teflon liner

[ozzie-crawl]

just wondering how many people use teflon liners ?

[Scott T]

I use them in all my boats.

Biggest I run is 0.150 flex (4S power). Next build will be 6S with a 0.187 flex, and it will run without a teflon liner.

[G Doggett]

I always use them as I don't beleive in introducing metal to metal contact near a radio.
Although good quality teflon is semi self lubricating I still use grease or oil on the shaft.
Others will shoot me down in flames of course ! !
Graham.

[Fluid]

I haven't used teflon in over a decade. Set SAW records, ran many hundreds of oval race heats, never a problem with metal-on-metal contact either with wear or interference. I do use a quality lube with an extreme pressure additive.

If you do use Teflon, be certain to use a lubricant. Teflon is not magic and it will wear though, melt, etc. without lubricant.



.

[txboatpilot]

I never use them,,, from 4s all the way to 10s.. Never any problems... I use Mercury Marine Teflon Grease for lube...

[Brod]

I use teflon liner too and only lubricate with light '3in1' oil.
grease tended to make a mess inside the tube,lite oil doesnt.
No liner in all my 1/4" gas flexshafts,just plain ol' grease.
Brod..

[longballlumber]

I had an odd occurence last night testing. I have been running the same flex cable, liner, stuffing tube, and lube all season long. After a run last night I happen to touch the brass stuffing tube (the half that was inside the boat) and it was hot. Does that mean the teflon has warn out?

I am not sure, maybe it's always like that and I've never noticed it.

Thoughts?

[Jeff Wohlt]

I run both. One reason I do not like running teflon is the size of the stuffing tube can be much smaller which under a boat like a hydro gives less resistance. For 62 wire you can run 1/8" stuffing tube...big difference under a hull.

Heat racing is different than runners that play. Heat racers finish a heat and then usually pull the cable or wire and lube and put back....many do not do this and feel they can run all day on a single lube.

I guess the real question is who decided to use this stuff in the first place and the rational of why? THink there was a reason or they just said...hey WTF let's put a teflon liner in this.

I still like it and there is no doubt metal to metal is not the best option for wear but works for most.

Nitro racers also had holes in the transom that if the boat would sit long enough the hull could fill with water. We try to keep water out but maybe the nitro guys liked the water because it could be a cooling method. We already know that cables act as pumps and pull water up the stuffing tube.

No doubt the nitro boats were nothing but a mess inside after runs...water, fuel, oil, grease.

[ozzie-crawl]

thanks for your replies. on my new cat project iam going to run .187
before this i always have run .150 with a liner,but going to .187 means i have to go up stuffer tube size yet my strut takes 1/4" tube so looks like i cant run a liner
my only thought mite be to run 9/32 with a liner to about an inch in front of the strut then step it down to a 1/4 to go in to the strut
any thoughts

[detox]

I would use the .187 cable inside 1/4 brass tubing (no teflon liner)

[tth]

I rig my setups like detox said. 1/4" stuffing tube with .187 flex no teflon. I have never had issues like this. My BJ26 which did have a liner decided to melt all of a sudded and next thing I know the bottom of the boat self destructed when the flex knotted up under the torque of the motor. Just some food for thought!!!

[ozzie-crawl]

thanks guys looks like .187 no liner