Avistarpilot

Hey guys, getting back into flying and stopped at my local hobby shop that I haven't been to in years. I go to pick up some supplies and some fresh fuel to get my engine tuned up again. I used to run SIG Champion 10% but he only sells Byron fuel now, which is fine, I've ran that in my nitro truck and its awesome fuel. That said I later see it is a 10% syn/castor blend...and notice it says super tiger on the stick on label with the nitro & oil percent. I've always ran at least 18% oil content in my engine but will it hurt to run this? My engine is fully broken in but I still don't want to cause pre-mature wear. I'm tempted to add a little more castor to it but then again, I know how much time and money is invested in todays fuels to get them to perform. The engine seems to run fine with it, I've maybe ran a 1/2 tank through it on and off getting her tuned but should I be concerned?

Bobhend

My Feedback: (1)

Even Supertigre only recoccomends that low oil fuel for their 3000 and 4500 engines, not the 2300 or anything smaller. I would not use it in any of my engines. Is there any way you can take it back to the store ? All engine manufacturers call for a minimum of 18 - 20% oil. It would be interesting to hear from guys actually running 10% oil, someone is buying the stuff. My LHS pushes it for ALL SuperTigre engines despite what it says in the instructions.

1QwkSport2.5r

I wouldn't run that fuel in any Aero engine except the BIG Super Tigres (excluding the 2000 & 2300) or your RC Cars. I run anywhere from 5% nitro to 25% nitro and 10-12% oil in my RC cars. My Aero engines get 20% oil minimum, all castor. My bushed and lapped engines get 25% castor. 10% oil is not enough for 99% of the engines out there designed for airplanes.

You can order SIG fuel directly from them. They're delightful to deal with and their pricing is pretty good. Hazmat fees kinda suck, but if you fly a lot, buying 4 gallons at a time and paying hazmat fees for one case makes it more worthwhile.

If you cannot return it, I'm sure the Gas/Glow guys would buy it from you. They use SuperTigre 10/10 fuel for making Gas/Glow fuel in converted weedy/chainsaw engines using glow plugs. From what I've heard, Byrons isnt making Big ST fuel anymore...

Avistarpilot

Dang...so a no go on adding castor? It's already opened up and Ive ran about a tank through it now. Just got back from the field tonight taking her up for the first time in about 2 years. I'll look into either selling it or just buying a gallon with more oil content. Weird thing is I don't see the gallon I have anywhere on Byrons website that they even sell it. All the products they show for aircraft have minimum 18% from what I can tell.

I may order directly from SIG. I'm in NE Iowa and SIG is about 2 hours south of me in Montezuma, IA. Not sure if that makes shipping any cheaper. May be better off taking a road trip and picking some up directly.

1QwkSport2.5r

Well, let me put it like this... Say you used 8oz of that fuel, leaving 120oz in the jug. In that 120oz thats left, there is 12oz of oil, and 12oz of nitromethane. to get your oil up to at least 18%, you would need to add about 12oz of oil which would bring the total jug contents to 136oz, and oil content to 18.5% roughly. This in turn drops your nitro content from 10% down to 8.8%. So you can certainly add oil to it, but you'd need 2 jugs to do it being you have to add so much oil to bring the content up. Anything you add to the jug will drop the remaining ingredients. It can be done, but I would just use the right fuel instead of dealling with 2 jugs..

You're half the distance to SIG as I am, its more worth it for you to road trip there than it is for me. Shipping is $10 per 4-gallon case plus $25 hazmat fee. You'd about break even on cost driving there based on 25mpg. if you get better than that, you'll save a few dollars.

Avistarpilot

Thanks for the reply. Makes me wonder why they make a fuel with such low oil content. I know some of the bigger super tigre engines require a lower oil content but in this area there can't be that many out there that my hobby guy is selling that much of it? Wish I would have seen that before I left. I asked for 10% but maybe he interpreted that as 10% oil as well? O'well, I've blown money on worse things lol

1QwkSport2.5r

It's not a total waste. Use it in your RC Car. It'll run fine in it. Either that or buy a big SuperTigre.

Avistarpilot

I would but my T-Maxx isnt exactly in running condition. I finally blew the transmission long long time ago and its been sitting ever since(XTM .24 conversion) Gotta love all the money you dump into something like that and there is sits. I can't even list all the mods I've done to that thing.

Maybe ths would be a good excuse to get a big ST...I eventually want to fly the big boys anyway haha.

Avistarpilot

Well thought I would give a little update. Ran down to DSM this weekend for my little nephews 1yr old bday so while I was down there I had to go the the Hobby Haven. Picked up a couple gallons of SIG champion fuel. 13 bucks a gallon, I thought that was very reasonable.

That said, now I have almost a full gallon of the 10% Byrons that I wont be using. Would there be any harm in sparingly mixing this into the Champion fuel over time to use it up or is it a lost cause? I should just post if up for sale but I don't know that there is a real market for folks wanting to buy nitro fuel, or if there is a lot of folks around here that "home brew" their own fuel.

carrellh

Dump enough of the 10/10 to leave 112 ounces. Add 16 ounces of oil.
That will give you 128 ounces of fuel that will run just fine in most airplane engines.
Oil 21.25%
Nitro 8.75%
Alcohol 70%