2 Stroke oil Mix question

[clemsonfor]

I don't know if the additives (such as they were in the '60s) would degrade over time, but if it was me, I'd go ahead and step up to 21st century technology, and run my favorite synthetic at 50:1.

I promise i wouldnt be using them. Id either sell them or keep them. Most guys on the Iboats forum i belong to with the onld evinrudes and johnsons back that far even modern ones swear by the walmart outboard oil. I run it when i dont get it bulk from the dealer for about $20/gallon. I run it in my premix boats and the oil injection motor as well. As far as i know noone on that site using it has ever had a failure that they tribute to it. And there are a ton of folks racking up all kinds of hours with it. Some of the main members who are the experts in the OMC forum are using it.

Not preaching just passing my experience and what i have read other places.


On there a guy whos friend works at a major oil company said that walmart gets their oil from left over batches. So this could mean that after penzoil fills 5000 bottles of their oil, and have 1200 gallons left over they will fill Supertech bottles with it as its not a complete lot for them. In other cases it is said to be just put in a transfer tank then moved to another location and added to other leftovers, say castrol, or whoever makes OMC oil or Merc oil. This always changes so your never sure of what your getting, but it all is name brand stuff.

 

[clemsonfor]

The big thing I've learned here on this topic, is that just about anything works, according to your various testimonys!! Oils have one big thing in common, they all lubricate. My son-in-law has 4 Stihl saws, all larger models and he really uses those saws hard. For over 10 years, he has used Chevron TCW-3, oil designed for water cooled boat motors, and it says on the bottles not for saws. Recently, a saw did blow a head gasket and was sent to the Stihl dealer. He commented to the SIL that the cylinder was just like new, looked to him like it was unused, after several years of that saw being used a lot. He goes 40:1.

Why run tcw-3 oil in a 800-$1000 saw? Regardless of your experience or his or past history, air cooled oil is just as cheap if bought in larger bottles. This just doesent make sense to me?

 

[silvertramp]

I have been running my Stihl 038 @ 32:1 for 25+ years. The manual says 50:1 for Stihl oil... 32:1 for others. No problems yet. Amazing saw.

 

[oldmech]

Hi! When I was young Professional sawmen use only 6 ounces of oil by gallon gas (a small CoKe) Me I was using 10 ounces They not burnt their chainsaws. Important! If you want burnt a two stroke engine More easy with change fuel and air ratio mixture. You close or screw the high speed needle on carburator So less fuel and more air engine run lean or poor with more oxygen. over speed.this overheat burnt piston ring and cylinder. On new two stroke no more adjustable high speed screw. So With less oil Old engine can turn faster just unscrew high speed needle more rich and your engine can run at right speed and mixture. Good luck! Oldmech

 

[LD1]

On new two stroke no more adjustable high speed screw.

They are still adjustable, they just have limiter caps. All they are is a plastic cap limiting how far you can adjust. They are easy to pop out, but will void warrenty.

They are actually a good thing for the MFG. Because too many "backyard mechanic wannabe saw tuners" not knowing what they were doing were leaning out saws too much and burning them up. Sure, they cut like a raped ape and had gobs of power, but did not last.

 

[brucew44guns]

Why run tcw-3 oil in a 800-$1000 saw? Regardless of your experience or his or past history, air cooled oil is just as cheap if bought in larger bottles. This just doesent make sense to me?

Agree with you totally. He bought a case of quarts of that TCW-3 years ago, used it and likded it. Just kept using it. He has a big Stihl 660, it's ran very well for 3 or 4 years now. Just hard to convince him to do different.

 

[MacLawn]

I have a 1977 Homelite that says to use 16:1 gas/oil ratio, but a few years ago, I was in a Stihl shop and the man told me I could use Stihl 50/1 oil in it. I thought, well, it is so old I'll try it, if it blows up I've gotten my money out of it - lo and behold, he was right! It runs better now than ever with the Stihl oil!

That was over 6 years ago, and I use Stihl oil in all my stuff now, except outboard motor.

BTW - jonyyuma, one of my best friends took that photo in your avatar! You would never guess where that is...

 

[LD1]

I have a 1977 Homelite that says to use 16:1 gas/oil ratio, but a few years ago, I was in a Stihl shop and the man told me I could use Stihl 50/1 oil in it. I thought, well, it is so old I'll try it, if it blows up I've gotten my money out of it - lo and behold, he was right! It runs better now than ever with the Stihl oil!

That was over 6 years ago, and I use Stihl oil in all my stuff now, except outboard motor.

BTW - jonyyuma, one of my best friends took that photo in your avatar! You would never guess where that is...

What model was that.

We have done the same in the ol' blue c-51 homelite and havent had any problems. And it says 16:1 on the cap.

 

[MacLawn]

LD, that old Homelite is the XL 10" bar model. I have always been careful in mixing the oil/gas ratio, but other than that, this thing has been used hard. I put a longer bar on it many years ago (14" or maybe 16" - whichever is the biggest it will take). I am very pleased with the way the 50/1 Stihl oil works. Like I said, it is all I use now, except in outboard. I have read the difference is air vs. water cooled engines, so I only use OMC oil in my outboard. Other than that, all my 2 cycle engines are getting the 50/1 Stihl no matter what is recommended, even the old 16/1 Homelite!

 

[Tollster]

I run 50:1 in performance machines that are intended for high RPM, chainsaws, dirtbikes ect. and 32:1 on other machines that are intened to operate at low to high RPM's such as leaf blowers, and weedwackers. I have never listened to the manufacturer only for the ratio's, and have tuned each item for the intended use, after the break in period.
Much of my two stroke history began with northeast hare scrambles in the early 70's, and also included using aviation fuel.
Lean ratios tend to be harder on the rings due to the high temps and less oil, so the thin film is easily burned off the cylinder wall. This is the reason you do not hear of anyone running 60:1, simply because you are at the limits of lubrication.
Additionally, if you can afford it, two strokes run optimumly with high octane fuels. Before you deviate from any given ratios excluding octane, ya need to learn to read the plug for tuning purposes.

 

[RandyT]

the old homelites and various that said to use 16:1 ratios were pre 2 stroke oil mixes. The 8 ounces to a gallon of gas was 8 ounces of SAE 30 non-detergent motor oil. Most of the 16:1 saws were switched over to 32:1 when 2 stroke oil came out.

 

[Dave5264]

Use a good quality Oil and mix according to the specs on the specific engine.

Each engine may be jetted slightly different, if you go with too much oil (lets say be using only one mix for all engines) you can in fact run it too lean and damage the engine.

 

[valley]

Greetings, I've just had this same talk with myself. I'm using homelite 2 stroke oil. It says mix 50:1. It's scary, the Husky calls for 50:1, I did mix it closer to 40:1 for my 034. I would like to use one mix.

 

[oldyellr]

Just to add another data point to the mix (sneaky pun intended), when I was a kid I had a model airplane diesel engine. You could buy proprietary fuels for these containing various amounts of nitro, but the generic mix you could make yourself was equal parts of kerosene ether and castor oil. That's an oil ratio of 3:1! And castor oil is one of the best racing lubricants in history.

 

[brandoro]

Back when I first started using synthetics I had a Stihl 07 chainsaw. It was plenty old when I got it and had obviously had a hard life. I used the mix ratio the previous owner recomended, probably 25-1 or 30-1. Had to carry a bag of sparkplugs with me because it would seldom restart on the existing plug after running out of fuel. Since I had so little money in the saw when I got the synthetic mix oil that said 100-1 I figured it would be a good test. I mixed it carefully to 100-1, filled the saw and cut off a woodpile, full bar in the wood at 80F until I could hardly stand. The saw had never run better. Never changed another sparkplug the rest of the time I owned the saw. Finally traded it on a Husqvarna 154 about 30? years ago and have run 100-1 in it until I bought a Stihl brushcutter last year. It came with a shrink wrap pack of their mix oil recommended 50-1 so am currently using that. The 154 does not run as well on it and is harder to start. When it's used up I will go back to the 100-1 mix. Too cheap to throw the free oil away:laughing:.
My experience tells me 100-1 oil used at 100-1 is great. No doubt there are special engines, antiques for instance, that may require special care.

 

[Srxmaster]

I use amsoil 100-1 synthetic oil in everything I have owned since 1978 never had a problem, never a fouled plug or blown motor. You have to run what the oil manufacture recommends. Not what product recommends.

 

[sw03]

I use amsoil 100-1 synthetic oil in everything I have owned since 1978 never had a problem, never a fouled plug or blown motor. You have to run what the oil manufacture recommends. Not what product recommends.

BINGO, big time!!!!!!!!..Why Anyone would use the oild 50:1 oil is beyond me.

I just use Amsoil Saber at 100:1 on 2 Shindaiwa EB8520 blowers, 3 Shindaiwa EB620 (old school), 2 echo 2200 trimmers and 1 STIHL 036 saw...So ya, a few dollars in equipment here.

Works mint based upon Amsoil settings, not engine settings.

For $8 a qt, best oil out there.

 

[oldyellr]

BINGO, big time!!!!!!!!..Why Anyone would use the oild 50:1 oil is beyond me.

I just use Amsoil Saber at 100:1 on 2 Shindaiwa EB8520 blowers, 3 Shindaiwa EB620 (old school), 2 echo 2200 trimmers and 1 STIHL 036 saw...So ya, a few dollars in equipment here.

Works mint based upon Amsoil settings, not engine settings.

For $8 a qt, best oil out there.

That price may initially appear high, but do the math. 50:1 oil at $4 a quart would cost you the same to run it. The only caveat is to measure carefully when mixing because at 100:1, one teaspoon less per gallon makes it 115:1.

 

[PILOON]

As a teen we water-skied a lot behind an old Johnson 25 hp.
Our standard mix was 1 qt SAE 30 non detergent per 5 gal of gas.
No 2 stroke oil as it cost more plus we got discount by the case.
We burned 3-4 tanks per day every weekend plus a couple during the week days.
Did that for some 5-6 years.
Must add that that motor jumped off the transom more than a few times.
(std ops was drain the carb, blow dry the plugs and continue on)
B4 selling that old jonrude I tore it down thinking it must need rings ore something but to my total amazement it was just like new.

Wonder if today's motors would stand up to that sort of use/abuse?

 

[sw03]

That price may initially appear high, but do the math. 50:1 oil at $4 a quart would cost you the same to run it. The only caveat is to measure carefully when mixing because at 100:1, one teaspoon less per gallon makes it 115:1.

Price is high? It is cheap for what it does...I love the stuff and works at 100+F and below 0F....