Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

[Jack Shellac]

Just put together a gas powered scooter for my Grandson's birthday that calls for a 25:1 mix. Is their a better oil for this service than the old standby TCW3? Will appreciate advice.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Go to a hardware store that services or are dealers for lawn equipment. I am pretty sure that TCW3 is for water cooled motors. My guess is you are going to need a two stroke oil that is designed for air cooled engines.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Agree with Eurolarva.. Chainsaw or weedwacker oil....

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Of course I would use Amsoil 100:1 at 80:1, but the best over the counter oil for this aplication would be the Mobil1 synthetic 2 cycle. Last I knew it was available at AutoZone. Its a very good air cooled 2 cycle oil. Other than that, follow the others advice. But you would be better off not using a TC-W3.<br /><br />Interesting though, while at Napa the other day I was looking at the packaging of the Quicksilver 2 cycle TC-W3, and it showed pictures of air cooled engines.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Every TCW-3 oil I've ever seen says it's ok to use in small air cooled engines. It may not be the best oil, but it's certainly not as bad as many people want you to believe. I would definately use synthetic in that engine...those scooters usually have no name chinese engines that don't last long...especially if driven by a kid.

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Thanks, guys. I will go with the synthetic. It is a Chinese engine and the assembly instructions were almost hilarious. eg: it has "sparkle" plugs and incorrect adjustments to carburator " may cause excess fuel usage enlargement".

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Yeah, I've seen several chinese manuals like that. You think they could get at least one person that knows english to proof read it...

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Originally posted by LubeDude:<br />Interesting though, while at Napa the other day I was looking at the packaging of the Quicksilver 2 cycle TC-W3, and it showed pictures of air cooled engines.

LD, I use Penzoil TCW-3 in all my 2 cycle stuff, chain saws, weed eaters, push mowers.<br />Have for years and have had no ill effects yet.<br /><br />Now where's that wood to knock on.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Lets see, how do I put this?<br /><br />I think you could use regular engine oil mixed at 50:1 in your outboard also, and it probably would work ok, but just ok, if you didnt push it very hard. Probably lots of smoke, fouled plugs, carbon buildup etc. This probably isnt a very fair comparison because its not a 2 cycle oil and there is no picture of a boat on the bottle of car oil, but its kinda like using a TCW-3 oil in an engine that is air cooled. you could do better by using an oil made for air cooled engines. I also have used TC-W3 oils in my chainsaw in the past, never blew one up.

 

[fixin]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

I've probable put every kind of 2 stroke oil in every thing I own,(boat,chainsaws,weedeaters,)and ran it harder than your normal Joe...havn't ever noticed a differance(darn things are so hard to kill)

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

I think the difference is down the road, (or over the years). If you have ever taken a small 2 cycle engine apart that hasnt had the right oil used for its life span, it is not hard to tell. Yes, it was runnung right up till it died, but not at its potential probably for a few years, (or hours). I have, and the ones on synthetics were very clean with little if any deposits, and smooth cylinders, the ones with good quality regular 2 stroke oil were basically pretty clean with some carbon under the rings and some darker deposits, The cylinders were worn more, the ones that were run with whatever you got to run were very dirty, very heavy carbon deposits, and severly scored or froze up. These engines were everything from lawn mowers, outboards, weed eaters, motorcycles and the like. The performance you will recieve is directly in line with the quality of oil you run. A 2 cycle engine can freeze with any oil if ran lean, but we arent talking about that.

 

[fixin]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

I'm not saing use Bubba's 2stroke url,A good oil has got to be better,I bet the ones you refer to that used whatever to make run,more damage was done by how it was run and exact oil mix,I've seen alot guys run chainsaws wide open(cutting)and shut off,with out letting cool down.Not to mention the importance of leting a 2 stoke warm up to operating temp.I ran synthetic in my truck for a while,it didn't seem to stay on the upper half of moter,I'd get a little clatter on start up ,I would like to see a real controlled test done on the dif oils.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Don't know, I still have weed eaters hanging in the garage that iare over 10 years old and will today fire up and cut all day long.

 

[fixin]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Me too I have one weadeater I bought for $20 at flee market in 1990,darn thing wont die!It's the one I lone out when someone comes a knocking!

 

[BinLurkin]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Fixin got it right. 2 stroke is 2 stroke oil. Go to Wally World or K-Mart or ? & get what they got. Or, just put your outboard oil in there & it'll work just fine for years. You will wear out the engine before the oil lets you down. If it's good enough for a 200 or more horse power outboard, it'll work just fine in a puny Chinese engine. Think about that for a second.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Originally posted by BinLurkin:<br />You will wear out the engine before the oil lets you down. If it's good enough for a 200 or more horse power outboard, it'll work just fine in a puny Chinese engine.

This makes absolutely no sense at all. The only reason an engine "wears out" is due to internal friction. The better the oil you use, the longer it will last. Period. It will never "wear out before the oil lets you down", because the reason it wears out is because your oil let you down.<br /><br />Also, just because "its good enough for a 200hp outboard" does not mean it's good for a smaller engine. Engine HP has nothing to do with it. 200hp outboards and small chinese engines are two very different animals. The outboard is relatively low RPM and temperature. The smaller engine is extremely high RPM and temperature - both things that determine what kind of oil you need. 15w40 oil is good for a 500+HP diesel engine, do you use that in your outboard?

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

You go OZ, You are absolutly right. That little chinese engine is going to run a lot hotter than a 200 HP Outboard. It drives me nuts how some people look at lubrication.<br /><br />If its good enough for this then it has to be good enough for that,, HOGWASH!!!!!!<br /><br />Why dont you just run recycled parifene base oil in your everyday car, it must be good for something, (what I do not know) I wouldnt even use it in my lawn mower, but then I dont have one. Its bound to work good enough till you trade it off.

 

[BinLurkin]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Okay, one of you smart guys tell me how more stress is put on the tiny engines than on the big ones. Then, how come I've been running the K-Mart 2 stroke oil for 30 years in everything I've owned, chain saws, weed eaters, Tanaka hedge trimmers, Echo blowers, Gamefisher outboards, Mercury outboards & Tohatsu too without ever a problem? You think there is more stress on the little 2, 3, 4 or 5 hp motors than on the big hp outboards? Come on, think a second. You better explain that one to me. You guys want to waste your money? Go ahead. You are the people buying premium gas across the street from where I buy my regular & your paying 60 cents more a gallon than I am for snake oil.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

I went to my local hardware store last year who happens to be the local techumseh, snapper and Briggs and straton dealer for small engine parts in my area. I asked their manager if outboard motor oil would work on my chainsaw and he said that it would work however it is not recommended because outboard motors are water cooled. Water cooled engines will run a lot cooler then air cooled engines. My outboard thermostat opens at 130 degrees and my chain saw can see temperatures in excess of 200 degrees. The air cooled oil will not flash at that temperature where water cooled two stroke oil can flash as low as 185 degrees. He says that if I use the outboard oil in my chainsaw and I am cutting a huge oak that the oil will acutally become fuel instead of oil because the flash temperature has been exceeded. I spend about $1.85 for two stroke oil per gallon of gas for my chain saw, weed wacker and leaf blower. The price is not excessive and I feel better knowing I am running the correct oil in my engines.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Best Oil For Two-Cycle, Air Cooled Engine?

Good for you eurolarva, your equipment thanks you also.<br /><br />We are not talking stress, we are talking temperature.