Jedijody
50cc
Ok, I'll try to make this as short as possible.
Carbon is a natural byproduct of organic combustion. Nothing can be done or added to the fuel mixture to prevent carbon from being produced when it's burned. However, there are products that produce less carbon during combustion and more importantly, there are practices and controls the operator can use to help any carbon produced to be expelled out through the exhaust as is intended in a 2 stroke engine. Oil that is formulated for the application and temperatures the engine runs at is the first step, using enough of it is the next. After that the engine's combustion and running temp must be controlled to be within the range the oil is intended to be used at. One thing I see most people do is not use enough oil because they're too lazy to clean a little bit of oily carbon off the bottom of their plane.
The oil in 2 stroke mixed fuel has four primary functions. It lubricates, it seals, it cools, and it CLEANS. Since carbon is made from heating organic material to the point of combustion, the cooling and cleaning aspects go hand in hand. The hotter and drier carbon is made, the harder are the deposits and more difficult to remove. If the carbon is made, and kept at low enough temps it will stay soft, soft enough for the unburned oil to flush it out the exhaust port. Even when using good quality oil, the user can induce circumstances that allow, even promote heavy build up of carbon.
I've been preaching for years that people need to be running more oil in their 2 stroke hobby engines. I never run less oil than 32:1 in any of my small 2 strokes (75-80cc per jug and below), 30cc and under can actually benefit from 24:1 mixtures, under 20cc and 16-20:1 mixtures become necessary, IF you want to keep a clean engine and make it last.
Lastly there's heat, or operating temperature. If you're flying a modern day ARF, even if half the jug is exposed, there is no reason not to know the temps the engine is running at. And there is EVERY reason TOO know the temps your engine is running. One doesn't need expensive telemetry systems to monitor temps. A simple K type thermocouple temp logger like those available at Tower Hobbies (GAG) for $20, used intelligently, will tell you all you need to know. Keep the peak temps under 300F and your engine will thank you. Don't mention using an IR temp gun after landing to me, they're worthless and irrelevant.
Carbon is a natural byproduct of organic combustion. Nothing can be done or added to the fuel mixture to prevent carbon from being produced when it's burned. However, there are products that produce less carbon during combustion and more importantly, there are practices and controls the operator can use to help any carbon produced to be expelled out through the exhaust as is intended in a 2 stroke engine. Oil that is formulated for the application and temperatures the engine runs at is the first step, using enough of it is the next. After that the engine's combustion and running temp must be controlled to be within the range the oil is intended to be used at. One thing I see most people do is not use enough oil because they're too lazy to clean a little bit of oily carbon off the bottom of their plane.
The oil in 2 stroke mixed fuel has four primary functions. It lubricates, it seals, it cools, and it CLEANS. Since carbon is made from heating organic material to the point of combustion, the cooling and cleaning aspects go hand in hand. The hotter and drier carbon is made, the harder are the deposits and more difficult to remove. If the carbon is made, and kept at low enough temps it will stay soft, soft enough for the unburned oil to flush it out the exhaust port. Even when using good quality oil, the user can induce circumstances that allow, even promote heavy build up of carbon.
I've been preaching for years that people need to be running more oil in their 2 stroke hobby engines. I never run less oil than 32:1 in any of my small 2 strokes (75-80cc per jug and below), 30cc and under can actually benefit from 24:1 mixtures, under 20cc and 16-20:1 mixtures become necessary, IF you want to keep a clean engine and make it last.
Lastly there's heat, or operating temperature. If you're flying a modern day ARF, even if half the jug is exposed, there is no reason not to know the temps the engine is running at. And there is EVERY reason TOO know the temps your engine is running. One doesn't need expensive telemetry systems to monitor temps. A simple K type thermocouple temp logger like those available at Tower Hobbies (GAG) for $20, used intelligently, will tell you all you need to know. Keep the peak temps under 300F and your engine will thank you. Don't mention using an IR temp gun after landing to me, they're worthless and irrelevant.
