Silicone oil?

[wormbobskey]

Can silicone oil be used to lubricate the air tube and piston on a springer?

[Doug Wall]

Can silicone oil be used to lubricate the air tube and piston on a springer?

Only if it's a gun with a leather piston seal. That leaves out about 99+% of currently made guns. Otherwise, don't even consider it.

[Josan]

People say it's not suitable to lubricate metal-to-metal contact in heavy applications.

[wormbobskey]

What would be an acceptable lubricant?

[T-Higgs]

I bought some 100% synthetic silicone oil and I won't use it. It turns out that silicone is a terrible metal to metal lubricant.  Some use it for leather seals, but I don't even like that.


Why do you think the seal needs lube?  If synthetic, moly would be best. If you want to totally strip down and re-lube, you could look into the krytox/ultimox  synthetic material.

[wormbobskey]

I didn't say the seal needed lube. I just replaced the front seal on the piston and installed a new spring. I was just wanting to know what would be a good lubricant for the inside of the piston tube and piston. Can you use standard automotive grease to lube the spring coils as well? I do have some dri coat spray moly lubricant. I used it on my marauder hammer to make it smoother to cock. It has a petroleum propellant, but if you allow the parts to dry before re assembling the propellant evaporates leaving the moly coating. Think that would work on the inner air tube and piston?

[T-Higgs]

You're right, you didn't say the seal needed to be lubed. You asked about the "air tube" and "piston". Well, the "air tube" is where the seal rides, and the "piston" has a "seal" on it. You can,probably, imagine how I would have made such an sophomoric mistake.

Search "lube" in the library.

[Brazos]

Just buy the proper lubes from www.airrifleheadquarters.com.  It is cheap, have enough for a lifetime, and with the cheapest postal shipping you will have it in 3 days.  Like you I tried to find something local off the shelf.  I wasted more time researching, driving around town, etc.  all of that was a waste.  Just order what you need and do it right.

The other option is to use Krytox for everything.  You have to order that too.

[Roadworthy]

I have used Krytox (Ultimox actually) in my TX 200 and purchased silicone grease to damp spring vibration.  Do not mix Krytox/Ultimox with other lubes.  So far my other guns all use ARH moly.  The Ultimox may be a bit smoother but it's really close.  In any case, I only use the silicone grease for damping spring vibrations, not lubrication.

[Doug Wall]

I use a high percentage moly grease, like Honda 66, and put a thin film on the sides of the piston. Don't get it in front of the seal. Some people are going to the Krytox type synthetic lubes.

[nced]

Can silicone oil be used to lubricate the air tube and piston on a springer?

As others have mentioned, silicone is a terrible metal to metal lube which can be easily demonstrated. Chuck a steel rod in the drill press and then lube a piece of steel bar with silicone grease.  Start the steel rod spinning and press the silicone grease lubed smartly to the spinning steel rod.........notice how quickly the steel starts galling at the contact point. Now do the exact same thing with "plain ole wheel bearing grease" and notice how much longer it takes for the steel to start galling.

The "old school approach" to springer lubing is to use minute amounts of high MoS02 content grease to break the metal to metal content and since the molly powder in the grease has an affinity for steel it creates a well lubricated surface of hard molly "plates". The only downsides to molly lubes is the fact that the carriers in the grease (often just mineral oil) will diesel if it gets into the compression area in front of the piston. Another detractor is the fact that the stuff is "staining black" and it MIGHT create issues if it gets on "household fabrics" (or even plastic).

Molly lubes have been used successfully in piston guns for decades when PROPERLY applied and if you're choosing to go "old school" the stuff from Air Rifle Headquarters is excellent and relatively cheap!
http://www.airrifleheadquarters.com/page/page/251484.htm

My HW95 bought last June was lubed with a light tan colored grease that looked like this straight from the new gun at disassembly. The HW95 functioned perfectly with the factory lube and I didn't have any dieseling, even from "shot #1" when testing straight from the box.........
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

Personally, I use the "space station lube" called Dupont Krytox and the formulation I've settled on after a couple years is the plain ole GPL 205. Non-dieseling, white instead of staining black, the carrier doesn't seem to outgass with time like the molly greases so it lasts a long time. One of the main attractions for me is that since it's non-dieseling I don't need to be so tedious with lubing my HW springer internals. I simply wipe on a thin coat of lube on all internal "sliding parts", reassemble, then go shootin'!

Here are some of my Krytox lubed parts (the white stuff is Krytox GPL205)...........
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

Anywhoo....for me it's Krytox GPL205 is a "one lube fits all" along with tight fitted spring guides to kill twang!
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

Oh....I almost forgot.....I also use Krytox GPL 105 OIL for lubing parts that aren't easily disassembled for lubing with grease (cocking lever rivet is an example)..........
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

As a side note............
When I decided to test out the Krytox lubes a few years ago I bought a small 1/2ounce tube of GPL205 and actually slathered in in my R9 rather lavishly to test the non-dieseling claims by deliberately wiping some on the face of the piston seal. Sure enough....now "bang of dieseling" or even "smoke in the hole". From that initial slathering, slathering meaning a lot heavier application than I dared to try with molly grease, I still had this much lube left over from the 1/2 ounce tube............
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com