2 vs 4 stroke fuel

2 vs 4 stroke fuel
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2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 5/4/2005 12:48:10 PM

trstein

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From: Houston, TX, USA
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Can you tell me what is the main difference between 2 and 4 stroke glow fuel? I bought a 15% nitro glow fuel that has 20% oil (synthetic and castor blend) and used this to begin the breakin of a OS 91 4-stroke. The label on the fuel doesn't specify that it is either 2 or 4 stroke fuel, but I've read some threads on various forums talking about 4 stroke fuel. What's the difference and did I do my 4 stroke harm by using the fuel as listed above? Thanks

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 5/4/2005 1:21:28 PM

Red B.

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From: Jonkoping, SWEDEN
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No harm done! You can use the fuel you have.

The only difference between 4-stroke and 2-stroke fuels I know of (and that doesn't apply to all blends) is that the oil content of 4 stroke fuel is a little bit lower than for 2-stroke fuels.
Any average size glow engine will run well on fuel with 20% oil. Fuels containing only castor oil as the lubricant may however cause excessive carbon build-up on the exhaust valve of 4-stroke engines.

/Red B.

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 5/4/2005 1:41:04 PM

Hobbsy

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From: Colonial Beach, VA, USA
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TR, what brand is your fuel, not to start a "my fuel is better than yours" but we could determine the lube package percentages. For example the WildCat I use is Premium with 16%/80/20 blend of syn-castor and Premium Extra with 18% of the same lube package.

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 5/4/2005 2:16:01 PM

trstein

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From: Houston, TX, USA
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hobbsy, it's Byron Fuel that is supposedly good for planes, boats, and heli. Does not specify syn-castor blend ration. Just states that it contains 20% total oil. Runs great in my .46 2-stroke, and seems to run in the OS .91 4-stroke just fine, although I have only run one tank through it on a test stand to date. If anyone has thoughts on fuel brands or such, it would be appreciated. Thanks

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 12/31/2005 10:23:46 PM

ekitik

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From: Woodbury, CT, USA
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I also have become very interested in the 2 and 4 stroke issue. You most likely did not hurt your engine but do stop using it on the four stroke.

I have a 70 and a 91 FSII from OS as well as a 46,61 and 91 2 strokes. I have run quite a few other brands as well. The biggest difference is the oil but it doesn't stop with the total oil.

Some people along with glow fuel manufactures have various opinions about total oil 4 cycle vs 2 cycle. Here is the real deal.
Engines are subject to wear and more oil is better than less. 2 strokes are crude and they don't care. But the four strokes are more fussy. When it comes to four stokes ,read the manual first. With OS they state that they can run 5% to 15% nitro with 18% oil and that oil may be 100% synthetic or a syn/caster blend typically 80/20.

I choose Synthetic 100% just because of the valve and gum potential alone.
Check out Wildcat 108 fuel 2 and 4 stroke from Tower hobbies.

Read the body of the 2 and 4 stroke fuel link from one of their fuel suppliers.

http://www.wildcatfuels.com/fuel_24c.htm

If you notice Tower will offer you both fuels for the same four stroke and they do not give you all of the details that you may want to know.

I buy Wild Cat because I trust what they say. Note that the fuel you can buy from Hobby Town USA is also made by them.

They tell you what's in the fuel with no BS.

You looked at your fuel and had to scratch your head about the mix of oil and if you ask most guys they will do the same. Some will say " I have been runnung this brand fuel for years and I don't have any problems. Hey ,people drink and drive for years too.

Final thought :

If you go with the 108 at 10% you only have to carry one gallon to the field.

Here are your options.

Tower sells the 15% nitro 100% SYN in quarts but not the 10% nitro 108 type.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXA300&P=0

Maybe your LHS will carry the gallon type at the best price because you don't have to buy quarts to avoid the hasmat shipping charge.

http://www.hobbytown.com/locator/

Good luck.

Eric

< Message edited by ekitik -- 1/1/2006 1:29:57 AM >

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 12/31/2005 10:49:13 PM

carrellh

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From: Garland, TX, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: trstein

hobbsy, it's Byron Fuel that is supposedly good for planes, boats, and heli. Does not specify syn-castor blend ration. Just states that it contains 20% total oil. Runs great in my .46 2-stroke, and seems to run in the OS .91 4-stroke just fine, although I have only run one tank through it on a test stand to date. If anyone has thoughts on fuel brands or such, it would be appreciated. Thanks

Keep using it, you should have no problems with it in either engine. I looked on the Byron web site and pasted part of the info here.
http://www.byronfuels.com/pages/about_oil_and_nitro.html
Synthetic/Castor Ratio: The ratio of synthetic to castor is engineered specifically for the application. Performance Blended Premium Sport Fuels are blended with an 80:20 ratio of synthetic to castor. RACE Fuels (except RACE 1500) are blended with a 60:40 ratio of synthetic to castor.
========================

OS recommends minimum oil content of 18% for the four stroke. The extra oil will not causeany harm.

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Carrell

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 12/31/2005 11:32:09 PM

Hobbsy

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I say keep using it also, I ran my Saito .80, Saito 1.50 and Enya .46 MKII for two years on Fox all castor. They did not get gummed up, that's an old wives tale.

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 1/1/2006 3:22:24 PM

Fuelman

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I second what Hobbsy just said. What you are using is just fine for your engines. No need to get all worked up two stroke or four stroke fuels. If the oil content is being met or surpassed with what you are running and you are satisfied with the results, then you are fine. Everything else is just marketing.

< Message edited by Fuelman -- 1/3/2006 6:07:55 PM >

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 1/10/2006 2:19:20 AM

Eagle Flyer

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If it doesn't state anything special it is standard fuel. 80% synthetic/20% castor lube package. Their straight synthetic states so on the label.
There is no difference between the 2 cycle and 4 cycle fuel with the same specs, except for the label. They, along with others label some for 2 cycle and some for 4 cycle just so the uninformed customer knows they are getting the right stuff. Prevents confusion and worry.
I have run the same stuff in both for years, no problems.

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 1/11/2006 7:18:22 PM

Dr Nitro

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Follow what Hobbsy and Fuelman have to say

< Message edited by Dr Nitro -- 1/11/2006 7:29:11 PM >

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 1/16/2006 9:36:27 PM

HangerBum

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From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
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Lets make sure I heard this right........
I have a OS 46AX that has 2 gallons of 15% nitro 18% Castor fuel blend through it. I use 15%-18% Synthetic in my Saito 4 stroke. Can I switch the OS 46AX to the all synthetic fuel.

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 1/16/2006 10:20:12 PM

Hobbsy

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If you don't like your OS .46 by all means run all synthetic in it. What are the %s of the blend you run in your four strokes? You should be running a castor blend in the Saito also. I use only WildCat Premiuom Extra which has an 18% 80/20 syn/castor blend. I use WildCat ProMix 20% nitro with 18% 95/5 syn/castor blend in my YSs, they love it..

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 1/17/2006 5:08:54 AM

HangerBum

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I just re-read the lables on my fuels. The Omega fuel I run in the OS is 15% Nitro and 18% castor/synthetic blend. It does not list the syn/castor ratio. The Powermaster "Mean Green" fuel I run in the Saito is 15% nitro and 18% "ALL SYNTHETIC". What is it about the all synthetic fuel that is bad for the 2 stroke OS?

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Don't look at it as a crash...... Look at it as, you're getting a brand new plane!!

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 1/17/2006 5:54:50 AM

w8ye

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The Omega is something like 80-20 on the synthetic/castor ratio.

A lot of people use Synthetic on fuels in all their engines.

I personally use Omega because of the little bit of castor.

Enjoy,

Jim

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 1/17/2006 6:56:44 AM

solafein

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With proper care, synthetic lubricant is not bad for your engine(s).

Most lubricants do funny things under heat.

Most synthetics, including those used in model aviation, burn or flash when a specific temperature is reached. A lean run could cause all the benefits of synthetic lubricant to go away, leaving your engine with no lubrication.

Castor simply becomes a better lubricant as it gets hotter. Castor does leave a little caking.

Synthetic/Castor blends are designed to give you the excellent lubricating qualities of synthetics and the thermal protection of castor, without all the mess. You will still find an oil film on your plane,

but you will not have to squeegee it off.

Model engines are prone to do things without warning or logical cause, including running hot on just one run. A little castor is cheap insurance.

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RE: 2 vs 4 stroke fuel - 2/10/2006 12:59:14 PM

speedster 1919