I got tired of mixing up a whole gallon at a time and having it go
stale. Then I used it anyway, and it would eventually gum up my
carburetors.
I'm currently using Castrol (or maybe it's Penzoil) 100:1 rated TC oil
in a quart bottle. When that runs out, I may switch to QuickSilver PWC
(from Mercury Marine) synthetic oil -- the TC stuff, not TC-W3.
Now if I could just come up with a good method of remembering when I
last filled all my gas cans, so I know how old the gasoline is. (do you
think a blackboard in the garage would work?) I use Stabil in the
6-gallon cans for the generator, and dump them in the truck and refill
about twice a year. It's the little cans that I can't keep track of.
BTW, I buy one 2-gallon can of 91+ octane Premium gasoline in the spring
for the first tank or two of gas in the mower and tiller (etc.) They
seem to start easier that way. When that can is empty, I switch to
Regular for the rest of the season. By then they are either running
good, or they are not going to run good 'til I get them tuned-up. ;)
Bob
Interesting idea. BTW: Another useful gadget to measure oil is a
baby's feed bottle. Ours are long disused (Our youngest is now 30!)
and are graduated in ounces and millilitres.
>All the gasoline here, regardless of grade, is E-10 gasahol. It doesn't
>last as long in storage as 100% gasoline. So for 2-cycle fuel (which I
>don't use a lot of) I've started using a shotglass when I mix it. The
>shotglass is graduated at .5, 1.0, and 1.5 ounces. I mix 1.5 ounces of
>good quality 2-cycle oil with .55 gallons of 89 octane gasoline for a
>50:1 mix (it's just a little rich.) I don't add any Stabil, but when
>it's 2 or 3 months old I pour whatever is left in the 2-cycle gas can
>into my truck. Then I mix a fresh batch next time I need some.
>
>I got tired of mixing up a whole gallon at a time and having it go
>stale. Then I used it anyway, and it would eventually gum up my
>carburetors.
>
>I'm currently using Castrol (or maybe it's Penzoil) 100:1 rated TC oil
>in a quart bottle. When that runs out, I may switch to QuickSilver PWC
>(from Mercury Marine) synthetic oil -- the TC stuff, not TC-W3.
>
>Now if I could just come up with a good method of remembering when I
>last filled all my gas cans, so I know how old the gasoline is. (do you
>think a blackboard in the garage would work?) I use Stabil in the
>6-gallon cans for the generator, and dump them in the truck and refill
>about twice a year. It's the little cans that I can't keep track of.
I use Yahoo calendar for tires, and major appliances. It will send
you a reminder when to dump them.
>All the gasoline here, regardless of grade, is E-10 gasahol. It doesn't
Too much oil in the mix is killing your engine. It causes excessive
carbon build up which will eventually break the rings and cause other
problems.
Walmart sells what looks like a large plastic hypodermic syringe for
accurately mixing small quantities.
Also note that "marine" two stroke oil is not interchangeable with the
stuff for air cooled engines, which run hotter. Different
characteristics for different operating temps.
87 Octane will start better than 91 (although you probably can't tell the
difference). The higher the Octane, the greater the ignition point.
So-called "premium" gasoline was developed to prevent premature ignition in
high-compression engines.
I don't think gasahol is less stable but it is more prone to absorbing
moisture and too much water would cause separation. Addition of oil
would only add to the problem.
I see no need to worry about gas stored for less than a year unless it
is exposed to a lot of moisture and air.
Air/oxidation is what causes gas to gel. Gas should be stored in
filled, tightly sealed containers.
For my generator and in the generator itself, I add 2 years worth of
Stabil. After two years, the gas goes into my car and lawnmower. I
have a piece of masking tape on the cans with the date purchased.
Interesting idea about the premium gas. It may have extra carb
cleaners. In my Lawnboy, I found it best to use their 2 cycle oil as
it probably has detergents for this. I had been using a premium brand
of 2 cycle oil but was needing frequent carburator cleaning. Before
switching back to Lawnboy oil, I cleaned up the carb by adding cleaner
to the gas.
Near the end of the grass cutting season, I add Stabil to the gas and
leave the mower full. It is a good idea to start up any engine with
gas at least every 6 months as there may be evaporation in the
carburator causing blockage. This happened to me last year with my
snow thrower. Then I read in the manual not to use gasahol.
Alcohol increase the solvent power of gasoline which has been a real
PITA to everybody.
For 20 years, I've been using a small soda bottle, a syringe, and
milliliters.
Originally, my intention was to shorten the required shelf life by
mixing less.
Soda bottles seal tightly, which means I don't lose volatiles or draw in
oxygen and water vapor. Concerned about reliability, I've always stored
the bottles outside. I've never had a bottle crack. In my experience,
a bottle will last years. Eventually, the seal in the cap goes bad.
With a transparent bottle, I don't have to remember if I've added oil.
It's easy to carry, easy to see how much is left, and easy to pour.
At first I used a 1-liter bottle. Now I use a 591ml bottle with a
magic-marker line for 500ml. Even full, it has 18% head space so it can
warm up without much pressure.
With a syringe, I can measure oil more precisely than with a glass. Not
much oil is left on the walls, and it's internal, where it won't gather
dirt. Because oil is viscous, a syringe needs big passages.
I make fewer mistakes with easy calculations, and working with ml makes
calculations easy. 500 ml at 50:1? I suck up 10 ml of oil with my
syringe and squirt it into the bottle.
Stabil is great product to use in 2 cycle Mix & regular gasoline in
which it has shelf life of six months.
more Great Products & Services at http://gentleenterprize.biz
Rick
You put gasoline in BOTTLES? You're gonna DIE!
Bottles have been decreed by your betters as absolutely UNSUITABLE as
containers for gasoline! They are dangerous! It is against the laws of God
and man.
Several people are going to have trouble sleeping tonight worrying that you
may live in their town.
I have seen some 2 cycle oil that also acts like Stabil. Or so it states in
so many words on the container.
I'm leery of them indoors or in vehicles because they aren't always
leak proof if knocked over and don't necessarily hold fumes.
If I transport gasoline or keep it in my ventilated garage, it's in
approved containers.
If I mix 500ml in a bottle, I'll immediately pour some into a tank. So
I have perhaps 250ml. I stow it outdoors in a spot where it will be
protected from accidental damage and a spill won't mean a fire hazard.
I've always kept an eye on the condition of bottles because a small
spill would mean a small amount of environmental damage. I've never had
a spill. I'd probably spill more than 250ml a year trying to pour
2-cycle mix from approved containers into little gas tanks.
I'm mixing it 48:1.
> Walmart sells what looks like a large plastic hypodermic syringe for
> accurately mixing small quantities.
I've got some big syringes, but the shotglass is easier to keep track of :-)
> Also note that "marine" two stroke oil is not interchangeable with the
> stuff for air cooled engines, which run hotter. Different
> characteristics for different operating temps.
>
Mercury Marine is just the company name. Their "Quicksilver PWC" oil is
designed for air-cooled engines (it even says not to use it if your
engine needs TCW3), and the synthetic is rated JASO "FD" and ISO
(Global) "GE".
I just wonder if I could use very high grade oil at 100:1 even tho' my
saws and weed eater manuals all say to mix it 50:1 (actually, they say
to use 32:1 unless I use Echo brand oil; I ignore that part and use good
oil.) I may one ounce to a half gallon and see how that works. (64:1)
These are expensive very-high-reving engines, especially the big
chainsaw, and I'd hate to burn one up.
Bob
Should we ask if he has a gas water heater and gas dryer in his
garage?
He has the fuel source and oxygen available. :-)
Andy
The Chevron.com website has a on-line source that provides information for
your review. Specifically it says
22. How long can I store gasoline without it going bad?
Gasoline stored in a tightly closed container in a cool place will stay good
for at least one year. It is better if the container or fuel tank is almost
(95 percent) full. If the container or fuel tank will be in the direct sun
or will be heated above 30�C (80�F) much of the time, add an aftermarket
fuel stabilizer to the gasoline when you first buy it. Gasoline-oil blends
for two-stroke cycle engines stored under the proper conditions will keep as
well as gasoline itself.
http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/motorgas/8_q-a/#22
--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
"zxcvbob" <zxc...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:7d7ip3F...@mid.individual.net...
As soon as I hit <Enter> I realized that I mistyped that; the ISO rating
should have been GD (there's not an E yet), and actually should be fully
spelled out "ISO-L-EGD". But there's more: I've tried to verify the
rating on this oil, in case I just read too much into the "synthetic"
part. and now I can't find any spec sheets anywhere. I've written to
Mercury but I haven't gotten a reply yet (and doubt that I will.)
It seems that most 2-cycle oil repackagers don't want you to be able to
compare their products, so they don't spec them any more specific than
TC vs. TC-W and TCW3.
Bob
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"E Z Peaces" <ca...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:h4n3ad$n5n$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
I keep it on a beam in a shed that's open on three sides. Kids couldn't
reach it.
Suppose an adult spots it and has a sudden hankering for half a bottle
of warm soda that could be years old. If he takes it down, the first
thing he notices is that the plastic cap is grimy from being opened and
closed with oily hands. The he notices that the fluid is dark blue,
unlike soda.
If he still wants a drink, it would be hard to get the short-necked,
flexible bottle to his lips without smelling fresh gasoline.
Somebody who drank from that bottle would probably also drink from the
fuel tank of a string trimmer, thinking the manufacturer was thoughtful
to attach a canteen for thirsty gardeners.
> Somebody who drank from that bottle would probably also drink from the
> fuel tank of a string trimmer, thinking the manufacturer was thoughtful
> to attach a canteen for thirsty gardeners.
This is quite frightening. I am writing my congressman right
now, demanding that legislation be passed requiring all small
engines be clearly labeled:
"DANGER! DO NOT DRINK FROM FUEL TANK!"
I hope to heck I'm not too late.
--
PB
"I suspect you're an arrogant little pissant who grew up in the
Red Bull generation." - CJW
There are 96 teaspoons to a cup measure. Two heaping teaspoons per pint
gives you roughly a 50/1 mix or one teaspoon per 8 oz. cup. Get a cup and
teaspoon kitchen measure and keep them in a plastic bag in the garage just
for this purpose. Two cups fill my weed eater or small chain saw.
HTH
Heaping?
FULL!
I tried it this weekend. 500ml water bottle full of StaBil'ized
gasoline, plus 10ml of Castrol 2-cycle oil measured with an old syringe.
It was just enough to fill the tank of my Echo weedcutter. (I didn't
know it had such a large tank.) I could probably mix the fuel directly
in the tank now that I know that, but it's a lot easier to pour from a
small bottle than from a 6 gallon gas can.
I don't know how long the syringe is gonna last. The oil may dissolve
or swell the rubber plunger and ruin it.
Bob
Where are you? 1 US cup = 48 US teaspoons....
On the farm, where I did a lot of sawing and string trimming, I'd mix a
liter at a time. I used a piston syringe with a long tube, intended to
inject medicine down the throat of a lamb. As I recall, the o ring went
bad in a year or so.
The tube would reach to the bottom of an oil bottle. I used it with a
turkey baster, which lasted several years. Eventually the bulb cracked,
not from oil but from air. I replaced the baster.
With age, the tube shrank, which meant it took longer to draw the
required amount of oil, especially in cold weather. I should have
replaced the tube with clear 1/4" tubing just long enough to reach the
bottom of a bottle.
Now that I use a smaller soda bottle, I use a cheap plunger syringe.
Some cheap syringes may be impervious to oil. At a store the other day
I saw cheap bulb syringes intended to measure a dose of medicine.
>
>
> I could probably mix the fuel directly
> in the tank now that I know that, but it's a lot easier to pour from a
> small bottle than from a 6 gallon gas can.
>
You've got me thinking about using a soda bottle to transfer gas from an
approved can to my 4-cycle push mower. If I run out 200 yards from the
garage, that's half a mile of walking to fetch and return the gas can,
and I'm likely to spill some when I fill the tank.
Topping off before going out could reduce such occurrences, but topping
off from an approved can invites spilling. Besides, if I have to tip
the mower on the side, less gas in the tank means less chance of leaking
from the cap or through the carburetor. In storage, less gas in the
tank means less to lose by seepage, possibly into the crankcase. In
long-term storage, an empty tank and carburetor are probably better than
Stabil.
If I had to fetch a liter of gas for my mower, using a soda bottle could
mean no spilling, from the can to the bottle or from the bottle to the
mower. It could cut my walking in half because I could use a cord to
hang the empty bottle from the handle.
If I started out with a full soda bottle (or two) hanging from the
crossbar on the handle, I would never have to top off the tank because
I'd have a visible reserve. No more hassle if I have to tip the mower
on its side. If I didn't want the bottle hanging as I mowed, I untie it
at the work site. This could even make it practical to run the mower
dry before putting it away. Unused gas could be poured back into the
approved container.
Walmart sells a large syringe made specifically for mixing oil with
gas. I think it's less than $5.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"E Z Peaces" <ca...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:h5ajcr$kam$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
To transfer gas from an approved can to a lawn mower, the size and
opacity of a paint-thinner can could lead to spills.
If I used a soda bottle for a visible fuel reserve for a 4-cycle mower,
I'd remove the label and write all over the bottle with magic marker.
I'd pour the gas back into the approved can when I finished mowing.
Sorry, my mistake, I had looked this up before and posted it right and
didn't this time.
96 teaspoons per pint. 48 per cup.