two cycle oil | Outboard Motor Oil

Looking For My Two Cycle Oil

P1010014GR_1-300x224I spent my entire day reorganizing my things in the garage. I’ve left it a complete mess for the last two months and it started to get on my nerves when I couldn’t find anything I needed. I usually don’t let it get to this point, but it has been a busy few months. If I kept some sort of order in my garage, then I wouldn’t have needed an entire day to get things straight again.

I couldn’t find where I put my bottles of two cycle oil which was the reason I needed to straighten out the mess in my garage. I spent over two hours sifting through junk just to find where I put it. That was a waste of time and there’s nothing I hate more than wasting time. So for the rest of that day, I threw away the things that I didn’t need, put my tools back in order on my work bench, and swept up the wood chips and sawdust that accumulated on my garage floor. When I was done with everything, you could hardly tell it was the same garage. I felt good afterwards and vowed to do it once a week.

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Breaking In An Engine

Breaking in a new two cycle motor before you really take it out for a spin is very important and it’s something many people forget about. Some say that the first ten hours that you treat your motor will reflect how the boat runs for the entire time you have it. What’s important at first is to use some extra lubrication.

If you have a non oil injected engine, you should run two pints of two cycle outboard oil to every six gallons of gas. With an oil injected engine, you should instead run one pint to every six gallons. You should also make sure to limit your RPMs and make sure that you don’t get too close to max RPM within the first ten hours or so of running your boat.

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Bad Driver

It is unbelievable how many cars my friend has wrecked. He doesn’t drink and drive or anything like that, but he constantly overshoots what he can do on the road and winds up doing something really stupid to annihilate his car. It doesn’t help him that he has done this so frequently that he can’t purchase nice cars, so he’s trying to operate really poorly-made, cheap used cars as if they were brand-new sports cars.

Most recently, it was revealed to me that the court fumbled up and lost his records completely, which is how he’s managed to not get his license revoked completely. He told me the other day he was looking into getting a new car. I handed him a bottle of two cycle outboard oil and told him, “You’re better off buying a boat.”

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Using Two-Stroke Oil

Two-stroke oil is a special kind of oil used for crankcase compression two-stroke engines. A four-cycle engine has a closed crankcase, but two-stroke engines in comparison, use the crankcase as part of the induction tract. Because of this, gasoline must be mixed in with the two-stroke oil for lubrication.

When the two-stroke oil – also known as two cycle oil – is burned with the other fuel, there is often blue smoke because the oil is dyed blue so that it can be more easily recognized when mixed in with the gasoline. There is also often a specific odor that is produced by this type of oil.

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Mixing Fuel for Mercury Outboard

Newer Mercury two stroke motors have oil injection systems that keep the ratio of gasoline and oil correct. Older two stroke motors from Mercury do not have those systems, thus, the oil and fuel need to be mixed by hand. This is a task that is not too difficult.

Start by gathering an empty, clean gasoline container and two cycle outboard oil. Next, look at how much gasoline you pumped into the container. For each gallon of gasoline in the container add three ounces of motor oil. Close the container and shake the contents vigorously before adding the gasoline and oil mixture into the fuel tank.

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Disadvantages of Two-Stroke Engines

After reading yesterday’s post, you may be wondering why two-stroke engines aren’t used in more applications; after all, they’re lighter, simpler, cheaper and more powerful than four-strokes. For starters, because two-stroke engines are light and powerful, the system takes more abuse and tends to wear out quickly, which isn’t good for machines like automobiles. In addition, the lubrication system in the two-stroke has been simplified so the gasoline and 2 stroke oil are held together. While this is convenient, it doesn’t provide dedicated lubrication to the engine.

The immense power output from two-stroke motors does come at the expense of efficiency. Not only do two-stroke engines burn through oil rapidly, the oil is also expensive in itself. To compound the issue, two-stroke engines also have poor fuel economy. And the burning of all that gasoline and oil means that two-stroke engines emit a surfeit of pollution. During the cycle, fuel and air leak out the combustion chamber as well, posing a particular threat for marine applications.

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Advantages of Two-Stroke Engines

Most devices with lower-power applications—such as gardening equipment, ATVs and small outboard motors—use a two-stroke engine, as opposed to a four-stroke. Two-strokes offer some distinct advantages over their four-stroke counterparts. First, a two-stroke engine doesn’t require any valves. This makes the unit much less complex, allowing for a smaller, lightweight construction. Also, two-stroke engines fire on every revolution, creating consistent power; four-strokes only fire every other cycle.

Finally, two-stroke engines will run no matter which way they are oriented. Because the gasoline and bulk oil is mixed in the engine, both fluids will always be in the system. This isn’t the case with four-stroke motors, where the oil is held is a discrete reservoir. Over the next few days, we’ll be covering the basics of two-stroke engines, including the steps in the engine cycle.

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Pre-Season Snow Mobile Maintenance: Part Three

Now that we have the hood open, remove, clean and inspect your spark plugs. Personally, I change my spark plugs at the beginning of each year, as they tend to die out quickly. Nothing is worse than trying to start up your snowmobile miles from civilization only to find that one of your spark plugs is dead. You can find specifications for which plugs to use in your owner’s manual.

The starter rope also requires attention, as it has a tendency to fray and wear. Even if the rope looks like it’s in good condition, it’s still a smart idea to bring an extra one along with you on your rides. Replace the battery if you removed it for storage and clean the terminals before making the connection. Tomorrow we’ll go over carburetor maintenance and the proper procedure for mixing your Yamaha 2W oil with gasoline.

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What Does Motor Oil Do? Part Four

Last but not least, outboard oil improves your fuel economy. The easier it is for your engine to run, the less fuel it needs to use. In order to maximize your fuel efficiency, be sure to change your oil when recommended and always opt for premium oil. If you don’t know which product to choose, consult your owner’s manual. Or if you’re purchasing outboard motor oil, you can use the TC-W3 Certification as your guide.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association awards TC-W3 certification annually to oils that meet a stringent set of standards. Each of the oils is tested on several engines in a variety of conditions to garner objective, quantifiable data with which to compare the oils. If you want the best for your engine, be sure to purchase oil with the certification.

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Boat Engine Maintenance 101: Cooling System

Most systemic problems with boat engines can be traced back to a neglect of the cooling system. The cooling system in your boat will function much differently from the one in your car, so it’s important to be familiar with the discrepancies. Regardless of what type of cooling system you have, the water you’re floating in will be used to regulate the temperature of the engine, which means that all of the debris, algae and gunk in the water will now be pulsating through your boat.

The first way to prevent damage to the cooling system is to inspect, clean and replace the filters on the water intakes regularly. This will help you catch any large debris from the water that would otherwise be sucked through the system. If you are boating in salt water frequently, gasket failure will be your chief concern. When you see any signs of rusting or corrosion here, immediately switch out the parts and work to remove any deposits. In addition, changing your outboard motor oil regularly will help rid the system of deposits and keep the engine temperature in an acceptable range.

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Motor Oil: Mineral or Synthetic?

There are three basic categories when it comes to outboard motor oil: mineral, synthetic and semi-synthetic. Mineral oil is the traditional stuff that is drilled and refined straight from the earth. Synthetic oil is comprised entirely of manmade chemical compounds. Semi-synthetic, as you can probably ascertain, is a combination of the two aforementioned types.

So which is the best type? Synthetic oils have the upper hand because scientists have the capability to design the oil to their exact specifications. This allows them to create oil that works well in virtually any conditions and runs cleaner than mineral oil. There used to be the notion that switching from mineral to synthetic or vice-versa was detrimental to your engine, but current research has shown that you can switch back and forth without causing any damage.

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Winterizing Your ATV: Part Three

Before exposing your ATV to the perils of winter weather, it’s necessary to take a few steps to ensure the machine operates properly. We’ll go over the basic procedures for all vehicles, but the exact process will vary depending on the make and model of your vehicle. To that end, it’s always advisable to consult your owner’s manual to ensure there aren’t any discrepancies.

The first thing to do is to install a carburetor heater. This will ensure that the mixture of gas, air and 2 stroke oil is always at an adequate temperature when it’s in the system. When you know the weather is going to be extremely cold, it’s crucial to switch to premium synthetic oil that is rated for the conditions. While you can get by with subpar oil in ideal conditions, it’s necessary to invest the extra money when the weather is bad.

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