oils

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 10/25/2001 8:48:05 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> Hello All -
> I don't know if this has been discussed before on the digest, but Wes 
> Ingram
> told me that the best guess for the fluid inside the thermostatic actuator
> on the Spica cars is a highly refined olive oil ! He said that nobody knows
> for sure, but a few chemists have looked at it and olive oil is their best
> guess...

A race driver with many years experience told me of using castor bean oil 
which is also used in, I think he said, International Harvester farm 
machinery or some kind of trucks (?)  It doesn't last long but has the right 
properties before it's toast.

Like castor bean oil, olive oil is a much fresher organic product than dino 
oil which means to me it is quite perishable, especially if you stick it in a 
tough, hot environment.  The oil in the SPICAs may have qualities comparable 
to oilive oil but it seems impossible that olive oil would last more than a 
very short time in that kind of use.

Plus, it is a waste of olive oil, not to mention the cost of a nice extra 
virgin.

Charlie
LA, CA, USA

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