Timer Lubrication

[yogitunes]

Can a timer be lubricated?.......these 2 GE's I got seem to be clunky or rather difficult to turn, and seems like a little lube on the barrel that pushes the switches would slide better and make for smoother turning.....

and what kind of lube can I use that would be safe?....WD-40, or terminal cleaner or a light swab of spout oil?

I used vaseline on the water level switch, and that glides around smoothly

 

[joelippard]

I once sparingly used wd-40 on my 1-18 timer shaft and didn't have any issues and it smoothed things up nicely.

 

[yogitunes]

Actually found an old timer to test with the same issue......shot CRC 5-56 (WD-40), into the little hole where the plastic gears are for the timer motor.....smoothed right out...so I went and repeated this on the 2 machines, works like their new again.....

thanks for you input though

I just didn't want it to get on the contacts, and have a spark ignite it, had thi happen once in a distributor cap of a car, just a quick flash fire, just learned to spray, wipe off any excess, and wait a few minutes before starting it up...

 

[gerrod]

Timer Lubrication

The WD-40 / CRC type product is always a good fallback posi, but it tends to evaporate a bit and leave you where you were. If the timer tightens up again can you apply a little sewing machine oil into the same orifice, (maybe propel it afterwards with aforementioned WD/CRC.

As for flammable. Yeah, similar-ish experience. I had tight brushes on a forklift drive motor. I WD'd the brushes to get going but rang the mechanic. When the mechanic got there I regaled my master stroke story of how I got the motor running again ... I thought the guy was going to have a 'whitey'. He explained (in an octave above his normal voice) that WD is pretty flammable ... and that the 48 volt deep cycle batteries of a forklift (with I can't remember the amps), would have no issue igniting the WD ... considering the sparking that the worn brushes were making.

Never seen a grown man pee himself before!!

 

[beekeyknee]

Timer Fix

Check thread #31983. It's a long thread, so you'll have to wade through it to find the part you want. Some suggest tuner cleaner, but it's getting hard to find, unless you want to order it through the mail. A lot of it's junk now anyway. They've taken all the good stuff out of it (CFC's). I think I'm going to do a test on an old timer by submerging it in white kerosene and operating it while submerged. Then blow it out with compressed air and let dry over night. Then spray the timer down with spray silicone, blow out the excess and operate the mechanism. I'll bet it'll work like new. Be sure and take the timer motor off first. It wouldn't like that.

 

[beekeyknee]

Tri-flow makes a good oil that has Teflon in it. It's great for sewing machines. It comes in a spray can, too. I've seen it at "Ace". You'd still need to clean the timer first, before lubing.