Gas and oil mix

[eyeguy]

Hi speedy, I was directed to bgm web site. It's just a little overwhelming.
Let me tell all what I have done.
I am letting the 100 LL ago. I'm using 97 octane gas with 3%. Today I will reduce mix to 2 or 2.5 mix. It was a little smokey.
So far all is good. The engine is only mounted to a frame now. Still working on restore.
Thanks to all for your input.

Eyeguy

[eyeguy]

I posted yesterday but it didn't apply.
So here is what I am doing.
I started with a 3% mix with synthetic oil. It was very smokey. Also decided from reading all the post that using the leaded gas is an overkill, especially with the new head. So I am using 93 octane. I am now at 2.5% mix and it's better.
I still need to work on the tuning. I am no expert and still learning.
I was just happy it started and ran well and didn't blow up.
Thanks for all the fun on this subject. I suspect I will be asking for help in the tuning.

Eyeguy

[ToBoldlyGo]

I think you'd be better off sticking to 3%. It's a known quantity and easy to measure with a marked jug. Whereas I wouldn't like to guestimate 2.5% at the petrol pump. You can control your running by adjusting the jetting. Smoking is only really a problem when you start. It won't necessarily smoke like that once your engine is warm.

[mainstand]

Bet this goes on for many pages

I use Spry 'crisp & dry' after my Doris has done chippy tea for two weeks in a row. Done literally tens of miles with no issues. But I have to take the 'bits' out first.

End of thread,

[eyeguy]

Okay, back to 3% then.
Eyeguy

[speedy]

Bet this goes on for many pages

I use Spry 'crisp & dry' after my Doris has done chippy tea for two weeks in a row. Done literally tens of miles with no issues. But I have to take the 'bits' out first.

End of thread,

That's food for thought. I have never tried crisp and dry in one of my scooters but am willing to try anything. What percentage do you suggest running? I run it regularly in my Transit van at 100% mix and it's fine and has a lovely aroma.....a bit like rock oil, but slightly more fishy!

[Warkton Tornado No.1]

Bet this goes on for many pages

This Forum is a great way of gaining information, the benefit of experience & expressing opinion.

There is no finite answer to the original question & my own intention is not to cloud the waters but perhaps make readers think through the real reasons they adopt their habits with regards to oil mixes.

Contained in this very thread are examples of what type of oil, the manufacturer & the mix ratio.

Besides that, there are examples of the ratios that some would advocate not necessarily based upon the state of tune, but on the capacity. Why should a 225, say, need more oil than a 150 in a similar state of tune?

I would consider that any engine set up to the optimum, specifically bore gap, squish, cooling, plug type as well as ignition timing & carburetion is probably no more likely to need a better quality of oil, or more of it, than a bog standard engine in identical theoretical circumstances, say, a continuous 56 mph for 200 miles.

However, we all tend to accept that with an engine modified to deliver more performance, there will be the need to consider better quality oil & more of it.

Yet, given the inevitability of the modified engine using more fuel when driven harder, there will be more oil delivered in the process.

To put things into, hopefully, a better perspective, I am aware of even air cooled RM250’s that race on 40:1 or leaner.

I don’t know what the best oil & ratio are for a given state of tune, but I reckon that most of us probably err too far on the side of caution, much as we have the condition of ‘LambrettaClutchHand’

When you consider how many still shut off going downhill, which is a fairly severe test for any oil, how many are likely to have seized?

So, my question is can anybody state categorically an oil type & mix ratio that let them down & how? If so, what did they adopt in the future as the cure?

Presumably we all stand to gain from the shared knowledge……

[mainstand]

Bet this goes on for many pages

I use Spry 'crisp & dry' after my Doris has done chippy tea for two weeks in a row. Done literally tens of miles with no issues. But I have to take the 'bits' out first.

End of thread,

That's food for thought. I have never tried crisp and dry in one of my scooters but am willing to try anything. What percentage do you suggest running? I run it regularly in my Transit van at 100% mix and it's fine and has a lovely aroma.....a bit like rock oil, but slightly more fishy!

I tried slicing a bit of lard in one slice per 2.5L once, bogged down a bit if I'm honest.

[speedy]

In seriousness our oil brand , particular product in their range and the percentage ratio is a personal thing that we stick by, swear by and in some instances will see no other option as being viable, because if we change.......EVERYTHING WILL MELT, GO BANG AND WE'LL ALL DIE!!!!! I do remember purchasing a copy of 'Performance Bikes' around 1998/99, because it had a massive in depth test on two stroke oils that was very informative and funny to boot. They tested many oils at the time [ around thirty five or so ] and gave their findings of tests done on bikes and in the lab. We had brands like Putoline, Silkolene, Bel-Ray, PJ1 Racing oils, Castrol, Duckhams, Motul etc etc. They even tested a vegetable cooking oil, which had great lubricity, but utter rubbish anti sieze properties as you may expect. However two oils proved worse than this in every test, in fact they were shockingly dreadful. These two were PJ1 racing oil and Golden Film. All of the other oils worked and did the job. Some oils showed more wear under load than others in a piston and bore type test, but these were some of the older oils or cheaper ones in a companies oil portfolio [ ie Silkolene super 2 wasn't very good, but their castor and synthetic blended Pro 2 was fantastic ] Also older mineral oils were dirtier than the ' at the time' New, synthetic or semi synthetic oils, but that we know anyway. The test basically showed that modern oils were better than older mineral oils at longevity of engine components and cleanliness of engine internals long term. So basically we can presume that no oil is going to destroy an engine. However I still won't use the two brands it proved to be rubbish, that's if they are still in existence. Regards Speedy.

[rexton270s]

well reading all the above am still in the thinking........what about our forefathers of scootering, "fill her up and 2 squirts please" the scooters are still running now no dout! ok then in the 60s onward they had leaded fuel and no ethanol but other than that whats the difference? you can bet it was the cheapest mineral oil ever, but the scooters still survived it!

[Warkton Tornado No.1]

Yet another of my ‘tongue-in-cheek’ responses to provoke thought:

In the 1970’s when the Sporting Scooterists were a higher proportion of racers, technology meant pistons were fairly dire for the larger bores, cooling with CI barrels questionable, ignitions fixed @ a setting of “advance until it pinks then back of a touch,” tuning centred upon mainly the exhausts having long durations with chopped Clubman exhausts & cutting edge carburetion was a Dell’Orto VHB. A four stroke carb!

The duration of races were much longer @ the Scooter only events & the only fuel utilised was pump Five Star @ best, producing goodish power but the by-product being a lot of heat compared to AvGas.

In the midst of all that, Bel-Ray came along with their MC-1 which was used @ 2%......

[jonashford]

Been using exol fully synth for 4 years now

[gaz_powell]

Exol semi in my two nicosil ts1s and steel lined ts1at 3% and a steel lined 200 Vespa at 2%. All ridden many hard miles with loads of motorway use.
My only comment is at idol the nicosil barrels are a bit Smokey but thus clears when moving, the iron ones are less smokie. My mates it the same in his iron stage 4 and again less smoke

Just ordered another 20 litres at less than 60 quid delivered - this in my third drum (and the older ones were 25 litre.

I changed from Putoline TTSport which I was using at same ratio but at circa 10 quid a litre even when buying a box of 12.

No issues