I need your help with a simple experiment...

[jaggedfish]

To answer to the original topic... I had discussed this with White Mule last Winter and we both experienced the same (significant) drop in fuel economy through the cold months. For me at least, it seems to be more pronounced with city driving versus highway driving but still noticeable on roadies. Noticed the same with my L300 when I had it.

[oceanchem]

Hi all, Still early in the game and not enough data to make firm conclusions. The cold weather and city driving have diminished my fuel economy on my first Outboard in tank. See fuelly below. More data as I burn more oil.

Jay

[nxski]

Hi all, Still early in the game and not enough data to make firm conclusions. The cold weather and city driving have diminished my fuel economy on my first Outboard in tank. See fuelly below. More data as I burn more oil.

Jay

That's a HUGE difference! Are you sure there's nothing wrong with the engine if those numbers are in fact correct?

[CREGAN]

I got 13.8 L/100km on my first tank of Two Stroke. It ran smooth and felt good but I had gotten 11.6 L/100km on the trip home from BC two tanks ago. Trying my second to see if it makes a difference.

Craig

[delicioso!]

great read, will try the same. i've used howes, lynn corp, lucas, and now gen49D as antigel/lubricant. we rarely get many days below -20 degrees and i know of a few cruiser guys that don't even use additives (and everytim i'm at the pump and there's a guy with an old benze or jetta tdi, they all look at me funny when i pour stuff in the tank after fueling, a lot of these guys don't use anything!).
anyway, a lot of confounding variables, from type of drive/distance, rpm's, and up/down hills. i think the best way is to compare all highway at the same elevation and speed pre/post. will try it in the cruiser and/or delica. i get 14L/100 in stop and go short drives to the train station to commute, which sucks. but i'll see if i get some different numbers when it starts to get colder.

[joedelica]

Hi All,

A friend of mine with an L400 and myself have been running the 2 stroke with our diesel since Tony's first post.
Conclusion for both of us, is that we have returned to our Summer fuel consumption. We both were noticing about a 10-15% drop, which was equivalent to approx. a loss of approx. 50km plus for each of our Deli's. We also stopped utilizing the additive that Mardy and CVI suggest using. Should we continue to add this along with the 2 stroke oil? And Tony thanks for the suggestion.

Joe

[oceanchem]

Hi all, Still early in the game and not enough data to make firm conclusions. The cold weather and city driving have diminished my fuel economy on my first Outboard in tank. See fuelly below. More data as I burn more oil.

Jay

That's a HUGE difference! Are you sure there's nothing wrong with the engine if those numbers are in fact correct?

Hi nxski, The variability in the four fill-ups is largely driven by a partial fill-up...I stop filling when the pump shuts off automatically. I think it stopped a little early on one fill up. This artificially increased economy on one tank and depressed economy on the next. It looks like I am around 12-14 L/100km. This seems pretty typical. What do you think?

Cheers,

Jay

[nxski]

Hi all, Still early in the game and not enough data to make firm conclusions. The cold weather and city driving have diminished my fuel economy on my first Outboard in tank. See fuelly below. More data as I burn more oil.

Jay

That's a HUGE difference! Are you sure there's nothing wrong with the engine if those numbers are in fact correct?

Hi nxski, The variability in the four fill-ups is largely driven by a partial fill-up...I stop filling when the pump shuts off automatically. I think it stopped a little early on one fill up. This artificially increased economy on one tank and depressed economy on the next. It looks like I am around 12-14 L/100km. This seems pretty typical. What do you think?

Cheers,

Jay

For an L400 that sounds about right. I get between 9-14L/100km but am not keeping track of my economy anymore because there are too many variables with the way I drive. I'll rely on others experiences.

[tonydca]

As others have seen themselves, I too get pretty big variability between easy cruizin' highway miles and brutal stop-and-go city driving - summer and winter.

But after a bunch of tanks and a mix of city and highway duty, I am seeing at least a 5% increase in overall winter MPG using two-stroke oil instead of Howes.

By my math, even a 1.5% increase will more than pay for the cost of the oil, while being good for the IP to boot.

I know there are a lot of potential variables, and if anyone wants to debate the truth of the physics of what I'm seeing, that fine, but I'm sold -

For me, it's two-stroke oil in the winter and Howes in the summer.

[nxski]

I'm adding 2-stroke oil and petrolabs in the winter and I'll switch back to only Petrolabs in the summer. Does 2 stroke oil really have all of the benefit of diesel additive?

[pajerry]

I was curious of the same. I understand the lubrication properties are worth it, but is there still enough cetane to make up for low sulfur diesel in the two stroke oil? I've been using a bit of both.

I agree Tony, it pays for itself and will hopefully increase the longevity of the pump and seals, win/win.

[tonydca]

I was curious of the same. I understand the lubrication properties are worth it, but is there still enough cetane to make up for low sulfur diesel in the two stroke oil? I've been using a bit of both.

I agree Tony, it pays for itself and will hopefully increase the longevity of the pump and seals, win/win.

I thought the lack of sulphur affects lubricating quality, not cetane. But still, you might have a point; the diesel additive study I referenced earlier was only concerned with lubricity, not cetane/combustion.

In the end, it probably wouldn't hurt to add a dash of Howes or equivalent as well as the oil. You add so little it cost practically nothing especially if it improves mileage even slightly.

Here's another study that claims cetane boost is good, but two-stroke is pretty good too:

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/ford ... ewall.html

[delicioso!]

okay, here's my report sorta! i think i underdosed with 250 mls when i tanked up the land cruiser 80 series (93 litres). thought this would be perfect since i was going on all highway. 11.62L/100kms on a 4.2 I6 turbo diesel/all wheel drive...BUT i just started running 33's, so cruising a slightly lower rpms, BUT i was bookin some of of the highway drive at 130kmh, but mostly 110'sh, and i have a leaky IP that'll need rebuilding soon. @ below freezing temps. 11.62 is very respectable and definitely summer like mileage, and i'm certain i coulda gotten it at mid 10's easily if i cruised at 100kmh. i know, some variables, but i feel good about the 2 stroke. i tanked up after 450k's, about half tank and poured the rest of the 2 stroke oil in!

i got a little confused since i bought the half liter at the gas station b/c the store wasnt open yet (motomaster outboard 2 stroke with TCW3). goin by the formula, IF i had bought the 1litre jug then it should've been 500ml for 90 litres which equates to 1 L for 180L (same as the 1/3 bottle for 60litres).

will report back again just for kicks when it get's well below in the teens...

[CREGAN]

I am not a Dj or a chemist like Tony but I too have done some mixing.

I have ran about 6 tanks of various combinations through and have come to a mix I am finding works well. One of the problems I am running into with this expirament is the weather though. It is fluctuating so badly here that it is kind of swaying the results (it was +10 until a week ago and then has bottomed out at -35 this week). I first tried just 2 stroke oil and it was alright, nothing special. I tried PetroLabs and it was not great in the cold, good on warmer weeks. I mixed those 2 together, and it was average. Tried just Howes and it was average. Then I mixed the Howes and the 2 stroke and am getting some of the best results (12.7L/100km). This last tank is going to look really crappy but it has been -30 to -35 around here and that will probably raise the numbers a lot.

Not sure why but when I mix 60ml (2 Ounces) with 300ml of 2 stroke I tend to get the best results.

Craig

[nvanadm]

Sorry, little off topic but...

How do you guys add the little picture and KM/L thing to the bottom of your replys?
Craig

In fuelly.com, click on the vehicle you want to display. Then about mid page on the right there is a link that says "Share your MPG". Click on that. It will bring you to a new page with a bunch of options of how you want it to look. Copy and paste whatever URL it is you want to use into your Delica.ca signature (or whatever it's called).

Problem is it doens't automatically update (that I'm aware of), so everytime your numbers change on Fuelly.com you need to copy and paste to Delica again.

Adam