Quoted from ALJO

You're right Cook, you don't need to oil coils, but oiling them greatly improves their effectiveness and "that's" why I oil them, it makes the game faster and adds a lot of strength to the flippers (even on newly rebuilt flippers). You've got to try it to see how well it works, and, seriously Cory, i have had no bad feedback on any of the games I sold in the past years, and I see those guys (that I sold the games to) on a regular basis, even more, those buyers say that they appreciate the games I sold them.

The majority is not necessarilly always right and/or we each have our preferences.

No thanks.

For anyone that might be considering oiling coils like Claude suggests, here's some light reading for you.

From http://www.pinrepair.com/bally/index1.htm#lub and http://www.pinrepair.com/wpc/index1.htm#lub:

Quoted Text

1e. Getting Started: Lubrication Notes

      Pinball machines, for the most part, do not require any lubrication. Most parts run "dry". Far more damage can be done to a pinball machine by over-lubricating, than by under-lubricating. As a rule, if in doubt as to lubrication, don't do it! Throw that WD-40 away, it won't be used here.

      The only parts that will require any lubrication are metal-to-metal moving parts. There aren't very many in a game. Only ball eject and slingshot hinges. 3-in-1 oil also works on these if needed. But try and keep that lubrication in the tool box and away from the game.

      If some prior person did lubricate the game, the lubrication has probably now congealed with the infamous "black pinball dust" to form a thick, black mess. This is unrepairable on coil sleeves, and new parts will need to be installed.

From http://www.pinrepair.com/em/index1.htm#lub :

Quoted Text

And NEVER EVER lubricate the moving metal plungers inside coils (even if the metal plunger is moving inside a metal coil sleeve).

From http://www.xmission.com/~daina/tips/pub/tip0090.html

Quoted Text

Never, ever lubricate a solenoid plunger. Oil will attract dirt and become a sticky thickening goo that will eventually force you to pull it apart and clean it off. Graphite adds very little to the action and just ends up getting everything dirty. Just keep the plunger and sleeve clean.

From http://www.gamefaqs.com/coinop/pinball/file/916391/1323 :

Quoted Text

NEVER EVER EVER oil, grease, lubricate or do ANYTHING to a flipper
   plunger or coil. Same for standard soleniods. The action of the
   plunger rubbing against the nylon sleeve creates a natural graphite
   coating that acts as a lubricant. External lubricants attract dust,
   metal shavings, pieces of solder or wire or whatnot. These get down
   inside the flipper coil and cause all kinds of hell.

  
From http://bellsouthpwp.net/l/i/litz/miscellany.html :

Quoted Text

Never, ever, oil the plunger of a coil. The graphite given off by the plunger sliding through the coil sleeve is sufficient lubrication. Anything added will cause the graphite to clump and become a gummy, gooey mess.

I'll be happy to find more references, if you'd like. I challenge anyone to find a reference that suggests adding oil to a coil is a good thing.

Quoted from Sparky

Just for reference, dry silicone lube is exactly that... dry. It is not, nor does it cause a goopy mess.

Claude is using the word "oil", so I'm assuming that's what he's talking about. He also said "silicone lube", but left out the "dry" part, so ??

Not that I need to lube my plunger, but for the curious, do you have a picture of what "dry" silicone lube looks like, and its package.

Quoted from websherpa

Not that I need to lube my plunger, but for the curious, do you have a picture of what "dry" silicone lube looks like, and its package.

Everyone needs their plunger lubed every once and awhile.

Dry lube is used on bicycles from what I understand.

Quoted from cooke

No thanks.

For anyone that might be considering oiling coils like Claude suggests, here's some light reading for you.

From http://www.pinrepair.com/bally/index1.htm#lub and http://www.pinrepair.com/wpc/index1.htm#lub:



From http://www.pinrepair.com/em/index1.htm#lub :



From http://www.xmission.com/~daina/tips/pub/tip0090.html



From http://www.gamefaqs.com/coinop/pinball/file/916391/1323 :


  
From http://bellsouthpwp.net/l/i/litz/miscellany.html :



I'll be happy to find more references, if you'd like. I challenge anyone to find a reference that suggests adding oil to a coil is a good thing.



Claude is using the word "oil", so I'm assuming that's what he's talking about. He also said "silicone lube", but left out the "dry" part, so ??

i can see that you really like me Cory, it shows

You do what you want and I'll do what I want. Just like, I will never try to give you a hard time to sell your games by discrediting you, i would appreciate that you do the same for me.
I can give the names of those to who I sold my games to in the past and they can confirm that it's not that terrible.
Here's what I use.

Wow, Claude. Please don't take this so personally. I'm not.

And I'm not trying to discredit you. Geez. I'm just trying to show you the error of your ways.

EDIT: By the way, that lube is extremely flammable and is likely a major fire hazard when used anywhere near a coil - especially one with a EOS switch.

Quoted from cooke

Wow, Claude. Please don't take this so personally. I'm not.

And I'm not trying to discredit you. Geez. I'm just trying to show you the error of your ways.

EDIT: By the way, that lube is extremely flammable and is likely a major fire hazard when used anywhere near a coil - especially one with a EOS switch.

The lube is flamable even when it dries?

Quoted from ALJO

The lube is flamable even when it dries?

I would assume yes, unless it says otherwise. Unless the chemistry changes when it dries, it should still have the flammable property.

Does silicone lube dry?

Right, if an oil 'dries' it no longer works, right? Isn't the whole point of a lube the fact that it doesn't dry?

Quoted from jonny_eh

Right, if an oil 'dries' it no longer works, right? Isn't the whole point of a lube the fact that it doesn't dry?

Then what is "dry lube" ?

Quoted from Azatotht

Then what is "dry lube" ?

I have no idea! I'm so confused  

humm..

Dry lubricants or solid lubricants are materials which despite being in the solid phase, are able to reduce friction between two surfaces sliding against each other without the need for a liquid media. Such lubricants, including materials such as graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide are also able to offer lubrication at temperatures higher than liquid and oil-based lubricants are able to operate. Such materials can operate up to 350°C in oxidising environments and even higher in reducing / non-oxidising environments (molybdenum disulfide up to 1100°C). Their lubricating properties are attributed to a layered structure on the molecular level with weak bonding between layers. Such layers are able to slide relative to each other with minimal applied force, thus giving them their low friction properties.

So i guess the dry lube sprays actually dry after beeing sprayed ... but the other one Aljo is using doesnt seems to be of the right kind.