Difference Between 4 Cycle & 2 Cycle Oil
The two-cycle engine and four-cycle engine are fundamentally different and require very different oil formulas. Two-cycle engines require their lubricating oil to be mixed with the gasoline and burned off, and four-cycle engines keep their lubricating oil in a separate crankcase, according to the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service.
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Two-cycle Lubrication
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With a two-cycle engine, you "change the oil" with each charge of fuel and burn away the oil as the fuel is burned.
Four-cycle Lubrication
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Four-cycle engines lubricate by using the same oil over and over again for months, pumping it up from the crankcase and retuning it to the crankcase.
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Two-cycle Formulas
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Two-cycle oils are formulated to burn away with minimal residues on spark plugs, cylinders and exhaust ports. They also are designed to inhibit preignition and prevent ring sticking and crankcase sludge formation.
Four-cycle Formulas
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Oils for four-cycle engines are formulated with additives such as viscosity index improvers and detergents that are designed to inhibit oil consumption and make the oil hard to burn.
Not Interchangeable
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Using four-cycle oils in a two-cycle engine over time will leave deposits that reduce the life and performance of a two-cycle engine. Two-cycle engine oils are too thin and break down too easily to provide effective lubrication in four-cycle engines.
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References
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Comments
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the difference is viscosities for most single grade oil is too large.
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jmrj
Jan 12, 2011
Holy crap! Ehow will let anyone write for them, it appears. Anyone who knows anything about automotive engineering knows that there is no such thing as a "four-cycle" engine. The ignorance in this topic is rampant: It's a "four-STROKE" engine. Stroke is the movement of the piston. Cycle is the movement of the crankshaft. And, no, the two words are NOT interchangeable, no more than "watts" is interchangeable with "volts" when talking about electric motors.
