castor oil as well as castrol "R" was bean based oil. as in water based
oil. castor oil does not stay mixed well with fuel if stored. it falls out
and congeals. if used in a 2 stroke motor it can be somewhat fatal. why?
because it is a water based it tends to promote rust. it does work ! i use
a bit in the mix for the race car. this also explains the gooey mess in
sports car engines of days gone by. up untill about 10 years ago castrol
"R" was exported to america, but no longer. and after much digging i found
out although the name stayed the formulation is now synthetic. for the
race 2 stroke i use some medicinal grade castor oil in the fuel mix for the
"right smell", but rely upon synthetic racing oil for the main lubrication.
chuck.
-----Original Message-----
From Robert E. Shlafer <PilotRob at webtv.net>
To: midgetsprite@yahoogroups.com <midgetsprite@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: spridgets@autox.team.net <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: Friday, January 23, 2004 4:20 PM
Subject: RE: [midgetsprite] NO LBC..now Airplane Engine Sounds
>Castor Oil & Castrol (Castrol R)
>
>Got to admit, Dave, I've no clue 'cause
>I do not know whether the "early" Castrol
>Oils I grew up with in the late 50's &
>early 60's were vegetable oil or petroleum based, though I believe it
>was the
>later. And the Castrol's before that???
>
>Castrol "R"....formulated for high rpm
>higher pressure, anti-foam, "racing"
>oil I would think but here again, not familiar the specific base or
>formula.
>
>But I bet Chuck Christ might know a little
>about the early Castrol Oils considering
>his Dad was in racing during Castrol's
>early days (I believe, anyway).
>
>Castor oil comes from the castor bean
>plant (also referred to as a veggie!)
>and is "biodegradable" as far as
>the internal combustion engine is
>concerned (doesn't degrade the combustion process, per se) and mixes
>nicely with gasoline/air mix which was
>introduced into the rotary engine's crankcase and mixed with the
>lubricating
>castor oil.
>
>All three elements were burned in the
>combuston process. The inlet valve on
>most of these engines was a spring-loaded affair fitted into the crown
>of each piston, the outlet valve mounted
>where you would expect it to be found
>on the top of each cylinder.
>
>The Gnome "monosouape" (single valve)
>had inlet ports (as in model airplane piston motors) instead of an inlet
>valve.
>
>The Germans favored these motors later
>in the war (though you could've fooled me) especially as the quality of
>crude
>availabe to them began deteriorating,
>supposedly.
>
>Considering the British very heavy use
>of rotaries, in Sopwith Pups, Camels, Snipes and the French use in all
>their
>Nieuport models, I am not so inclined to believe the foregoing as THE
>reason for
>German use.
>
>As weird as their design seems to us today, these engines had a very
>favorable power to weight ratio at the time.
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