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difference in 2 cycle oil small engine / atv injector oil

19K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  FPD218 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

Is there any difference in 2 cycle small engine vs 2 cycle injector oil?

Background, sold my ATV (400 2 stroke) which has been looked after for 20 years, always used Polaris 2 stroke injector oil. This ATV didn't see mud or water,light work around the house, take kids for drive in the neighborhood...etc.

Young Lad I sold it too contacted me to say the engine seized on second trip on the bike, first trip bike worked "awesome", put some oil in it and seized while riding the second trip.

He says he put "2 cycle oil for small engines from a small container"

I told him up front when he purchased it, the in's and out's from a to z...again this bike was well taken care of. Manual went with bike when sold. He test drove the bike, his buddy did too.

So what is the difference between atv 2 cycle injector oil and 2 cycle small engine? Is this the cause?

Thanks
 
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#3 ·
There is a difference between 2 stroke oil for premix and oil injection systems. I can not tell you what that difference is, but they are labeled differently.

Injection oil could be a thinner viscosity to get through the passages and hoses better. Pre-mix can be thicker because it is suspended in the fuel.

I would agree with previous poster also. Premix can probably run anything but I wouldn't take chances. 2 stroke oils are formulated specifically for the application and will burn cleaner along with lubricate better.

Sounds like the buyer put cheap pre-mix oil in the injection system and it either didn't like it or the pump failed (not likely, but it does happen). Either way, not your fault. You did everything you could.
 
#4 ·
I wouldn't ever run used motor oil in my 2 stroke stihl lawn tools, but once or twice definitely wouldn't ruin it. At least IMO. That's what you get when you buy used. And it's definitely not your fault and I wouldn't lose any sleep.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
#5 ·
That's what I'm thinking, its the oil he put in it that caused the issue. I wasn't selling cause there was a problem with it...I babied that bike for 20 years..never failed me...just the normal wear and maintenance. I just wanted to explain to him...I was shocked when he email me to say the engine was seized up.

I do know things can fail, but what would be the chance that something else failed that cause this issue....I'm leaning towards the oil.

I was a bit worried during the sale negotiation when he asked if it burnt oil. I said it did...just 5 minutes before that I explained to him that this bike was a 2 stroke...not 4....used mixed gas and it does it automatically and showed him where the oil goes. then he says...I mean does it burn motor oil.....so explained to him that its a 2 stroke, yes it burns oil....I explained as much as I could, he tested it, his friend tested it. Gave him manual with it..delivered to his house...he drove it for one ride..worked great, put oil in it and the second ride, it seized.

he said in his email that he put "2 cycle oil for small engines"

Thanks for the help.
 
#6 ·
There's a BIG difference in 2 stroke oils and anyone who says otherwise don't know diddly about 2 strokes. Injector oil is formulated to be INJECTED directly into the cylinder and premix oil is formulated to stay in solution when mixed with fuel...THEY ARE NOT COMPATIBLE! Sounds like he poured cheap convenience store premix oil into his new machine and found out the hard way. Hopefully, he learned a valuable (and expensive) lesson. Additionally, if he poured only a in "little bottle" and ran it for a while he may have actually ran it dry of oil.
 
#7 ·
Hi everyone,

Is there any difference in 2 cycle small engine vs 2 cycle injector oil?

Background, sold my ATV (400 2 stroke) which has been looked after for 20 years, always used Polaris 2 stroke injector oil. This ATV didn't see mud or water,light work around the house, take kids for drive in the neighborhood...etc.

Young Lad I sold it too contacted me to say the engine seized on second trip on the bike, first trip bike worked "awesome", put some oil in it and seized while riding the second trip.

He says he put "2 cycle oil for small engines from a small container"

I told him up front when he purchased it, the in's and out's from a to z...again this bike was well taken care of. Manual went with bike when sold. He test drove the bike, his buddy did too.

So what is the difference between atv 2 cycle injector oil and 2 cycle small engine? Is this the cause?

Thanks
I would bet a buck he put straight gas in it!!!!!!!!
 
#8 ·
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