Two-cycle oil in gas

Michael M

Michael M

Senior Member
The A's gas tank was empty so I grabbed the gas can and started pouring it in. After about 1/2 gallon I realized that I had the gas can for the string trimmer, meaning it was an oil/gas mix.

I then switched cans and topped off the tank with about 7 gallons of gas.

Started and drove for about an hour and saw no signs of a problem.

I'm pretty sure the gas/oil mix would not cause any harm, especially after being diluted with regular gas. I would, however, like any opinions from others.

Regards to all!
 
I am sure it will do no harm whatsoever. Although it may not have the same properties of MMO ( Many of us Barners swear by it, some swear at it ) it will serve as a lubricant.
Wayne
 
It won't hurt a thing, may even help. I've done the same thing before. The worse that it will do is maybe cause a little smoke.
 
Simple math- worst case, that 2 cycle mix is 25:1 (probably 32 or 50:1). 1/2 gal by mistake, then adding gas to get a full tank (10gal) makes it 1/20th of 25:1 or a final mix of 500:1. That's 2.56 oz in the 10 gallons. MMO and most upper cyl oil additives call for 4+ oz in 10 gallons. 2 cycle oil is effectively an upper cyl lube, so you are good to go! Your top rings and exhaust valve stems thank you.
 
2 cycle oil helped free up my "frozen" speedo. I drilled 1/16" holes in critical areas & injected 2 cycle oil with a syringe! NO! I'm NOT a JUNKIE!
Bill W.
 
I know of an owner who put 8 litres of diesel in by mistake and once we got it running he reckoned it had never run so well. Good upper cylinder lubricant !
 
In NJ, they don't allow you to pump your own gas! I went in to a foreign owned gas station for Diesel and told the foreign born attendant that that was what I wanted for my VW Jetta TDI. I wasn't watching and I got a tank full of gas. The car quit on me a few miles later in a parking lot. I had to go in to the tank under the seat and scoop the gas out and fill it with diesel oil. I had maybe 10 gals of gas mixed with 3-4 gals of diesel oil to get rid of. I put it in the lawn mower, worked fine!
Terry

Wooden wheel said:
I know of an owner who put 8 litres of diesel in by mistake and once we got it running he reckoned it had never run so well. Good upper cylinder lubricant !
Click to expand...
 
Hey Michael,
Maybe you just 'stumbled' onto a good thing..new product idea :) !
As Mike said ..It was really diluted from what you said.
As a young man, I remember pouring ATF (and sometimes water) into carb of running engine to kinda clean things in combustion areas up. You did not hurt a thing, IMO.
 
I once ran out of gas in an old 68 Bronco while cutting fire wood, only problem was I was sitting on the railroad track way out in the boonies. so I put a gallon of 2 cycle gas in it and ran it home never hurt a thing.
 
In my opinion, sharing successful vintage experiences told years ago helps one to make decisions on vintage engines today .......... like:

1. Years ago when money was a lot tighter, we heard many provided 4 ounces of oil to 10 gallons of gas for providing "top cylinder" lubricant in their "vintage" engines, which they said proved to make engines last much longer than with "no" oil in gas.

2. Some had noticed that cylinders would wear more at tops of cylinders where there is less oil lubrication & more heat; bottoms of cylinders loaded with oil did not wear as much; hence, adding the then advertised top cylinder lubricant made sense.

3. Also appears many avoided this adding oil procedure, not because of lead in vintage gas; but, we heard because of lead in vintage behinds.

4. Oil in gas for helping to prevent gas tank rust in "humid areas" & in "marine" engine gas tanks was also noticed to provide less rust than "no" oil in gas. Many also avoided this procedure, again not because of lead in gas, but also we heard it was for the same reason stated above in paragraph 3.

Appears different vintage Model A remedies are like different recipes in a vintage cook book.

But, just remember the old saying: Betty Crocker's husband ate out every night !
 
around 1963 I worked in a gulf gas station.the boss had a contest to see who sold the most accessories when outside pumping gas.check fan belt,wiper blades&TOP OIL,which was in I think was a 6 or 8 oz can added to gas tank at fillup. I won contest but don't remember what I won. (gas was 29 9/10 a gal unless there was what was called a gas war,18 9/10 comes to mind) tom
 
The old timers always said to put in a quart of kerosene in your full gas tank on a Model A, that it would keep the valves from sticking and help lubricate the top end. Also supposed to help prevent vapor lock.

Anybody try that trick? Supposed to be a good one.......
 
refinerys mix a certain amount of oil in gasoline all the time... when shipping in pipelines, dot allows it. you donot mix gasoline in diesle fuel though....too explosive an causes engine damage...kev
 
Per the question in reply # 18, unlike today, I remember in the early 1950's when gasoline was 20 cents a gallon; but kerosene was only 15 cents a gallon.

My Dad, born 1902, told us of a guy in the late 1920's who followed the advice of adding one gallon of kerosene to every four gallons of gasoline.

The guy later got arrested.

He had mixed the two together whereby his car started profusely backfiring now & then.

Police though shots were being fired & declared both he & his car as a nuisance disturbing the peace.

Don't remember what make of car, nor all of the details, but seems like it was a result of glowing hot carbon build up igniting unburned gas.

Similar to reply # 12, I tried 10% diesel mixed with gas in a riding lawn mower years ago, (have absolutely no idea why I tried that), but it worked great.
 
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