Office of Steam Logo_1

Author Topic: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines  (Read 1692 times)

Dr.Rev.DelmarMacReady

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 603
  • Location: Birmingham, AL U.S.A
Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« on: April 09, 2019, 07:57:23 pm »
I was remembering afternoons by the motocross track, and the smell of hot castor oil wafting through the breeze- and I wondered if castor oil would be an efficient lubricant to mix with your naptha. I know of the benefits and detriments when used in high compression 2 stroke engines. Would the same apply with these low compression engines? My main reason for wanting to use it is the smell...that's just an awesome smell.
Bennydaheeb

Steamandoil (Tim)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 335
  • Location: Western Kentucky
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2019, 08:30:50 pm »
If they made 2 stroke racing oil air freshener, I'd buy it by the case!
Good idea by the way.
If you play with fire, you're gonna get burned.

Dr.Rev.DelmarMacReady

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 603
  • Location: Birmingham, AL U.S.A
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2019, 08:34:08 pm »
If they made 2 stroke racing oil air freshener, I'd buy it by the case!
Good idea by the way.
[/
Only huge downfall I see is the tendency it has to gunk up- but if you are cleaning regularly, deposits shouldn't be an issue, right?
Bennydaheeb

SlowArrow

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 100
  • Location: SF Bay Area
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2019, 10:41:53 pm »
I would be interested in the answer as well, if anyone knows.
Mike

RedRyder

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4311
  • Location: Connecticut - USA
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2019, 06:28:19 am »
It should not hurt anything to try it that can't be cleaned up.


Remember these hit and miss engines tend to run cool and most of the oil is just pushed through rather than burned.
My point is simply that it might smell different getting partially atomized instead of burning well.
I have no idea if it would smell any different or not?


Dr.Rev.DelmarMacReady

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 603
  • Location: Birmingham, AL U.S.A
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2019, 08:29:00 am »
It should not hurt anything to try it that can't be cleaned up.


Remember these hit and miss engines tend to run cool and most of the oil is just pushed through rather than burned.
My point is simply that it might smell different getting partially atomized instead of burning well.
I have no idea if it would smell any different or not?
Thanks, Mr. Gil. I'm working on the video of the Vaughn so we can straighten that out. My laptop went south(disc read error) after I knocked it off my table, so I had to figure out another way to transfer files from the camcorder. Got it now, just need time to fiddle
Bennydaheeb

Stoker

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3618
  • Wherever you go ......... there you are!
  • Location: Eastern Sierra
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2019, 09:57:44 am »
I remember mixing castor oil into the fuel for model airplane engines back in my control line days.

A distinctive smell no doubt, and were I to catch a whiff of it today it would certainly open the floodgates on some fond old memories!
"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.

RedRyder

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4311
  • Location: Connecticut - USA
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2019, 07:06:32 am »
Here is a video from 2015 of an engine built by the same fellow that built my 2 Briggs FH conversions to side shaft hit and miss engines.


He mentions in the video running it on Coleman Fuel with Castor Oil.





Gil

Stilldrillin

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 54
  • It's all hot air. Mostly.....
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2019, 04:24:19 pm »
I used to put 1/2 teaspoonfull, into my lawnmower's petrol tank.

Briggs & Stratton, never smelt so good.

Even the neighbours approved!  ;)
David....   Still drilling holes. Occasionally, in the right place.
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeKtH_z2OLH8EXDk9ziWl8Q/videos

Stoker

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3618
  • Wherever you go ......... there you are!
  • Location: Eastern Sierra
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2019, 12:24:08 am »
Think I'll try and source some Castor oil, perhaps a small bottle at the drugstore, and give it a try if a hit n miss ever shows up at my door. Heck, I still have some old model airplane engines lost in storage that I may try and drag out and give a spin one of these days, just for memories sake.
"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.

Dr.Rev.DelmarMacReady

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 603
  • Location: Birmingham, AL U.S.A
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2019, 09:11:50 am »
Think I'll try and source some Castor oil, perhaps a small bottle at the drugstore, and give it a try if a hit n miss ever shows up at my door. Heck, I still have some old model airplane engines lost in storage that I may try and drag out and give a spin one of these days, just for memories sake.


Benol is still available and smells the same! And claims to have reduced "gunking" on the bottle now.
Bennydaheeb

Dr.Rev.DelmarMacReady

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 603
  • Location: Birmingham, AL U.S.A
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2019, 10:11:58 am »
Update on tests using Castor oil-

I've used Benol, still readily available, in both the Vaughn and Microcosm M90, for around 3 refills. I mixed 4 oz to 1 gallon white gas(camp fuel). For comparison, I have run Zippo fuel with a bit of Marvel in the M90 and Camp fuel with wd40 in the Vaughn.
 I can't see any difference in performance using either. Wear will need more run time to determine.

Oooh, but the Benol smells so good. I might go a bit heavier on the mix- just to be safe but it runs good now.
Bennydaheeb

Alan

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 51
  • Steam ships,steam engines,gas engines enthusiast
  • Location: Switzerland Lausanne
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2019, 12:30:22 pm »
Hi
In Switzerland I use Rubin G8 Neoval Oil; good results on the Eachine little Miss engine.

https://www.eurotech-neoval.ch/en/b2c-shop/list/

Dr.Rev.DelmarMacReady

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 603
  • Location: Birmingham, AL U.S.A
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2019, 01:54:10 pm »
One last note on using Castor oil- it will sour your fuel after about a month of being mixed. Don't mix large amounts, only small volumes.
Bennydaheeb

Bentwings

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 38
Re: Using Castor oil in scale gasoline engines
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2022, 03:19:25 pm »
In the early days of larger gas engine rc gas was prepped by adding a little castor oil to the mix. Then Klotz came out with two stroke oil with castor built in. Old guys still added some “just to be safe” I guess. I did too. But it really bunked up the planes and was very hard to clean up.  Performance wise I never could detect a difference. I gradual went from 40 to 1 to 60 to 1 then 100 to 1 . In tests on one day of all the different ratios there was a gain in power on the 100 to 1 . I continued using it for years that way. Never had engine issues. . My son has a landscaping business an all their 2 strokes run this. Their motors out last the mechanics of the equipment.  The biggest thing now is to use only non oxy premium as there is no ehtaol in the gas so it can be stored very long an not gum up the carbs. I did a test of this on my big cruiser boat. All marinas in the area only sell non oxy premium gas boost never have water in the fuel that is not from condensation. At the marinas this is a big problem that is hard to deal with. Boat surfaces get blistering hot during the day then cool at night causing condensation everywhere including inside the gas tank. Occasionally you have to just have the tanks pumped unless thy have drains at low points. Plan on frequent water separator changes.   When I tested I tried both marine gas an gas station regular. In about one month gas station regular was clouded and showing separation. It I’ll not remix. This is why marinas don’t like you bringing your own gas down to the boats.