Anyone recall what Labelle oil # used to be?


B

Blues909

Active Member
I only remember the 106 grease and from what's left of the oil bottle label it was 108 now I see 107 for HO and larger and 108 for small HO what ever that means. They don't define them other than one being a lighter weight oil . Mine was so old from the mid 80's it looked like it changed with sort of a film at the top and I know oil degrades over time. I opened the old 106 grease about a year ago and it was still sealed yet it was not white more of a gold color and thick , can't say if it changed being sealed I never used it since Athearn always lubed the trucks so I never bothered I just lubed the motor bearings and worm bearings and sometimes the axle bearings and none of my diesel's have been run much some were never run on track. I emailed LaBelle for an answer, thought I'd ask here since there are some old guys well past 60 like me. I just bought the 108 and 106 because on Amazon the two are less money and they don't sell the 107 other than in the three pack For $30.
 
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William: I have a twenty plus year old plastic tube of the LaBelle Lube on my work bench-work. A plastic tube with a needle applicator. It still works great. I also have some old gear lube that is still in a condition to use.

I think that the new lubes, especially grease do not harden or degrade over time like the older versions had a tendency to age.

Side note: I have a .38 Special wheel revolver that I sprayed with WD-40 for storage. When I checked on the weapon it was frozen solid and the cylinder doesn't turn. I think there was a chemical reaction of some kind between what I used prior on the weapon and the application of the WD-40.

Greg
 
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Greg@mnrr said:
William: I have a twenty plus year old plastic tube of the LaBelle Lube on my work bench-work. A plastic tube with a needle applicator. It still works great. I also have some old gear lube that is still in a condition to use.

I think that the new lubes, especially grease do not harden or degrade over time like the older versions had a tendency to age.

Side note: I have a .38 Special wheel revolver that I sprayed with WD-40 for storage. When I checked on the weapon it was frozen solid and the cylinder doesn't turn. I think there was a chemical reaction of some kind between what I used prior on the weapon and the application of the WD-40.

Greg
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My oil and grease are over 35 years old. The oil was ok yet old and the grease turned thick and yellow , I never opened the grease #106 and when I did cut the tip open it was so thick the bottom seam of the tube burst open. The new grease it white and the oil needle is a push on to a plastic cap rather than a screw on metal cap with a plastic red needle cap the new one is black rubber. The bottles ae the same.
 
Blues909 said:
My oil and grease are over 35 years old. The oil was ok yet old and the grease turned thick and yellow , I never opened the grease #106 and when I did cut the tip open it was so thick the bottom seam of the tube burst open. The new grease it white and the oil needle is a push on to a plastic cap rather than a screw on metal cap with a plastic red needle cap the new one is black rubber. The bottles ae the same.
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I have some thats about 30 years ago and bought some new the other day , 107 is about the same as 3N1 its a light machine oil ,lighter than 30W ,probably 5 - 10 W ?, 108 is extremely light , close to diesel fuel it may even be #2 diesel or even heating oil / #1 diesel very low paraffin content .

WD40 contains xylene along with oil , its a solvent mixed with oil , xylene aka dio sol is fairly hot solvent that breaks up paraffin . paraffin is essetially wax , the more wax an oil has the heavier it is , when its mostly wax its grease. Paraffin is what slows the evaporation of the oil and acts as a moisture barrier . The WD40 removes the moisture barrier leaving a light oil behind , which itself evaporates quickly. WD 40 is a good degreaser , you can spray a hole right thru an asphalt shingle in no time .
 
#102: for motors / flywheels
#106: gearboxes and gears
#107: valve gears / drive rods, axles, and wheel sets
#113: switches / turnouts on layout, and couplers on rolling stock.

Labelle video:
 
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