2 Stroke engine oil mix

[Anonymous Poster]

YOUARE,
WHEN IT COMES TO GAS & OIL, I'M CHEAP.
1. I ALWAYS USE WHAT EVER OIL IS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE. I'M NOT BRAND LOYAL.
2. THE SAME HOLD TRUE. 2 CYCLE OIL IS 2 CYCLE OIL.
3. I HAVE A 1 GAL PLASTIC CONTAINER WITH A SCREW TOP I USE FOR GAS MIX. I NEVER DISPOSE OF ANY GAS. AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T SMELL LIKE PAINT THINNER, IN IT GOES. MY LAST BATCH WAS ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD. POURED IT INTO MY CHAINSAW (STIHL 028WB) AND IT STARTED ON THE 3RD.PULL.(SAW WAS BROUGHT OUT FOR THE SEASONS WORKOUT) BY THE WAY, THE SAW IS 15 YEARS OLD AND CUTS 5 CORDS EVERY YEAR. THE STIHL WEEDWACKER IS ONLY 8 YEARS YOUNG AND GETS THE SAME TREATMENT. NEVER EVER A PROBLEM. THE ONLY THING I DO IS CLEAN THE PLUG, BLOW THE ENGINE CLEAN AND ALWAYS LET IT RUN DRY BEFORE PUTTING AWAY FOR THE SEASON.
THIS HAS WORKED THE BEST FOR ME.
MY CARS - 10,000 MILE BETWEEN OIL CHANGES, ANY OIL, AND RUNNING PERFECT AT 200K,250k AND THE YOUNG ONE AT 95K.

 

[Youare]

Fred G.

The methods you use are probably used by a vast number of poeple with the same results, no problem. I believe the secret to your sucess is the frequency of use. These guide lines were set out by the different equipment manufacturer's as the best methods. They were developed as suggestions for those who use 2 cycle engines which run several hours a day every day, such as loggers in the case of chainsaws.

For the occasional user they could use less than the best procedures and still get many years of service. If you were able to total the hours of use over a 10 or 15 year period I wonder how close that number would be to a person who used a chainsaw, for example, logging 8 hours a day 5 days a week for one year. If a logger put 5 hours on a saw per day 5 days a week that would equal 1300 hours a year on the saw. A homeowner that put 5 hours on a saw each weekend would take 5 years to equal what the logger did in one year.

There is a mechanical engineering part of me that will not allow me to do things that I know is outside of the best practices, some of you don't have my inhibitions and prove time and time again that I'm wrapped too tight on some of those things. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Randy

 

[njrqs]

My outboard mechanic tells me that fuel (unmixed) loses octane rating the longer it is kept.

So from what I gather, even unmixed fuel is best not kept for long periods.

He has me paranoid about the stuff now. I won't use old fuel in my outboard except to run it at home but never out under load.

The loss of octane rating leads to pinging which is not a good thing. Hard to hear in a noisy outboard too.

So he says just don't take the risk. So I chuck it our rather than risk engine damage.

In a crappy old lawnmower or something I don't care.

Cheers

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Gas will go "bad" because some of the compounds in the gas evaporate much more readily than others, leaving behind the heavier compounds (the varnish). These lighter compounds can actually pass through the plastic gas cans, causing the gas to go bad. Anyone who's owned an old dirt bike with decals on the plastic gas tank has probably seen the effects of this - the decals bubble from the inside out from the gas vapors passing through the plastic. Gas can be stored for much longer periods of time in a sealed metal container, because the compounds won't pass through the metal. Hard to put an exact time frame on how long before the gas goes bad though. Besides lower octane, old gas can lead to hard starting, fouled plugs, etc. because the lighter, more easily evaporated parts of the fuel are already gone. What's left is more difficult to burn in the motor because it does not evaporate as readily. Not sure if I've explained myself very well, just trying to relate some of my old motorcycle experience here. :0)

 

[njrqs]

Yep Uncle. Sounds Ok to me.

I'd rather chuck out a few $ worth of juice than repair an outboard. I hardly use the thing so like to keep it as good as new.

Cheers

 

[pennwalk]

<font color=blue>Never use gas that has been mixed for longer than a month. The lubricating properties of the oil break down in the gas the longer it sits unused.</font color=blue>

I had been wondering about weather I should add a stabilizer to the chainsaw gas as I don't use the chainsaw that often in the summer. The other day I was looking at string trimmers. I noticed thet the name brand 2 cycle oils have a stabilizer in the oil. What do you think?

Chris

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I only buy Husquvarna 2 stroke in the BLACK bottles. Why the black bottles?? Because it all ready has the stabilizer in it!!!!
To answer the origional question, i'd mix everything at 40:1 as was all ready suggested eariler.
Robert
http://www.fototime.com/{C3120373-90DE-46A7-8626-2E9140F90D83}/picture.JPG

 

[normde2001]

Chris, I like to keep it simple. I buy my gas in a 5 Gal. can and immediately add stabilizer, which I use in mower, cycle-bar mower and chipper/shredder, same stabilizer in diesel. I pour stabilized gas in 1 gal can and add 4 ounces (32/1) of whatever brand of 2 cycle oil I happen to see. This I use in 2 line trimmers and 2 chainsaws, which call for 20/1, 32/1 and 40/1, all of which are over 10 years old. I have never paid attention to age of fuel, use it 'til it's gone.

 

[Bayrat]

Interesting thread, I am going through this now. Just purchased a Stihl 260 that calls for a 50:1 while most of my other equipment requires 32:1 or 40:1. In the past I have mixed two gallons of gas in a sealed steel safety can with 8 ounces of whatever two stroke oil I have had, be it outboard, chainsaw, mower or whatever. Never looked back and the only problem ever encountered was a blocked spark arrestor on my Echo trimmer. I am now going to be a bit more carefully, have not used outboard oil in the gas mix for several years since someone told me it would matter (years ago we used to use 30w motor oil for everything, boats, sleds, mowers you name it). I have been using a good brand of "air cooled" two cycle oil for some time now but most of my machines are getting too rich a mixture. Since my Lawn Boy is 25 years old and has run weekly on whatever oil was in the gas, I am not too concerned at taking this to a 50:1 mix so I can have one can that is used up fairly quickly. During the summer months I go through that two gallons fast but whatever is left in the fall might sit over the winter waiting for chainsaw use. I will dump it into the old Chalmers in the spring from now on to use it up.

 

[Rch]

https://www.amleo.com/item.cgi?cmd=view&Words=acm
Here is a clever devise that enables you to mix small amounts of gas/oil mix of any ratio for 2 cycle engines so there is none(or little) left over. You pour the oil into the the little chamber on the left that has multiple scales from 1:10 to 1:100. Say, for example on the 1:50 scale you fill to the number 2 line. Then you fill the bigger chamber on the right to the number 2 line, put the caps on ( they have serious "O"ring gaskets) and tumble upside down to thoroughly mix via the connection at the top. The instructions are embossed right on the plastic container. If any is left I just pour it in a truck I have with a 36 gal tank as "valve top " oil. This is well made and also "Made in USA" They make great gifts. <A target="_blank" HREF=https://www.amleo.com/item.cgi?cmd=view&Words=acm>https://www.amleo.com/item.cgi?cmd=view&Words=acm</A>