31 replies to this topic

[Zippity]

Why are armatures dyed with different colours?

 

What can you tell from the armature dye?

[gotboostedvr6]

Dye helps identify loose magnet, over heat and its purdy

[mreibman]

Color is mostly preference.

However, it has been my experience that yellow turns brownish with heat, and the green I used to have almost always ended up discoloring.

Camen always used purple. I wonder why... Lol.

I also maydye the stacks on an arm different colors for some reason, especially to remind me it may be a hemi wind.

[Eddie Fleming]

Someone said Red is always faster. 

[Phil Smith]

Swiss has explained why Koford uses red.

[gotboostedvr6]

After a over heat
Red turns brown
Yellow turns green brown
Purple same the same ish
Green turns very dark green

[Bill Seitz]

Dye can also keep the arm from rusting which they have a tendency to do. Unfortunately, cleaning solvents can remove it quite easily.

[John Luongo]

arm dye can cover a lot of sins. i dont often use arm dye nowadays. but when i do, i use purple. stay visible my friends.

[MSwiss]

If one wants their arm dye to function as something other than a rust preventive, or easy indicator that the magnet(s) are rubbing, one should use red.

As alluded to by Phil, when Stu Koford started producing armatures, he tested the various color, machinists layout dye, to see how they react to heat.

The only one that acts effectively as a thermometer, is red.

As the arm/motor heats up, you'll see red dyed stacks go from the "stock" red to;
metallic red
maroon
light brown
dark brown
black

Of course, if you say, get the arm light brown, over tiring the car, and switch to narrower or harder tires, the colors don't have a reverse.
Lol

[Gene/ZR1]

I just use Dykem Layout Fluid, Blue, Red, Yellow, works for me and smells really good. 

[MSwiss]

Yes, that's what armature dye is.

I tried to allude to that in my last post but the keyboard on my wife's phone wouldn't cooperate.

[zipper]

Always used red - a big tipped felt pen is in my slot box. Works pretty well.

[Bill from NH]

Monty Ohren always swore by yellow. 

[zipper]

It did work - but not as well as red...

[MSwiss]

Monty Ohren always swore by yellow. 

Did he have a rational explanation?

Speaking of arm stacks, my 17th favorite Monty story was before he started making his own arms, when he tried to talk me out of the epoxy we used to glue comms on the shaft.

For what reason?

So after heating up the arm, and breaking them loose, he could reglue the comms on the arms he was using for RTR motors, to his perception of the correct position, to match the factory engraved timing.

[Bill from NH]

He said he preferred yellow because its color changes were easier to see. His forum/column is still on OWH for anybody interested. 

[MSwiss]

This was posted less than a year before he passed.

[gotboostedvr6]

Denatured alcohol is the primary chemical in Dykem and can be used to thin it appropriately.

I always double coat after the first coat is fully dried. Leaves a deeper color imo.

Ive seen maybe a dozen arms that were marked properly for timing. Many times there are 2 or 3 different timing , one for each pole. This is Due to the comm not being drilled center.

Proslot seems to think timing is a fluid thing and the truth is a figment of some fairies imagination. Koford is better but only slightly.

[Mark Onofri]

It's probably just me but, I think any colour but clear would look stupid on a "vintage" arm . I know with time, Lucky Bob's turns clear. Do the major balancers give you a option?

[Bill from NH]

It you want your arms clear, you could coat them with a light oil. I never heard of any balancer giving dye color choices. Lucky Bob's blue dye separates with time but doesn't dry clear. I've had two bottles separate. I have a half bottle of Parma yellow dye from the '70s & it hasn't separated.

[team burrito]

i want to try a fat sharpie marker.

[Bill from NH]

Russ, I used a fat purple marker about 20 yrs. ago. It covered okay but I forget how long it lasted.

[Mark Onofri]

Billnh, yes it was blue! I haven't sent a arm out for 20+ years!!!,so I was just wondering. The other reasons
1) rust
2) hitting the mags
Are great reasons for it but,
It's fugly.

[NJ Racer]

Alpha used yellow

Liebenthal used blue

Viper Jerry used yellow

[Bill from NH]

Camen used purple

Thorp didn't use any.