Hi All
I finished up one sweating project. Half done with another now.
So time for some engines fun treats.
Small consumer use air-cooled four stoke engines are said to be only good for 150 to at the most 400 operating working hours.
Yeah. IF you follow the guidelines of the equipment sellers!!
I did a napkin tote count of the from 1987 new 4-stroke engines I’ve put into service. Three automobiles. At least 12 small air cooled four strokes. (10; 2-strokes too)
Over that course of time I’ve evolved a break-in for longest life pattern.
Same-same evolved breaking-in formula from me anymore.
I DO use a purpose made high zinc break-in oil:
That gallon of LUCAS break-in oil had done most for thier first few hours. Then if shipped; I used the supplied courtesy oil for the next few hours. Keep variable RPM (if possible) running. For sure variable loadings. For another couple of quick hours of running-ins.
When I stop seeing blow-by darkening the of the oil the engine is broken in.
Left to right on the Heomatio 149cc inverter-generator is:
big pan is Lucas break-in oil dumped out at one hour.
Second from the left reddish tinged colored was Lucas break-in oil, hours 2-5.
Third from the left is hours 6-12 on Mobile One 5w-50. Gasolines and Aspen4.
Far right 13-20 hours on propane fuel with a small time on Aspen4. Castrol 5w-50 here on.
Yes I do use a quality wide range 5W-50 synthetic just as soon as the wearing-in glitter stops showing.
Very controversially; for the last 4-5 years I have been using low doses of MotorCote in these small engines. Is said to be a long chain chlorine. Under heat and pressure possibly convert to acid. I do not see this. But then I do change my oils at visible darkening. At 1/2 to 1 1/2 quarts a change inexpensive to do.
The hardest used engines of the 10 plus all at at least 800 to 2000+ hours. Only taken out of service when the equipments they drive fall apart around them. One a Honda OHC vertical shaft has lived on three different mower bases. Took a 20 pound truckers winch in the grass to finally bend it’s very tough crankshaft.
Never accept limitations other will put onto to you.
So which now has become my favorite?
I would have said the dual-fuel Heomaito.
Then I ran the Bilt Hard 80CC after reassembly side by side with the excellent Honda 2000.
The blue is quieter.
The blue is lighter.
The blue has a larger fuel tank.
The blue is easier to carry around with a larger diameter moulded handle section than the others.
For the hell of it I plugged my air compressor into to it to force it to show some respect for the larger engined, and more expensive units.
GEEZ!. It runs the air compressor. ~2 seconds of red overload light starting the air compressor then sailing along on green light pumping air up to the 150 set point. Then it will even restart the compressor from 130 psi.
So I’ve been dithering where to go from here for family and neighbor friends loaning out my mixed bag of possibles.
No question. I immediately ordered in another Bilt Hard 2500.
Next month most likely another for as long as they will ship at the $303.79 USD free-shipping/no charged state tax I’ll get another for three then.
Loan out to buy.
Sell of some of the others to finance this springboard.
Time is of the essence for me.
No matter what there will be hard to swallow elections results by January 2025.
We squeeze past that, then . . .
Be I expect a California-type no new small engines to buy here into Washington State by January of 2026.
S.U.
