Help....2 cycle oil, Marine 2 stroke oil, ....???

[fins]

I thought 2 stroke oil was two stroke oil..............but I read about 2 stroke, 2 cycle, motorcycle 2 stroke oil, Marine 2 stroke oil, 2 cycle chain saw etc, etc....

I have been using Pennzoil Marine semi-synthetic in all my 2 stroke motors.......Outboard motor, chain saw, Lawnboy mower, weed wacker, snow blower.

What is the difference in the oils ? Am I harming one of the above engines ??

 

[mjk]

I thought part of it has to do with the designed temperature the engine runs at.

 

[doitmyself]

Hey fins, I have lots of 2 cycle outdoor power equipment experience (chainsaws, trimmers, blowers,etc.) but no experience with marine 2 cycle oil. This is a learning experience for me also. This following lengthy post is pretty educational: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2714912

Keeping things simple, there seems to be a minimum of at least three different types of 2 cycle oil: water cooled only, air cooled only, and multipurpose that claim to cover both water and air cooled.

Water Cooled: Marine engines run cool and require an ashless additive package to avoid fouling.
Air Cooled: Outdoor power equipment runs hotter and at higher RPM's, requiring a low ash additive package to meet their needs.
Multi-Purpose 2cycle: The type claims to meet the requirements of both water and air cooled engines. Our resident expert Molakule stated in one post that they can do this by using advanced synthetic base oil stock.

I checked out the Pennzoil site and it seems that your oil is not the dual rated multi-use type. It probably is not the best product for your outdoor power equipment air cooled engines, something that may not affect you IF you rarely use your equipment or don't work it under hard conditions. Personally, I would choose a different oil for air cooled 2 cycle engines.

http://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/products/o...2NhbGU9ZW5fdXM=

http://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/products/o...2NhbGU9ZW5fdXM=

Others will chime in and offer much more help. Very high performance 2 cycle engines seem to have even different needs??

 

[BrocLuno]

There is more to it than that - you left out the motorcycle 2-stroke race crowd that runs modestly big CC cylinders at outrageous power levels with extreme prejudice

Chain Saw Race motors are about the same, but don't run 45 minute moto's, or 8 hours of desert racing ... However, they do turn 11 to 14,000 RPM

Turns out that the oils that will work well there, will do well in most places/motors. Motul 710 and above are very good for most 2-stroke scenarios. JASO FC or FD (ISO-EGD) is a good spec to start with

But, outboards are a breed apart. TC-W3 for them. Mercury Premium Performance outboard oil is very good for many motors. Some require their own special lube ...

Rule #1 - some oil is better than no oil ... In a pinch, most will run a while on any 2-stroke oil. But peak power will not happen on less than the best.

 

[Kamele0N]

http://kawtriple.com/mraxl/tips/oil_twostroke.htm

 

[jakewells]

you can use multi purpose oil in your 2 cycle but i do not recommend pennzoil because of carbon build up. valvoline multi purpose burns cleaner imo.