Maxima Castor Oil..

[Joe Yau]

Just wondering if anyone have used the Maxima Castor 927 oil with glow fuel?  and is it as good as the Klotz Benol or Baker AA?
http://www.maximausa.com/shopping/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=13&zenid=t8429avro484rs0g4f4qg3ftf3

Thanks in advance.

[Steve Helmick]

I read the scoop on the website, and it sounds good to me.

To tell the truth, if I was going to run at least 5% Klotz or Ucon, I would not worry at all about what sort of castor oil I used, just that it's really castor oil. Get it at the drug store or farm store, and don't worry about it. The 5%+ synthetic will clean up any varnishing done by whatever castor oil yau use.  Sorry for the pun, I just couldn't resist!

The first thing you need to do is get a valid passport, and find out about a private postal box somewhere close to you, but on the South side of the border!  Steve

[Joe Yau]

I read the scoop on the website, and it sounds good to me.

To tell the truth, if I was going to run at least 5% Klotz or Ucon, I would not worry at all about what sort of castor oil I used, just that it's really castor oil. Get it at the drug store or farm store, and don't worry about it. The 5%+ synthetic will clean up any varnishing done by whatever castor oil yau use.  Sorry for the pun, I just couldn't resist!

\

I was told to avoid the drug store castor oil, cause they are not degummed & fortified.   not sure exactly how important that is to a typical 2-stroke like the .46LA.  I usually put in about 9.2oz/gallon of Omega 10%, which has 14% total oil by volume (70% synthetic/30% Castor).

[Russ Danneman]

it's all i use. i buy at local motorcycle shop. have not had any problems, seems to me to be as good as anything else i have used. i use it in everything i got .049's & up. rd

[phil c]

I don't see any need for the additives used to make it work in gas engines, if you don't mind the price.  With castor oil available on line as low as $20 a gallon $10 a pint is kinda steep.

[Steve Helmick]

I was told to avoid the drug store castor oil, cause they are not degummed & fortified.   not sure exactly how important that is to a typical 2-stroke like the .46LA.  I usually put in about 9.2oz/gallon of Omega 10%, which has 14% total oil by volume (70% synthetic/30% Castor).

Joe...My point was that if you're using 5%+ synthetic, the detergent action of the synth will clean out any varnish from using castor that's not de-gummed. If you're using straight castor, then you would probably have a problem.

When I was flying FAI FF, one year our overworked CD didn't get the (contest provided) fuel arranged in time. I don't know where he got the alky, but the castor came from the local pharmacy. I personally asked one of the fussier competitors if it seemed to run as fast as his own 80-20, and he replied that it ran exactly the same.

While on that subject,  F1C (FAI FF power, which I dabbled in a bit) allowed (at least for awhile) either castor or synthetic, simply because castor was hard to get for some time, but synth was easy. Quite possibly a problem only in Europe, ya know.  Bill Lee says that castor has always been required for F2A, and I don't doubt him at all. Frankly, it seems sorta goofy that FAI would allow synthetic in one event and not the other, but that's the way they roll! Personally, I'd check at the local Farm Store. If you want, I could do that on the way home from work almost any night.  Steve

[john e. holliday]

F2A I beleive is the event that has a set fuel formula.  Then also I think F2D has a set formula also.  I don't know what the F2B guys would do if they had to fly a set fuel formula.  F2C is all diesel mixes according to the competitors. 

[BillLee]

F2A I beleive is the event that has a set fuel formula.  Then also I think F2D has a set formula also. ...

Right, John. Both F2A and F2D have a prescribed fuel formula with fuel always contest-supplied. And both prescribe castor oil at 20%.

Bill

[Joe Yau]

Joe...My point was that if you're using 5%+ synthetic, the detergent action of the synth will clean out any varnish from using castor that's not de-gummed. If you're using straight castor, then you would probably have a problem.

When I was flying FAI FF, one year our overworked CD didn't get the (contest provided) fuel arranged in time. I don't know where he got the alky, but the castor came from the local pharmacy. I personally asked one of the fussier competitors if it seemed to run as fast as his own 80-20, and he replied that it ran exactly the same.

Well, I went to couple of local pharmacies, and all they have is "100ml size of Castor Oil" at $4.99.    and its sold as a laxative.

[john e. holliday]

Joe,  what engines are you going to use?   With todays engines and metallergy I would not think castor is needed.  I know I was told to not use castor in my RO-Jett 40 and it runs like a champ that it is.   Now my older engines like the old Fox, K&B and Johnson's will get castor based fuel.   I have even ran a couple of Fox's on all synthetic with no problems as long as I run a slightly rich setting.  But, as stated, if you have a motorcycle shop that caters to competiton bikes, check them out.   

[Joe Yau]

Joe,  what engines are you going to use?   With todays engines and metallergy I would not think castor is needed.  I know I was told to not use castor in my RO-Jett 40 and it runs like a champ that it is.   Now my older engines like the old Fox, K&B and Johnson's will get castor based fuel.   I have even ran a couple of Fox's on all synthetic with no problems as long as I run a slightly rich setting.  But, as stated, if you have a motorcycle shop that caters to competiton bikes, check them out.   

Hi John, Its mainly for the OS.40VF & .46LA engines.. the Stalker.61 & Saito .56 are fine on synthetic. So far, I've found a local Kart shop that has the Maxima 927 Castor oil in stock at $14/pint. and by the looks of it.. it should be a good oil to mix with the Omega 10% with 14% oil by volume 70% syn/30% castor.

[Steve Helmick]

"Well, I went to couple of local pharmacies, and all they have is "100ml size of Castor Oil" at $4.99.    and its sold as a laxative."

Yup, that's the intended use. Same for the gallon cans at the farm store, but for different species.  If you are driving across the border (in the future), and get caught with a gallon of castor, tell them it's for the moles in your flying field. Standard mole mix (you can Google it) is castor oil, liquid dish detergent, and water. The detergent is to make the castor mix with the water. Water is to dilute the stuff for spraying. Effect is said to drive the moles away because they don't like the flavor of the grubs and roots they eat. My theory is that it gives them "the squirts", and maybe we could get lucky enough that they would die of dehydration.    Steve

[Andrew Borgogna]

I just bought a couple of pints of Benol form Tower, it ain't cheap.  What I would like to know is where do you home brewers get your methanol, nitro and castor.  When I was younger I would go to the local speed shop in Pasadena and get all my ingrediants and make my own fuel.  And you know what, it worked just fine.  But in this day an age I can't find anyplace that ill sell it to me.  I guess they think I will make bombs out of it.
Andy

[john e. holliday]

Living in California, don't you have some drag racing buddies(guys/gals).  Go to their shop and get aquainted with them.  Be sure and tell them what you want it for.   

[Neville Legg]

I use Castrol M, it's a first pressing, de-gummed castor.  It can be bought for £22.49 ($34.43) for 4 litres. My old engines love it! I just flush them out with rubbing alcohol after use, then oil them.

Cheers

[Joe Yau]

I use Castrol M, it's a first pressing, de-gummed castor.  It can be bought for £22.49 ($34.43) for 4 litres. My old engines love it! I just flush them out with rubbing alcohol after use, then oil them.

Cheers

Hi Neville, Just curious where you got the Castrol M from? I've checked a few place that sell Castrol motor oil, but they don't have Castrol M.

[Neville Legg]

www.racelubricants.co.uk  was the cheapest place I found, they will ship it to the US, but not sure how much it will cost. It's in the special offers section.
Has anyone tried Castrol A 747?, its part synthetic, and part castor

Cheers    Neville

[Brian Hampton]

Castrol M isn't available in America for some reason but it's widely available here in Australia and of course England. Castrol is a contraction of the words "castor oil" and is what started the company in England a bit over 100 years ago as an industrial lubricant. All castor is actually degummed because it's part of the initial extraction and refining process but the best castor is pressed (as is Castrol M) and second best is a blend of pressed/chemically extracted which leaves some chemical residue in it. Drug store castor should be fine because it's pressed but may have sweeteners in it. Merco instructions state several times to avoid using it.

As far as the FAI world goes, only the events where all out engine power is a decider have to use fuel provided by the organisers which is specified as 80/20 all castor. Castor is the oil of choice because it doesn't burn (which might possibly add some extra power). CL speed, FF power and RC pylon have to use this fuel. For all other events you can use whatever fuel you bring with you, except for CL combat where the organisers provide a fuel with 10% nitro.

Personally I just use FAI fuel in all my engines, mainly because it's so easy to mix (4 cups of this plus 1 cup of that, shake and go fly ) and the castor is MUCH cheaper than any of the synthetics. For my precious VF's I think some castor is a necessity because I believe it may avoid the dreaded "peeling" issue.

[Dallas Hanna]

Castrol M isn't available in America for some reason but it's widely available here in Australia and of course England. Castrol is a contraction of the words "castor oil" and is what started the company in England a bit over 100 years ago as an industrial lubricant. All castor is actually degummed because it's part of the initial extraction and refining process but the best castor is pressed (as is Castrol M) and second best is a blend of pressed/chemically extracted which leaves some chemical residue in it. Drug store castor should be fine because it's pressed but may have sweeteners in it. Merco instructions state several times to avoid using it.

As far as the FAI world goes, only the events where all out engine power is a decider have to use fuel provided by the organisers which is specified as 80/20 all castor. Castor is the oil of choice because it doesn't burn (which might possibly add some extra power). CL speed, FF power and RC pylon have to use this fuel. For all other events you can use whatever fuel you bring with you, except for CL combat where the organisers provide a fuel with 10% nitro.

Personally I just use FAI fuel in all my engines, mainly because it's so easy to mix (4 cups of this plus 1 cup of that, shake and go fly ) and the castor is MUCH cheaper than any of the synthetics. For my precious VF's I think some castor is a necessity because I believe it may avoid the dreaded "peeling" issue.

Which Merco instructions have you got Brian?   The below ones are from the Blackhead series.  Forgot to scan the bit about the 'medicinal" castor oil!!   The ST ones are from the Bluehead 60 Ringed engine.   The ones I have are specific about using castor oil and do mention about the drug store stuff being some sort of a problem.    However, those old Glochief engines had a lot of it through them without any sort of problems!    My Mercos also had a fair share of it.    Even Super Tigre thought castor was better in "the days".

HH

[Brian Hampton]

Hi Herb
Attached is the instruction sheet that came with a Merco 49 Black Streak with the warning about medicinal castor under the Fuel heading. Believe it or not but I've never actually used a GloChief (although I have a couple) because my first stunt engine was a Merco 35. And I still have it .

[Dallas Hanna]

Hi Herb
Attached is the instruction sheet that came with a Merco 49 Black Streak with the warning about medicinal castor under the Fuel heading. Believe it or not but I've never actually used a GloChief (although I have a couple) because my first stunt engine was a Merco 35. And I still have it .

Yep Brian.  Same sheet as in the 29 box.   I got sidetracked and forgot to scan the other bit.

I never actually used a Glochief in comps.  I had an Enya 35 for around 6 months and then went Merco 35 and 49 until early 70s when I went back to an Enya 45.   After that it was ST engines until 1995.

The medicinal oil didn't seem to wear the Glochief engines out but who knows!  We flew on an old wartime emergency airstrip near Windsor so the grit from the decaying asphalt no doubt did more damage.

HH