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When it comes to valve oil on pistons, are you generous or stingy?

I've heard one tech tell people that one drop of valve oil is enough.

I prefer to coat mine pretty generously. My thinking is that if there is more oil covering the valve surface, there will be a better barrier against wear.

What say ye?

Generous!

What is too much oil going to do (besides potentially get on your pants)? I see no downside.

Generous.

Because I don't feel like doing it again too soon.

I use so much that I have to put paper towels down when I oil my valves. I'd use Pig Mats if I had any…

I flood my rotors down the leadpipe, so why not!

the elephant wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 4:04 pm I use so much that I have to put paper towels down when I oil my valves. I'd use Pig Mats if I had any…

Nice! We use these at the air museum where I volunteer in the restoration hangar. We tape them to the floor under the leaky engines.

I tell my students to "wet it, don't drown it"

Stingy, I suppose...
You only have to pull out each piston not even halfway to put a couple drops of oil on them, twirl, then push back in and screw the cap back on. I put the bottle nozzle right on each valve to lubricate with a couple drops.
I'm also brush-snaking with valve oil the mouthpipe much more frequently.

I've gone full Bloke... A good soaking of lamp oil ever time I play... for both pistons and rotors. For older piston instruments with with valves I use a mixture of 1/3 mineral oil and 2/3 lamp oil.... that matches the viscosity of Yamaha Vintage or Berp Bio Oil heavy.

I'm not a piston person but have done enough to decide that it's both. My Sterling euph has excellent pistons and Allisyn does not need a lot nor to be applied often.
When I had a 2280, I had blue juice and I swear I had to put it on liberally every half hour. The pistons would stick (and suck) horribly otherwise. I wonder if I had had Allisyn then how it would have worked out.

I spit on pistons every two months or so.

Just like my tuba teacher (trombone player) told me back in 1966, rotors don't need oil.

the elephant wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 4:04 pm I use so much that I have to put paper towels down when I oil my valves. I'd use Pig Mats if I had any…

This is a great idea! it helps that I have them.