Model Technics - Techpower 5 v Optimax

[MikeQ]

Hi

 

Not used Optimax fuel before.  Is the Optimax 5 a straight swap.

 

This is for regular motors like OS 46 and 55 FX and AX, Irvine 36 etc.

 

cheers

 

mike

Edited July 8, 2022 by MikeQ

[Nigel R]

Can't imagine the change will make much odds for the motors listed. Both are synthetic oil mixes. Might require needle tweak.

 

[Jon H]

The optifuel laser 5 fuel will be the closest match to the old techpower. As Nigel rightly says you will need a needle tweak on main and slow run needles when you change fuel. 

[MikeQ]

Called LeedsModelShop and they actually do Techpower5 although made by Optifuel.  So no doubt the above advice applies regardless.

 

doesnt look like you can get ModelTechnics raw Castor anymore.

[Jon H]

31 minutes ago, MikeQ said:

 

 

doesnt look like you can get ModelTechnics raw Castor anymore.

 

Good! The days of bean juice fuel are long past. 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

11 minutes ago, Jon - Laser Engines said:

 

Good! The days of bean juice fuel are long past. 

Don't put us 'older' pilots out to paster just yet, I still have some of the miracle caster stuff left,,,😉

 

 And even you old Laser in my DVll loves it,,,

[MikeQ]

5 hours ago, Jon - Laser Engines said:

 

Good! The days of bean juice fuel are long past. 

Not sure synthetics will do a 50 yr old Fox35 CL stunt motor any good.

 

its not all about RC 😀

Edited July 8, 2022 by MikeQ

[Jon H]

5 minutes ago, MikeQ said:

Not sure synthetics will do a 50 yr old Fox35 CL stunt motor any good.

 

 

 

why?

[MikeQ]

Totally respect your knowledge on motors Jon and no doubt you could demolish any argument i come up with.

 

However, the fact that virtually nothing i’ve read, been told or heard or seen in use over the years would lead me to believe anything other than castor is the go to for lubricating motors in this category.

 

happy to be convinced otherwise.  Dogma should always be challenged,

Edited July 8, 2022 by MikeQ

[Jon H]

yea im playing devils advocate a bit here. The thing is that this idea that castor oil is the holy grail of lubricants does seem to endure and i do not really know why. If it really was the magic juice why would we not still use it in cars, aircraft and other piston engine? If synthetic oils can withstand the pressures of racing engines, turbines and 10000miles of driving your road car then they can certainly deal with the requirements of a model aircraft engine. 

 

Ultimately the engine is more or less irrelevant and its the lubrication properties of the oil that really matter. 

Edited July 8, 2022 by Jon - Laser Engines

[Frank Skilbeck]

I think the argument goes is that the thicker castor oil helps the piston seal in old engines, must admit though I've got a few older engines that used to run on castor many moons ago and are now quite happy on synthetic mixes.

[Jon H]

2 hours ago, Frank Skilbeck said:

I think the argument goes is that the thicker castor oil helps the piston seal in old engines, must admit though I've got a few older engines that used to run on castor many moons ago and are now quite happy on synthetic mixes.

 

If you need oil to fill the gaps then throw it away, its ruined 😄 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

Well this is certainly a fun thread where I have heard so much about castor oil,,,,

 

Ok in the 50 and 60's I do remember my brothers Greeves scrambler running on Castrol 'R', and in the 70 and 80's

the local French  Hooligans using it as if the smell gave the another imaginary gear in there 6 geared 120dB Italian 49.9cc 2 strokes😅

but I have never seen castol oil in a go-kart of which I did burn up around 10 litres of petrol an hour in mine, from the middle

90's onwards, "but" modelling is certainly different, I did a bit of Q 500 pylon racing over here and the French model federation

supply the fuel which is 20% castor Methanol, and I stick by my guns, I have used Labema model fuels with  all their so called super additives

and also their 'after run' at the end of the day, but it still didn't protect the bearings on my engines so I will keep on putting at least 2% in my shop bought fuels.

 

I will add that when I had my model shop from the 90's till 2009 I made and sold my own mix of fuel with the dreaded 2% of caster and never had a customer whining ( ok a bit easy ) about noisy bearings, but nowadays I seem to be forever changing club members bearings,,,

[John Stainforth]

12 hours ago, Jon - Laser Engines said:

 

If you need oil to fill the gaps then throw it away, its ruined 😄 

This subject of castor is so worn it could probably do with some castor itself, to gum it up before being thrown away!