Pump Lubrication

[Teh Moron]

It appears my Flash Flood pump has somewhat dried out, as it is harder to push and pull than when I got it. What is a suitable lubricant considering the blaster has rubber seals? WD-40 and Vaseline will chew through the rubber, won't it?

[Silence]

Silicone lubricant is a good choice since it's not oil-based.

Of course, Vaseline and others can still be used in homemade because the seals can be easily replaced.

[C-A_99]

I prefer using silicone and nothing else that may damage rubber. The pump on an old 1200 was getting pretty stiff once and wouldn't close half the time. I sprayed a bit and the pump slides very effortlessly now. Unfortunately, I didn't get the same results with some other guns; their pumps' friction increase, or nothing much happened. This may have been because they were already moving as efficiently as possible. (but the seal was manufactured to be a bit big, or the pump shaft small)

From what I've heard, oil based lubes only chew through natural rubber, such as LRT. Still, I don't take the chance, and it's easier and less messy to spray silicone lube anyway than to wad out a chunk of vaseline.

[SSCBen]

C-A_99's correct that petroleum based lubricants are problems primarily on natural rubber. Buna-N rubber (a common O-ring material) is fine with vaseline, a common natural lubricant. However, the plastic may not be, though, I believe ABS is fine with it (please verify this rather than take my word).

Silicone lubricant is usually a safe bet. You might be some issues if the O-rings are made from silicone, but in every water gun I've see they have not been.

[Hyper]

If you can find it, use silicone grease instead of silicone spray. The grease is 100% silicone so you can be sure it contains no oil based stuff as well. The grease can be found at home improvement stores.

[Silence]

Good suggestion...I never considered that before. I find the grease to be just as easy to work with, of course. You get more control (ever try greasing door hinges with silicone spray?) and you rarely need to spray the lubricant from a distance anyway.

[cantab]

ever try greasing door hinges with silicone spray?

I used WD40 (I think it's silicone based, correct me if I'm wrong), and it worked great. Took less than a minute including wiping off excess, and no more squeaking.

[Hyper]

I used WD40 (I think it's silicone based, correct me if I'm wrong), and it worked great. Took less than a minute including wiping off excess, and no more squeaking.

WD-40 seems to be made of several hydrocarbons, which may not be the best choice for lubricating rubber and plastics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40