track oil

[Michael R.]

A compilation of instructions regards oiling the track:

[Robert Bergeron]

Thank you my friend . The truth about track oiling at last !

[rob love]

The oiling is only meant to preserve the track from the salt water. As any mechanic can tell you though, grease or oil, when contaminated with sand, forms the perfect abrasive which will lead to premature wear.

So unless yor carrier is riding for an extended period on the deck of a ocean borne craft, or you are performing landing drills on the salt water beaches, I would leave the oil off your tracks.

[Marc van Aalderen]

Indeed Rob!

Michael, Are there instructions in the manual for removing the oil after the sea voyage? Wondering how they did that. Petrol maybe?

Cheers,

[Robert Bergeron]

Hey Rob & Marc my friends, how about riding in the salt during our nice and long canadian winter roads like i did last winter ? Would that not be similar to a Channel crossing and beach landing in Normandy ? Marc's question about taking it off remains. Cheers.

[Lynn Eades]

I have oiled track for storage. Rust doesn't do it any favors either. It is hard on componentry when it is seized.

[RichardT10829]

I slather Lurpack on my tracks.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by RichardT10829

I slather Lurpack on my tracks.

I prefer Lurpak on bread😋

[Lynn Eades]

I've not heard of "Lurpack"

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

I've not heard of "Lurpack"

Lurpak is a Danish brand of butter that has been imported to the UK for over 100 years

[Michael R.]

Lynn, would you like that slightly salted? No, I did not think so. I prefer Kerry Gold. A slippery slope, derailing my thread . . .

As Robert mentioned, running on salted road surfaces is tough on the track. Getting the road salt spray on the carrier when trailering is painful too!

[Lynn Eades]

Richard, You currently have more butter than tracks?
Our export bulk butter is un salted, but the usual local consumption is predominantly sold salted, Our roads are not salted. We save it for chips and peanuts.
Another one (thread) bites the dust!

[rob love]

I found sections of new track a bunch of years back. They were treated with black cosmoline. As with oil, it would likely attract sand, however, would eventually wear off. I would suggest it would be the repeated oiling that would really cause problems as opposed to a one off.

[Lynn Eades]

ditto Rob.

[RichardT10829]

So.

Would the thoughts be to perhaps spray penetrating oil into the tracks if leaving for a while ?

I used to drive mine weekly rain or shine, the only provision I made for parking up was to drive it onto wooden boards so the track was off the floor.

It's all interesting stuff !

[Lynn Eades]

I have found that track that is free and dry stored can seize. The worn out stuff doesn't so much, but the good stuff with closer tolerances can rust up.
A good soak in light oil and a wiggle with two small pry bars (one in each adjacent link) helps to get things moving again (maybe?)

[colin jones]

Sorry to butt in here but I would think that a good dose of oil for storage and powder graffite for use. I use the grafite on my backhoe (extendahoe section)and it does not attract dirt at all. Also on the slew ring on my grader.

[Tony Smith]

Please don't take this as a poke at Lynn ( ), but Lanolin spray is also a good water repellent spray that lubricates and prevents rust, but it won't retain grit that would cause wear. Again for storage periods, but not daily maintenance purposes.

[Lynn Eades]

Tony, I don't recall one of your posts that wasn't constructive or helpful- even if it went against what i'd said.
I always look forward to your input. You too Colin
Graphite sounds like a good idea too. I wonder how the price would be?

[Wayne Hingley]

I was just looking through CAM magazine Vol. 2, No. 8, 1945, and saw something on track lubrication. It reminded me of this thread, so I thought I would add that literature to the discussion.

[Russ Gregg]

No experience with this one but I had heard that farmers used to spray diesel on the ferrous parts of tractors, once evaporated it would leave a layer of paraffin behind to protect it from the elements, and would get into fine spaces. It sounds good but could be complete rubbish.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Following up on the lanolin comment , I've used Fluid Film as a spray rust preservative when storing motorcycles. http://www.fluid-film.com/

Another compound I'm told can be used as a release coating for painted surfaces is spray cooking oil. Apparently, spraying cooking pan release spray on your historically appropriately painted vehicles keeps the dirt and grime from sticking to the paint and thereby degrading it. The spray washes off with water and won't harm the pigments. (Just repeating something I heard or read, haven't proved it myself.)

[Ian Johns]

I spray Krown T40 on the Salters and chains of a few different municipalities and a number of landscaping companies. Before doing that the chain drive motors and chains were breaking on start up after 6 months of sitting but no more. With Krown the oil is just the carrier for the rust inhibitors so even when the oil is gone the inhibitors are still there. As for salt we have a product called Salt Eliminator which you spray on let it sit then rinse. It removes all the salt and all the chemicals that you can't see, especially with what we spray on our roads these days. Just so I'm up front with everyone I own the Krown shop and I've been spraying for the last 33 years, not trying to sell anything just my 2 cents.