help: 2stroke oil - too much or not enough? new to 2strokes

[Merlin]

Hi all,

my Zbox [66cc] is the first 2stroke motor I've ever had to deal with, where you have to mix your own oil. The only other 2stroke I've owned is my wife's bike in Thailand, which is a Honda 110cc. It has a separate oil tank, and a light on the dash to tell you when it wants more oil.

But I've never had to mix 2stroke fuel and oil before.

I got my first 5L can, and as the instructions said to use a 16:1 ratio for running I calculated that to be a little under 300ML. So that's what I did, and the little motor starts and runs and seems pretty much ok. It's a noisy ***** though - you can't hear the exhaust noise over the chain, gear and a high pitch ringing sound from the top end [I think]. Maybe it's the piston knocking? I don't know. Do they get quieter after they're run in?

anyway, I'm off track.

What are the consequences if you get the mix wrong?
I guess if have not enough oil you will kill the motor, especially when it's new.
But what about if you have too much? Just as bad?
What about after it's run in - is it better to run a bit extra oil for safety?
Or is there a performance hit for having too much oil in the mix?



The other thing I'm wondering about is:
How do you guys who ride these things every day handle the practicalities of refueling? Do you carry some oil with you and add it in when you stop at the petrol station? How do you figure the correct amount to put in if you don't know how much the little tank is going to take? Or do you keep your fuel premixed at home, and fill up before each trip?

[Bikeguy Joe]

[QUOTE=Merlin;34653]Hi all,




It's a noisy ***** though - you can't hear the exhaust noise over the chain, gear and a high pitch ringing sound from the top end [I think]. Maybe it's the piston knocking? I don't know. Do they get quieter after they're run in?

Yes, all normal there.

anyway, I'm off track.

What are the consequences if you get the mix wrong?
I guess if have not enough oil you will kill the motor, especially when it's new.
But what about if you have too much? Just as bad?

Nearly, but different...too much oil will stick rings (really bad) build up carbon very quickly and foul plugs. It will also affect your fuel/air mix- too much oil makes a LEANER mixture and that's not a good thing.
Not enough oil and grindy grindy krunch kaboom ensues. 16:1 is rediculously rich in oil....go to 24:1.

What about after it's run in - is it better to run a bit extra oil for safety?
Or is there a performance hit for having too much oil in the mix?

Don't do it, it serves no purpose.



The other thing I'm wondering about is:
How do you guys who ride these things every day handle the practicalities of refueling? Do you carry some oil with you and add it in when you stop at the petrol station? How do you figure the correct amount to put in if you don't know how much the little tank is going to take? Or do you keep your fuel premixed at home, and fill up before each trip?

I keep fuel premixed at home...you can go 70 miles on a tank, no problem.[/QUOTE]

[deacon]

To tell you the truth I am lazy.... I bought a two quart plastic bottle of fruit juice. I drank the fruit juice and washed the bottle very very well. then I figured out how much the cap would hold. exactly 1/2 ounce believe it or not. So now I put in four caps full of oil and fill the bottle with gasoline. It is the right mix and I don't have to use anything else to measure with.

My chainsaws and weed whackers bikes also run on the mix very well so i don't bother to mix anything else.

[4wdingman]

i've got a zbox bike too...
when you are running it in add 65ml of oil to every litre of fuel when it has run in you can put it down to 55ml of oil per litre.