Disposing of old two stroke petrol mixture ?

Alfie168 said:
I bet if you taken the plug out, cleaned & gapped it, then put it in the oven for 15 minutes on 'quite hot' and then put it back in the mower, it would have fired straight away. I've had to resort to that with old plugs on a sunday when I couldn't get a new one. Oddly enough they were usually fine after that but I'd buy a new plug anyway.

Tim
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I've used that trick many times Tim
 
bikerbill said:
I've used that trick many times Tim
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Can I see you guys do that single handed in the entrance to Chichester Harbour at hight tide on a sunny Sunday summer afternoon, with a 50 ft mobo doing the speed limit towards you as you're also drifting towards the Winner because the wind has dropped and the o/b won't start because you decided to save £10 by using last years fuel... :D
 
I have in the past disposed of old 2 stroke mix by throwing it into my heating oil tank, a couple of litres worth into hundreds of litres of heating oil isn't noticeable. My boiler still boiled, my heat still heated and so far there haven't been any huge fireball like events.
Wherever possible after using any small engines, I shut off the fuel and let them run until the carb is empty to prevent any **** building up from what doesn't evaporate. That is ok as both my generators and my outboard are 4 stroke. I wouldn't do that with a 2 stroke as it needs the oil in the mix for lubrication, though I am fairly sure I used to and haven't killed any 2 stroke motor by doing that.

Tonight, I am going to try and get my 81cc 2 stroke chainsaw to run for the first time in a few years, a new stop switch will probably help! and in the light of this thread I might even give it som new mix.
 
Fantasie 19 said:
Can I see you guys do that single handed in the entrance to Chichester Harbour at hight tide on a sunny Sunday summer afternoon, with a 50 ft mobo doing the speed limit towards you as you're also drifting towards the Winner because the wind has dropped and the o/b won't start because you decided to save £10 by using last years fuel... :D
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Best post of the thread!!!!
 
Fantasie 19 said:
Can I see you guys do that single handed in the entrance to Chichester Harbour at hight tide on a sunny Sunday summer afternoon, with a 50 ft mobo doing the speed limit towards you as you're also drifting towards the Winner because the wind has dropped and the o/b won't start because you decided to save £10 by using last years fuel... :D
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I've just got out my cheapo Titan 2 stroke Screwfix strimmer which has lain in my cellar for a year unused. It started on the fifth pull, and whats more the oil mix was far too rich as I slipped with the oil bottle last year.....so blue smokescreen aside it started fine on my petro-treacle mix..:D:D.

If I met such a boating entity I would just wave my Rocna at him in contempt...;);)

Tim
 
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Cappen Boidseye said:
IWherever possible after using any small engines, I shut off the fuel and let them run until the carb is empty to prevent any **** building up from what doesn't evaporate. That is ok as both my generators and my outboard are 4 stroke. I wouldn't do that with a 2 stroke as it needs the oil in the mix for lubrication, though I am fairly sure I used to and haven't killed any 2 stroke motor by doing that.
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I might be missing something here but isn't the point that the oil is mixed in with the fuel. So by cutting off the fuel at the tap, the O/B will still run by burning off the fuel in the carb. as that has oil in it then the engine will be lubricated.
 
jac said:
I might be missing something here but isn't the point that the oil is mixed in with the fuel. So by cutting off the fuel at the tap, the O/B will still run by burning off the fuel in the carb. as that has oil in it then the engine will be lubricated.
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The only time there is a problem is with larger multiple carb outboards where because of the fuel system design the upper carbs run out of fuel before the lower ones. This means that the upper cylinders can be starved of oil briefly while the engine is still running on the lower cylinders.
At least that is what the people who know about these things say , and therefore advise against the practice with these engines.

small engines are over lubricated at idle speeds so no problems with starving these of oil.
 
Alfie168 said:
I bet if you taken the plug out, cleaned & gapped it, then put it in the oven for 15 minutes on 'quite hot' and then put it back in the mower, it would have fired straight away. I've had to resort to that with old plugs on a sunday when I couldn't get a new one. Oddly enough they were usually fine after that but I'd buy a new plug anyway.

Tim
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I used to heat the plug on the gas ring when I was single and had a 2 stroke bike, these days I'd use a blowlamp to burn the crud off the plug.
The smell of hot petroil does not improve SWMBO's cooking, but tastes may vary!
If you can get the plug back in while it's still hot, that helps.
 
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