XOil Lubricant for Pinewood Derby Cars

MAXIMUM VELOCITY!^®

XOil Lubricant for Pinewood Derby Cars

XOil is a highly-refined synthetic thin-film lubricant with a low viscosity. When properly applied it either equals or outperforms any dry lubricant including graphite for pinewood derby racing.

Benefits

Easy and fast to apply - much faster and easier application than graphite.

Clean application - unlike graphite, it won't dirty up your nice paint job!

Lasts a long time - XOil has been tested to continue performing well beyond 20 heats. Graphite typically starts to degrade much sooner.

Consistent performance - XOil gives consistent performance, equal to or better than graphite.

Specifications

Viscosity (40°C): 15.3 cSt

Service Range: -20 to 100°C

Color: Slight amber tint

Application

XOil can be safely used with any brand of pinewood derby wheels. It is virtually colorless, odorless, non-hazardous, and plastic-safe. The key to using a thin-film lubricant is that "less is best". Applying too much lubricant will cause the viscosity of the lubricant to affect the speed.

To apply:

Put one drop of lubricant on an axle on the area where the wheel will spin.
Slide a wheel onto the axle, spin the wheel a few times, and then remove the wheel.

Gently wipe off the axle with a clean soft rag.

Slide the wheel back onto the axle.

Repeat for the remaining axle/wheel sets.

Note that some races require dry lubricants. Although it will not foul the track or cause any mess, technically XOil is not a dry lubricant. Since we recommend that all race rules are followed, we also offer Max-V-Lube, a top quality graphite lube.

Important - Wheels lubricated with XOil will not free-spin (wheel spun by hand on axle) as long as wheels lubricated with graphite. However, when a load is applied (the car is run on the track), XOil will perform admirably. Typically, the free-spin time for a XOil-lubricated BSA wheel is 10-15 seconds. If the wheel does not free spin that long, remove the axle, wipe it off, and try again.

Q&A

Why do you sell both Krytox 100 and XOil? Which is better?

Krytox 100 is thinner than XOil, so it is not as sensitive to the amount of oil left on the surface. However, Krytox is more expensive. Regarding performance, our tests showed very similar performance, with Krytox having a slight edge.

How long does XOil last? Does it evaporate over time?

In tests, XOil has lasted for 30 heats with no noticeable degradation in performance. It does not readily evaporate, so XOil can be applied well before a race; and a XOil-lubricated car can be stored between races.

Can you apply XOil and graphite?

Adding graphite would not help. In fact, it would slow things down. Graphite works best when dry, and XOil works best in a clean environment. So adding them together is counterproductive.

Can XOil be used on the outside of the wheel where it comes into contact with the underside of the axle head? How about on the inside wheel hub where it contacts the car body?

When you apply the lubricant, a little bit will get on the outside wheel hub. So it will reduce friction between the axle head and the wheel hub. You can also wipe a tiny bit on the inside wheel hub.

Can XOil be used on the tread of the wheels?

No, that could foul the track. For the tread, you could apply some graphite (which also fouls the track) or apply a polish. However, good results can be achieved without a coating. Simply polish the wheels with a fine abrasive.

When using XOil, can graphite be used as an abrasive to polish the inside of the wheel hub?

I wouldn't use graphite as an abrasive, as it would be very difficult to remove all of the graphite from inside the wheel hub. Instead, I suggest using a water-soluble wheel bore polish such as the one we offer Here. Put a pipe cleaner in the chuck of the drill, place a small amount of the polish on the pipe cleaner, slide a wheel on the pipe cleaner, fire up the drill and polish for 10 seconds. Then thoroughly wash the wheel with water (use a pipe cleaner for cleaning inside the bore), and dry the wheel.