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Why are There Different Two-Stroke Oil Mix Ratios for Chainsaw Oil

Written by Charleen

Why are There Different Two-Stroke Oil Mix Ratios for Chainsaw Oil

John Baker|

Swamp mix.

That’s what you call a concoction of two-stroke oil and gas that’s been slopped together with no measuring tools and no regard for engine protection. Your chainsaw or string trimmer could be running on a 50:1 mix. Could be 72:1. Could be 147:1. There’s no telling.

I often made swamp mix back in the day. Like other adherents to the dark art of mixing foul-smelling liquids in a dimly lit shed, I did it for a couple reasons: 1) I didn’t have clearly marked measuring containers at the ready, and 2) even if I had, I wouldn’t have felt like playing chemist with my chainsaw when I’d rather be cutting brush.

I never blew up a saw doing this. But, then again, I’m not a professional logger, so I didn’t cut often.

Some people don’t like mixing two-stroke fuel/oil because it’s a mess. Some hate it because math makes their brain hurt.

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What is a two-stroke mix ratio?

The math isn’t that tough to understand. Say your chainsaw manufacturer recommends a 50:1 fuel/oil mix. This simply means you need 50 parts of gas to one part two-stroke oil. Two-stroke engines derive lubrication from the oil mixed directly into the gasoline, unlike your car engine, which lubricates itself with oil housed in an oil sump and circulated by an oil pump.

Complicating things, some equipment manufacturers recommend different mix ratios. While most modern trimmers, chainsaws, leaf blowers and the like call for 50:1, some older equipment recommends 32:1. If you have multiple pieces of equipment with different mix ratios, you have to mix and store multiple cans of fuel. That’s not only a hassle, it’s a situation begging for problems when you accidentally dump 50:1 in your saw that takes 32:1.

This scenario likely isn’t a problem for landscapers, loggers and other professionals who replace their equipment often due to heavy use. But plenty of homeowners still use older equipment that calls for a richer fuel mixture.

Life would be much easier if every manufacturer recommended the same mix ratio, right?

They don’t. But we do.

AMSOIL SABER Professional Synthetic 2-Stroke Oil is tested and proven at any mix ratio up to 100:1. That means you can mix one can of fuel and use it in all your two-stroke equipment. Done. Problem solved. If you want to use 50:1, use that. Or 80:1. For best value, use 100:1. You could mix at 71:1 if you want. It’s up to you.

And, to eliminate the hassles of mixing fuel, we offer bottle sizes matched to certain sizes of gas cans. For example, to mix AMSOIL SABER Professional at 50:1 in a 2.5-gallon gas can, just use an entire 6.4-oz. bottle. Use half the bottle for a 100:1 mix ratio.

That’s the ratio I now use in my chainsaw. As the piston images show, SABER Professional mixed at 100:1 outperforms other two-stroke oils at 50:1, fighting power-robbing deposits and maintaining operability.

AMSOIL SABER Professional mixed at 100:1 delivers better protection against power-robbing deposits than other oils mixed at 50:1.

With SABER Professional you spend less on oil, get better protection and eliminate hassle when mixing fuel. And you never have to make swamp mix again.

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Stiction… What Is It?

Written by Charleen

Stiction… What Is It?

Mark Nyholm|

By now you’ve inevitably seen this term in turbo diesel enthusiast magazines.  And if you own a Ford Powerstroke 6.0L diesel engine, then you likely have experienced it. Stiction… it’s a combination of two words. Static and Friction. What it really means is that there are two components touching each other and a specific force is required to get them to move relative to each other. Like your pen resting on your desk. It requires a certain amount of force to get your pen to slide across your desk.

Solving Stiction on Ford 6.0Stiction has been a marketing term in the turbo diesel market for about the past 6-8 years now with the issues that Ford has seen with their 6.0L diesel engine. It’s a HEUI motor that, unfortunately, Ford made a poor decision to crank up the fuel pressure while utilizing similar injectors to the 7.3L diesel and they just aren’t capable of handling the pressure. So what happens is the solenoid on the injector that controls when the injector fires wears and gets sloppy. That wear puts it into a binding condition and the injector control is lost. The net result is poor idle and throttle response.

So what have some savvy entrepreneurs done? They’ve come out with a product to improve on the situation. Unfortunately the problem is irreversible. You cannot replace wear with chemistry. So can it make it better for the short term? Yes. However it is truly short term and typically ends in injector replacement.

What is the magic chemistry in a small bottle that costs so much? It is a combination of detergent and friction modifier. The detergent goes in there and cleans up any deposits in the oil side of the injector to ensure the solenoid can fire as smooth as possible. The friction modifier goes in there and coats the two metallic components and provides a more slippery surface so that the increased clearance between the two of them results in less binding. Unfortunately this method doesn’t last that long and you have to either keep adding this special juice or just replace the injectors.

I’m sure if you are a 6.0L owner you are wondering what I could have done differently. Unfortunately, based on the design and pressures, I’m doubting whether there is a foolproof method to eliminate the problem. But there are ways to lessen the pain and improve on the longevity of those injectors.

First, you want to choose a high quality synthetic diesel engine oil, like AMSOIL, to ensure your injectors are staying clean and the oil is providing the best wear protection possible. Regular oil change intervals using a high quality oil filter is step two to this important process. And finally if you are trying to keep the oil side of the injector clean you better think about the nozzle of the injector and keeping that fuel flowing as Ford intended. Using a concentrated dose of diesel fuel additive, like AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean, will help keep that injector flowing like new.

One more thing for northern climate enthusiasts to consider is engine oil viscosity. Since the HEUI injector uses engine oil to build fuel pressure it is very important to ensure the viscosity of the oil is suitable to promote development of proper fuel pressure. Take a look into your owner’s manual the next time you are in the garage. Your book will tell you that a 5W-40 or 15W-40 oil is recommended in most conditions, however if the temperature drops into the freezing range, Ford recommends you change to a 10W-30. No mystery why that is. The lower viscosity of the 10W-30 will flow more freely in cold temps and help develop fuel pressure much easier. Something to consider as you plan your oil changes throughout the year. Perhaps a viscosity change in the fall is the right answer for you. Whatever you choose to do, be confident that AMSOIL has a full line of high performance turbo diesel products for your truck. Take a closer look at http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-equipment/diesel-motors/

Photo courtesy Diesel Power Magazine

Synthetic Warehouse note: The lower viscosity does so well for the Ford 6.0 that our #1 seller thanks for various diesel forums is our HDD 5W-30. Reduce the stress on your Ford 6.0 and call us or stop in for the 100% Synthetic Heavy Duty Diesel 5W-30 (Product Code HDD)

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