how are you guys making more power with less oil?

[Jimmy Bloodmaker]

i've been experimenting with my oil ratio. i have found i get the best power at 16:1 when jetted correctly. i still prefer 24:1 for the no spooge. doesn't oil help seal the rings and lube the bearings? wouldn't more oil help longevity as well? how are you guys making such long lived bikes with more power if you are running less oil? wouldn't the added heat of friction and less bearing lube kill the bikes sooner? i'd say i have a few thousand miles on my bike running the lower ( more oil) ratios and no carbon build up inside it either. i notice more carbon at higher ( less oil) ratios than at lower ( more oil) ratios. is my bike some weird fluke of magic, or the cheap oil i run some magical stuff? how do y'all get more power with less oil?

 

[Greg58]

This is a subject that has been talked about many times here, I have settled at 32/1 for my bikes and it has served me well. My oldest engine in service is from August 2011, it’s a bare bones kit from eBay. I basically found what works best for mine,and what works for yours may be different. As long as you are protecting parts with a film of oil and tune to what the bike combo needs it should be ok.

 

[Jimmy Bloodmaker]

i have read a ton of posts on this topic, but all the expert books i read say the opposite of what i am finding here. so i'm just curious as to what oil people are using at such a low ppm. most post talk mainly about the mix, but not the actual power output of such mix. i hear all these people saying they are doing warp speeds with such a low ppm of oil. yet even the manufactures of 2 strokes say more oil, more power. i just wanna know what oils have given the longest life at the lowest mix ( highest oil to fuel ratio). i'd love to go lower on the mix, and make it cost less. as of now i get about 3 gallons a bottle out of the cheaper syn blend. not here to knock or deny any one of what they say. just wanting to gain more knowledge on the subject. i am no 2 stroke expert, and only part of my vast experience on 4 stroke engines apply to the 2 stroke engines. i also like to experiment, and the more i know, the better my experiments can be. thank you for chiming in greg. what oil do you use at tht ratio? altitude from sea level?

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Your engine seems to run better on 16:1 because that's actually making it run lean!!!
(more oil = less gas in every drop of fuel)

Use 32:1 & then jet the carb.

 

[Greg58]

I use Lucas simi-synthetic smokeless at 32/1, Norm has built a lot more bikes than me but only one of the 7 I have built didn’t need a smaller jet. Thicker fuel mix is drawn into the air flowing through the carb at a reduced rate which can help with a main jet that needs to be smaller. We all go by plug color to determine jet size, once you hit the right jet size you can use it as a base size on any you build after that. I’m in middle Ga. at about 1k above sea level.

 

[Jimmy Bloodmaker]

Your engine seems to run better on 16:1 because that's actually making it run lean!!!
(more oil = less gas in every drop of fuel)

Use 32:1 & then jet the carb.

oh trust me it ain't running lean. i've rejetted with every new mix i try and plug chop multiple times. i bought 21 piece jet set, from #80 on down. when i first got the bike, i was running leaner than a starving lot lizard. caused me heat issues( which i kept throwing oil at, and found i was wrong in tht aspect, without rejetting). an was solved by help from you and others on here. then i bought some two stroke engine books and did a lot of reading. been playing with oil ratio's and found the 16:1 not only runs the coolest, but makes the most power. just drips after shut off, to much for my taste, that and i don't really beat my bike. 20-24:1 i get a few drips after shut down, no smoke but maybe a wisp, and the temps stay nice and cool. i've tried every jet from #68 on up and played with every mix from 8:1 to 32:1. any jet under #68 and it just won't run. any jet smaller than a #70 and my temps get to hot for my taste. i love playing with this motor and will spend hour and hours on weekends tinkering with it, from spark gap to oil mix to jets. tried some different carbs too, still prefer the nt and nt clones for simplicity, and the available jet kits at a good price. an thanks to you venice, i will be getting a fred head for my next build, it's gonna be my speed racer engine, gonna port, pipe, magneto, pick up coil, fred head it , etc. i get my best power with #72-73 jet and 16:1, but i also get 3 tablespoons or so of spooge at shut off, not much smoke though. i'm currently running a #70 at about 24:1, great power, bit less then 16:1, #71 makes a lot of four stroking at 24:1 ( all the way through the throttle, i can get most of it to go away with a needle dropped to position 5 but at full throttle its four stroking.), which is why i dropped it down to a #70 and am sitting on position 3 on the needle. little four stroking till it warms up, then it's zoom zoom zoom.

edit: also i took an endoscope inside, and the crank has a slight sheen of oil on all the parts, and cylinder is clean as the day i bought it.

oh and i'm in middle america around 2300 feet above sea level.

 

[Greg58]

I've learned that no two engines are exactly alike, what works best for mine may not with yours. If you're satisfied with your ratio good job.

 

[Jimmy Bloodmaker]

i just like to gain insight on how others are doing. one reason is i am building these bikes for friends and family, and if what works for me don't work for them, it would be nice to have other idea's and advice that others have had work. i am by no means attempting to knock anyone or cause a dispute. maybe i worded my post wrong, i'm not the best at softness, pretty blunt and to the point is how most people would say i am. my younger brother ( we are old men, lol, he's always gonna be my baby brother, even though he's fought in two wars etc) is gonna build a bike too, but different from mine. so here i am trying to suck up all the info everyone else has, cause his bike won't be like mine. i can't even find this engine for sale anywhere anymore. great engine too. mine might be a fluke, but i'm pushing around 130-135 compression with a purely stock engine. only mod was a longer intake so it fit the tiny framed bike i chopped up and welded together for this kit. i aprish all the info you guys shoot my way.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

It sounds like you got life all figured out... Good luck!