Reposting old post about TCW-3

[Mettler1]

  Steve in Sunny Florida wrote this awhile ago. Bar
Quote
 17 days.

  Do you freakin' believe it? 17 days.

  That's how long it took my carbs to get clogged from ethanol. And no, I'm not kidding at all.

   For the last couple years I've been running TCW-3 oil in my fuel, Just 2 oz per tank, and no issues with the carbs when the bike has sat. I rode the bike 17 days ago, Then filled the tank and DIDN'T add the TCW-3. I took a decent ride on the voyager, and the connie sat. Today i figured I better "change the gas" in the carbs. Surprise Surprise, no idle. All the classic symptoms. No idle, missing til 3000 rpm, hanging as it tried to drop down to idle, then dies. DAMMIT it had to do my own carbs! Now the TCW-3 is back in the fuel, and I won't make that mistake again. Cautionary tale here... either keep some TCW-3 in the fuel or don't let you bike sit for 17 days    Steve

   


Now the reason I am posting I got in a great ride today. I have been using Supertech TCW-3 from Walmart ( $13 a gal ) for at least 4 to 5 yrs and carbs have been problem free even after setting 5 months this winter with a full tank.
   Had a nice long ride to day and bike ran absolutely flawess. 
   If you are using TCW-3 you know it works. If you are not using it you end up with plugged up carbs like SiSF.

    Thanks Steve for the tip on the TCW-3!!

[Steve in Sunny Fla]

Yup, problem free for me since, I heartily agree with this post and give it  (2 thumbs up!)

and to show how much I argee, I going to move this thread to c-10 chat and tech , cus the c-14 guys don't need no stinking tcw3    Steve

[Mettler1]

   Thanks Steve. I guess I don't know how to post correctly but I know where to put the TCW-3. 

[Mortech]

One reason I start Conrad every other day until I get those front wheel bearings changed .

[DVanecekOld]

OK, looked up TCW-3, it's a 2 stroke motor oil that yes, you add to the gas for the "particulars" of 2 stroke engines (ah, can't wait to run my 75 Johnson 9.9 outboard this summer, love the smell and sound of an old 2 stroke outboard).

Soooooo.... tell alittle more about the advantage/reason for putting a slight amount of this in the gas of our c10 Connies as opposed to say a fuel system cleaner, or Sea Foam, or ?? 

Just wondering more. 

Thanks 

[Mettler1]

  This is a copy of Steve's post. Advantage-- $13 a gal and a gal last a long time. Also use in my 4 stroke mower. Mower shop said regular gas would plug up my carb.


"I run 2 oz / tank. If a bike is gonna sit a good long time, maybe double it, but that's alot.  I will say this - my bikes sit in a steel building in the summer in Florida, and don't get ridden much during the summer. Ethanol evaporates at an alarming rate, and in just a day or 2 I would need to use  prime to refill the bowls. On the voyager it goes from insta-start to cranking forever to fill the carbs (fuel pump). Pre tcw-3 I was having carb issues. i actually had to pull shoodabens carbs after a 6 week layoff because the pilots were clogged hopelessly. Since the tcw-3 I have has ZERO issues. I know older guys used Marvel Mystery oil the same way, and tout the same advantages. JMO, Steve "





 

[sober1]

would the mineral or synthetic be the best choice? Now my connie will smell like my old RD350. Two stroke water cooled TWC. What's the 3 mean?

[Redbarron]

Hey guys:

TCW-3 or my favorite Marvel Mystery oil cause I add it to my crankcase also.

They both act as a lubricant but the marvel also keeps things clean

Both cost about the same $15.00 per gallon cheap insurance.

The nice thing about Marvel is you can use it in and on just about everything.

Oh and it smells nice.

[DVanecekOld]

You know I was kinda hoping for a more "technical" explanation as to why does adding a small amount of two stroke motor oil to our gas help with these issues......anyone going to try, theory at least??

[Eddie-SC]

I belive the thought is that the oil film gets in the jet passages and does not "varnish" as the fuel does, thus preventing the jets from clogging. Of course, I could be wrong. It's happened before...

[Mettler1]

I belive the thought is that the oil film gets in the jet passages and does not "varnish" as the fuel does, thus preventing the jets from clogging. Of course, I could be wrong. It's happened before...

   Pretty much agree with that. It works in the Concours and my 4 stroke lawn mower that had clogged jets after setting awhile. They don't clog anymore. Of course you could use fuel without ethanol IF you can find it and are willing to pay the extra price.

[sober1]

What blend??? Mineral, Synthetic. or does it matter????

[Mettler1]

   Supertech TCW-3 at Walmart. I got it a 3 yrs ago for about $13 a gal.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech-TC-W3-Outboard-2-Cycle-Oil-1-Gallon/16795065
                   

[hlh1]

Question, Has anyone used this stuff for long term storage in the carbs?  Typically I drain my carbs when the bike is going to sit for more than maybe 2 weeks.  Has anyone used this stuff and let the gas sit in their carbs for months, like over the winter?  And did it keep the carbs from gumming up? 

[BobT_MA]

I can see where it would coat the jets inside the carbs from gumming up, is there any advantage to preventing the fuel tank from rusting if water gets in there?

Bob

[Mettler1]

  I use it every tankful!!  Beginning winter I add 2 ounces TCW-3, fill the tank and run for a few minutes and shut down. It sat for 5 months. When I started the bike this spring it ran rough for a few minutes,then cleared up and been running great since  then. I do this every year.

[Mettler1]

I can see where it would coat the jets inside the carbs from gumming up, is there any advantage to preventing the fuel tank from rusting if water gets in there?

Bob

  I really don't know but so far no rust problems.  Bike is always garaged and I usually keep a full tank when I park it. I have only used TCW-3 for a few yrs out of the 20 yrs I have owned it. Not long before the TCW-3 I cleaned my carbs and it was a nasty job and LOTS of carb cleaner. If there is a next time SiSF will get them!!
    Bob, got to thinking that may be the rough running on first spring startup may have been water but no rust problems yet. Maybe keeping a full tank most of the time when setting for awhile keeps the rust at bay. ???

[JimBob]

Disclaimer - I am not a chemist (well, maybe a neophyte armchair chemist, hoping to one day graduate to Official Armchair Chemist).

A significant portion of Marvel is little more than kerosene/mineral spirits (sorry, no reference other than wikipedia and experience) - it's a light petroleum distillate, that originally was used for it's solvent features (think varnished/gummy engines- plugged hydraulic lifters, oil passages etc).

I'm not sure why it would help with ethanol issues, except perhaps being a light petroleum distillate, it has some ability to bond to ethanol in a way that gasoline doesn't, so keeps it from evaporating out of solution (similar to how alcohols are used to bind water to gas). Seems to me that ethanol is a water-in-gas problem waiting to happen anyway, and these alternate binders may help reduce that issue.


I have no idea what's in TCW3, but I'd guess it's a light petrol distillate too.

Not having experienced the problems Steve describes (not regularly anyway-only on engines that've sat through Mid-Atlantic winters), we've only used things like Stabil to prevent springtime startup issues.

No offense to Steve (he knows his stuff!) but a general rule I've always operated by is that engines and fuel systems were designed to work together - regular added "additives" is counter-intuitive most of the time. Of course, Steve is solving for a particular case/problem here (change to fuels since bike was designed, his storage situation, etc). If your bike doesn't have issues, I wouldn't start adding anything to the tank.

[Coldfinger]

Would a good 2 cycle snowmobile oil work equally as well as the TCW-3?   I already have Castrol Actevo X-tra Snow 2-T semi-synthetic for my sled.  It is only TC rated and I'd just as soon not have any more oil containers sitting around than I have to. 

I believe the W-3 has something to do with watercraft IIRC thinking back 20 years when I owned a Jet-ski.

[Mcfly]

TCW-3 is outboard oil... It's right on the container.  I'm in this 'additive' school as well, because my LACK of issues
is 2 years strong, and in the topsy turvy world of Flow-ri-duh, the bike sits more in the summer, when most wouldn't
think to add anything, but before ya know it 2-3 weeks go by and it has sat because it's too hot/humid to ride. (I'm a wuss)

After a few weeks, the bike needs priming, and a wee bit of enrichener, but it starts right up, and runs great every time.
I also add 1.5 ounce(s) of Startron per tank, so I might be an additive junkie, but I've had NO water in my tank to date,
no problems with the carbs, and no problems with how Connie runs, so I will continue to do this voo-doo, because it works.

BTW, I'm not a huge snake oil fan... these are the only additives I use... though in my (more) stupid days, I did add carb cleaner
once, and ummmm... it didn't do squat, just like Steve said, and then the carbs went to his spa.   

 

[SmokinRZ]

Would a good 2 cycle snowmobile oil work equally as well as the TCW-3?   I already have Castrol Actevo X-tra Snow 2-T semi-synthetic for my sled.  It is only TC rated and I'd just as soon not have any more oil containers sitting around than I have to. 

I believe the W-3 has something to do with watercraft IIRC thinking back 20 years when I owned a Jet-ski.

From what I have read, TCW-3 is for outboards and watercraft that operate with an endless supply of coolant and has a low flash point so it burns clean and doesn't contaminate the environment.  Air cooled and even water cooled land vehichles require a little more robust oil that doesn't burn as clean.  Having said that, I just found an old bottle of Motul two stroke dirt bike oil for my old KTM that I sold a few years ago.  It will be put to good use while being careful not to overdose   I beleive the objective is to get an oil coating in the float bowl so when the fuel evaporates the residue doesn't stick to any of the surfaces without getting carbon build-up in the combustion chambers and ring lands.                 

[TimR]

My understanding using the TCW-3 in the small amounts used, it's not to help combustion or lube the rings. It's used to help  keep the needle valves in the carbs happy.  For long term storage I believe the best way is the with carbs and tank drained and dry.