setup I have had engines run several heats without failure. For engine break in and practice I use off brand plugs and save the premium plugs for the heat racing.

 

[John Beardslee]

John,
Oil has nothing to do with glow plug development, only how it effects the glow plug.

 

[Wasted wages]

I think the key to a better plug is of course, the
Make up of the materials that are in the wire itself.. not sure if every combination of metals has been tested, but at this point in time, I would think that glow plug manufacturers have exhausted all the possibilities.

 

[Timbo Whalen]

What you guys were running back then is not comparable to running a low mount of castor that has friction modifiers in it like todays. When I was a kid a lot of guys (even Don Pinckert) was running 20% oil with 10% being castor. Even that is too much oil and too much castor. If your mind Is made up though, run all synthetic.

Without mentioning names, there's some guys in IMPBA District 6 that are running, according to them, 22% Klotz Super Techniplate- which is 80% Techniplate and 20% BeNOL....they claim it makes their twin 91-101 hydro's run faster....pretty crazy, huh?

 

[Timbo Whalen]

I think the key to a better plug is of course, the
Make up of the materials that are in the wire itself.. not sure if every combination of metals has been tested, but at this point in time, I would think that glow plug manufacturers have exhausted all the possibilities.

Pricing on raw materials- platinum, iridium, and rhodium- has went through the roof, post Covid.

We've been using Al's Rossi plugs....supposedly, there were some sealing issues but we've not encountered that as of yet.

We short heat cycle them prior to use.

Looking forward to trying these newer plugs from him.

Sure wish Al would come out with a line of decent carburetors, too.

 

[Timbo Whalen]

John Beardslee....