Leaking 4th valve on 321/Yellow spit

[PlayeroftheEuph]

I am having a problem with my school owned Yamaha YEP-321. Spit leaks out of bottom of the 4th valve. The same thing happens with my new standard, but I have never seen this problem ever happen before on non compensating horns. Also, on another horn in my section, all the spit that comes out of the horn is yellow. It stains the floor. Why is this? Is this a problem?

[carbogast]

Generally, it's condensed water from your breath and valve oil that accumulates in the slides and the bottom valve caps. Cold horns tend to produce more water than warm horns, so it could be that your 4th valve tube is staying colder than the other 3. It may also have to do with how you hold your horn when playing or resting. I tend to get more water dripping from the 1st 3 valves. In any event, it is normal. I don't know why compensating horns tend to drip more but it might have to do with a larger bore and longer pistons.

Regarding the "yello spit": it could be mold or corrosion. What ever it is, it's not nice! I think a good start would be to give that horn a bath. When I was in high school, we were expected to keep them clean and bathe them regularly (at home) with detergent and water. Clean horns sound and play better too.

- Carroll

[davewerden]

FWIW, when I was using synthetic oil, I would get yellow puddles on the floor. It seemed to be a characteristic of the oil, because the rag I used to wipe the valves would also gradually turn yellow.

[fmanola]

What Dave says. I use Hetman's (synthetic) oil and (at home) catch the drips in a paper-towel-lined pan. The paper towels are always yellow after a while.

[davewerden]

I just ran across my old bottom of synthetic. Check out this photo. It's blurry, but the color comes through just fine! This oil was clear when I first bought it.

[shafera]

I currently play on a YEP 321 and the fourth valve always leaks on my hand. Many people say that Yamaha's have a reputation of leaking.

[bbocaner]

Hetmans piston oil does turn yellow! All the geniuses over at tubenet say it's dirt in the instrument, but my experience is that it turns yellow in the bottle -- just like Dave's photo of Binak. I have not seen any yellow residue from the yamaha synthetic oil, nor have I had similar problems with hetman's rotary oil on my rotary valve instruments.

[tampaworth]

I decided to try Hetmans Piston due to having a somewhat older instrument but it seems to give a somewhat less smooth result overall than Al Cass in my 1978 Besson New Standard which, irregardless, leaks all over my pants when playing (and on white shorts turns yellow). I think fellow band members will give me a bunch of crap if I start playing with a towel on my lap like the lady next to me does. Here's a question... Do real men use a lap towel or do they just trash their pants? Luckily with concert black pants it doesn't matter. On another note, my older pre-Virtuoso Sterling I just purchased on EBay is waiting for me today at the local FEDEX after making the cross country trip from Washington state -- hopefully it arrives in good shape! Very excited as having another quality horn will allow proper minor reconditioning of each in turn with no loss of playing time. I'm wondering which will become the favorite of the two and will keep the forum posted for those interested.

[daniel76309]

I keep a hand towel on my lap and use it to catch whatever comes out of the horn. In my opinion everyone should do this, especially in public places. It is mostly condensation, but it is going to have some saliva and a bunch of oral bacteria in it, and just dumping it on the floor seems kind of disgusting to me. I have a few "practice towels" dedicated for this purpose--they go in my case and I take them home and wash them.

[tampaworth]

Great idea and very considerate. I've often wondered when playing and/or practicing in a church (or other public indoor venue) and we are all letting it out all over the floor, sometimes in considerable quantity. Many of us would never do that at home yet we do it everywhere else. Something to think about. This takes care of what a catcher would as well as dealing with the floor issue. Disposable may be the way to go vs putting it in the washing machine, esthetically speaking. Thanks very much for the idea!