After I sniffed my blue bottle stuff I actually felt light headed for a while.
2-cycle oil as a fuel add in 4-cycle engine
- Thread starter TallPaul
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let us kill this thread.
Why?
Keep beating a dead horse?
It's still useful information.
The other day I filled my car up with 91 octane Conoco, and added a bottle of STP Gas Treatment. What possessed me to add that [censored], I will never know.... Anyway, 5 miles down the road I get a check engine light. I pull over and hook up my code reader, and it says P0420, which is a catalyst efficiency warning. My car has 127k+ on it and the cats probably need replaced. So, I reset the code, but left the scanner hooked up as I drove home. Another 5 miles or so down the road my scanner gives a different beep than the "all clear", so I look at it and P0420 is getting ready to send an check engine light again. I drove it for a few days, getting the same code several times. I decided that I would add 4 ounces of Super Tech TC-W3 to the tank before I headed out to my dads farm. Well, it has been 200 miles since then, and no check engine light, and no pending code.
Is this stuff magic or something?
Is this stuff magic or something?
Anyone have updated observations? I decided to experiment with this, and am using the Pennzoil Syn TC-W3.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Eddie
I buy my SuperTech in the gallon? bottle. I use a 95 cent plastic graduated beaker to measure a 500:1 mix. I pour from the beaker to a small pill bottle and take it with me to use when filling with gas.
I have an amsoil saber outboard bottle that I use. Not as exact as a graduated cylinder, but only one transfer (no loss to the walls), and it is measured in ounces. 2 ounces for a 12-15 gallon fillup is good for me.
I also use a rotation of fuel adds, since each has the potential of doing something a little differently, or leaving its own residue.
One of the neatest dispensers for fuel adds is the Sta-bil (itself, of course, a fuel ad) bottle. Minimal spillage, and precise measurement is as easy as squeezing the product from the main chamber up to the measuring-dispensing chamber.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Eddie
I buy my SuperTech in the gallon? bottle. I use a 95 cent plastic graduated beaker to measure a 500:1 mix. I pour from the beaker to a small pill bottle and take it with me to use when filling with gas.
I have an amsoil saber outboard bottle that I use. Not as exact as a graduated cylinder, but only one transfer (no loss to the walls), and it is measured in ounces. 2 ounces for a 12-15 gallon fillup is good for me.
I also use a rotation of fuel adds, since each has the potential of doing something a little differently, or leaving its own residue.
One of the neatest dispensers for fuel adds is the Sta-bil (itself, of course, a fuel ad) bottle. Minimal spillage, and precise measurement is as easy as squeezing the product from the main chamber up to the measuring-dispensing chamber.
I've been using MMO for many years, tried TCW3 and keep going back to MMO. Now that I've disconnected my Inverse Oiler on my E-150 I can try a side by side comparison between TCW3 and MMO. I have two gas tanks, and can add TCW3 to one tank, and MMO to the other. I have a feeling I won't be able to tell much difference since the experiment should probably be done over several tanks of gas.
What I am doing now is running the van with just 87 Octane gas, before I try anything.
What I am doing now is running the van with just 87 Octane gas, before I try anything.
Have been doing this for about 25 years. It works and no harmful side affects when using a high quality TC-W3 oil.
Normally I work with about 1 ounce to 5 gal of gas. Any mixture leaner than this has shown little effect. 1 ounce to 4 gal. is as rich as I'll go.
Normally I work with about 1 ounce to 5 gal of gas. Any mixture leaner than this has shown little effect. 1 ounce to 4 gal. is as rich as I'll go.
I've used MMO too but keep going back to TC-W3 mix.
I've never taken the time to do a good side by side comparison.
I will say though, MMO is probably better for a unit that has any varnish buildup inside the tank, lines etc. This is why, on occasion I've used MMO instead of TC-W3 even though I do use a fuel cleaner on an annual basis shortly before doing an OC. Likely overkill on my part but "knock on wood" have never had a clogged injector, fuel pump or carb issue due to gunk or varnish.
I've never taken the time to do a good side by side comparison.
I will say though, MMO is probably better for a unit that has any varnish buildup inside the tank, lines etc. This is why, on occasion I've used MMO instead of TC-W3 even though I do use a fuel cleaner on an annual basis shortly before doing an OC. Likely overkill on my part but "knock on wood" have never had a clogged injector, fuel pump or carb issue due to gunk or varnish.
My 1998 Honda plugs came out clean after 30k on TCW-3.
EDIT: Apologies guys, I seem to have gotten out of sequence on this thread. The "double doubt it" comment was in response to a much earlier post which compared running 4C oil through an engine, and noting that it didn't seem to do much harm. I'm sorry, I should be more attentive. . .
I double doubt it. 4C oil is not, per se, designed to be burned in the combustion chamber (though we all know small amounts of it are in a even a healthy engine). By contrast, the formulators of the 2C oils know from the beginning that their oil, every drop of it, WILL be burned in the combustion chamber. And in the actual 2C apps, it will be there in much higher ratios than any of us are talking about. And it will be the only lube that the poor 2C engine ever sees. So the good products have to both lubricate, AND not gum up the works when they burn.
I'm just at the beginning of experimenting with this stuff. I bought the pricier Pennzoil Synthetic 2C (that seductive language about it being brewed from an ester base got me --
). If I don't like it, or see consistent improvements, I may try another.
A day into this, I have noticed one thing very clearly: the gas engine starts that the hybrid makes frequently (Camry in this case) are unquestionably smoother than they were before I tried this stuff. Very intriguing.
I double doubt it. 4C oil is not, per se, designed to be burned in the combustion chamber (though we all know small amounts of it are in a even a healthy engine). By contrast, the formulators of the 2C oils know from the beginning that their oil, every drop of it, WILL be burned in the combustion chamber. And in the actual 2C apps, it will be there in much higher ratios than any of us are talking about. And it will be the only lube that the poor 2C engine ever sees. So the good products have to both lubricate, AND not gum up the works when they burn.
I'm just at the beginning of experimenting with this stuff. I bought the pricier Pennzoil Synthetic 2C (that seductive language about it being brewed from an ester base got me --
A day into this, I have noticed one thing very clearly: the gas engine starts that the hybrid makes frequently (Camry in this case) are unquestionably smoother than they were before I tried this stuff. Very intriguing.
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Stupid question, but what about mixing equal parts MMO and TC-W3? I have roughly equal parts of each sitting around that need using up.
It's probably a "worst of both worlds" scenario.
Or do a few tanks with each and compare. But that's too easy...
It's probably a "worst of both worlds" scenario.
Or do a few tanks with each and compare. But that's too easy...
I've done it, was accused of being a backyard chemist. I don't think you'll have any problems. I wouldn't use a dose any stronger than 1 oz/ 5 gallons of gas. Don't use the suggested MMO dose, if you mix the 2 together. JMO
As long as a large KAFOOM doesn't happen backyard chemistry is cool with me!
I have recently (yesterday) mixed some MMO into the already mixed 2-stroke gas/oil mixture to see what happened and the chain-saw has never worked better. I put 4oz into 10 gallons. It also makes the weed-eater run better too.
Just thought I would post here seeing as you are talking about it anyways...
Just thought I would post here seeing as you are talking about it anyways...
I've been tweaking 2 cycle engines with MMO for years, chain saws, weed wackers, you name it. They always run better with the MMO. Every engine I own gets an MMO treatment in the gas, they all run better with it. It is a big plus in 2 cycle engines, they can be a real PIA especially if you have carb problems with them. The MMO helps keep them running well and not needing frequent adjustments. YMMV
Good to know, thanks! Thought I was going a bit nuts there!
I have started with Walmart brand TC-W3 in my car. I have driven about 30 miles so far and not yet noticed anything different.
Unfortunately, the car has "variable" performance. Sometimes, it has so much power that I don't know what to do with it
But suddenly, on a engine restart, it will lose all of that eagerness.
For example, all week I was having fun accelerating from 65 to 85 in 5th gear by feathering the gas pedal by no more than couple of millimeters. As a matter of fact, I tried to video the needle moving from 65 to 85 from cellphone (LG Env2 takes [censored] video Yesterday evening, I stopped for grocery and as soon as I pulled out of the grocery store, I knew the personality of the car had changed. I put it on the scanner and there were no stored codes.
At that time I decided to start with my TC-W3 experiment. I have approximately 10 gallon in the tank right now, so I added 2 oz of the blue elixir in the tank and drove to work in the morning. The performance is better than the evening but still not good as what it was before.
This car gives me summer mileage which ranges from about 28 to 31. There is really no pattern that I can attribute to the mileage fluctuation as all of my commute is pretty much same from tank to tank.
I am hoping that TC-W3 makes a difference within next couple of tanks.
- Vikas
Unfortunately, the car has "variable" performance. Sometimes, it has so much power that I don't know what to do with it
But suddenly, on a engine restart, it will lose all of that eagerness. For example, all week I was having fun accelerating from 65 to 85 in 5th gear by feathering the gas pedal by no more than couple of millimeters. As a matter of fact, I tried to video the needle moving from 65 to 85 from cellphone (LG Env2 takes [censored] video
Yesterday evening, I stopped for grocery and as soon as I pulled out of the grocery store, I knew the personality of the car had changed. I put it on the scanner and there were no stored codes.At that time I decided to start with my TC-W3 experiment. I have approximately 10 gallon in the tank right now, so I added 2 oz of the blue elixir in the tank and drove to work in the morning. The performance is better than the evening but still not good as what it was before.
This car gives me summer mileage which ranges from about 28 to 31. There is really no pattern that I can attribute to the mileage fluctuation as all of my commute is pretty much same from tank to tank.
I am hoping that TC-W3 makes a difference within next couple of tanks.
- Vikas
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