Adding 2-Stroke oil to Diesel

[AndrewD]

You will have to forgive my stupidity, had a blonde moment when i asked that question. I was thinking of regular motor oil not 2-stroke. Only asked that question because i have a mate that uses filtered sump oil in his old doser. But he can't use semi-synthetic and synthetic because it doesn't burn as good as mineral based oils. Occassionally a farmer wil give him some diesel too. He uses the sump oil/ diesel mix in his hilux (1997 model) and swears it runs smoother with no ill effects.

 

[tweak'e]

with that large amount of oil.....i don't know. there are big commercial engines which run a lossy engine oil system. it injects engine oil straight into the fuel line. no oil changes required, just have to top up engine oil. but the amount is far less than what your mates would be using.

engine oil isn't made for burning and is full of additives that are not all that good for being burnt in a motor in large quantities.

 

[Old.Tony]

engine oil isn't made for burning and is full of additives that are not all that good for being burnt in a motor in large quantities.

That's absolutely spot on and it's also the reason why Nissan have made a minor song-and-dance about their engine oil being low-ash - because someone's made the connection from crankcase->PCV->combustion chamber-> environment.

2-stroke oils are designed to be combusted and shouldn't leave any residue in the exhaust (although I still have to clean the carbon off the spark arrestor in my chain saw, maybe I ought to try a 50:1 mix).

When I put 2-stroke into my diesel, it's a bit different to the 2-stroke oil you put in petrol - rather than a part-emulsion like oil does in petrol, the small quantity of 2-stroke in diesel undergoes a complete chemical change, altering the diesel itself.

I've now been through 6 tanks of fuel without 2-stroke in the equation and my average consumption has risen by a small amount but I don't have enough samples yet to be conclusive on city-based and highway-based comparisons. It's looking like between 0.4 and 1.0 LPHK improvement for using 2-stroke - but some of these figures come from when the engine was still settling in, so the 2-stroke figures are, I think, skewed a little high.

 

[tweak'e]

manufactures make a song and dance on anything that makes them look good.
a lot of engine oils have had additives changed due to environmentally concerns, plus some can poison the cat and more recently the DPF's.
the emission regs on engine oil are being tightened just like engines.

engines that use lossy oil systems will be a thing of the past.

don't forget the 2 stoke oil doesn't go into the cylinder like on a petrol motor. on a petrol motor it can land on the piston/head etc where its partly burnt. plus with 2 stroke motors a large amount of the fuel and oil goes goes out the exhaust unburnt. with diesel its injected and burnt as its sprayed in.

 

[gordo09str]

is it better or not to add 2 stroke!!!
gave up reading when i got to all the arguing

 

[ants_oz]

is it better or not to add 2 stroke!!!
gave up reading when i got to all the arguing

Depends on who you ask in all honesty.

I'll be up front and say I'm a proponent based on my initial results (I own two diesel vehicles - D40 and Merc ML - both have exhibited positive indications since adding the two stroke oil).

But I am also honest enough to say that I am currently in a "no oil" phase and have been for about 5,000km now. Have been running Chemtech instead.

In another ~5,000km I'll be dropping the Chemtech and running straight diesel for around 10,000km to see how that feels.

Then back to two stroke for a while before starting on chemtech again in all likelihood

All part of my own little experimentation cycle

Definitive answer? Who knows?

 

[Krankin]

is it better or not to add 2 stroke!!!
gave up reading when i got to all the arguing

If your not willing to read the whole thread, then your not going to understand the 'For' or 'Against' argument to the discussion from most who have contributed,
and I think you would come to the conclusion of,
its not scientifically, lab, car or oil manufacturer proven or otherwise,
so at present you have to make your own choice from what you've read here,
or,
one might class it in this category.....

 

[pointblank5]

Well ive read the whole thread, my conclusions are;
1. Krankin, you need a hobby mate!
2. oh yeah the 2stroke... almost forgot about it with all the bickering... ive tried it for about 6months now - no noticable increase in soot etc. and a very slight decrease in engine noise/roughness ( i dont record my fuel usage o dont know about that)

 

[Old.Tony]

Having used (and not used) it now for a considerable time (30,000km on the clock, service is tomorrow) ...

* There is a minor improvement in fuel economy.
* There may be an improvement in power but it's not noticeable, needs a dyno
* The injectors seem a little quieter particularly on cold starts
* Valvoline 2-stroke is absolute shit, Castrol Activ 2T is the only one to use
* The actual benefits are fairly minor - $4.30 spent per tank to save $7 in fuel

In the long run, it might be better to look at a properly-formulated diesel additive rather than 2-stroke, even if it is the best 2-stroke you can get (JASO-FD, which is available but so expensive you lose money on each tank for marginal gain).

Whilst I am an advocate for trying this sort of thing - if you're not convinced either way, go ahead and try it because it won't kill the engine - I see not enough gain for it, so I am no longer going to add 2-stroke to my diesel.

 

[KraftyPg]

Well we can always debate just what sort of hobby Krankin really should have, he might be appreciative of something to do.

 

[Deejay]

Hi Guys,

Bottom line is that all who have actually tried the additive of 2-stroke have found positive results and no negetives.

Whether it is worth it in the long run is uncertain and as a cost per benefit it possibly isn't worth it, BUT, if you are a car nut and will spend a lot of money on sar waxes and other such things to make the car last longer and look better, then you are likely to be the sort of person who adds 2 stroke to your engine.

I have used it off and on and am in favour, but that's just my opinion based on my experience.

<Adorns flame retardant suit>

Try it for yourself and see if it is for you. There are no known detrimental effects of the addition of the oil, just positives.

DJ

 

[pointblank5]

what makes you say valvoline is shit Tony?
cos ive been using the valvoling racing one, maybe i should change

 

[Old.Tony]

I started out using the "recommended" oil, which was Castol Activ 2T JASO-FC oil, costs about $13 a litre or $39.95 for 4 litres @ Supercheep.

On a whim (because there was no Castol oil in the store at the time) I bought a litre of Valvoline 2-stroke (I still have the container because I forgot to throw it out last night) so I'll get it later and check its exact name. It was JASO-FC rated as well. I did not see any improvement in economy after using this. The Castrol oil gave me about half a litre per hundred km (so, about 5 litres or so over the whole tank). The Valvoline gave me nothing.

It might not have done any damage, but it didn't do any positive either. The Castrol oil only cost a small amount more and I should have gone around to Supercheep and bought it rather than grab the Valvoline. Still, as I've done before, I've now put my money down and discovered something that might be useful.

 

[pointblank5]

OK cheers for that Tony
Might try some out for myself and do the fuel figures

James

 

[Krankin]

I've got a hobby it seems.
waiting for factual findings re this thread.
I'll wait with great anticipation for the miracle figures.

 

[Dave]

Bored hey Krankin ?

I am not gonna rush out and order 2 stroke oil either.

Dave.

 

[alan_blue]

so it only saves you about 5 litres per tank? whats the point?

 

[tweak'e]

so it only saves you about 5 litres per tank? whats the point?

to save you spending $5000+ on new injection pump and injectors.

 

[Old.Tony]

If you spend (say) $4 to save yourself $7, you're ahead by $3 straight away. If you can also improve the life of the components you're further ahead.

The difference really is quite marginal on a tank of fuel, but over time it makes a difference.

According to my spreadsheet, over the life of our vehicle, we've bought 4,296.5 litres of fuel at a cost of $5,325. Even if you say that was 54 tanks of fuel (it's more, because I don't run it dry every time), that's a saving of $162 - or 3%. It really does seem insignificant when it's left alone like that.

You have to also consider the extended life, the quieter starts, the slight power improvement (all nice things) - there's a price for those, and you're not only PAYING the price, but you're getting it all back with an extra $4 per tank.

In reality, it's worth doing if you feel like it. I am fairly confident that it won't harm the vehicle at all, and if you've got a DPF it stands a good chance of helping it.

I've stopped using it for now though. I am yet to purchase anything else to experiment with, but I will, and will let everyone know.

 

[Krankin]

to save you spending $5000+ on new injection pump and injectors.

Are these subject to premature failure if we dont put extra oil in our
oil burners fuel?

What mileage is this occuring and any of our Nav engines in particular or all diesel engines?