Why do people think it’s ok to use starting fluid on a 2-cycle engine.? it offers no lubricants to the engine. just things that make you go
I have seen some starting fluid that has " upper cylinder lubricant " in it. Chances are that it still is not for 2 cycle use. Answer to your question ; I have no clue why. Helps keep the OPE repair shop lights on??
I think its complete lack of knowledge or understanding of how a 2 stroke works and why they need the oil in the gas.
A certain type of person would reason it out in their own head that “it’s only to get it fired up initially, before the carburetor starts doing the work”
Bingo. SF shouldn't be used on OPE engines of any type really, I know some here disagree with me, we've already had this discussion...but everyday people use SF on small engines, some get away with it, some don't, why gamble? Every repair shop that has been around a while has a "trophy wall" with mangled parts due to SF use. Heck there is a local diesel shop that has some fabulously destroyed parts on the wall due to SF use (obviously improperly used, to destroy a diesel) I use it on an old weedeater that I don't care about...other than that it most often gets used for parts cleaner in my shop.
Older (70's?) diesel trucks and equipment used to come with a device that you would screw in a can of either and had a push button on the dash that squirted it directly into the air intake somewhere. Everything in moderation
We have some C7700’s with attenuators mounted to them, they will sit on the side of the road for weeks without starting. Ain’t no way they will start in the winter without a bit of juice!
The real problem is that people don't realize that a ope engine just needs a "wiff" of sf around the area of the air cleaner. Not a wet spray down the carb and definitely not a "it runs on starting fluid" amount. Want to spend some money? Use it to start a small diesel engine!
I have used it on many a snow blower… What good is a snow blower that won’t start when it’s cold Tecomsah motor IIRC, if I blew motor I had to shovel by hand.. if motor did not start same result
That's weird...those Tecumseh snow blower engines are the best cold starting engines ever! There have been just as many 4 strokes damaged by SF as 2 strokes. As Screwloose said, its the quantity that usually does the damage...unless someone ethers a glow plug engine and even then, quantity matters
Just like I have a pet peeve that people don't realize that the amount of penetrating oil on the ground has no affect on the stuck part.
When I was at the bike shop, we got this old '72 Kawi trial bike in to get running: Carb looked like it sat for 30 years, we had to find a replacement float, rebuild the petcock... Bike shop boss Tony used SF to get er going. We kicked and kicked that thing, pushed it down the street to pop start. I'll never forget it. He sprayed a little ether a couple times and the old girl came to life. Just like you state, he didn't have the bike completely running on the stuff, just enough to get the fire started. And I also agree on the Tecumseh comment. Mine's electric start but that old beast fires up any time I ask it to.
I have 'woken' many an engine with it. Have also used it to verify spark when lacking other tools to do so. It's in the name...Start ing fluid, not Run ning fluid.
I've used Brakleen to start stuff before. I'm not proud of it. I'm sure it was bad for it. I sure did need it to start right then and that was all I had though. I wouldn't do it to anything nice though.
When blowing the heat of engine melted snow; the water I think got in carb then froze.. ether got it running after it started worked fine.. Honda with manual choke far better IME
