The Dec. 2012 issue of Snowtech snowmobile magazine has an article about not purchasing 1 qt. bottles of 2 cycle oil that are sitting on the shelf with the sides sucked in. Their explanation is that 2 cycle oil is 60% base stock and 40% additive. One of the additives that allows oil to pour at lower temperatures is a thinning solvent. The more solvents, the thinner the oil, better for snowmobile/cold weather oil injection operation.
Their claim is that over time, the solvents actually evaporate even when packaged in an unopened container. the telltale sign is that the plastic bottle is caved in or slightly sucked in. The claimed result is that the remaining oil still lubricates correctly, but does not have the desired cold weather flow properties needed in a cold outdoor 2 cycle injected start up. They recommend checking for this and not purchasing bottles so affected.
As a longtime snowmobiler, I have never seen this myself, but maybe never paid attention. Anyone ever seen ?
Their claim is that over time, the solvents actually evaporate even when packaged in an unopened container. the telltale sign is that the plastic bottle is caved in or slightly sucked in. The claimed result is that the remaining oil still lubricates correctly, but does not have the desired cold weather flow properties needed in a cold outdoor 2 cycle injected start up. They recommend checking for this and not purchasing bottles so affected.
As a longtime snowmobiler, I have never seen this myself, but maybe never paid attention. Anyone ever seen ?
