Gieffers, it's not just about the oil, but what KIND and when. Every time I checked anything inside my Saitos, they were covered with oil, castor--which Wildcat fuels SAYS protects engines. Obviously not so. Now, TWICE, I've had trouble with my Saito 82a. I bought it in August, sent it back October 10. They simply rebuilt it and sent it back, the bearings were bad and they ruined everything else interior. January 10 I noticed movement in the forward bearing--and sent it back saying that something with the crank or head was misaligned and I wanted nothing less than a new engine. The tech responded that the bearings (which he sent back) had corroded--and WARNED me that the repair wasn't under warranty, because of the rust, but they replaced the bearings with no charge. That's a $279 buck item. I WANT it to run dependably and I WANT to maintain it correctly.

For after run oil I've been using Penzoil's synthetic, $4/ quart (cheaper than Tower's A.R.O.), especially when I KNEW an engine, 2 or 4 stroke, would be down for a while. Obviously not good enough, the Penzoil. NOW my buddy says there's an oil, a dessicating oil, that clears all moisture from the engine. They use it with compressor tools, evidently. Yet, it's not just moisture, though I'm not a chemical engineer, that "corrodes" those bearings. I suspect water is PART of the chemical, an acid, however. It usually is.

And, Gieffers, if you remove the glo plug, put a squirt of oil in the head of the engine, changing the compression area, you CAN blow the head or bend the crank if you try to start it without removing the oil. So oil CAN hurt things. This hobby is more complex than most folks believe. Removing the plug, putting in and removing oil before starting again may just have to become one of the every day processes we have to go through. For lazy mutts like me, it seemed a lot of trouble for nothing. Now I know it's not for nothing.

So the larger question is: what, precisely, chemically, "corodes" our bearings in 2 and 4 stroke engines? And can you eliminate MOST of it for DAILY flight just by disconnecting the fuel tube and running the engine dry, letting the castor do ITS bit? What oil, bought over the counter in most places, is the VERY BEST for after run use?

Where can I find answers?

Jack