2 cycle engines.

[KK]

I have a Stihl weedwacker, it takes 50:1 ratio. Just bought a ryobi blower/vac, it takes 40:1. Should I use 2 tanks and mix each up separatly or can I just maybe run both of a certain mixture, or maybe make it 45:1 by dumping alittle more gas in the 40:1 can?

Any ideas?

 

[iamwiz82]

Why not make it 40:1 and then add more to make it 50:1 for the weedwacker?

 

[Armitage]

You can probably run the richer mix (40:1) in the 50:1 engine. Just smoke more and change/clean plugs more. I know my dad does it all the time.

 

[upsciLLion]

It's better to run more oil than suggested than less. I'd mix up two different cans. It's not that expensive and will almost definitely add to the life of the engines.

 

[Eli]

Use a high quality synthetic two-cycle oil(NOT! something that is TCW3) and run 40:1 in both.

I've been using AMSOil two-cycle oils for a while now and there is nothing better.

I realize that they claim it is a universal 100:1 mix ratio, but I'm not comfortable with that, so I run 40:1 in everything.

You don't have to use AMSOil, though. Another good one that should be more widely available is Castrol TTS.

I cannot stress the importance of a synthetic 2-cycle oil. DO NOT use a petroleum TCW-3 oil in your air-cooled two-cycle engines.

TCW stands for Two-Cycle Water cooled. It is ONLY meant for 2-cycle engines that are water cooled, and therefor run much cooler.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Eli
Use a high quality synthetic two-cycle oil(NOT! something that is TCW3) and run 40:1 in both.

I've been using AMSOil two-cycle oils for a while now and there is nothing better.

I realize that they claim it is a universal 100:1 mix ratio, but I'm not comfortable with that, so I run 40:1 in everything.

You don't have to use AMSOil, though. Another good one that should be more widely available is Castrol TTS.

I cannot stress the importance of a synthetic 2-cycle oil. DO NOT use a petroleum TCW-3 oil in your air-cooled two-cycle engines.

TCW stands for Two-Cycle Water cooled. It is ONLY meant for 2-cycle engines that are water cooled, and therefor run much cooler.

Yea ... nothing but synthetic for me. That solved alot of problems I was having with my chainsaw.

 

[Scarpozzi]

My vote is to run somewhere between 45:1 and 50:1. Chances are, 40:1 would run fine in everything, but you definitely want to make sure everything is getting the oil it needs. I don't care for 2 cycle engines, even though they're great...I just hate mixing gas and oil.

<=====lazy

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
My vote is to run somewhere between 45:1 and 50:1. Chances are, 40:1 would run fine in everything, but you definitely want to make sure everything is getting the oil it needs. I don't care for 2 cycle engines, even though they're great...I just hate mixing gas and oil.

<=====lazy

Some things just don't come in 4-cycle flavors yet. At least I've never seen a 4-cycle chainsaw, all though I think I have seen weedwackers. The thought of changing the crankcase oil on a weedwacker is just kind of ... odd.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
My vote is to run somewhere between 45:1 and 50:1. Chances are, 40:1 would run fine in everything, but you definitely want to make sure everything is getting the oil it needs. I don't care for 2 cycle engines, even though they're great...I just hate mixing gas and oil.

<=====lazy

You also have to remember that sometimes the mix ratios specified don't even apply anymore. My old weedwacker specifies a 16:1 ratio, but this is from when two-cycle oils left much to be desired.

In general, it is true that you can't run too much oil in the ultra compact 2-cycles. Unless they are high quality, full crank and full ball-bearing engines, they are only designed to last 400 - 600 running hours.

Even the top of the line engines like Tanaka only have a 1500 hour rated bottom end. That just isn't enough time to worry about carbon buildup leading to more than a couple of spark plug changes.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
My vote is to run somewhere between 45:1 and 50:1. Chances are, 40:1 would run fine in everything, but you definitely want to make sure everything is getting the oil it needs. I don't care for 2 cycle engines, even though they're great...I just hate mixing gas and oil.

<=====lazy

You also have to remember that sometimes the mix ratios specified don't even apply anymore. My old weedwacker specifies a 16:1 ratio, but this is from when two-cycle oils left much to be desired.

In general, it is true that you can't run too much oil in the ultra compact 2-cycles. Unless they are high quality, full crank and full ball-bearing engines, they are only designed to last 400 - 600 running hours.

Even the top of the line engines like Tanaka only have a 1500 hour rated bottom end. That just isn't enough time to worry about carbon buildup leading to more than a couple of spark plug changes.

If I have occasion to put 400 hours on my chainsaw, I'll be happy enough for it to die. And somebody kill me also!
Seriously, 400 hours would be like 12 years for me (probably use it about 4 weekends a year, maybe 8 hours running per weekend). I don't expect a chainsaw to last that long really.

 

[Kaieye]

I remember one of my best friends running Vegtable oil and gas in his two stroke Yamaha about 25 years ago. That bike had a odd smell coming from the exhaust but he ran it for a few miles for the hell of it...

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Kaieye
I remember one of my best friends running Vegtable oil and gas in his two stroke Yamaha about 25 years ago. That bike had a odd smell coming from the exhaust but he ran it for a few miles for the hell of it...

Crude, somewhat effective, but very bad idea. Vegetable oil just can't stand up to the sort of temperatures and pressures seen inside an engine.

Back in the old days, you would just mix regular 30 weight oil with the gasoline. That would be better than vegetable oil.

 

[Anubis]

2 diff cans

our mower is 50:1, chain saw and wacker are 40:1 and the snowblower takes regular gas

your friend in death

Anubis

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Kaieye
I remember one of my best friends running Vegtable oil and gas in his two stroke Yamaha about 25 years ago. That bike had a odd smell coming from the exhaust but he ran it for a few miles for the hell of it...

Crude, somewhat effective, but very bad idea. Vegetable oil just can't stand up to the sort of temperatures and pressures seen inside an engine.

Back in the old days, you would just mix regular 30 weight oil with the gasoline. That would be better than vegetable oil.

I'm seriously thinking of buying a diesle pickup truck and converting it to Vegetable oil..
ala www.greasecar.com

 

[Redviffer]

Originally posted by: Anubis
2 diff cans

our mower is 50:1, chain saw and wacker are 40:1 and the snowblower takes regular gas

your friend in death

Anubis

I agree with Anubis,

Mix two gas cans of different mixture for the specified engines. (a 5-gal gas cans are very cheap)

 

[drnickriviera]

I have so many 2 stroke engines around, that I just use Opti-2. So far so good.
http://www.opti2-4.com/opti-2.htm

 

[Zebo]

Pffft.. Don't waste your money on expensive oils. "snake oil"

I've ran two srokes all my life right now I have three outboards..4 motocyles. chainsaw..weedwaker.

I just put 10W30 1 quart to 20 gallons of gas. Ratio = 80:1 = in everything = long life = $1 per 20 gal.

 

[arcas]

Funny that this thread should come up now. Last weekend I wasn't paying attention and bought TCW3 oil for my newly-acquired secondhand Stihl brushcutter. Only ran it for 5 minutes to make sure it idled okay so I don't expect any significant harm was done. Still, I now have a half gallon of TCW3 gas mix that I probably shouldn't use in the Stihl. I think I should be able to mix small quantities of this with normal gasoline and burn in a 4-cycle engine (say, a lawnmower) as long as it doesn't have a catalytic converter, right?

 

[Bulk Beef]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Kaieye
I remember one of my best friends running Vegtable oil and gas in his two stroke Yamaha about 25 years ago. That bike had a odd smell coming from the exhaust but he ran it for a few miles for the hell of it...

Crude, somewhat effective, but very bad idea. Vegetable oil just can't stand up to the sort of temperatures and pressures seen inside an engine.

Back in the old days, you would just mix regular 30 weight oil with the gasoline. That would be better than vegetable oil.

Some of the vintage racing guys still insist that nothing beats castor bean oil. While it smells nice, and helps to re-create the experience of racing in the sixties and seventies, I think lubrication technology has come a ways in the last 35 years.

 

[Kaieye]

Castor Bean oil leaves a lot of varnish around the piston rings but the smell is incredible when burned in a two stroke engine...

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Zebo
Pffft.. Don't waste your money on expensive oils. "snake oil"

I've ran two srokes all my life right now I have three outboards..4 motocyles. chainsaw..weedwaker.

I just put 10W30 1 quart to 20 gallons of gas. Ratio = 80:1 = in everything = long life = $1 per 20 gal.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to call you an idiot if you are serious.

I hope you like decoking exhaust ports &amp; power valves.

Engine oil is not meant to burn.

Originally posted by: arcas
Funny that this thread should come up now. Last weekend I wasn't paying attention and bought TCW3 oil for my newly-acquired secondhand Stihl brushcutter. Only ran it for 5 minutes to make sure it idled okay so I don't expect any significant harm was done. Still, I now have a half gallon of TCW3 gas mix that I probably shouldn't use in the Stihl. I think I should be able to mix small quantities of this with normal gasoline and burn in a 4-cycle engine (say, a lawnmower) as long as it doesn't have a catalytic converter, right?

Yes. You can even run it as is, as long as it's only a tank or two.

Just think of it as upper cylinder lubrication. 😉 It shouldn't cause any significant carbon buildup or plug fouling if it's only a couple of tanks.

Originally posted by: sward666

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Kaieye
I remember one of my best friends running Vegtable oil and gas in his two stroke Yamaha about 25 years ago. That bike had a odd smell coming from the exhaust but he ran it for a few miles for the hell of it...

Crude, somewhat effective, but very bad idea. Vegetable oil just can't stand up to the sort of temperatures and pressures seen inside an engine.

Back in the old days, you would just mix regular 30 weight oil with the gasoline. That would be better than vegetable oil.

Some of the vintage racing guys still insist that nothing beats castor bean oil. While it smells nice, and helps to re-create the experience of racing in the sixties and seventies, I think lubrication technology has come a ways in the last 35 years.

Indeed.

Castor 575(I think thats what it is) is a highly refined Castor oil that has quite a following.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

Not the same situation, but some guys into RC cars add extra castor oil to the fuel to keep those little screamers lubed well.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Antisocial-Virge
Not the same situation, but some guys into RC cars add extra castor oil to the fuel to keep those little screamers lubed well.

How is the fuel applied in RC cars?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Antisocial-Virge
Not the same situation, but some guys into RC cars add extra castor oil to the fuel to keep those little screamers lubed well.

How is the fuel applied in RC cars?

Applied?

Well, see.. there is a little hamster that sits ontop of the R/C car and uses a syringe to slowly feed fuel into the engine.....

Watch for lean conditions, though. Be sure to feed the hamster coffee beforehand to avoid this.

😛

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Antisocial-Virge
Not the same situation, but some guys into RC cars add extra castor oil to the fuel to keep those little screamers lubed well.

How is the fuel applied in RC cars?

Applied?

Well, see.. there is a little hamster that sits ontop of the R/C car and uses a syringe to slowly feed fuel into the engine.....

Watch for lean conditions, though. Be sure to feed the hamster coffee beforehand to avoid this.

😛

How would you like a fuel injector up the ass?

😉