Snow Storms and Castor Oil

**2door** · #1 12-02-2008, 02:50 PM

Got our first real snow of the season this weekend. I wasn't ready. The snow blower was still in the basement and I didn't have any pre-mix for it but with ten inches of snow on the driveway and sidewalks I had to do something.
I drug the blower upstairs and to the garage and found the empty fuel container then looked at the one I use for my MB. "What the heck?" I said and filled up the snow blower's tank, fired it up and headed for the outdoors.
Two of my neighbors who were also shoveling or blowing snow came over and asked what the "weird smell" was.
I run a standard gas/oil mix with a twenty percent castor oil blend. That smell is so distinctive and it brings back memories of my dad and I racing go carts back in the 60s. My neighbors, however, didn't have the same appreciation for the odor. Too bad. Wish dad could have been there. He would have liked it.
Tom

jasonh · #2 12-02-2008, 03:02 PM

Dang, you got that much snow? Wow. Only got 1-2 inches here, and it didn't stick to the driveway.

My wife won't let me buy a snowblower. If there's a lot of snow, I have to shovel.

**2door** · #3 12-02-2008, 04:16 PM

Jason.
Next time I'll save some for you. Just bring a truck down and we'll fill it up. We always get more at our place than the city. We're a little higher, up against the foothills.
I didn't take the bike out. I run road tires with a smooth tread and the icy streets looked like more than I wanted to try.
Tom

**Bikeguy Joe** · #4 12-02-2008, 04:17 PM

MMMmmmm....castor.

Pablo · #5 12-02-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2door

Two of my neighbors who were also shoveling or blowing snow came over and asked what the "weird smell" was.
I run a standard gas/oil mix with a twenty percent castor oil blend. That smell is so distinctive and it brings back memories of my dad and I racing go carts back in the 60s. My neighbors, however, didn't have the same appreciation for the odor. Too bad. Wish dad could have been there. He would have liked it.
Tom

Some people.....I love the smell.

But dude....20%!!??? Da......ddaa....n... :

:

eDJ · #6 12-02-2008, 05:16 PM

I know people have used Bean Oil in racing ap's for along time but from all I've read the stuff lacks film strength. So if it's a service motor like your blower it may not really be able to provide the protection it needs.

Time was that any motor that used it was a tear down right after the event.

But if it gets you thru in a pinch....like 20 inches of snow....ya gotta do what ya gotta do !

Hope ya get yurself some 2 stroke oil REAL soon as I'm watching the Weather Channel right now and looks like a nother Pacific North West storm getting ready to roll in immediately.

**2door** · #7 12-02-2008, 06:09 PM

Pablo,
That's twenty percent of the mix, not total oil. It equates to about a half ounce when I use my pre-mix bottle that measures out the oil when it's rotated.
I add the oil then throw in a little castor, just for the smell, and I'm confident that my engine isn't suffering. The snow blower uses a little heavier oil mix than I normally run in the bike so I added a little just to be safe.
Thanks for the concern.
Gosh, I wonder what you guys would say if you knew I'd also tipped in a little 15% nitro model airplane fuel...Gives new meaning to the term...
"Flying Motorbikes"

mechanickid · #8 12-02-2008, 08:11 PM

O.o where do you get that stuff? lol

**Norman** · #9 12-02-2008, 08:30 PM

I love the smell of burning Castor oil and alcohol/nitro or gasoline not to mention the noise.

Norman
you can order nitro fuel from most hobby shops by the case last time I bought some it was $10.00 a gallon for 4 gallons of 10% nitro but that was years ago like 1980. I ran 25% nitro in a ducted fan A4 skyhawk that K&B fan engine would turn up to 25,000 rpm now that was loud!!! engine was quiet with the tuned pipe but the fan was ripping the air. the good ol days(sigh)
Norman

Pablo · #10 12-02-2008, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2door

Pablo,
That's twenty percent of the mix, not total oil. It equates to about a half ounce when I use my pre-mix bottle that measures out the oil when it's rotated.
I add the oil then throw in a little castor, just for the smell, and I'm confident that my engine isn't suffering. The snow blower uses a little heavier oil mix than I normally run in the bike so I added a little just to be safe.

OH OK - maybe I misread your initial post. Funny thing is that about what I run in my bike. Nice smell and nice power.

I buy Sig Castor.