Mobil Vactra 20 Way Oil .. stinks :(

[graham-xrf]

I mean only literally!
The oil is famous for being an excellent sticky way oil, and I am sure it has excellent properties as a machine slide lubricant.
The trouble is, it smells so bad that I am actively seeking an alternative that also works, but is not so yuk when it adorns one's machines.

My shop has become a reasonably pleasant place. Think the aroma of the coffee machine mixed with the online jazz instrumental blues and country rock, and a great view to the South. In the end, nothing can really compete with the Mobil!

There are some others that also deserve only to stay within the confines of the transmission gearbox they serve. Most EP90 (hypoid) and similar extreme pressure lubes seem to have this crude oil feature, but at least they don't get spread over everything. Oil-aroma nostalgia, the waft of Castrol-R at a track meeting, or a full blast NASCAR drive-by is just not for me. I have had enough of aviation Avgas from Continetals and Lycomings, and burnt A1 coming from jet exhausts for one lifetime.

So - has anyone tried doping way oil with Chanel No 5?

 

[Nutfarmer]

The Chevron way lub I use doesn’t smell that I can notice. It seams to work well for my uses. Don’t know how well it would work in a commercial setting.

 

[Aukai]

Vactra #2 does not have the tackifiers it used to have acording to information on this site, so I switched to Chevron. There is a smell but to my nose it is not very strong, and this is very stringy.

 

[tweinke]

I used Vectra 2 for awhile. Got some from Precision Matthews branded when I got y new lathe, what a difference in the tackiness.

 

[benmychree]

I rather like the aroma of Vactra #2.

 

[jbaccell]

Vactra #2 does not have the tackifiers it used to have acording to information on this site, so I switched to Chevron. There is a smell but to my nose it is not very strong, and this is very stringy.

I find the Sunoco 1180 way lube to be very stringy as well. Good stuff.

 

[graham-xrf]

I rather like the aroma of Vactra #2.

OK - I guess some will like the ambiance of oil with metal engineering, and I completely accept the preference is subjective, and personal.
I know that it was either Granny or Elly May Clampett in "The Beverly Hillbillies" who used "vanilla" as perfume.

Sometime past, I did smile at the android robot Kryten from the comedy series "Red Dwarf".
Kryten, besotted by the female version of his kind when he first encounters her, loved the perfume (WD-40) !

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Slightly tangential I like tangenitals, I recently repaired a badly misused federal dial indicator and after getting it fixed as good as I dared( bent shaft, missing spring etc) it was still just a bit gritchy.

I dabbed some #2 on the shaft ends and it was a night and day difference in the smoothness.

I may have to go back in and replace the main pinion gear jewel, but applying that lil bit of oil lent me to try and trust it for now.

 

[ddickey]

Mobil Vacuoline 1409 is superior to Vactra #2 imo.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I mean only literally!
The oil is famous for being an excellent sticky way oil, and I am sure it has excellent properties as a machine slide lubricant.
The trouble is, it smells so bad that I am actively seeking an alternative that also works, but is not so yuk when it adorns one's machines.

My shop has become a reasonably pleasant place. Think the aroma of the coffee machine mixed with the online jazz instrumental blues and country rock, and a great view to the South. In the end, nothing can really compete with the Mobil!

There are some others that also deserve only to stay within the confines of the transmission gearbox they serve. Most EP90 (hypoid) and similar extreme pressure lubes seem to have this crude oil feature, but at least they don't get spread over everything. Oil-aroma nostalgia, the waft of Castrol-R at a track meeting, or a full blast NASCAR drive-by is just not for me. I have had enough of aviation Avgas from Continetals and Lycomings, and burnt A1 coming from jet exhausts for one lifetime.

So - has anyone tried doping way oil with Chanel No 5?

I wonder if Lucas makes a way lube....