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I was helping a friend oil his rotor valve Neptune. we were trying to oil the second valve, and the kick kept me from getting the slide off to pour oil into the rotor. After some thought I poured oil into the vent. Is that a good place to oil it without taking kick apart, or is there some better way to do it?


Thank you in advance

For my Neptune, and for my other rotary tuba, I pour oil (Blue Juice) down the leadpipe. Tilt the tuba to slosh the oil back and forth while operating the valves, then drain the remainder out the main slide water key. It's been working well for years.

The main tuning slide on the rotary Netpune has a unique double sleeve design, allowing you to oil all the valves through the main slide with the horn on it's bell and without washing all the tuning slide grease into the valve system. The design of this instrument is rather unique and well thought out. This would be the way I would do it if I owned one of these horns.

Just my $0.02.

Roger

Interesting information about oiling a Neptune.

I have only oiled the rotor bearings and not the insides (going with the idea that the natural moisture lubricates well enough) and have never had any issues with sticking rotors. Does oiling the inside provide any additional benefit if sticking is otherwise not an issue?

The natural moisture will work, but if the horn is not in use for any period of time, it will dry out and leave some small mineral deposits that may impede the rotor's speed over time. I personally like to keep my rotary valve horns nicely oiled at the rotors (as well as the upper and lower bearings and linkage bearings) to make sure that if I have a "grab and go" situation, I won't have headaches waiting for me when I pull the horn out of the case.

Just my thoughts.

Roger

Roger Lewis wrote:The natural moisture will work, but if the horn is not in use for any period of time, it will dry out and leave some small mineral deposits that may impede the rotor's speed over time. I personally like to keep my rotary valve horns nicely oiled at the rotors (as well as the upper and lower bearings and linkage bearings) to make sure that if I have a "grab and go" situation, I won't have headaches waiting for me when I pull the horn out of the case.

Just my thoughts.
Roger

What Roger said. It's not just oiling the space between the rotors and the casing.

Mark Horne wrote:Interesting information about oiling a Neptune.

I have only oiled the rotor bearings and not the insides (going with the idea that the natural moisture lubricates well enough) and have never had any issues with sticking rotors. Does oiling the inside provide any additional benefit if sticking is otherwise not an issue?

I've always oiled my horn doing this and every time I do it I notice the valve moves easier