Mixing small amounts of 2-cycle fuel

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.

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

Reply to
zxcvbob
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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.

Reply to
stan

I use Yahoo calendar for tires, and major appliances. It will send you a reminder when to dump them.

Reply to
Metspitzer

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.

Reply to
salty

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.

Reply to
HeyBub

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.

Reply to
Frank

Why not use Stabil? I mix one gallon of fuel for the weed wacker and put stabil in it. Sometimes it lasts more than a season with no issues. I put it in the lawnmower and snowblower and neither has ever had trouble starting at the beginning if their season.

Reply to
George

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.

Reply to
E Z Peaces

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

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Reply to
rgentle

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.

Reply to
HeyBub

I like approved gasoline containers. They resist bursting from being struck. Their appearance warns of the contents. They even let some people get away with pouring gas on flames. I watched the gentleman next door pour gas from a 2-1/2 gallon can onto a trash fire. He's a full-time fireman.

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.
Reply to
E Z Peaces

You didn't need to give the spammer free advertising..

Reply to
George

I have seen some 2 cycle oil that also acts like Stabil. Or so it states in so many words on the container.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

I've seen some 2 cycle oil that have Stabil already in it....I think it was in the small bottle of Ryobi oil that came with my string trimmer...Must be other brands now as well.....

Reply to
benick

I'm mixing it 48:1.

I've got some big syringes, but the shotglass is easier to keep track of :-)

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

Reply to
zxcvbob

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

Reply to
WhiteTea77581

Gasoline degradation over time

The Chevron.com website has a on-line source that provides information for your review. Specifically it says

  1. 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.

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Reply to
Walter R.

As soon as I hit 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

Reply to
zxcvbob

I hope you have it clearly and obviously labelled. My grandfather (long since dead) used to use a quart whiskey bottle for gasoline for his well pump. The bottle was labelled in ounces. He remarked one time hoping no one drank out of that bottle.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

With glass and plain gasoline, I can imagine the danger. It may be hard to smell what's in a rigid bottle, and somebody wanting a gulp of warm liquor may not want to smell it.

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.

Reply to
E Z Peaces

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