MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
My old Mum used to feed my sister and I a good dose of Cator oil when we were young. It's main function seemed to be that ir caused certain things that were siezed up in the intestines, to move more freely.
I applied this same logic to my MG widow reals and wndow to body seal. Magic!!!!
The oil doesn't effect rubber, it is the main ingredient of rubber grease, and hangs on a lot longer than liquid soap.
From what I have read the castor oil used in WW1 airplane engines flowed freely back into the faces of the pilots, and had the same effect of "loosening" the intestines you mentioned. Did you have sticking windows or are you trying this to refresh dried up rubber seals?
My Dad swears by Castor Oil for seals in clutch and brake master cylinder rebuilds.
I used a "personal lubricant" called Astro Glide. It's extremely slippery and is water based it's not supposed to damage rubber(s).
My old tech swears that the Castrol name comes from the the fact that it was originally made from castor oil. He says it was the main ingredient in their brake fluid also. I have no idea if that is true or not. Might be an interesting little research project.
If you add a tablespoon of castor oil to your gas tank, it will give your exhaust a neat vintage smell.
Wonder if the FIAT factory used olive oil for windscreens?
Original Castrol was indeed vegetable oil. It could handle high heat loads such as peanut or coconut oil today. Glycol is the preferred brake fluid but in a pinch soda or water would work. As far as break rubbers, I'll still use the red Girling grease thank you. No doubt castor bean oil would work but I prefer to keep it all in the same family.
Nice tip Tony!
Checked wikipedia and it appears that castor oil has indeed been used as a component of brake fluid. It is a good lubricant, but tends to form gums in a short time and so is not practical as a motor oil except in engines that are rebuilt frequently. It is being used now as a component of biodiesel.
I had thought about a comment untill I read "personal lubricant". I figured anyone who outs themselves to such product doesn't deserve the infered comments.
As it's a "personal" product, and JMoore is honest about it, I would prefer to leave it at that....
not without the private "smirk" on my "end"....:I3:
If you need to lubricate rubber as thick as windscreen seal, you've got my respect!!!
Tony
