Too much lube?

Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance
1

Hi,

I was reading the forums and someone mentioned too much lube… Is that possible(to a reasonable amount, like not dipping the bearing in it)?

If so how much is the right amount? Videos say a drop but it doesn’t seem to cover it.

Thanks,
Kaspar

2

How big is a drop? How high is up?
Elusive questions. My own practice is to put in a drop, probably 1/32 to 1/16 in. diameter. Spin the bearing on a pencil tip to distribute it. Then I use compressed air to blow it somewhat dry. The last bit is trial and error - blow, spin, blow until it feels right.

3

A drop is plenty. Spin the bearing on a pencil after lubing to even it out.

The bottle I had from 9 months ago is not even half way gone.

4

Yeah, lube slows things down and can even make a yoyo responsive. An absolutely clean and dry bearing plays better than an over lubed one in my experience. A little lube helps quiet a noisy dry bearing and gives a little protection especially in humid environments, but anything beyond a drop is not needed. After a good cleaning, I take a straight pin or a needle and get a itty bitty drop on it, then touch it to a couple of the balls opposite eachother in the bearing.

5

A bit of lube also tends to make them run smoother.

6

Try Terrapin X DryLube. Now available on YYE.
Spins better then dry…and no galling …

7

I posted this under “YoYo General Talk”, but it seemed appropriate for this thread as well.

I have found that using V4M lube with the eye of a #12 sewing needle holds the exact amount of lube that works great for me. The eye size of the #12 holds just right amount of lube when gently touched to a couple of the balls in the bearing. This is the best way I have found to administer a consistent amount of lube to each bearing.

If you find that you would rather have more or less lube, you can simply try a different sized needle.

8

That’s been my experience as well. My practice after cleaning a bearing is to put a single full drop of lube and then play the ■■■■■■■ out of the yoyo until the lube breaks in. But I’m not all hung up on my yoyos being dead unresponsive like many of the cool kids. :slight_smile: