Maintenance, after run, and storage

Just to be clear. There is a lot of difference between Marvel Mystery Oil and Marvel AIR TOOL OIL

Most all the brands of AIR TOOL OIL are good ---basically they all have similar components because that is what the major air tool manufacturers engineered the internals to use. Air Tool Oil is a lite lube and long term no/low gum up preservative for storage with a corrosion inhibitor set of chemicals...

WD 40 is very good at displacing water...but dries over time leaving a gummy or flakey film...and is NOT a good ARO

There are dozens of home brew After Run Oils (ARO) listed....the only ones I would caution with are the different blends with Auto Tranny Fluid (ATF) ....

IMO You need to know what ATF you have or are going to buy... I do not have the list in front of me, but there are Types of ATF with friction modifiers (mostly intended to newer vehicles with lock up* torque converters inside)

If in doubt, find the ATF that was needed for the older 1960~70 trannies can't remember if it was "Type F or "Type II" I drove manual trannies...

* Lock up Torque converter has a actual clutch between the two torus and regular ATF fluid is TOO SLIPPERY... for a clutch to Lock up....so the ATF for these has a friction modifier in it... what.... we do not know... but I don't want that additive in my hot high RPM engine

ATF oils are not soluble in methanol either, so that's not good once you run the engine.

Most commercial ARO oils are fine, although I have gotten some that are not soluble in methanol (e.g. one from cox-international...)

I guess I should have mentioned that I have never used any of the recipe blends with ATF

I have owned air tools since I was 15 years old--- the one that comes to mind is a big arsed* die grinder my dad found on the highway only every fed what ever Air Tool oil Sears sold in the 70s..still have a bottle of it

In my opinion Air driven Die Grinders are the closest approximation to our engines...some spin over 30,000 rpm

Imagine that, a little bugger in you hand inside an aluminum housing spinning that fast....the only one I ever saw disintegrate was dropped off a bench

Thus I am a Air Tool Oil ARO believer-- and since I own so many air tools I have all sorts of brands and bottles in my various shops

I prefer the Marvel Air Tool Oil for my glow fuel engines. A 4oz squirt bottle will last years

As I put up for later use ...some engine I got and had to make run...

I always burn off any remain fuel, or try to...then a flush with pure methanol to help dilute and castor...I have used 91% pharmacy alcohol also...but I know full well that all alcohol absorbs water...but also evaporates pretty completely

I pull the plug or head and flip a lot--- to air out the gutz...then a couple of drops of ARO in the plug hole, exhaust, and intake....flip a lot to distribute, loosely put in glow head... seal in a plastic baggi... good ones, with a small desiccant* bag and note on when it was put away

*I save all sort of desiccant bags as they are pretty easy to dry out to reuse. I have them from very small to some large ones that came in bigger HAM radio gear I bought
Most can be dried out to reuse by sticking on a cookie sheet at 150F for a few hours then immediately sealed in an air tight container..I use Ball Canning jars to store my ready to use ones

My original Enya 5224 .35 and my Dad's McCoy 35 were put up by me in 1974 as I was moving all around the world in the Army... Not found and played with until 2010 as I contemplated second retirement.

32 years of storage....Not gummed up and no visible rust or corrosion... Sears air tool oil, sarran wrap, and Desciant pouch in the baggie with wrapped engine, inside a small box tape sealed
One of my brothers cox engines that did not get that loving attention was a rusty mess when he found and sent it to me

I have always used with satisfaction Bernie's After Run Oil:https://coxengines.ca/coxlube-after-run-oil.html

For the normal frequency of engine use this is really good and does not gum up....for longer stotage periods than, I would say 6 months or so, I would probably use something different....but I never let my engines unturned for longer periods..

balogh wrote:I have always used with satisfaction Bernie's After Run Oil:https://coxengines.ca/coxlube-after-run-oil.html

That one is not soluble in methanol. It might provide adequate long term protection, but it is not good for everyday use.

Should you use the after run oil every time you start your engine? If so what is a good daily oil. And when you use the oil how and where do you apply it. I know people say you can use it to get rid of build up in your tank. But how get the oil inside of the engine and what do you put oil on and god you you lubercate it. Thank you so much for all of you help

After the flights of the day are over I remove the glow head and put 3-4 drops of after run oil into the cylinder with the piston at TDC then slowly turn the crank to let the oil wet the whole cylinder inner wall.
It may suffice though just to squirt oil into the cylinder through the exhaust port.

This will provide protection and also lubrication for next time you start up the engine. No need to add oil before start up.

Many years ago I started storing my engines using WD40, and as Fred said with disastrous results. Months later I found them totally locked up.

Today I just use Remoil spray (excess blown out with compressed air) sometimes followed by a drop or two of Prather after-run oil. Worried about how they were doing I just went to my display case and "Enya tree" and checked a sample. Most have not been touched for months to years and all were free as a bird.

Bob