2-cycle fuel mix

My machines run on their old mixes, and I also haven't had any trouble.

You might be surprised to know that testing shows richer than necessary oil mixture ratios cause the engine to run hotter...Al English

• oil mix

thanks

• another oil mix discussion

Not to dismiss your misfortune, but one of my saws is a 26 year old Poulan. It has worked many hours using a 50:1 oil mixed at 50:1. I recently disassembled it to repair an air leak in the crankcase. Considering its age and amount of usage I was really surprised by how little it is worn. Beyond my personal experience I know others who use modern oils/mixture ratios in older equipment with no problem. And, my friend who has been repairing small engines for a very long time has seen hundreds(or maybe thousands) of older 2-cycle engines run on modern oils/mixture ratios with no problem. I can appreciate you frustration, but I think there’s something else going on. While I don’t consider myself a “hotshot”, here are a few possibilities:

- Did you use a 50:1 oil, or just mix your existing oil at 50:1?

- Are you sure you mixed the oil/gas correctly? 50:1 is 2.56 ounces of oil in a gallon.

- Do you mix the oil/gas well before using it? I can't say this really matters, but to be safe I even agitate the fuel/oil mix in the can every time I refill the saw. If the saw hasn't been used in a while I also shake up the fuel in the tank before starting it.

- Did you use a synthetic oil? Synthetic 2-cycle oils don’t lubricate as well as mineral oils. While synthetic does offer some advantages, I wouldn’t use it in a 2-cycle unless I had a definite reason for doing so.

- A blue Homelite, how old is that saw? Is it so old it has one or more pain bearings(bushings) where a newer one would have all ball, needle, or roller bearings? If that's the case it is not a candidate for anything but a 16:1 oil mixture.

- I noticed it has been pretty hot in your part of the country for the past few days. Any chance the saw simply overheated. Also, were the air inlet, fan, and cooling fins obstructed or dirty?

- Was your carburetor set on the lean side? That’s always asking for trouble on small engines, especially when we are talking about a hard working 2-cycle on a hot day.

- Were you cutting continuously? Many saws are not designed with a 100% duty cycle, meaning they must periodically rest/cool. This would be especially important in hot weather.

To answer your question “what now”, if your saw did seize up, you’ll likely find that a replacement is cheaper than the cost for the parts to repair yours.

And finally, what is a “rick”?...Good luck...Al English

I've been a student and collector of old wood and coal cooking and heating stoves, and related items, for nearly 30 years. But this was the first time I've heard the term "rick". Thanks for the info...Al English

Glad to see you got your saw running again. Don't you just love it when you try what the experts suggest and when it don't work they back pedal to try and cover there tussie :)

T_Bone

I hope you didn't perceive there was any effort on my part to "back pedal" in my response concerning Ray's chainsaw problem. Unless I specifically indicate otherwise, You can depend on me to post only information that can be documented with known facts.

That Ray's saw developed a problem after he changed fuel may or may not be significant. Relying solely on ones own personal experiences, and/or the anecdotal beliefs passed on by others, can easily lead to incorrect conclusions. Assume a person dies from a bee sting while eating grapefruit. Lacking any insights or information to the contrary a convincing case could be made that grapefruit can kill you. Another example I'm sure you've heard more than once is that an engine needs exhaust backpressure to develop full power and/or avoid burning of the exhaust valves. The fact is, no matter how often this is repeated, how plausible the explanations supporting this contention may be, or how firmly one believes it, it is simply not true.

The potential causes I offered Ray were in no way speculative or defensive. As it turns out, Ray's saw is of an age("approx a 1960 model") that it could easily have one or more plain bearings. If one is ambitious enough to read all the information I posted in this thread, several cautions concerning this will be found. If one chooses to disregard the suggestions I offer in this forum my only concern is that I clearly presented the information being disregarded. But, there is no need or intention on my part to save face by back pedaling from anything I posted on this topic...Al English