Lube!

[PeyotZET]

I have an Echo1 G36c and it been sounding rather loud lately. It's distracting to hear the gears so clearly and I haven't taken a look at the gearbox just yet, but I have a feeling I'll be doing some cleaning and greasing. Browsing stores online, I noticed there are different kinds of grease for different parts, such as gear grease, piston grease, bearing grease, hop-up oil, etc. Are separate products necessary? Any advice when it comes to cleaning and re-lubing a gearbox?

[MLA PRO]

Your gears need reshimming. Shim jobs come crappy from the factory. And white lithium grease for gears works well and 100% silicon oil works well for compression components.

[Mr Random 42]

This may be a little off topic, but where can I go to get SAFE silicone oil in Glendale? I have searched hardware and hobby stores, and I can't find any without petroleum in it. Does anyone definitively know where to buy this stuff in Glendale? I really don't want to order anyting off the internet, I would rather just buy it here.

[Nil8r]

Try hobby/paintball shops, they will usually have non-petroleum silicone.

[Mr Random 42]

Hey, I just found some dirt cheap Palco Sports and UTG silicone oil online. They don't outright say 100% silicone, but they talk about being airsoft lubricant in the description. Are these any good, or will my gun melt spectacularly on my table?

[Mr Random 42]

Does Command Post Paintball sell it?

EDIT: Does Gearbox sell it? I might be going there anyway, so I can just pick some up later.

[stealthmaster14]

I would really only trust "airsoft" or "paintball" brand silicone spray.  RC shock oil (IIRC?) is supposed to be good too.

A lot of bottles at hardware stores will say 100% silicone spray, but it will still have petroleum products in it.  For instance, I bought a bottle of Ace Hardware 100% silicone spray and tested it out on an old BE AUG body to see if it was safe for plastic.  Let it sit for a while and when I came back, the parts of the body which I sprayed (which used to be black) were a gray color.  Needless to say, I wouldn't want to be spraying that on my compression parts or on my bucking.  

Here's a good guide to read through:
http://www.airsoftforum.com/board/Airso ... 14544.html
Notice how many "ingredients" you have to watch out for and keep in mind some bottles don't list everything that's inside the spray.  Seeing as it can be such a hassle, I think you are better off getting it off an airsoft website.  ICS silicone spray comes in pretty good sized bottles, so it will last a pretty long time. (especially considering you don't really need silicone spray for much)  

In all honestly, I found silicone spray/oil not to be the greatest for compression parts.  It doesn't stick well enough, so it sprays through the air nozzle and into the bucking/hop up chamber.  That reduces the friction (which may sound like a good thing, but it isn't) and creates gunk that reduce the performance of your hop up system.  You are better off with a grease/gel IMO.  

White lithium is great for gears though.

I would think that UTG silicone spray should be fine, seeing as it's an airsoft brand.

[Mr Random 42]

Ok, I got some trinity paintball/airsoft gun oil, and I'm pretty confident that it will work fine. Has anyone used this brand before?

[drvr5]

Slightly off topic, but is there a good reason why white lithium is the standard gear grease? a moly based lube seems more appropriate to me, being a gear to gear high pressure mesh, or possibly something like Lucas Red and Tacky to maintain better adhesion.

[axisofoil]

Slightly off topic, but is there a good reason why white lithium is the standard gear grease? a moly based lube seems more appropriate to me, being a gear to gear high pressure mesh, or possibly something like Lucas Red and Tacky to maintain better adhesion.

Moly is too thick to adequately lube in a high speed, small gear environment. It also has a tendency to be pressed out in a tight mesh <-- this is different than a high pressure mesh.

[spazz]

ive used white lithium for many yrs on all my aegs. for gears and compression parts alike. for the hop up and cylinder head i use 100%silicon plummers grease from home depot.