Too little oil

[Backcountry]

OK -here is the screwed up scenario. Prepping for a day on the water yesterday, I read my gas gauge built into the removable tank. I read 3/4 full, when in reality, it was 1/4 full (read it backwards and found this out while on the water, before empty). So, forced to buy gas at the marina.

Put 8 gallons in the tank. 50:1 calls for 21 oz of oil in my 2-stroke, only had 1 16oz bottle available. Put it in, ran couple miles back to the truck.

Sent the boat to the mechanic today for a motor tuneup (carbs, timing, etc), and forgot to add the extra oil beforehand. Assuming he doesn't run the motor a whole lot, will it be ok if it's short of the 50:1 ratio? I can call him and ask him to add the oil, trusting he would do it. Or, I can take the drive out there and do it myself. Or, I can not worry about it and add it when I get the boat back in a week.

As you can tell, I'm a little paranoid about the thing burning up. It's an older 40hp Force.

Thx,

BC

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Too little oil

Or, I can take the drive out there and do it myself. Or, I can not worry about it and add it when I get the boat back in a week.

I would drive by and make sure you put the correct amount needed if it was me. I'm not saying it's going to hurt running it like it is but I'm not the type to take risks either. This way YOU know how much you need to put in and what brand you to put in, you know that the task was done and you wont half to worry about it no more.

I always put a hair over what is called for when I add the oil. I've always went by "better having to much then to little", when it comes to adding the oil, but that's me.

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: Too little oil

Didn't they sell oil at the place where you bought gas?

Anyway, most 50:1 engines are really only gonna absolutely need the protection of 50:1 at high RPM. When VRO was around, it used to vary to like 100:1 at idle and would vary the ratio depending on RPM, 50:1 was the richest it would do, I think, and that was at high RPM.

If you didn't really run WOT back to the dock, you should be OK, and I doubt your mechanic will be running it that high anywhere. I'd run by and dump some in if it were me, just so you don't forget and then go out on the water and open it up with not enough oil.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Too little oil

you probably did no damage, but get the oil in it, which ever way you do it.

 

[Backcountry]

Re: Too little oil

Got the oil in it, now I'm crossing my fingers. Good question about the place not having any additional oil. We were up on Kentucky Lake, and the only Marina with gas within range was a small, closed for the winter dock. Good thing is that they keep one guy on staff patrolling the grounds in a 4 wheeler. He turned on the pumps. I filled up while my buddy went in to buy the oil. They only had 1 bottle left, and of course, the extra that I usually keep in the boat was not there. So, I had already put 8 gallons in before I realized there was only one bottle. Lesson learned in more ways than one.

Did the calculation, and it comes out to like 64:1. Went through 2 gallons to get back to the truck. So hopefully, it being a previously well oiled and broken in motor, no serious damage was done.

Any chance I would have noticed some performance issues on the way back? Motor seemed to run just fine all the way to the truck. Stopped and started the motor one time on the way back.

BC

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Too little oil

there was probably enough excess oil from previous fills to over come the little less. i would not be worried.

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Too little oil

You should be fine. As Cricket stated, you really only need 50:1 when @ WOT.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Too little oil

All should be well unless you ran WOT on it.