FaceDeAce

Is there any basic over the counter at Walmart oil that is soluble in methanol? I am looking for a readily available oil to use with my glow engines. For my well oil dunked engines coming out of storage, I would like to be using something that the glow fuel will just dissolve and burn through and flush out same as the fuel itself. This may shorten the need for a step of disassemble and rinsing our with varsol before going to use them

For my already running engines, there are times that I want to add a bit more lube. I would like to just add some to the fueling bottle and give it a bit of a shake before filling the tank.

I do not want any specialty oil that is hard to find such as castor or klotz.

What do I look for when strolling the aisle full of oil jugs at walmart?

1QwkSport2.5r

If you are willing to gamble the life of your engines, try olive oil or peanut oil.. But don't expect your engines to last. There is a reason castor and the various PAG synthetics are used in modern glow fuels. Castor oil is a bit of an enigma as to how it does what it does when used in model engines, but just because it's a plant based oil doesn't mean all plant based oils stack up. You can find castor oil at Walmart in the pharmacy aisle. 4fl oz will cost about $5usd. A gallon of castor from Bulk Apothecary is $17usd plus shipping. Obviously international shipping can get pricey, so finding a source in Canada may be better. Worth checking on anyway. FWIW - castor oil is used in cosmetics, Chapstick, hand lotions, etc. It should be readily available and fairly inexpensive.

DaveHickey

Klotz KL100 is mostly synthetic part castor and is available at motorcycle shops or from Tower hobbies. If you want more castor get Klotz Benoil. D.H.

1QwkSport2.5r

Klotz Benol is not virgin castor and in some cases won't mix with some glow fuels. Benol wouldn't mix with Byrons car fuel.

Virgin castor can be sourced from Bulk Apothecary for much less than anywhere you can find Benol. If someone only needs a little oil at a time, one of those 4oz bottles of castor from the pharmacy will work fine. Drugstore castor can only be used as long as it doesn't have any additives in it like sugar. Most of the castor I've seen on the shelf had no additives though.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I believe castor oil is still available from Sig.

1QwkSport2.5r

At $39 per gallon plus shipping.

FaceDeAce

I will have a look through the pharmacy aisles. I hadn't thought of there. That should work for that top up where I want more oil in the fuel. It may not work for storage corrosion protection.

Perhaps if there is no quick known answer to OP question, maybe I just need to line up some sample cups of the various oils I have in the shop right now (am into many power sports, have good variety). I would just mix 50:50 glow fuel and the samples and see what I get.

There should not be any specialty secret or rocket science to this. And no, per the original post I am not interested in going to the hobby outlets to buy klotz and castor at premium plus shipping of dangerous goods. Has to be something that already exists here 5 minutes way on the shelf.

1QwkSport2.5r

Besides castor and refrigerant oils, you won't find much that works as well or better for their respective prices.. Drugstore castor is your best bet albeit at a premium price. Doing the math, a gallon of castor $5/4pz at a time is gonna cost more than $160. Sure makes that $17 gallon of oil look like a good idea.. For after run/storage oil, just use some Dexron automotive transmission fluid or air tool oil. It takes a little bit for the engine to burn that off when it first fires up, but it doesn't hurt the engine. I've been using ATF for years.

FaceDeAce

OK thanks 1QwkSport2.5r (quite the handle there btw). I would let folks know here if I discover anything new if I get around to doing the dixie cup tests. In the meantime I will keep using marine gear oil for afterun extend storage and flushing that with spirits before using the engine.

NEW222

Just an FYI. No HazMat charges on Castor oil. I was in a similar situation till I sourced a US site that has a depot up here in MB. I now have access to Klotz. I believe that you should be able to find Castrol 927 at home somewhere, albeit a bit pricy, but would work well.

NEW222

Search Maxima Castor 927 in (insert your location). Mine in Winnipeg is just shy of $30 per liter.

kenh3497

One of the guys on RCG used this oil with good success. http://www.splube.com/oils---gas.html

Ken

jetmech05

Is the castor oil you get at the drug store the same castor you get for engines?

RCPAUL

My Feedback: (1)

I don't think it is degummed. A little is ok but don't over do.

1QwkSport2.5r

Nearly ALL castor oil is degummed. The gum/resin is in the solid part of the castor beans. If your castor is liquid, it's degummed. Medicinal castor is more refined. Some has additives, so read the label before using it.

jester_s1

It's not just a matter of whether or not it will mix with glow fuel. It's a matter of what will happen as it goes through your engine while it's running. Every oil in the world has been tried at some point, and manufacturers have settled on what works.

I'm curious why you want to add extra oil to your fuel to start with? Going above 17% hurts your power and doesn't protect any better for most engines. There are some vintage engines that need more, but the current ones run just fine with the commercial fuels.

FaceDeAce

For those that are curious why I am asking the question in the first place, well it is complicated ... not really. To explain, I guess here goes. I have multiple engines here that are active. RC car/trucks, airplanes, helis. I am not near a hobby supply so actual purpose name brand glow fuel is a one time a year bulk purchase. Now because of the variety of engines I have (2 and 4s, big and small) - when I do buy fuel I buy in cases of 15% cool power.

Now some of my engines like the 15%, the cars love it, the 65LA loves it, others like the supertigers and irvines just are not happy on that much nitro. They like more around 5%. I am fortunate in that I get pure methanol locally, easily. So what I do is I batch cut the 15% CP by 1/3rd to 2/3rd pure methanol to get down into a 3% to 5% nitro for the thumpers. Now obviously that leaves the oil content pretty low. I want to then top up that cut batch with oil that is readily available. Therein in is the root driver of my interest and the question of off the shelf oils that are known to mix well.

I do not want to get into debate of just buy a jug of this nitro and a jug of that nitro. I have been down that wasteful road. I do not buy different jugs of nitro fuel for the following reasons: 15% seems to last the longest on the shelf, and it gives good economy when cut with bulk methanol here, I also sometimes have long periods of no activity, to keep the stock fresh I do not want to ever have more than one jug open at a time, my engines are not all the same make or size or type and they each like different things some like 5 some 10 some 15 and I mix to suit.

Looks like for the time being I will cruise the pharmacies for castor and try it. I will also check with the speedshop and Kawi dealers here on that spl stuff. At least until I get a chance to do the dixie cup tests I mentioned. Failing coming up with an easy answer and readily available product, my next bulk fuel buy may just have to be the 15% and a case of 0% then just mix between those to suit. But that then throws the intent and the economics out ... did I forget to mention I get the pure methanol free?

aspeed

I got my castor oil a few decades ago at a local oil supplier in Kitchener Ont.. Monarch oils. They are still in business, but there may be somewhere local that carry some suitable oils. You could mix up some FAI fuel for real cheap with the free methanol. It takes a bit of fiddling with head shims and props to cure deadsticks though.

1QwkSport2.5r

The racers running YS engines will tell you that using more oil doesn't hurt power. The rumor had been less oil makes more power (which I believe to be true to a point)....

i dont understand the OPs desire to start with a less than stellar quality fuel to break it down further into other blends for other engines. Why not bite the bullet and just get all of the raw ingredients and mix from scratch? It's way easier and you know exactly what's in it. In the end, it will cost you less also. My most expensive fuel is my car fuel and that tops out at $17 per gallon for 20% nitro 11% oil car fuel. Cheapest fuel is about $4/gal which is 80/20 FAI. 5% nitro 20% oil fuel is about $5.50/gal. Commercially made glow fuel is $32-38/gal where I live, so it makes sense to mix my own. I order nitro and oil online - nitro is around $50/gal shipped free, castor $17/gal plus shipping, and I source methanol locally ($2/gal), and Klotz Techniplate oil ($10/qt).

aspeed

While I agree with mixing from scratch as the best way, nitro is the hardest thing to get here. I do not know how you get FAI fuel for $4 a gallon. Oil is $10 a quart, and you need most of one. The OP is Canadian (YEHAW) and our money has an extra 37% premium on top. I was getting my 10% fuel from the Toledo show for $12 a gallon, well the next year it was $13, and then $14, and now the dollar dropped, and it is $20 in our money. Our LHS won't stock it any more. Just sayin.

Steve Percifield

My Feedback: (14)

What do you use for the $4/gal FAI fuel. It requires 32 oz of oil (20% of 164 oz.), that's $10 just in oil??? What am I missing??

tony0707

A airplane engine expert for 20 years

Stop using Cool power ( crule power ) the full syn just cannot handle a high heat situation when you develope ( not if but when ) an air leak or run the engine lean ( excessive heat situation )
i had --very very bad engine wear - when i started out using that fuel 20 years ago as suggested by the LHS
He wanted to sell more engines i think
i rebuild and recondition all my glow engines
No room for issues when in the sky flying

Go with Morgan Omega 15% instead As it is syn and castor oil mix (17 or 18 % oil )
if you need to add oil to a gallon add one or two oz's of castor oil from a pharmacy or walmart etc
i do that for my less expensive engines
Cator oil when heated to high temps bonds to the metal internals of the engine as a protective coating to prevent metal to metal damage
It is the best glo engine protector known to man
Since using the above for the last 15 years when i disassemble an engine i see almost no sign of engine wear on any of the internal parts
I have glo engines with close to 100 15 minute flights with no sign of wear
The key is quick detection of an air leak that may have developed or a lean running engine and correcting the problem quickly

My opinion is that any other oil you choose to use could cause premature damage to you toys ( internal engines )
You have the answer to your question so give it a try as it will work for you as it does for me for many years now

Enjoy

tony0707

Castor oil protects a given surface 100 degress more than the any syn oil as the syn will beak down and not lube any longer
You do need the internal protection that only Castor oil offers for the higher temps it can handle and the unique quality it has to bonds to metal when under high heat stress situations ( this is key )

I never enjoyed using the Klots full Syn product as an additive when i did try using it and again it does not handle the higher heat situations that can and do develope with very long term glo engine use

Enjoy

1QwkSport2.5r

The last order of castor costed $16.60/gal; ordered two gallons. Shipping was $11. So that's $.172/oz. methanol cost me $2.25/gal last time... $.0175/oz. 20% oil = 25.6oz @ .172 = $4.40. 102.4oz methanol (80%) is $1.79. Added together that makes $6.19. I was off $2.19. Sorry.

jester_s1

It's simple enough to buy whatever type of castor or synthetic oil you want along with nitromethane if you really want to customize your fuel. I have never had a problem running 5% in every engine I own even though some of them idle a little better and make a little more power with more.
But fuel will last a long time as long as it's sealed. If you have half a jug that needs to be stored a while, squeeze most of the air out and seal the top tight. That's just as good as having a brand new jug waiting to be used.