killing a 2 cycle engine

[spetro]

wanna kill a two cycle engine?  Let it run out of gas.  Yep what do you do when gassing up your boat, weed eater, leaf blower?  Your mixing gas and oil either manual or by an auto feed.  You are mixing gas and oil.  When a two stroke runs out of gas....its running out of oil.  So for those few seconds that the engine is running out of gas....its also ripping itself apart.  Never never never let it run out of gas!!!!

[Bassinkorea]

Great tip Spetro 

[Donald Garner]

Spetro,

Thanks for the tip, I have a Yamaha 25 HP 2 stroke on my G3 Alwed.

[fishinfranklin]

some will agree with this and some will not,

[slickchilt]

I store my boat for app. 6 months at a time. I always take the gas line loose and let it run out of gas so I wont have gas in engine for a long period. I always use Sta-Bil in stored gas.

Is letting engine run out of gas really a bad idea?

[Rincon2388]

If a motor is dying because it has no gas then why would it need oil?

[pawpaw]

 I agree with Spetro on this. Some will say there is enough oil left on the piston and rings to avoid damage. I use Stabil if it is going to sit awhile, have never had a problem. Even if it does gunk up the carburaters I'd druther have a gunked up carb. than a stuck piston.

[fishinfranklin]

all i will add you need to run one out and take it apart and see just how soaked it will still be inside the crankcase,

[ronalddipietro]

my 2 cents...running out of gas and oil simultaneously does no harm..too many people with  motors for that to be a problem...

[hpdi200]

My boat probly isn't stored as long as some of you all,2 months at the longest,in the winter,I have a 200 hpdi,everytime I put gas in it, I use marine stabile,wich takes out all the ethonal ,and other additives,plus I use yamaha ring free as well. that is what yamaha recomends on the hpdi.They even told me if I was going to store it for long periods of time to disconnect something under the hood,and drain the gas,I can't remember what,cause honestly i didn't plan on doing it . lol. .But I haven't had any problems. What ever has worked in the past for each individual,I guess it is right for them.By the way,my last engine before this one was a yamaha also,had it 14 yrs,spark plugs were changed twice,and replaced the water pump only once.And it was used very hard.

[spetro]

some will agree with this and some will not,

Ya think ??

my 2 cents...running out of gas and oil simultaneously does no harm..too many people with  motors for that to be a problem...

go to a small engine repair shop and look at the pile of busted motors they have.  I started this post because of that.  I had an echo hedge trimmer that needed a carb.  Took it to the shop to match up a new carb and was talkin to the owner.  We started talking and he showed me the aftermath of running out of oil.  It is a over time progression but there is no doubt, (at least to me) that running out of oil/gas harms the engine JMO

[BIG PAPA]

Ya think ??

go to a small engine repair shop and look at the pile of busted motors they have.  I started this post because of that.  I had an echo hedge trimmer that needed a carb.  Took it to the shop to match up a new carb and was talkin to the owner.  We started talking and he showed me the aftermath of running out of oil.  It is a over time progression but there is no doubt, (at least to me) that running out of oil/gas harms the engine JMO

Well Spetro you said the majic word "ECHO" As a Landscaper and lawn company owner . for over 20 years I have run every weedeater brand out there. At one time Echo was the only trimmer I used and went through about 10 or so a year. Until I finally went with the old addage "you get what you pay for" However for a home owner An Echo should give years of good service. We put more hours on a weedeater in one day than some homeowners do in a year.

[kickinbass]

Anytime I run any two stroke out of gas I always using fogging oil and spray the pistons and everything else. Never had a problem. It may smoke a bit when I first start it in the spring. As for my boat motor the mechanic I use when I  need him told me its best to run it out as long as the fogging oil is used. Up here in the north thats what they do when they winterize your engine for the long cold  months ahead. 

[spetro]

Well Spetro you said the majic word "ECHO" As a Landscaper and lawn company owner . for over 20 years I have run every weedeater brand out there. At one time Echo was the only trimmer I used and went through about 10 or so a year. Until I finally went with the old addage "you get what you pay for" However for a home owner An Echo should give years of good service. We put more hours on a weedeater in one day than some homeowners do in a year.

My echo that needed the carb...13 years old and Im on two acres in south florida...Grow season is year round...just slows a bit for four months.  Ya got stiles and echo....in my book.  Thread is 'bout running out of gas/oil..  Majority of busted engines were lower end....but cant argue with bare metal and friction

[Glasstream15]

Running down the lake at 6K revs, running out of gas MAY do some lack of oil damage to the engine.

Disconnecting the gas line as you load on the trailer and let the engine idle until it dies WILL NOT cause lack of lube damage. I have done it for 22 years on my 1986 Mariner Tower of Power. I had an exhaust baffle issue 2 years ago, so I tore it down to replace the baffle and gaskets. EVERYTHING in the motor, except number 2 piston which was where the water leak was, was heavily covered with oil. Number 2 had been steam cleaned but there was no damage there either. So it's back together with the same bearings and pistons, new rings, (tear it down without new rings?) and still running 6K across the lake. And, since I run the gas out every time, no carb trouble either.

[fishinfranklin]

i would say 9 out of the 10 little 2 strokes are melted down because of miss mixed fuel/oil or even being run on gas only! happens to lots of them, my old room mate in Fl ran the shop for a big lawn care service and the gas only took lots of them out, so many they quit letting empolyees mix the fuel and added tanks to the truck and he mixed all the fuel and cut down blown power heads by 90%