Slot Car 101 - motor lubrication

This is the best time of year...no not Christmas...it's Newbie Season! Every year we get a new crop of fresh faces around the slot car world. They come back to the hobby or are introduced to the hobby because of the homesets that are purchased by well meaning grandparents or parents...or let's face it, spouses!
Remember, just a drop...in this photo I put on a bit too much really!
I've been reading over threads on many message boards and I've realized that many newbies don't know the basics of what to do with that brand new slot car sitting in front of them. They get their sets and put them together on the floor of the "bonus room" and away they go. First, DON'T drive it straight out of the box...back away from the track!

A slot car is much like a real car in a few ways. You wouldn't run a real car without oil in it would you? No, and you should not do this with a slot car. The axle bushings, both in back at the front, need a drop (just a drop) of oil.

The motor needs a drop of oil at each end as well. Some motors (Ninco for example) have a closed end so they cannot be lubed. If you don't put some oil on the motor it WILL seize up after some racing.
Some racers feel the need to oil parts on a chassis that move as well, the motor pod or guide for example. I'm not a huge fan of this because that oil usually spreads out quickly and I really don't think it does anything. If a pod, guide have the proper flex/movement you shouldn't need to do any oiling of these parts. I won't cover that in this article.

After you do this basic oiling you're on the way to do some racing. At this point you could race, but really you need to do just a bit more. We will continue this series.

Dave Kennedy
Publisher, Slot Car News