A timeline of PWD lubricant technology?

[Vitamin K]

So, a lot of you have been racing for a long time. Maybe you can offer some input here. It seems like lubrication for PWD has become very sophisticated in recent years. What I'm interested in is trying to put together a timeline of how these innovations have occurred, and perhaps who championed them.

So if we look at what's current, my (admittedly, limited) understanding is that the most popular lube configuration is to coat the wheel bores with a slick, synthetic, hard-drying wax (such as Red Rocket), to spray the axles with Jig-a-Loo brand penetrating lubricant, and to add a drop or two of specially blended Krytox-brand synthetic oil (GPL 100) when inserting the axle into the wheel.

Is that more less the commonly accepted standard of today? I'm sure some folks out there have special tricks, and I'm not asking for those. Just trying to get an idea of what's considered 'best practices.'

Okay, so on the other end of the spectrum we have...graphite. I'm assuming graphite was the original lubricant for PWD, but maybe I'm wrong? If anybody can give info on the history of graphite, I'd be interested in that, too.

In between these two extremes, there must have been an evolution, correct? So here's where I'm clueless. If any of you have any inputs for the following 'milestones', or have milestones of your own to suggest, let me know.

Trying to determine who pioneered the following, and when (roughly) it became known:

- Graphite 'additives' like Z-oil or silicone

- Nyoil as lubricant

- Krytox as lubricant

- Spraying axles with lubricant

- Discovery of Jig-a-Loo for PWD applications

- Using wax in wheel bores

- The 'tipping point' for when graphite fell out of favor as the fastest lube

- Others?

This is really mostly just a curiosity thing. Just thought it might be interesting to look at the progression as a whole.

 

[KTMracer]

Good luck. PWD has been around a long time so I'm not sure you'll find your answers on this forum. You might want to check out old PWD books. That being said, I don't believe graphite was ever considered the fastest lube. I think the first lubes were thin oils. Probably something for locks or sewing machines. Check out the Big Green Bible. Much of it isn't relevant anymore, but you'll find a lot of history.

 

[Vitamin K]

Good luck. PWD has been around a long time so I'm not sure you'll find your answers on this forum. You might want to check out old PWD books. That being said, I don't believe graphite was ever considered the fastest lube. I think the first lubes were thin oils. Probably something for locks or sewing machines. Check out the Big Green Bible. Much of it isn't relevant anymore, but you'll find a lot of history.

I'd love to get my hands on the Green Book. I know it isn't up-to-date, but would be interesting nonetheless. I wish Ol' Jobe would release it as an eBook or something. Anybody got his contact info..? /images/boards/smilies/wink.gif

So, if oils preceded graphite, what made graphite the king of the cub scout derbies? Too many people getting bores melted by WD-40 or something? Or wooden tracks foiled up by dripping oil?

 

[Kinser Racing]

To many people dumping a whole quart (exaggeration) on their car. Some scout master probably took a spill into the track or something.

 

[bracketracer]

Good luck. PWD has been around a long time so I'm not sure you'll find your answers on this forum. You might want to check out old PWD books. That being said, I don't believe graphite was ever considered the fastest lube. I think the first lubes were thin oils. Probably something for locks or sewing machines. Check out the Big Green Bible. Much of it isn't relevant anymore, but you'll find a lot of history.

I'd love to get my hands on the Green Book. I know it isn't up-to-date, but would be interesting nonetheless. I wish Ol' Jobe would release it as an eBook or something. Anybody got his contact info..? /images/boards/smilies/wink.gif

So, if oils preceded graphite, what made graphite the king of the cub scout derbies? Too many people getting bores melted by WD-40 or something? Or wooden tracks foiled up by dripping oil?

People that don't know any better tend to use More's Law.

 

[quadad]

By the time I started racing in 2010, the transition from graphite to oil was in full bloom. At this early point there was a great search amongst the hard core enthusiasts for the "best" wax for bores, the "best" lube for axles and the "best" oil - though I wouldn't be surprised if it was pretty much Krytox all along (and mixes of it later). I don't think that there was as much of a meandering evolution from graphite to oil as you might be suspecting - I think it was more like a 'revolution'. My racing team chipped in for one member to attend the oil process clinic at the Blue Grass Nationals that I think John's brother put on around July of 2010. A lot of people were doing some variation of what was shared at that time, but this helped level the playing field. John's DVD came later.

There was a lot of debate (and very hard feelings) after that about who exactly did what first. Please don't try to get into that, it's a toxic potion.

The tough thing though is that this search for the "Best" wax, oil, etc. and overall "Best" application process, will NEVER end, at least not in my PWD lifetime. Just one more reason why I like the bearing class !

 

[BulldogRacing]

By the time I started racing in 2010, the transition from graphite to oil was in full bloom. At this early point there was a great search amongst the hard core enthusiasts for the "best" wax for bores, the "best" lube for axles and the "best" oil - though I wouldn't be surprised if it was pretty much Krytox all along (and mixes of it later). I don't think that there was as much of a meandering evolution from graphite to oil as you might be suspecting - I think it was more like a 'revolution'.

My racing team

chipped in for one member to attend the oil process clinic at the Blue Grass Nationals that I think John's brother put on around July of 2010. A lot of people were doing some variation of what was shared at that time, but this helped level the playing field. John's DVD came later.

There was a lot of debate (and very hard feelings) after that about who exactly did what first. Please don't try to get into that, it's a toxic potion.

The tough thing though is that this search for the "Best" wax, oil, etc. and overall "Best" application process, will NEVER end, at least not in my PWD lifetime. Just one more reason why I like the bearing class !

Here is an answer to how to find more speed.

 

[Crash Enburn]

People that don't know any better tend to use More's Law.

At first, I thought that was a typo...

 

[Vitamin K]

My racing team chipped in for one member to attend the oil process clinic at the Blue Grass Nationals that I think John's brother put on around July of 2010. A lot of people were doing some variation of what was shared at that time, but this helped level the playing field. John's DVD came later.

So, was this the wax/spray/krytox combo being taught at this clinic? So our 'modern' lubricant process is at least five years old at this point?

 

[5KidsRacing]

My racing team chipped in for one member to attend the oil process clinic at the Blue Grass Nationals that I think John's brother put on around July of 2010.

John put on that clinic... if I remember correctly the participants were Myself, MWD, Murph & Ninjarabbi (Ninjaengineering).

 

[KTMracer]

People that don't know any better tend to use More's Law.

At first, I thought that was a typo...

Haha! When I first read it I thought: "??? Geez this guy is way off. Moores law has nothing to do with anything he's talking about. I wonder what law he was actually thinking of."

Apparently I'm the dunce. I didn't get it until Crash pointed it out. Good catch Crash and good joke BR! That is pretty funny.

 

[GDH Racing]

If memory serves Moore's law has to do with the computational speed of computers....something like the processing speed doubles every 3 years or something along those lines.

 

[Crash Enburn]

And a racer observing More's law would leave a rooster tail of oil behind his car...

Or little piles of graphite when his car is placed on the track.

 

[Bullet]

Then there's Mohr's circle also..../images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif