Go to a Home Depot and buy yourself a bottle of air tool oil.  I use it to oil my o-rings and so do alot of veterans I play with.  I have been using this type of oil for a long time now with no problems with my o-rings wearing out prematurely and it works great.

bassist11 wrote: ya i don't think i would use WD-40 on my gun.

There is theory that the solvents in WD-40 attack the "O" rings in the marker. Not so, but the myth persists. WD-40 is an extremely light oil, which, though it works, doesn't last very long.

ANY good quality oil will do the job. Automotive supply stores (and Home Depot as Gravesend said) carry air tool oil which is very inexpensive and one of the best lubricants...and a Tippmann marker is an air operated tool.

Also, pure lubricating gun oil such as Hoppe's, available at stores ranging from gun shops to WalMart, is an oil Tippmann recommends.

White lithium grease works well on areas of th rear bolt (hammer) to reduce scuffing and seal the "O" ring. Available in small plastic tubs or squeeze tubes at automotive supply stores.

3-in-1 oil, a very good quality light oil, is as good as any and available at drug stores and sewing machine shops.

would gun oil work thats made for rifles and stuff like that? i checked at my local store and they have this spray on grease

WD-40 will do the trick. Or K-Y Jelly.

thornygravy wrote: WD-40 will do the trick. Or K-Y Jelly.

aparently it isn't good for your gun

Sorry to butt in but what about KC trouble free synthetic oil?

That stuff is good too on all parts of the gun right?

There seems to be some confusion about using WD-40 , try this , both with air tool oil and WD-40 and it should clear up any questions you have about using penetrating oils to lubricate paintball markers with .

Spray a bit of WD-40 in something like a milkjug cap that you can fit an o-ring into (enough to completely cover the oring )and put the oring in it to soak overnight .

Put some air tool oil into another small container (another milk jug lid)and do the same thing , its best to do this side by side so the results are easily compared .

Next day sometime , take each of the orings out and rub them vigorously between your fingers , the one that leaves a black residue on your fingers is disolving the orings !!!

Simple no bull comparison and common sense test .  Dont believe me,,, but DONT USE WD-40  , nuff said .

daghost,

I have downloaded several of the Tippmann manuals. I do not know from where you are getting your info. The following is directly pasted from the 98 Custom Manual .pdf download, page #9:
==
Cleaning & Maintenance
To clean your paintball gun use a damp towel with water
to wipe off paint, oil, and debris. We recommend using
a premium gun oil to maintain your gun in good working
condition. (Hoppes #9 gun oil) Re-oil with a few drops
to the front bolt, rear bolt, linkage arm, and tank o-ring.
We also recommend using white lithium grease on the
barrel o-ring and CO2 tank o-ring.

Note: Before doing any cleaning, remove the CO2
cylinder from your gun and do not use any
cleaning solvents.
==
Now as for WD-40, it is a combination of lubricants including oil and silicone with a little bit of thinner to make it spray and penetrate into tight fitting parts. What do you think the "O" rings are made from, chewing gum? There are several materials used. All of them are completely resistant to the components in the WD-40 formula. Since this stupid controversy keeps raising its head, about two months ago I set up a test.

From a spray can if filled two small glass jars with about a half inch depth of WD-40. I then dropped one of the following listed "O" rings in each jar. One jar held brand new "O" rings and the other held used "O" rings freshly removed from the marker; the 98C front bolt "O" ring, the Rear bolt (hammer) "O" ring, the power valve cup "O" ring, the "O" ring that fits the rear outside grove of the power valve, the power valve's poppet valve seat (the shiny black flat washer) and the "O" ring that goes behind the brass valve seat against which the poppet valve rests. Then I capped the bottle to prevent the any thinner from evaporating and let it sit.

The WD-40 in the jar containing the used "O" rings turned dark when I shook it.  I concluded that the darkening came from dirt picked up on the "O" rings while in use in the marker. Could it be that the WD-40 was actually cleaning the "O" rings. The WD-40 in the jar with the new "O" rings did not change color.

A little side note: If you take a used "O" ring out of the gun, spray a little WD-40 on it and rub it between your fingers, a black material washes off dirtying your fingers...it is dirt picked up during play. Take exactly the same new "O" ring and wet it with WD-40 and rub it between your fingers and NOTHING COMES OFF.

If you will read the Cleaning and Maintenance  paragraph note that Tippmann recommends Hoppe's gun oil. Hoppe's is a pure, highly refined oil produced from petroleum oil or also called mineral oil...the stuff they pump out of the ground.

Back to the "O" rings. After those two months I removed the "O" rings from the WD-40 immersion and wiped them dry with an old clean tee-shirt. None were gummy or softer or harder that my control set of "O" rings that had been stored with no oil of any kind for the same period of time. With a pair of micrometers I could detect no difference in the dimensions of the immersed new "O" rings compared to the "dry" stored new "O" rings. The used "O" rings showed some scuff wear from their previous use in the marker.

On a whim I installed all the old used "O" rings back into my marker and used it that way in the next play day. No malfunctions.

Also, by the way, couple of years ago, when I sent my Flatline barrel in for some service, when Tippmann returned the barrel, they included a sample packet of Hoppe's oil to use in my marker.

Rambino wrote: /me imagines Bruce sitting in living room, surrounded by little glasses with o-rings in various fluids

Well, I didn't try gasoline yet!

http://www.tippmann.com/pdfs/manuals/98Custom_Manual.pdf - http://www.tippmann.com/pdfs/manuals/98Custom_Manual.pdf

Bruce I know you mean well but this is on this site and is the acutal manual for the 98 which is what dude has there is no need to to test this cuz most orings are made out of urethane or latex sometimes but what does it say on condoms do not use petrol based lubricants i am not going to argue with any one on this anymore just look it up its on page ten under gun cleaning an maintence I have attached the link I am right and under no circumstances should you ever us wd-40 its a good way to mess up the gun. if you wanna sit around with a bunch of jars filled with various liquids just don't light a match.

daghost wrote: http://www.tippmann.com/pdfs/manuals/98Custom_Manual.pdf - http://www.tippmann.com/pdfs/manuals/98Custom_Manual.pdf Bruce I know you mean well but this is on this site and is the acutal manual for the 98 which is what dude has there is no need to to test this cuz most orings are made out of urethane or latex sometimes but what does it say on condoms do not use petrol based lubricants i am not going to argue with any one on this anymore just look it up its on page ten under gun cleaning an maintence I have attached the link I am right and under no circumstances should you ever us wd-40 its a good way to mess up the gun. if you wanna sit around with a bunch of jars filled with various liquids just don't light a match.

Gun oils, unless specifically designated as synthetic, are petroleum based (including Hoppe's, the Tippmann recommended oil). WD-40 is not a petroleum based cleaning solvent, it is a lubricant.

Latex "O" rings! I guess in that case the only acceptable lubricant is water soluble K-Y Jelly.

I don't disagree with the manual's admonition against using solvents, you are misinterpreting the information. Fact is that Hoppe's even comes in an aerosol can, just like WD-40. A spray LUBRICANT, not a spray cleaning solvent. Then again, oil is actually  cleaning solvent.

Buna N and Urethane "O" rings are not damaged by a spritz of WD-40. Neoprene might be, but then it is also likely to be damaged by gun oil. A latex rubber "O" ring would be, but they are not used in the Tippmann marker. My still ongoing test of the Tippmann "O" ring WD-40 immersion test shows no incompatibility with the "O" rings OEM in the marker or supplied by Tippmann as replacement parts.
=====

Buna-N is the most widely used "O" ring

Description: Standard Nitrile is also known as Buna-N. Excellent resistance to petroleum-based oils and fuels, water and alcohols. Nitrile also has good resistance to acids and bases, except those with a strong oxidizing effect.

Limitations: Avoid highly polar solvents (Acetone, MEK, etc.) and direct exposure to ozone and sunlight.
===
Polyurethane (AU, EU)

Polyurethane compounds exhibit high tensile strength, excellent abrasion and tear strength making it the toughest of the elastomers. Compression set and heat resistance are inferior to other elastomers such as Nitrile. These materials may be suitable for hydraulic applications, which exhibit abrasive contaminants or shock loads. The service temperature range for these compounds is -65°F to +212°F.
==

There are many compounds used to make "O" rings, but the common and least expensive ones used where high quality "gun" oil is recommended, do not get eaten up by WD-40. 

I'm gonna have to go with Bruce on this one, based simply on track record.

And, for the record, I note that the manual also says "this is not a toy" (which in fact it is), "always keep trigger safety in safe mode unless firing" (which I don't), "loop cord [of barrel sleeve] over top of receiver" (I mount it in a completely different way), "Tippmann shall not be liable for ..." (they can't simply declare themselves not liable), "avoid exposing any skin when playing the game of paintball" (I play in a t-shirt), "avoid shooting an opponent at point blank, 6 feet or less" (no tournament play allowed, I guess).

I could go on - but basically the entire manual is nothing but recommendations and super-cautious generalizations.  If Bruce has tested and concluded that WD-40 will not harm his gear, then that trumps a super-general CYA statement in the manual.

Bruce , while I am not disputing your determination of suitability of WD-40 as a lubricant for your marker (You , and only you can do that,,,) I am going to present as strongly supported a case as I can against using WD-40 as a lubricant !! I have no reason to like or dislike you , you seem like an articulate intelligent person and I respect your opinion for what it is , an opinion . So Hang on , and listen up , I dont mean this as an attack on you personally , but I am attacking your endorsment of WD-40 in this case . 

You said in a reply just a few posts above this one."From a spray can if filled two small glass jars with about a half inch depth of WD-40. I then dropped one of the following listed "O" rings in each jar. One jar held brand new "O" rings and the other held used "O" rings freshly removed from the marker; the 98C front bolt "O" ring, the Rear bolt (hammer) "O" ring, the power valve cup "O" ring, the "O" ring that fits the rear outside grove of the power valve, the power valve's poppet valve seat (the shiny black flat washer) and the "O" ring that goes behind the brass valve seat against which the poppet valve rests.

"Then I capped the bottle to prevent the any thinner from evaporating and let it sit."

^^^^Thinner tends to dissolve things , and is considered a solvent by any industries standards , you seem to be disproving your own claim that WD-40 is not a penetrating oil with solvents . Solvents and thinners are both considered V.O.C's by manufacturers and the Environmental Protection Agency , no matter what their chemical composition is . For that matter many solvents contain thinners (solvents and thinners are different things , but for the generalities we are discussing here , their behavior on elastomeric compounds are similar and can be considered synonymous). If you have a Graingers catalogue handy , look at the chemical compatibility chart in it , and tell me how many solvents (thinners?) are compatible with either Buna-n , Viton , or polyurethane , or any elastomeric material at all .....probably the only elastomer you will find with any degree of resistance to solvents may be a silicone , and I'm betting even it wont be recommended for most .

I've also worked with enough pneumatic systems over the years to know the best and surest way to induce failures is to spray WD-40 into ANY working pneumatic system , The solvents (thinners)evaporate and excaberate the original problems gumming up the orings and sealing surfaces in a mass of black crap !! I AM calling shens on your claiming to have done the simple test I outlined on the first page of this thread (whoops , top of this page) , but the visual I pulled of you sitting around with a micrometer  surrounded by an assortment of small bottles was amusing .

 Oh , by the way A micrometer is not the best way to measure an o-ring for swelling caused by solvent absorbtion , I hope you meant to say you used a set of dial calipers .

The most common types of materials for o-ring construction are Buna-nitrile rubber (Most susceptible to chemicals , and also the most commonly used ) , Viton , (the least affected by common chemicals and solvents , but at approximately 4 times the cost) and Polyurethane ( Midrange for chemical and solvent resistance , but best at handling extreme pressures ) .

Having said that , when the thinners do evaporate , as they will if left at room temperature for any amount of time , the sticky wax-like substance left behind will surely not help the performance for close tolerance fast moving parts . Take one of those small bottles you have and set it outside for a week and let the solvent evaporate , what you have left is something I wouldnt want in my marker .

WD-40 is best at removing tar and tough road grime from car bodys and tools , and is okay for lubricating slow moving devices ,like car door hinges , hood hinges , door hinges and such . I've seen it cause more problems (from mis-use as a lubricant ) than I have ever seen it prevent .

Air tool oil isnt that expensive and a small bottle of even the most expensive air tool oil is more than enough to last for years .

More to come :

http://www.wd40.com/Brands/pdfs/msds-wd40_aerosol.us.pdf - http://www.wd40.com/Brands/pdfs/msds-wd40_aerosol.us.pdf

Here's the link to the WD-40 website , the MSDS sheet in particular , notice in the physical properties , the last listing on both columns it gives the volatile percentages both by volume and percentage of weight , (the stuff that will evaporate , otherwise known as solvents) 74 % solvent.... Three quarters of what you spray onto your marker will evaporate leaving behind the other 25 percent of,,,oil , yes its an oil , but the viscosity of that oil is closer to tar than any lubricating oil you'd think of .

Also the flashpoint , listed in the fire and explosion section (IV) show the solvents flash off at a low temperature of 131 degrees Farenheight (Gasoline flashes off at ten degrees higher than those solvents in WD-40 !! would you lube your marker with unleaded ?)

OKAY , maybe the spray bottle stuff is better , surely it cant be much worse , lets see..

http://www.wd40.com/Brands/pdfs/msds-wd40_bulk.us.pdf - http://www.wd40.com/Brands/pdfs/msds-wd40_bulk.us.pdf

Nope , looks like the same stuff to me , 74 percent volatile components and notably the absence of CO2 (propellant , I presume) .

 Still no mention of exactly what those volatile compounds are , they could be, and most probably are at least in some proportion , Naptha , Xylene , Ethyl alcohol , tolulene , MEK , Acetone , or any of a dozen other aliphatic hydrocarbons (products made from refined or distilled oil) , Volatile Organic compounds(a broader classification of compounds that includes synthetically produced compounds , petroleum products , and other chemicals with a tendency to have low flash points , including naturally occuring compounds such as ammonia , alcohol , Etc)

Okay , lets see if we can find some chemical compatibility charts ,,,

McMaster-Carr's website , on o-ring properties ,

---

Copyright 2006 All rights reserved.

---

Cole-Parmers chemical compatibility chart , notice aromatic Hydrocarbons , severe effect on buna-n , not recommended, no way-no how !!

http://www.coleparmer.com/techinfo/ChemCompResults.asp - http://www.coleparmer.com/techinfo/ChemCompResults.asp

Now for Viton oring material , same site , same page,, hit the link and then the back button , change the material to viton , and then hit the submit button , same for neoprene , a chemically similar material to polyurethane . To readily see the weaknesses of each material , select a compatibility level of  "Severe" , you'll see solvents of differing natures and compositions affect the o-rings differently , but light machine oils , Synthetic and refined hydrocarbon lubricants (NOT solvents) are most generally acceptable .

Point being , unless you know exactly which solvents, or thinners you are dealing with , and the specific compatibility of the materials you are using , stay with manufacturers recommendations , they've put more research into what chemicals can go with what materials than any of us can , or care to invest in the subject !! I've come to learn , with over 30 years experience working with just about every industrial technology around , when in doubt , look it up , and dont ignore what the "Big Boys" have to say about their own products or chemicals !!

Is anybody really gonna read through all the stuff I linked ?, or just spout more nonsense ?

yeah do urself a favor and not use it

I don't like WD-40 as a lubricant. Particularly for use as a primary lubricant for paintball markers. Thickening as the "solvent" evaporates? Yes, to the consistency of about 2 weight motor oil...still quite thin.  It's plus side is that as a pressurized spray can it blows and washes dirt and trash out of rolling and sliding parts. Oh, and it is a fair, better than nothing right out of the spray can, cutting fluid for machining aluminum.

Most refrigeration systems use neoprene "O" rings which are, as I read the charts, the least resistant to oils and fuels. I would gather that neoprene is not the material used for the Tippmann "O" rings. But, even if they were, the occasional spritz with WD-40, the quick evaporation of its "solvents" would not likely damage the "O" ring.

Do you really think a set of dial calipers offers a finer closure feel than a set of mikes? Remember, I wasn't measuring absolutes, I compared soaked and non-soaked...a change in dimension, not to size the thing for cutting the fitting groove.

As for the "solvent/thinner" in WD-40, I have not been able find its identity. I have assumed that it was a refined kerosene. The sweet scent of WD-40 makes it difficult to identify.

My pasted comments are from manufacturer's pages and they differ only slightly from the McMaster-Carr chart. My original point that WD-40 presented no real damage potential to the elastomers used in the Tippmann markers seems to have been lost in the point making.

As I have posted times before, my chosen lubricants for my 98C are brands of air tool oil( I like Marvel Air Tool oil and Senco Pneumatic Tool oil) and white lithium grease. I have used Hoppes. I have done "O" ring soak tests in all of them.

I have used WD-40 spray to clean dirt, grime and other field debris from the internal parts. Shook off the excess, reassembled the marker and returned to play. It certainly left nothing behind that was catastrophically detrimental to my marker...in the short term or long term.

Though I didn't keep records of replacement intervals, my "O" rings and seals actually appeared to require replacement less frequently that ones in other player's markers with whom I played regularly. Sticking to a regular cleaning and lubrication regime seems to have much more impact on "O" ring longevity than the kind of oil used.

My play experience and my soak tests have shown me no reason to fear the use of WD-40 in my marker.

BTW, all the "O" rings I tested were damaged by short soaks in acetone, MEK and toluene.

I agree Wholeheartedly with your commitment to a proper maintenance and cleaning schedule including lubrication with a light oil !

We've been splitting hairs here , but the point I was trying to make , and you said it best , is while WD-40 is an excellent cleaner , I wouldnt recommend it for a primary lubricant in an air tool .

I have found with my 98 customs , at least (they've been highly modded , so it may not hold true across the board) the o-rings wear to the point of needing to be replaced from mechanical damage , nicks , thermal cycling (I use CO2 exclusively ) long before I see any signs of lubrication related failures . That happens at roughly Fourty thousand rounds use .

Short term exposure to most solvents wont mean "Instant Death" to a marker , but I prefer to take a longer term approach , meaning if its going to be possibly detrimental in the long term , I shy away from its use in the short term also . but a quick Blast of cleaning at mid-day break to remove debris and grit followed by a good cleaning and lubrication at the end of the day, may prevent operational problems in the short term . Thats a matter of personal preference .

As far as I can tell then , nobody recommends using WD-40 as a Primary lubricant for paintball markers ,, I didnt want some newer players to get the misconcieved idea that it was okay to use WD-40 that way .

BTW , another engineering data site for chemical compatibility Vs O-ring materials , easier to use than the first one listed ;

http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.cfm?SM=none&SC=Lubricating%20Oils%2C%20Petroleum%20Base#mat - http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.c fm?SM=none&SC=Lubricating%20Oils%2C%20Petroleum%20Base#m at

The  volatile substance in WD-40 is listed as "Stoddard Solvent" , a primary ingredient in Dry cleaning fluids , paint thinners , and industrial de-greasers .

Ya Know ,,, its one thing to have a debate with someone, and bring every bit of information and experience to bear that you have ,,,,, but its totally another for a third party to the debate to open their PIE-HOLE after the fact and berate one of the others involved in the debate .

Bruce A Frank made some valid points and has probably more experience than I do in a great many things , markers included . He presented his arguements quite well , and while being prejudiced towards the use of WD-40 managed to do so without resorting to the type of attitude I just saw in your post .

I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd go outside and beat yourself in the head with a rock for me and refrain from posting again until your manners catch up with your alleged knowledge and experience .

Tippmann's been making markers a lot longer than 20 years kid , If Yer gonna talk **the Poo-Poo word** at least be able to do so intelligently .

http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.c fm?SM=none&SC=Lubricating%20Oils%2C%20Petroleum%20Base#m at - http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.c fm?SM=none&SC=Lubricating%20Oils%2C%20Petroleum%20Base#m at

Shadowminion,

This is a great link. Interesting that Stodard Solvent is fully compatible with Buna N but no data on polyurethane.

I noticed that too , but still I dont feel good about recommending that stuff to anybody , or using it myself (WD-40 , that is,,) .

Neoprene is a similar elastomer , but not chemically identical , and while Stoddard solvent may be compatible with Buna-n , It shows less than favorable compatibility with Milled and cast polyurethane , and I am going out on a limb a bit here , but assuming that Viton (Very similar to Hypalon) is an absolute "No Match" for stoddard solvent .

 If I ever find a perfect lubricant for all the common elastomers , you can believe I'll be letting people know about it . For now , I'll stick with what my experience and research have shown me to work well and caution others to be very careful about their selections in lubricants .

A lot of combinations I thought would be okay , werent according to efunda.com .

I have spent countless hours troubleshooting and repairing damage caused by "improper/lack of"  lubrication , and a good share of that has been from use of WD-40 , so , understandably I am very vehement about its proper use or misuse , as the case may be .

 Good lubrication and cleaning is the cheapest form of insurance against malfunctions and breakdowns you can get with just about any piece of equipment .

Boo bear 2 wrote: i put 10 w30 in mine and it brock my gun

Brock witch party?