Hey Fellows
I'm getting alittle confused here on this gas engine two cycle oil stuff, so far I have heard to use lawn boy, pennzoil, and several others, then after about 5 gallons move to amsoil, well I have a case of amsoil, but I have a DA-100 and a ZDZ 80 so do I use the same break in oil for both then move to amsoil on both or what, So what I want to know is for the last damn time , what is the best Break in oil to use, and what ever oil you guys say do I put it in both engines, next do I use the amsoil in both, So guys fill me in, and I really don't feel like carry around a bunch of different oils, and last what is the best way to mix the fuel, should I just mix a gallon at a time or should I get a bigger gas can and make a two gallon bunch? also lets say I have a brand new tank gas can full of two cycle oil ready to be use but lets say I don't fly for two weeks is the gas still good and is there a expiration on it where its not any good anymore..

Thanks fellows

There are so many opinions on this subject. I understand where you are coming from, I felt the same way when i started out.

Your engines are top drawer products. Follow the manufacturers respective recommendations on this issue, especially if still in warranty.

My .02:

For many US produced engines, it seems to be that break in on mineral air cooled 2 stroke oil is preferred, then switch to a quality full synthetic, after "X" gallons.

For many European engines, the recommendation is best quality synthetic from the start.

I find it hard to believe that the metallurgy is so different there needs to be a differing procedure.

In motorcycling circles, some guys are known as "oil weenies" and obsess about the "best oil" for their bikes. I like to ride, I buy a good quality brand name oil I can afford, and be done with it. $50 a gallon for Supa-Doopa Synth 2-stroke SlikkerOil from Lichtenstein? It might be great stuff, but no thanks.

I bet my engines last as long as theirs. I believe the same will apply for my R/C engines too.

I use good synthetics made for racing 2 stroke air cooled bikes I find in my motorcycle shop. I am happy and so is my bike, and my 'plane motor. So far, the 'plane motor runs beautifully and internally the motor is very clean. Shell Racing M, Mobil Racing 2T, Castrol TTS, Fuchs Silkolene air cooled 2 stroke, there are many good brands. A good bike shop proprietor will carry a range of different manufacturers products, and can advise. I am sure Amsoil is also a fine product.

I am wary of 100:1 ratio's or anywhere near that. Maybe I am paranoid, but flying in Summer in 95 F heat with this low a ratio scares me.

So no need to stress. Buy a good product, run at recommended ratio and rest happy. Oils are not tomatoes. They don't go off if stored tightly capped in the original container .

Personal opinion only.

A simple approach: The chain saws and weed eaters used at home use Stihl oil at 50 to 1. I simply carry the can to the field.

No one is going to get 100,000 miles on a model airplane engine. The crash is going to damage the engine a very long time before it wears out.

When is the last time you saw an air filter on a model gas engine? If longevity were of concern air filters would be used.

Oils affect performance in a minuscule way. There are orders of magnitude more performance to be gained by tweaking other engine variables.

Other than using a good grade of two stroke oil the type of oil is unimportant to the big picture.

I have run 66 gallons of Amsoil 100:1 through my BME 102.
After I finish this last gallon, I will be running 6 gallons of lawn boy ashless through to see if there is any difference. Following this test, I plan to go back to Amsoil.

Sixty-six hours is a lot of flight time but very low time for a chain saw or weed eater.

I have run Amsoil 100:1 in all my gassers (after break in) and they run very well.

lawn-boy 32-1 for 4-5 gal of fuel. then go to amsoil 100-1 mix it 80-1 or bal-ray mc1 50-1.. mix two gals at a time. it want go bad for a while

I have used Pennzoil air cooled 2 cycle for break in at 40:1 (about 4 gallons) with very good results. There seems to be a shift in the thinking on break in oils. That is, go with synthetic from the start. I did that with a Zenoah G-62 and could tell no difference in the way it ran from a G-62 that had been broken in on Pennzoil air cooled.

Follow the manufacturers recommendations. I fill a 2 gallon plastic jug with 93 octane gasoline and use Amsoil (Dominator) 50:1 mix at 40:1 for my ZDZ80RV. For the rest of them I use Amsoil (Saber Professional) 100:1 mixed at 80:1 and regular gasoline. When I'm taking several planes to the field I take 2 jugs and it doesn't bother me at all. Both usually stay in the trailer anyway.

As important as a good quality oil is the need for good cooling airflow. Put in baffling as required to get the right cooling. I read where people complain about a brand of synthetic oil causing rings to stick when the more likely cause is running the engine too hot. Excess heat sure can stick up the rings and worse.

Ken

160 logged hours on a G-62. All but 12 hrs on Stihl oil at 50:1. Hey BillS, glad to FINALLY hear of someone else using Stihl oil! I was starting to feel like a leper.

I break-in (if you can call it that) my gassers on Amsoil 100:1 mixed at 80:1.

2-4 gals of Ashless oil, then go to an oil of YOUR choice! There is no best oil out there. Oil is oil!!

This is what I run and noone can chage my mind!! I run Honda Golden Spec 2 stroke MotoCross oil. If it is good enough for their $50,000 2 strokes, then its good enough for my 3W's!!! I mix between 55 and 64:1. Just depends on how much gas I throw in the container!! Usually about 5 gals!!!

Enjoy!!

Chris~

Hi Bills, which of the Sthil oils do you use, the Low Smoke or Hi Performance.

I use the Hi Performance Stihl oil. I buy small bottles and mix one gallon at a time so the gas stays fresh.

Ya know... I just love it when I read all of the rationalizations of why some people use such and such oil for one engine and another for another. Another thing that burns me up is this break-in thing. Christ folks... these are chainsaw and weedeater engines. 2-cycle gasoline! They need a break-in run like a bullfrog needs shock absorbers. LOL

Just pick a good, brand-name oil that's readily available in your area and mix it at 50-75:1 depending on the OIL MANUFACTURER'S recommendations and just USE IT. Tune your carbs on the same oil for all your engines and find something else to worry about. You will have long since destroyed either your plane, your engine, or BOTH before this methodology fails you. Trust me.

I was raised in a garage and body-shop and never got the grease off my hands until I turned 16 and realized that girls didn't find this very appealing on date night. LOL My daddy's been a professional mechanic for 45 years and he'll tell you EXACTLY the same things I said above.

I will defer to RCIGN and what he has to say or at least I won't argue with him. Other than him, I'm pretty sure I know about as much about internal combustion engines as anybody else on this board.

It's amazing how anal folks around here get about things like oil and gas mixtures. Why do engine manufacturers make these recommendations then for break-in routines and ratios and such? I'll tell you why. One word. Warranties. It's a chainsaw motor folks! When was the last time you saw a break-in instruction in a chainsaw manual?!?!? LOL

This rant is not directed at the original poster or anyone else in this thread. I just had to get this all off my chest. People worry themselves to death about oil:gas ratios and break-ins and such on gasoline engines and then put $0.50 servos in these planes. Find something worthy of worrying about BESIDES what kind of oil to use.

End rant.

WilsonFlier you are correct. However it’s not worthy getting your blood pressure up.

You should know that some of us are not too concerned about break in. I turned a new Ryobi engine to 11,000 RPM today. The engine was operating on the fourth tank of 50:1 mix. It did not blow and now I know that the coil does not limit RPM.

ok

OK. I can take that. See if you can take this shot.

You are the reason weedeater engines for our airplanes cost $600+. Ouch.

The arguments from WilsonFlyer seem to be supported by the solid evidence that lies just in our own backyards tools, where the break in is indeed simply not even mentioned at all in the user’s manual.
We don't know the tolerances used to machine the pistons and cylinders of our airplane engines, more likely and hopefully the 2 strokes model engine manufactures are using similar equipment and similar tolerances to manufacturer engines as HONDA, HUSQVARNA, JOHN DEER, etc do. If this is the case, then breaking in an engine is only mater of time, our engines are like plug and play device, just run it!
Only one observation and I think everyone can confirm this: after running the engine for certain period of time I have noticed a moderate increase of rpm (anywhere from200-300 rpm) the engine seems to be running smoother and cooler, all together gives you better performance, this is the break in we are looking for, right?
By the way and maybe few of us have really paid attention; as a point of comparison, I can not report the same observations in the last weed eater that I bought or at least I did not really care about it. In addition I think few of us have ever try to trace a weedeater performance by checking its rpms, go figure...

Eddie some mechanics with sensitivity to the equipment can get by with many things others will have trouble with. The engine was new and cost $60. The engine was expendable and the experiment was performed for a specific purpose.

That said it has been over twenty years since I have had an engine failure of any kind (piston, sleeve, ring, rod, bearing or crank failure) glow or gas. A few have been crashed and resulted in broken parts.

Does anybody just use simple 'Coolpower' as their lubricant in the gas engines at say 40 or 50 to 1

If not why not.

I've used it exclusivley with all my Methanol engines and cant fault it.

Cheers

Phil

That realy hurts.... Just saying take care of you new enging and it will take care of you.

Sorry Bill. Dident mean the strike you wrong.

I got a question, is there any change in needle setting after a mixutre is change??
example from 32:1 to 50:1
Thanks in advance

Nope, I haven't found that to be the case.

Ken

Eddie there is no harm done.

There is an upcoming warbird event near Greenville next week. Hope you get a chance to attend.

I have a us 41 and the manual said just to use a hi quality 2 cycle
oil. I have had a weed eater and chain saw for years with weekly use
and never had a bit of trouble using polin chain saw oil. would I be foulish
to use it in my us 41?