anyone else on here mad enough (or poor enough!) to be running a 2 stroke? if so, what oil do you use? or alternatively, anyone whos more mechanical than I (which isnt hard as it includes my wife!) might be able to give me some advice.

i got a 503 producing noise on the back of my little beasty, and I'm running Castrol 2T, been going quite well, but just looking into what everyone else is using. and more to the point, if anyone has had any experience with Repsol oils? my mate is the Australian distributor, so I can get it next to nothing, and surprise surprise he reckons its the bees knees! but I cant find anything about it to say if it will be good or bad for what i want!

In my 503 I used Penzoil for air cooled engines for the first 100 hours but penzoil has been changing things up and confused me so when I ran out of it I started using Yamalube I had on hand. I have had good luck with the Yamalube semi synthetic in my snowmobiles for the past 25 years or so. The little 503 has not missed a beat so far with about 40 hours using the yamalube.

First 50 hours I ran premix 50:1 then put on an injection system on which is averaging around 65:1 to 70:1. The plugs look better with the injection.

I will probably get some cheap...make that inexpensive...two stroke oil from the farm supply store when I run out of my yamalube supply.

I'm not rich or angry. Two stroke and Experimental home built makes me happy.

I flew ultralights for many years, Rotax, I used Blue Max 100:1

http://www.recpower.com/bluemax.htm

It is thicker than anything else so take care to mix it well.

Way cleaner inside the chamber. They claim because of less solvents in the oil.
And I like that it is not synthetic.

I ran an oil-injected 582 for about 5 years. I originally ran Penzoil air-cooled since that is what everyone else used. However after a while I started using what Clyde Poser used. He is a well-respectect PPC and trike pilot and an excellent mechanic and DAR in the northwest. He tears a number of engines down every year and said the ones that were running Amsoil Interceptor had much less wear and very little carbon build up, whereas the ones runing Penzoil were reaching their overhaul tolerances at 300 hours. Good enough for me, so I switched to Amsoil Interceptor.

When I road raced two strokes, I liked the way that the Yamalube 2R worked with my engines. Both water cooled and air cooled. Burned nicely as well. Deposits were minimal, but still readable when you pulled the heads to look at the pistons and cylinders. Did not soot up, unless we had jetted wrong (way too rich). We ran it down to 24:1 to get good protection and power. Air cooled engines can actually make more power down to 18:1 because of the better sealing. There's an old Kevin Cameron test somewhere out there... they got down to 14 or 12:1 before plug fowling became a problem. Just need to jet properly for the ratio you're using. More oil, displaces the fuel, so you need richer jetting...

With trials motorcycles, I ran 70:1 since they are putting around near idle 90% of the time. Road race engines are always being beaten on, so we ran them super rich on oil. Especially when you close the throttle going into the corner, needed to make sure the pistons stay lubed when the throttle is closed with premix.

So I'd caution about going too lean with the oil. The engine will be full power on take off, and cruise at 75% power. Those situations need a decent amount of oil.

Sorry for slightly off topic. I've had a cup of coffee today.

AV-2 Aviation 2 Cycle oil is another good choice. I used Penzoil for the first 200 hours, then switched to AV-2 in my Rotax 582 and have about 1,000 hours on it and have done nothing, not even cracked the case, decarboned it, nothing, and it runs perfectly fine and checks out to specs. I use mostly av gas, and the key to the life of the engine is running it and using it, and not messing with it for "optimum performance" as you would a motorcycle engine. AV-2 is a 50/50 synthetic blend, and you can find more specs and info online



I'm not an engine guru, but I know what has worked for me, and that 2 stroke has carried my butt back and forth 4 times across the US, each time about 6,000 miles and about 125 hours. Never once has that engine faltered. Keep in mind it's "freeway miles", I'm not training in it or towing a glider, but each trip I stopped at about 75 airports, so that's a few up and downs. I'm not saying to ignore Rotax's recommendations for overhauls, but I know what has worked for me, and I'm very anal on what keeps me up in the sky. The AV-2, along with always flying it, has to be a part of that success.


Below is a Youtube video, and I think that engine proved itself quite well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5EpKHcYvuQ

If you've got 1000 hours on a 582 I'd say keep doing what you are doing, must be doing something right. That's pretty impressive. I've heard of a few people going 600 hours before (forced) overhaul and thought that was pretty good.

scottf wrote:If you've got 1000 hours on a 582 I'd say keep doing what you are doing, must be doing something right. That's pretty impressive. I've heard of a few people going 600 hours before (forced) overhaul and thought that was pretty good.

Keep in mind those 1,000 hours were in an aircraft that flew all the time, year round, hence the 1,000 hours. I was very conservative on jetting and temps, and followed factory guidelines, as reliability was my priority, not rate of climb or cruise. Your maximum rest of climb average can be greatly skewed when your engine quits.

I'll probably break the engine down soon, as a lot of people, and myself, want to see the impact of those hours, and I'm curious on the performance of the AV-2 also. 2 strokes are not to be discounted for reliability and performance if maintained properly and flown regularly, and nothing can beat the power to weight ratio. Nontheless, my Zenith 750 has Rotax 912, a 4 stroke.

Another pilot here with a lot of hours in 2 stroke machines, but so long ago I can't remember what type of oil I used Castrol, I think when at home, on the road whatever I could find. I also still feel defensive when someone with no real flying experience in one disses the 2 stroke engine, still can't beat them when it comes to power to weight! Having said that, I freaking love my 4 stroke Rotax!

When I started, Castrol super 2 stroke was everyone's choice. It was dirty oil. Esso/Mobile semi synthetic has been the best so far, Much less deposits in the rings and price /performance was reasonable. Some oils are very pricey and add considerably to operating costs.

There is so much folklore around oils. Many years ago I had zero success with Penzoil, it coked up the crown and plugs with a hard glass like carbon. worst oil I ever tried.

Read an article about a sightseeing operation in Hawaii that used a trike (hang glider type wing) and just used the cheapest oil from a local dept store, the 582 went to over 1000 hrs without any internal maintenance.

In my experience, after taking many of these engines apart, that no matter what oil is used and how well the operator generally maintains and operates the engine, it is just a matter of time before the piston rings start sticking. This is generally undetectable with out removing the cylinders. Semi and full synthetics can easily extend the time period well beyond the 50 hsr that Rotax recommends for top end cleaning.
Operating with sticking piston rings can cause all sorts of problems that will most likely end with engine failure or damage. I would not go past 200 hrs without pulling the jugs and cleaning out the ring groves. Some may argue that that 200hrs is conservative for today's high performance oils, and that may be so for someone who just flies around the patch. Personally, I like a little more peace of mind when over unlandable areas.

You're going to get a lot of different opinions on what oil to use, based on a particular type of flying and personal experience, some good and factual, some just forum bs, and some based on what we went thru in the 70's just trying to make a motorcycle 2 stroke engine work. What Rotax is putting out now and it's performance and reliability is light years from then.

Though the 503 and 582 are similar, both are going to have different issues and wear, and the 582, with the water cooled head providing more constant temps, will not have the carbon issues that a 503 may have. Rotax does recommend the Penzoil air cooled oil for both, however, and lot of flyers out here that fly year round have good luck with it.

Ask around more about taking heads off or cracking cases when you may not have to. One of the biggest names in Rotax confirmed my choice not to with my type of flying, which may be completely different from someone else's. Peering thru exhaust ports and knowing what to look for can go a long way.

Like Sidewinder points out, it has to do with your peace of mind, not anyone else's. Whatever works for you. Bottom line, that 2 stroke can be a lot more than a patch flyer if that's what you want to do. I assume you're in a Drifter, check out Artie Trost, who has made some serious flights in her 2 stroke powered Drifter. When I spoke with her at Oshkosh her oil was whatever Walmart carried. Your choice of oil can just as personal as your choice of aircraft, and there's a lot of them out there.

UngaWunga wrote: More oil, displaces the fuel, so you need richer jetting... .

Yup. Run what the engine manufacturer recommends, If you add more oil to "protect" the engine you will be doing the opposite. You are leaning the mixture and creating more heat and carbon = premature failure.

Thanks for all the input guys! think i might stick with the 2t! worked for the past 2000 hours over 2 engines so no real need to change I guess!

We use bluemax 100 too. Our installation (Hirth 3800) uses 90:1 with fuel injection. Very little carbon build up. We run at max power most of the time towing. We love it, no solvent. But if you have something you are happy with, stick with it. Have also used amsoil and lucas, both seemed to be equally good( judging by some teardown inspections @ 500 hours)

There great little planes those dragon flys arnt they mate, i do a bit of towing in them to, great stol planes!

c130moose check your private message---thanks

Hey! I'm just book learning here. The only two stroke I ever ran was a Yamaha RD350 back in the olden days. That machine damn near killed me one angry night.

Anyway. Amazon sells something called "Texas Tea" Here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/TEXAS-TEA-2-Strok ... +texas+tea

Has anybody had any experience with this stuff? It's full synthetic which I gather is not ideal but on the other hand I doubt they make the stuff themselves. It's probably a bulk buy repackaged for internet sale. May not be a good idea but.....I like the price a bunch.

Ideas?

I have been using Klotz Super Tecni-plate for 30 years and have NEVER had an oil related failure....

From my open mod , Alky burning hill climber sled to my tiny weed eater..... The stuff is GREAT....

https://www.klotzlube.com/techsheet.asp?ID=44

Yup, great stol planes! I am always landing at the neighbors house's for coffee or something. My friends who enjoy off field flying say that It is a fixed wing helicopter. Very difficult to get very far though.

Always thought the drifter was solid performer, but never met anyone who has flown/owned one. It sure would be nice to not be in the wind when its below freezing.

I went to a fly in last winter and some of the other pilots thought I had a flight control flutter. The aircraft was fine but I was so cold that I was shaking enough to see it affect my elevator. Thank the lord that they had hot coffee, I was a little hypothermic. I am thinking about getting one of those electrically heated motorcycle suits.


Sorry mister701, never seen that stuff before. I am not brave enough to try it. Put it in a bike or something and run the crap out of it for a while.

I run a 582 in a CGS hawk. The motor was 11 years old when I did my first flight, about 85 hours later I figured that I should have it checked out, as suggested overhaul is 5 years. I sent it to Rotax Rick. He looked at it and called me and asked why I sent it to him. He said it looked great, but also said the oil injection system was very poor and recommended removing it. He sent it back all good to go, but said to use only two oils, quicksilver pwc, or amsoil interceptor.
My strip (hay field) is at 8000', I have flown to 13,700' and as low at 5000'. In june, I can get 300fpm climb at 12,500'.
Jetting has a huge effect on power, and I rejet a few times a year, along with a prop pitch change.

100 gallons of fuel later with interceptor, no problems. I use about 3.5 gph.