rec.autos.simulators

Gunner

WD40 won't destroy your pots. It is used in many electrical fields as a
water absorbant, cleaner and lubricator. That said, it will increase the
resistivity of your pots.

The hot ticket? Go to a hobby store that deals in electric RC cars. Not
Radio Shack. A store that handles top end racing machines like those from
Associated and Trinity. Get a can of motor cleaner, make sure it's safe for
plastics though. Much cheaper than Radio Shack tuner spray and does a great
job.

Now, here's the hot ticket that I've never heard anyone else here on r.a.s.
give. Get a bottle of what are called "comm drops." This is a *conducting*
lubricant used by RC racers to get top power out of their motors. I keeps
air off the conductive surfaces, making them stay clean longer, fills gaps
between the contacts to give a better conducting surface, and lubricates,
reducing mechanical wear of the contacts. It'll quadruple the physical life
of your pots.

One drop in each pot'll do the trick.

    I could go on with the fire stories with the SWE but that's getting a
bit off topic<g>  btw: triclouroetholene is still made in large quantities
and easily available.. It's just hidden with the rest of the hazardous
material you never see.

Yup, $1.99 for 4 oz. Let's see, used once a month in 3 pots that should last
about twenty years.

Sorry JM, I just couldn't resist ;-)

Slot

Seriously, what you ended up using sounds good, I'd never heard of it, but
it sounds real good. Where did you buy / order it?

Jan.
=---

The following is from the Thrustmaster website.

"You can easily clean the potentiometer. The best cleaning solution would be a
graphite base non-oil lubrifiant, but you can use regular WD40."

I had a pot that was spiking about 2 months ago. I gave it a shot of WD40 and
it has been working properly ever since. I use it every night. no problems.

We compared a couple brands sold at a local track. They were identical
ingredients to LPS Labs cleaner (and probably several others), but twice the
price. The chemicals used in R/C and slot car motors are just something else
repackaged. The LPS product is sold at auto parts stores.

Com drops do clean the surface. Using them on a new motor seats the brushes
faster, but that's because they wear the surface faster. They give a motor
more power when applied, but only for a very short period before they wear
off, usually within a couple hundred feet. Motors I've run extensively with
com drops usually last about 1/2 as long as motors run without them. They
put tremendous wear on the commutator. Generally we used them on $10 to $15
motors, but not on $150 motors.

Anyway, if you use them on pots, just be careful and beware, and don't use
them often.

Slot

Does WD-40 clean just because the company says it does? Of course not.  But
I no longer possess the credibility to make a case here on USENET.  I _had_
to utilize a 3rd party URL.

Since that wasn't good enough, then I invite you to a short home-schooling
session.

Take a black permanent marker ("magic marker") and draw a line on a
powdercoated finish, such as your washing machine or icebox.  Let it dry,
then try to remove it using a 'real' cleaner such as Formula 409 or some
other non-abrasive.

It's no wonder they call 'em "permanent markers", eh?

Now, spray on some forty and watch that grafitti disappear.  Amazing stuff.

You can't say a substance isn't a cleaner because it's also a lubricant.
Liquid soap comes to mind.

Rick

--DK

[snip]