Anybody use OPTI-2?

[turbofiat124]

I realize this is a lawnmower forum and not a car forum but any of you guys swear by this stuff?

http://opti2-4.com/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=165

Four years ago while waiting on my Trabant 601 to arrived from Hungary then Miami, I ordered a gallon of Opti-2 off Ebay.

A guy I work with who works on small engines says it's the best 2 cycle oil. I ran about 60 gallons worth of the mix in my Trabant, several gallons in my dirt bike, weed wacker and everything else then started to get scared because of the ratio which is 100:1.

My Trabant calls for 50:1 but the word on the street is 40:1 will provide better protection but may cause more carbon deposits in the combustion chambers.

Usually either the shaft breaks or the starter mechanism tears up on weed wacker or leaf blower long before the engine itself wears out. I've got several Poulan Fetherweight powered devices I've been hanging onto for parts where the engines are still good, only to have something else to break.

Trabants on the other hand, the needle bearings in the crankshafts tend to give up the ghost and cause a "death rattle" before the rings wear out.

I've been using Wal-Mart Tech 2000 TC3 at a 40:1 ratio for that last year and have used Lucas semi-synthetic for a few years but the car did seem to run better on Opti-2. I guess because less oil means more gas is being burned.

The Opti-2 is a 30 weight oil and most others are 20 weight. Is that why you can get by with only half as much oil?

I'm really looking for the best protection, not necessarily cheap oil. The Tech 2000 sells for $12 a gallon is about the cheapest oil I've found. And allot of owner's use it and say they have never had a problem with it. If your looking for cost savings, just because you only use half as much of the Opti-2, does not mean it's cheaper at $70 a gallon. The website says "That's just $.64 per gallon" not that bad if you use a couple of gallons per season but kind of pricey if you have a 2 cycle powered car!

it's too late in the evening for me to properly do the math but I think the Tech2000 equals $.39 per gallon.

Just wanted some opinions on this oil. I did read a bad opinion where someone said they used it in an ice auger to drill holes in a lake in Minnesota and said it gelled at -20F or something. Well it doesn't get that cold here....

 

[John R]

I've read about it, but I'm a little apprehensive about going to 100:1 on my chainsaws and weed cutters.

 

[Boobala]

Been using OPTI-2 in my lawn equip. for over 15 years, at first I was skeptical about the 100 to 1 mix ratio but a trusted friend that raced go-karts talked me into trying it. BEST 2 cycle mix out there !! No more smoking exhaust, clean muffler and ports, no carbon on piston and the engines all run like a scalded a** ape !! Never a hint of engine drag or seizure ,
you can't give me anything else . literature says to mix 1.8 ounces per gallon of gas ....I do take care to measure the mix VERY carefully using proper measuring equipment, and I buy it at the local Ace hardware store .

Another good product I use is Lucas fuel injector cleaner in my family vehicles , never had the injectors cleaned on either vehicle so far, ( 150,000 + mi. one vehicle and about 135,000 on the other ( 98 Toyota Camry & a 2000 Ford Windstar.) Actually improved my gas mileage by about 4 mpg in the Camry, and about 2.5 in the Windstar (after about 2 months of use .. added every third fill-up ) .. Boobala ..:thumbsup:

 

[deck~dragger]

Going to try this stuff.

 

[Boobala]

Going to try this stuff.

You wont be disappointed, just be sure you mix it right, .... I use a measured 1 GALLON of gas... and right at 1 and 3/4 of a 1 OUNCE (oz)
measurement of a medicine dispensing container (like they give ya in the hospitals) I usually mix about 2 gallons at a time for use in my stick-edger and weed-whip.

 

[sidemouse]

I used Opti-2 for a number of years 100:1 on all of mine, never had a problem, then I switched to Amsoil Saber.

 

[Teds]

I've used it for years, bought a huge lot of those individual 1 gallon pouches off of eBay. Just about running out so last month bought a gallon jug, and the pump dispenser. The individual pouches pencil out to a 70-1 ratio. My WAG is that it is thicker than typical two stroke oil, more concentrated.

The Trabant is among the biggest POS car ever made btw. When the wall came down after the soviets collapsed everybody literally just left them on the side of the road or wherever, it was a real problem. Before that, in order to get one you had to apply ahead of time. Way ahead of time. Usually when your child was born. 15 or 20 years later you'd get the word "come get your car." If you didn't have the money you'd lose your spot, so borrowing the money from family was the norm.

You can probably run just about anything and it will be, uh, fine. Don't try to run Opti2 at 30 or 40 to 1, use it at their recommended ratio.

 

[turbofiat124]

The Trabant is among the biggest POS car ever made btw. When the wall came down after the soviets collapsed everybody literally just left them on the side of the road or wherever, it was a real problem. Before that, in order to get one you had to apply ahead of time. Way ahead of time. Usually when your child was born. 15 or 20 years later you'd get the word "come get your car." If you didn't have the money you'd lose your spot, so borrowing the money from family was the norm.

You can probably run just about anything and it will be, uh, fine. Don't try to run Opti2 at 30 or 40 to 1, use it at their recommended ratio.

I can't say the Trabant is the best engineered car of all time but it's one of the funnest cars I've ever owned. The guy below owns a local German auto repair shop. He came to Tennessee from Germany around 1961 to work at the local Volkswagen dealership. Apparently the Ford dealership was hard up for qualified VW mechanics when they opened their franchise so they had to recruit mechanics from Germany.

Rudy was originally from the DDR and left before the wall was even built. He told me the Trabant's engineering was based off the DKW which was part of Audi and was a good design! Believe it or not he didn't have anything bad to say about them. He said Trabants were much easier to service and were not over engineered as today's German cars.

Everything I need to do a roadside repair (if necessary) is in this toolbox:

Here is my latest ride, my Citroen 2CV.

 

[Teds]

Well... OK.. Lol

Does your state have emission testing? I'm trying to figure out how it would pass, being a two-stroke. They've outlawed my favorite lawnmower, how come you get a pass?

For that matter, how is it legal to import and register? When I was stationed over there I looked into bringing a 3 series beemer back home. The problem wasn't on their end, but our end back here. The lack of "objects are closer than they appear" mirrors, non-US spec headlights, bumpers, Kmh speedometer, and a bunch of other specifications meant they would not allow its importation to the US.

Now this was a fully modern car, a good car. How is it that you were able to get that thing registered in the US? The body is made of compressed wool and cardboard.

 

[Pumper54]

turbofiat124,

You have a stable of funky little cars. That 2CV looks beautiful, far better shape then the one I saw in Houston a few years ago.
Tom