Pennzoil Marine Premium Plus 2-Cycle Synthetic Blend "TC-W3" okay in small air cooled engines?

[nooch450]

So I have been feeding a steady diet of 50:1 Pennzoil Marine Premium Plus 2-Cycle Synthetic Blend Oil into my Weed trimmers, chainsaws and backpack blowers for a number of years now without anything bad happening...

However I stumbed across some information that said the TC-W3 2 stroke oil is only for use in water cooled two stroke Marine applications because air cooled two stroke engines run much hotter. This got me thinking.... Have I been doing slow and/or unnoticeable damage to my equipment by running the TC-W3 oil??

Pennzoil also offers a "Pennzoil Premium Outboard and Multipurpose 2-Cycle Oil" that is both TC-W3 and ACI TC rated and when comparing their "flash point" and "viscosity" specs i don't see any significant differences.

I've also found ACI TC rated oil specs from other manufacturers with higher or lower flash points than both Pennzoils I've mentioned above.

Am I looking at the data all wrong? Why shouldn't I keep using the Pennzoil Marine Premium Plus 2-Cycle Synthetic Blend Oil TC-W3 rated oil in my little air cooled engines?

I really want to know how this could make any difference! I've attached spec sheets below....

 

[fantastic]

It does appear these Marine oils were mainly for use in Water cooled marine engines as you stated. Using boat engines for testing & not air cooled outdoor engines like your backpack blower etc. Personally, I'd move to an API licensed full synthetic 2 stroke oil. It's really easy to pick some up from Walmart these days but the skies are the limit for non marine two stroke oils.

 

[nooch450]

It does appear these Marine oils were mainly for use in Water cooled marine engines as you stated. Using boat engines for testing & not air cooled outdoor engines like your backpack blower etc. Personally, I'd move to an API licensed full synthetic 2 stroke oil. It's really easy to pick some up from Walmart these days but the skies are the limit for non marine two stroke oils.

I'm mostly wondering if any damage could have been done from using the TC-W3 oil. Going forward I will likely switch to an ACI TC oil rated for air cooled two strokes.

 

[WobblyElvis]

I've been using TC-W3 oil in my chain saw for 40 years. No damage and exceptionally clean inside. Occasional use only, all original.

 

[GSCJR]

I have been feeding a steady diet of TC-W3 at a rate of 50:1 into my trimmers and snow blowers for a number of years now without anything bad happening.

+1

 

[Rand]

If you want the best look for JASO FD rating.
VP Racing at walmart
echo red armor at home depot
etc.

 

[JavierH19]

I've been using tcw3 jugs in all my ope for over 15 years. Zero issues everything runs with the same power as new.

 

[Brian123]

So I have been feeding a steady diet of 50:1 Pennzoil Marine Premium Plus 2-Cycle Synthetic Blend Oil into my Weed trimmers, chainsaws and backpack blowers for a number of years now without anything bad happening...

However I stumbed across some information that said the TC-W3 2 stroke oil is only for use in water cooled two stroke Marine applications because air cooled two stroke engines run much hotter. This got me thinking.... Have I been doing slow and/or unnoticeable damage to my equipment by running the TC-W3 oil??

Pennzoil also offers a "Pennzoil Premium Outboard and Multipurpose 2-Cycle Oil" that is both TC-W3 and ACI TC rated and when comparing their "flash point" and "viscosity" specs i don't see any significant differences.

I've also found ACI TC rated oil specs from other manufacturers with higher or lower flash points than both Pennzoils I've mentioned above.

Am I looking at the data all wrong? Why shouldn't I keep using the Pennzoil Marine Premium Plus 2-Cycle Synthetic Blend Oil TC-W3 rated oil in my little air cooled engines?

I really want to know how this could make any difference! I've attached spec sheets below....

View attachment 293889View attachment 293890

This discussion comes up quite a bit with the 2-stroke oil that you are using, so far so good with no issues, you are using this oil at 50 to 1. I would use the oil you are using at maybe 40 to 1, you have not had any issues because either you are lucky, or you are not revving it past a certain rpm. I have seen where the type of oil you are using is great but only when it is used at like 32 to 1

Here is my recommendation, since you have a concern about the 2-stroke oil you are using, the best oil for your application is Amsoil Saber Pro at either 50 to 1 or 40 to 1
I run the stuff at 40 to 1 with my trimmer, backpack blower and chainsaw. I can do the low idle thing and high RPM thing and everything is fine. I had a 150-year-old Maple Tree fall down, and Amsoil Saber Pro did not let me down at 40 to 1 cutting the tree up

I think in a chainsaw a tcw-3 oil like Pennzoil Marine will run cleaner, but it will only protect at a ratio of maybe 32 to 1
I have had no issues with Amsoil Saber Pro

Be careful what you read, if you are not having any issues, keep doing what you are doing, but when you have an issue and you need to get a new 2 stroke piece of equipment, Amsoil Saber Pro at 40 to 1

 

[nooch450]

My weed trimmer gets used for the duration of about 1.5 - 2 full tanks of fuel at almost wide open throttle when I need to trim a large hill in my backyard that is too steep to mow. My backpack blower is used about the same when the fall hits and the leaves are dropping.

There has been no shortage of long term wide open throttle RPM use on any of my equipment.

 

[Japanese]

Read your owner's manual and will find out what oil to use. Basically you can run any 2 stroke oil. High viscosity oils can be used at 40:1 and low viscosity oils can be run at 32:1 or 25:1.
Chainsaw/mowers oils usually are mineral high viscosity (about SAE30) JASO FB, there is some ash in them (ash is used to lubricate at high temp) because lawn equipment is air cooled an run at high RPM.
Marine oils usually are low viscosity oils (about SAE20) because they need to flow easy at lower temperatures and in oil injection systems, don't have any ash, and are designed for minimal pollution.

Lawn equipment use much smaller engines than boat engines. Smaller engines run always hotter and also at double the RPM of boat engines and for that reason they need high viscosity oils or low viscosity oils at lower ratio like 32:1 or 25:1.

This is what I learned for about 2-3 year researching about oils for 2 stroke engines. The working temperatures below I learned recently form a very informative post here. I'll post the link if I come across at it again.

In 2 stroke engines the amount of oil used depends on four things:
1. The quality of the metals used for the engine internals (cylinder, piston, bearings)
For example Shihl equipment use magnesium pistons which are lighter than aluminum pistons:
https://www.stihl.co.uk/en/professional/innovations-technology/magnesium-piston
2. Engine size (small displacement engine run hotter than large displacement)
3. Cooling - air or water
Air cooled 2 stroke engines run at about 160°C/320°F below the piston (wrist pin bearing and rod bearing) and about 200°C/390°F at the head. Marine engines run at about 160°F to 180°F (71°C to 82°C) degrees. That is why lawn equipment oils always have higher flash point and ash than marine oils.
4. Optimal RPM range

Large displacement water cooled engines that run at max 6000 RPM use less oil than small air cooled lawn engines that run at 9K-12K RPM. Same goes for motorbikes and karts - 125cc engines always run more oil than 250cc engines. 60cc karts always run more oil than 100cc and 125cc karts. Kart engines run above 15K and some close to 18K RPM and use 12:1 or 16:1 ratios of high performance synthetic oils.

 

[nooch450]

Read your owner's manual and will find out what oil to use. Basically you can run any 2 stroke oil. High viscosity oils can be used at 40:1 and low viscosity oils can be run at 32:1 or 25:1.
Chainsaw/mowers oils usually are mineral high viscosity (about SAE30) JASO FB, there is some ash in them (ash is used to lubricate at high temp) because lawn equipment is air cooled an run at high RPM.
Marine oils usually are low viscosity oils (about SAE20) because they need to flow easy at lower temperatures and in oil injection systems, don't have any ash, and are designed for minimal pollution.

Lawn equipment use much smaller engines than boat engines. Smaller engines run always hotter and also at double the RPM of boat engines and for that reason they need high viscosity oils or low viscosity oils at lower ratio like 32:1 or 25:1.

This is what I learned for about 2-3 year researching about oils for 2 stroke engines. The working temperatures below I learned recently form a very informative post here. I'll post the link if I come across at it again.

In 2 stroke engines the amount of oil used depends on four things:
1. The quality of the metals used for the engine internals (cylinder, piston, bearings)
For example Shihl equipment use magnesium pistons which are lighter than aluminum pistons:
https://www.stihl.co.uk/en/professional/innovations-technology/magnesium-piston
2. Engine size (small displacement engine run hotter than large displacement)
3. Cooling - air or water
Air cooled 2 stroke engines run at about 160°C/320°F below the piston (wrist pin bearing and rod bearing) and about 200°C/390°F at the head. Marine engines run at about 160°F to 180°F (71°C to 82°C) degrees. That is why lawn equipment oils always have higher flash point and ash than marine oils.
4. Optimal RPM range

Large displacement water cooled engines that run at max 6000 RPM use less oil than small air cooled lawn engines that run at 9K-12K RPM. Same goes for motorbikes and karts - 125cc engines always run more oil than 250cc engines. 60cc karts always run more oil than 100cc and 125cc karts. Kart engines run above 15K and some close to 18K RPM and use 12:1 or 16:1 ratios of high performance synthetic oils.

This has been very informative! Would you be able to review the Flashpoint and viscosity of the oil spec sheets I have posted above to tell me if you see any significant differences? One is rated for TC-W3 and the other is rated for TC-W3 and ACI TC. I do not see any significant differences. Based on the data sheets how likely do you think damage has been caused by using the "wrong" oil?

 

[repairman54]

I used TCW3 oils in my old air cooled snowmobile engines premixed at 40:1 with no issues and still use it in my OPE at 40:1
I prefer full synth. oils over semi oils. No one says how much synth. is in a semi. oil.