http://www.groshea.com/caschemprodcats.html

I found this link in a search for information about castor oil. It doesn't appear to be quite a simple as it seems.

Sorry mistake post.

I got 15 litres of Castrol M castor (about 4 US gallons) under my work bench - I will use it all & then go out & buy some more. I've also got 6 litres of the synthetic stuff. Will use a combined mix of each in my engines or fuel containing 100% castor oil but not fuel containing synthetic oil by itself.

i run mostly castor in my fuels, it is just superior, but has anyone had problems with engines that have internal one way bearings and run high castor oil fuels?

Not so far. My son is using 20% castor and zero nitro in his pull start .28 car engine (Hyper 7) and I must admit I'd never even considered there could be any problem. So far I think he's only run about 4 or 5 litres through it though.

Dave, that sure sounds like an interesting experiment. Is there any explanation why castor oil moves the opposite way?

The castor oil is like a fireman....it runs towards the heat....

....everyone else runs the other way.

FBD.

What is a one way bearing??

"95% of all statistics are made up on the spot". Where did you get that statistic???

Bruce,
If you don't know what a one bearing is, you must not have very much experience working on model airplane engines?

They also have other names like roller clutch, dog clutch etc by some people. They are on the gas engine that you wind the prop backwards against a spring and release the prop to start the engine. Just like on the Cox Babe Bee with the spring starter.

To be fair, you're not going to find a one-way bearing on your average model airplane engine -- it's only the autorotation clutch in helicopters and pull-starters in buggy engines that use them regularly.

There's no application for a one-way bearing in your average 2-stroke or 4-stroke model airplane engine at all.

I just like the smell of castor.

Me too, especially in the early morning hours and as the sun sets....

I love the smell of castor in the morning!

....and all hours in between.

anyone know a cheaper place to get good castor oil from for less than $7/pint cuz thats what im paying for BeNOL

If you can find it in a quart it is cheaper by the once. I use blenzall from Comet Kart in Greenfield In. Cheaper--They are the worlds largest kart shop and does a big mail order biz.

Morgans and Fox will sell you castor oil for about $20 a gallon.

$20 a gallon? thats pretty cheap, is it of good qulaity?

Morgan's is the same stuff they put in their Omega fuels. Fox's is the same as there fuels also. Best grade available Bakers AA.

Hello,I bought castor oil from Brodak Hobbies,it says on label AA,not medicinal.I would think they sell lots of castor oil,the pilot can consider what amounts run best in his engine.thanks shark45

Castrol or Shell M only in my engines.

I trust these companies products more than some of the "bathtub" refineries.

I will only use Shell M in my air cooled Yamaha race bikes. These put out around 76 ~ 80 hp as a 350cc which is considerably more than they ever did on 115 octane (Methyl Benzine added) or the old leaded avgas, while it was available.

The Castrol lubricates exactly the same as the Shell, however, when racing in wet conditions, for some reason which has been explained to me, but that was years ago and long forgotten, the Castrol can cause the water in the air to affect the anodised aluminium throttle slides and they can stick open. Not good.

We still use Castrol R30 and R40 in the gearboxes. When something that is commercially available and better can be found, sure, I will use it. We did, back in 1994 ~ 1996 have access to Elf X-2560, which was developed for the Williams F1 engines. The problems were, it was VERY expensive and even more alarming, carcinogenic.

So, put me in the Castor Oil camp, I think I'll stay there, thank you.

Peter Hinton

Castor oil is not refined, the beans are pressed, the oil collected, then filtered, and graded. Thats it. However, additives can be mixed with it to modify viscosity, solubility, and other properties.

Ah yes, my mistake.

I should have been more careful with my choice of wording.

I also see that this has been explained before, sorry about the oversight.



Peter

Sig sells AA Castor Oil by the pint, quart, or gallon:

$6.79 per pint
$10.46 per quart
$19.99 per gallon

Sig also sells 20% pure castor fuel in 5%, 10%, and 15% nitro versions; and 25% pure castor fuel in 5% and 10% nitro versions.

It's unfortunate that 25% pure castor oil fuel is ideal for bushed engines like O.S. Max LA series or Thunder Tiger GP series, but it's almost impossible to find at hobby stores any more. I wonder if all of those Avistar Select RTFs at our club would still sound like angry hornets if they were being run with the proper fuel?

AA castor from SIG is fine, Klotz Benol is fine. The article about the bad and evils of castor are greatly exaggerated, misleading and has false data and assumptions. Folks have been using some questionable castor sources and wonder why it is no good. Castor, for those chemists in the crowd, one double bond at C-9 and it is somewhat reactive. Keep excess oxygen out of it, store it in a nice cool dry place and enjoy it. Castors have been used in model fuels for over 50 years now. I try to keep telling folks it is not synthetic vs castor, both have some great properties. Remember that report was written on the bias, and without sound foundation. I.E. It was horsepucky. Ask for AA castor grade, Klotz Benol or a similar very good grade and enjoy your flying. Your engines will thank you. The old fuel mixing dinosaur.