Rotary valves are easy to maintain, and with proper care, they will give trouble free service for many years. We have found the following procedure effective in keeping the valves in good condition, providing a tight air-seal and a smooth and quick action.1. Unscrew the valve caps. Place a drop of medium weight machine oil (Paxman or Yamaha Spindle Bearing Oil or equivalent) on the end of each rotor bearing. Without depressing the levers, pull each valve slide out to the end. The resulting suction will pull oil into the thrust bearing at the end of the rotor. Replace the valve caps. 2. Turn the horn over. Place a drop of Spindle Bearing Oil (or equivalent) at the place where the rotor shaft emerges from the casing of each rotor. Draw the valve slides as in step one.
3. Remove the 1st F an Bb slides. Holding the slides vertically, pour an eyedropper of valve oil into each slide. Still keeping the slides vertical, insert them all the way into the horn (this keeps the oil off the slide tubes.) Pour the oil onto the rotors, rock the horn back and forth while working the valves to distribute the oil, and drain off excess.
4. Lever oil should be used to lubricate the key hinge rods and the springs. If the horn has mechanical linkages they should be oiled with Paxman lever linkage oil or SAE 90 gear oil.
These steps should be followed weekly It is also a good practice to blow an eyedropper of valve oil through the mouthpipe when the valves are oiled. The oil film both protects the inside of the instrument from the corrosive effects of the the breath and keeps foreign material from adhering to the bore.
If this procedure is followed faithfully you can expect many years of trouble free service from your horn.