Am I using the wrong two-stroke oil?

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Alan Smithee

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I am a residential user, and for the last five years I have used 100 percent synthetic Quaker State TCW3 in my Ryobi 725. The stuff runs vitually smokeless, and it runs like a champ for its intended purpose.

Anyway, I just bought a Craftsman chainsaw (a Poulan rebadge), and it says that "using marine oils will damage engine" of my chainsaw. Is there any truth to this?
 
Hey neighbor!

Watercrafts run much cooler than an air cooled leaf blower or chainsaw.

I assume that the Watercraft oils are designed to not cause problems in a very cold engine such as plug fowling and excess carbon buildup. I'd run an oil designed for air cooled stuff as I feel that it is designed to lubricate at higher engine temps.
 
I'm new here, and no expert, but I think the answer to your question was answered in the Marine lube forum recently.

The difference is that marine 2-cycle oil is normally ashless. The non-marine type is low-ash. The difference is because (as previously mentioned by another) that marine engines are water cooled and usually run at a constant rate but not in a high stress manner. Trimmers, chainsaws, etc., are air cooled and are run flat out - a high stress application therefore requiring a different type of detergent/lubricant.

I gather that the ashes produced in combustion using a low ash type oil in a marine engine would quickly clog up the exaust system and gum up the valves.

Would an expert would care to weigh in?

If it were my chainsaw, I'd use the Poulan/Weed Eater oil commonly stocked in most hardware stores and mix it with the fuel exactly as the instructions indicate. This is what I do with mine. I've three Poulan machines, two of which are about 10 years old and get regular use. I don't know who makes the oil, but I do know it isn't particularly expensive and it does seem to work well.

Tim
 
quote:
Originally posted by Chris142:
Hey neighbor!
Click to expand...
UPDATE: I went though some of the info on this portion of the board, and just picked up a quart of Mobil1 racing 2T at Kragen on Bear Valley. It was $8.99/qt. and should last me for years.

....Is this the good stuff?
dunno.gif
 
you might want to think about giving echo 2 cycle oil a try. I have had very good results with them in all my 2 cycle equipment.
 
Check and see if it is also API TC rated. API TC is for air cooled engines. Quaker State took over Itasca, which used to make a synthetic that was TC W3 and API TC rated. This product was available through WalMart. Pull your muffler off and check for exhaust port plugging, as well as ring and cylinder head carbon buildup.

I run Amsoil TC in my Weedeater trimmer and Craftsman blower. I mix it 100:1 and have had no problems for 25 years.
 
I have done some testing in the past on 2 stroke oils. Mobil 1 MX2t/racing 2t is among the best all around 2 stroke oils available. There is a reason so many of us here on this forum like that oil. It works very well. I use it in everything 2 stroke I own with excellent results.

Chris
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cujet:
I have done some testing in the past on 2 stroke oils. Mobil 1 MX2t/racing 2t is among the best all around 2 stroke oils available. There is a reason so many of us here on this forum like that oil. It works very well. I use it in everything 2 stroke I own with excellent results.

Chris
Click to expand...
Me too. There are several great oils available, but loads of good ones. The MX2T is a very clean oil, and wear rates are among the lowest in my experience. The test bed was a 2001 KX125, raced and serviced regularly. Kawasaki's plating on their cylinders is notoriously thin, but the Mobil offering showed no signs of wear after 80 total hours on this engine. The piston rings were inspected at 10 and 20 hours with virtually no wear, and were run a total of 40 hours before a top end was done. The piston was not varnished, but had expected carbon deposits on the head. Mobil's MX2T, Rock Oil Synthesis2, and Shell Advance Racing X all performed very well. The MX2T is easily available, and is a great choice.
 
quote:
Originally posted by tblazed:
What is the main additive in 2-cycle oil?
Click to expand...
Depends on the oil. Obviously, a great deal of it is ---oil---. Solvent refined, hydrotreated, synthetic, whatever. Most are about 60% oil. 10-20% additives- pour point depressants, etc. A small percentage of dye for most, and the rest is most likely cleaning agents. Here is a typical breakdown--
Castrol Act>Evo
 
Thanks! Reason I asked... I mixed up 2 gallons of gasoline and Pennzoil Synthetic 2-cycle oil for my gas trimmer thinking it was good stuff, then read here it NOT the right oil. I need TC rated, thought the "TC" at the beginning of the spec for the Penn. oil meant TC. But there is that "W3" on the end! TC-W3 is for cooler running water craft. I thought it was dual purpose. I understand now. So I wondered what is in the oil as an additive since I will probably burn that stuff in my 4 cycle lawn mower to use it up, and mix up a correct batch with "TC" oil for the trimmer. Although I have used the TC-W3 oil in the trimmer all summer, runs great on it, hopefully I haven't caused damage.
 
I think you'll find out that accurate mixing and shaking the can every time you refill you on-board fuel tank is important. My echo weed wacker has a fuel filter and I change it, along with the air filter, frequently. I used to use the Echo oil, but after 10 years it started to foul the plug, so I went with Red Line 2-cycle oil mixed at 60 to 1 and the problem went away. I only mix a gallon at a time and it takes about two weeks to use it up.
 
tblazed,

I doubt that you hurt your air cooled equipment any by just running tc-w3 oil for a short while because Synthetics are good at lubricating. However it's best to use the right oil if you can because it's formulated for the operating conditions air cooled engines run under. TC-W3 is ashless and should not hurt you 4 cycle equipment if used in moderation, some folks even put it in for a upper cylinder lube. You can mix it about 50-50 with stright gas to weaken it when you use it up.
 
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