How do you oil pistons?

[TexTuba]

Hello. I was wondering how you are supposed to oil piston valves. I know that may sound silly but I am quite curious. I normally take the pistons out of their casings and oil them that way. I was told that you SHOULDN'T take them out. Another person told me to put oil through the leadpipe. And another person told me to put the oil through the first valve slide. Sooooooo, is there a 'right' way of doing it? Or is the way I've been doing it okay?



Ralph

[Rick Denney]

Hello. I was wondering how you are supposed to oil piston valves.

Remove the piston completely, and apply oil to it. No other method will get the oil where you want it without taking other things with it.

Of the other methods, putting oil down the leadpipe is the least likely to cause a problem. We do it that way on rotary tubas, but only because 1.) rotors don't actually touch casings anyway, and 2.) taking them out to oil them is too much work to do very often. Neither of those two factors applies to pistons. And pistons contact the casings at all times and therefore need to be routinely and thoroughly oiled to minimize wear.

Just be careful not to drop the piston, and to line up the guide before letting it touch the casing when you reinsert the valve.

Rick "for whom this takes all of two minutes" Denney

[Joe Baker]

I've heard oil down the leadpipe suggested mostly to prevent corrosion in the leadpipe, not to oil the valves. That approach might oil the first sufficiently, but I doubt any oil would get past the first couple of valves. I pull mine out, oil them, spin one turn to spread the oil, and tighten the caps down.
___________________________
Joe Baker, who is NOT a pro...

[TubaRay]

my unprofessional way of doing it is either to take the piston out and oil it or oil it from the hole in the bottom valve cap thingy.

Carl "I don't know the technical terms" Brooks

Take the pistons out! This is the best way to do this. Putting oil in it from the hole in the bottom of the valve is not likely to do much, if any, good. Some of my young(& lazy) students like to oil them this way. Think about it. When you are playing the instrument, gravity will tend to keep the oil from spreading(upward) to the valve. In most cases, it will simply tend to drain back down the hole in the bottom of the valve.

[tubarepair]

As many band directors will tell you:

Put the oil down the stem. That way you will never have to worry about cross-threading the caps or dropping the valve. The top felt will absorb the oil and magically dispense it as necessary. When the valves become completely frozen and/or worn, you can visit your local repair technician and make a new friend.

Seriously, Rick's suggestion is on the money. If you need advice or a demonstration, visit your local repair shop for a brief lesson.

DLH[/u]

[Dan Schultz]

my unprofessional way of doing it is either to take the piston out and oil it or oil it from the hole in the bottom valve cap thingy.

Carl "I don't know the technical terms" Brooks

Squirting oil through the hole in the bottom cap might be a 'quick and dirty' way of doing things, but I don't want all the crap that accumulates in MY bottom caps being washed back up onto the pistons

[Dan Schultz]

Just be careful ... to line up the guide before letting it touch the casing when you reinsert the valve.

I have always revolved the piston to spread the oil - is that not a good idea?

Just don't let the key 'bang' into the slot as you are revolving the piston.

[Captain Sousie]

oil? What's wrong with the tried-'n'-true spittin' method?

I've used it but only as an emergency fix in a football game.

Sou