Oiled my air rifle with petroleum lube...should I send it in for repair?

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MarkS85

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Jul 8, 2017
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Montana
I recently got a Ruger Yukon air rifle (gas piston, made by Umarex, I believe). I read that you should clean the barrel before use...though I probably should have read what kind of lube to use. I used Hoppes lube (which is petroleum based). I put 2 oiled patches through and then 2 dry patches before it came out clean. I fired 4 shots out of it and all were very loud, with smoke coming from the barrel. I also inspected the bore each time and sometimes it was dirty, sometimes I couldn't even see out the other side (blowing into it cleared it right up). I stopped because I thought it might worry the neighbors, since it sounded more like a .22.

Then I let it sit for a night, barrel up, so I guess the oil could have leaked down into the compression chamber. I don't know if it did, but I've been googling to try to find out if I've ruined it or not. I cleaned the barrel with Goo-Gone covered patches today (I saw it recommended by some people) and then fired it twice more. It's still loud, but there was less smoke. On the second shot the barrel was clogged with carbon again and I couldn't see through until blowing on it. 

My worry is that I'm ruining it (or the seal?) because I used petroleum-based oil and it's dieseling. I was reading an article on the Umarex website (https://www.umarexusa.com/blogs/airgun-news/dieseling-air-rifles) and it makes it sound like a very dire situation and says to send air rifles cleaned with petroleum lubes back to them. 

Should I just keep shooting it until it (hopefully) stops dieseling? Have I really screwed up and I should just send it in? Is there something I can do to clean the compression chamber to get rid of any petroleum-based lube in there? I'm hesitant to squirt any Goo-Gone in there...

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
In general, mixing oils shouldn't have too much of an effect, particularly if they have come into little contact which seems to be the case here (mixing different oils can be very bad if frequently done in large amounts, though). I wouldn't worry too much about a little dieseling. If it is in an extreme amount, though, get the gun checked out.

Do break-barrels really need oil when cleaning them? I use a PCP, but I stopped that practice a couple of years ago when I realized that my barrel was just as clean and didn't have a break-in period when I ran only dry patches.

Tim
 
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Thanks everyone - I was hoping the Umarex site was being overly cautious. I'll keep shooting it then and I guess soon it should burn off all that oil.

Eaglehorn, I have more of a background in firearms; so when I saw people recommending to "clean the gunk out of the barrel before use", I just kind of assumed that meant the same thing as for my powder burners. I'm very new to air rifles!

Thanks again!
 
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"MarkS85"I recently got a Ruger Yukon air rifle (gas piston, made by Umarex, I believe). I read that you should clean the barrel before use...though I probably should have read what kind of lube to use. I used Hoppes lube (which is petroleum based). I put 2 oiled patches through and then 2 dry patches before it came out clean. I fired 4 shots out of it and all were very loud, with smoke coming from the barrel. I also inspected the bore each time and sometimes it was dirty, sometimes I couldn't even see out the other side (blowing into it cleared it right up). I stopped because I thought it might worry the neighbors, since it sounded more like a .22.

Then I let it sit for a night, barrel up, so I guess the oil could have leaked down into the compression chamber. I don't know if it did, but I've been googling to try to find out if I've ruined it or not. I cleaned the barrel with Goo-Gone covered patches today (I saw it recommended by some people) and then fired it twice more. It's still loud, but there was less smoke. On the second shot the barrel was clogged with carbon again and I couldn't see through until blowing on it. 

My worry is that I'm ruining it (or the seal?) because I used petroleum-based oil and it's dieseling. I was reading an article on the Umarex website (https://www.umarexusa.com/blogs/airgun-news/dieseling-air-rifles) and it makes it sound like a very dire situation and says to send air rifles cleaned with petroleum lubes back to them. 

Should I just keep shooting it until it (hopefully) stops dieseling? Have I really screwed up and I should just send it in? Is there something I can do to clean the compression chamber to get rid of any petroleum-based lube in there? I'm hesitant to squirt any Goo-Gone in there...

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Like the guys are saying a little dieseling is no big deal, but if it still sounds like a .22lr at every shot then it is beyond normal dieseling. You are describing detonation which could have a detrimental impact on the rifle.
 
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Another technique I've used to get past break in period dieseling is to shoot a tin of much heavier pellets than your normal preferred pellets for a while. You didn't mention the Yukon's caliber but for .177 the JSB monsters 13.43 works well and for .22 the JSB monsters .25gr or H&N Barracuda 21gr. These heavier pellets helps control the dieseling process into smaller dieseling events per shot and are much less likely to go supersonic. when you notice the dieseling has completely stopped after break in, switch to normal pellets.
 
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Hey everyone, thought I should follow up. I've shot more than 100 pellets through it and it's still dieseling. It does sometimes seem to be less severe (the barrel sometimes is only darker than it should be, rather than completely blocked with soot). To me it sounds quieter, but I have been shooting it with hearing protection because it still sounds close to a .22LR.

It's a .22 caliber and I'm shooting the Gamo hunting pellets (14.3 gr). I might buy some of the heavier ones and try it. Lately I've just been shooting inside with several plywood panels as a backstop, just because it still seems way too loud for neighbors to not complain. 

Any further thoughts on whether I should try something else or just keep plugging away with more pellets? I've been considering using my air compressor down the piston hole (I'm not sure if that's what it's called - the hole in the receiver) to maybe clear out some oil. I just don't want to ruin it (though maybe I already have?). 
 
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I'd say just keep shooting it, store it for a few hours cocked with the barrel facing down and just keep running dry wipes through it. My springer was doing this for at least 40 shots after upgrading the spring. Yeah it was super loud too, I put it away after every shot it sounded like a .22 lr at first. I dry fired it a few times (which I probably shouldn't have) but its since cleaned out. I still smell it "finding some oil" every now and then but as a rule much quieter.

The oil has most likely gotten into the compression tube, so it'll diesel until that oil has worked out. Blowing air in the transfer port hole probably wont help much as it has nowhere to go besides out the same hole you're blowing in.
 
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