would a two stroke run on straight WD-40?

[KTOKTO]

NASA came up with WD-40 to de-ice the space shuttles main fuel tank.

That didn't sound right to me since I remember the first space shuttle flight as a kid and also remembered old rusty WD40 cans in my grandpas basement around the same time frame so I had to have a read.


"WD-40 was developed in 1953 by Norman Larsen, founder of the Rocket Chemical Company, in San Diego, California. 'WD-40' is abbreviated from the term 'Water Displacement, 40th formula', suggesting it was the result of Larsen's 40th attempt to create the product. The spray, composed of various hydrocarbons, was originally designed to be used by Convair to protect the outer skin and, more importantly, the paper-thin balloon tanks of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion. These stainless steel fuel tanks were so fragile that when empty they had to be kept inflated with nitrogen to prevent them from collapsing. WD-40 was later found to have many household uses and was made available to consumers in San Diego in 1958."

 

[Street Ryderz]

when was nasa formed? because I still have a can from late 50's early 60's and the lable shows that ktokto is right on the money!

 

[KTOKTO]

 

[Steve Best]

WD-40 is mostly (80%) light distillates similar to mineral spirit/kerosene/diesel/furnace oil.
Look up the MSDS and follow the CAS numbers.

The US military is running 2 stroke drones on diesel fuel, with extensive mechanical modifications.
So yes, it is possible.

I have run 4 stroke engines on diesel as an emergency preparedness exercise. I don't recommend it.
It turns the exhaust red hot and will overheat the engine in much more than a 30% mix.
Diesels on the other hand will run on a 80% gasoline 20% motor oil mix quite well.

The problem with light distillates is they don't have the knock octane rating to avoid knock, don't evaporate well, and don't burn very fast. This all translates to detonation, slow and incomplete burning, and lots of burning still going on in the exhaust pipe. Overheating and lack of power. To resolve this a heated shell is installed in the chamber to preheat the fuel to near combustion temperatures. Also the chamber is designed to avoid detonation spikes by fancy design.

The 2 stroke needs a lube oil in the fuel even with an oily fuel like diesel.
It is the high pressure film strength and damping it needs, as well as the wet fuel's cooling.
The oil is left concentrated on the bearings by evaporation, and stays there for nearly 30 minutes even if oil flow is stopped.
A bubble in the oil line has never killed an oil injected 2 stroke.

You can run a 2 stroke on propane as well but you have to keep the oil dribbling to it.

 

[gary55]

Anything that helps loosen a dress zipper is alright by me.

 

[KCvale]

Anything that helps loosen a dress zipper is alright by me.

Hehehe, I agree there ;-}

 

[CrazyDan]

Anything that helps loosen a dress zipper is alright by me.

Can it unhook a bra?

 

[Steve Best]

Ah, brassiers, not the nicest things in the world, but right next to them...

 

[Pablo]

That didn't sound right to me since I remember the first space shuttle flight as a kid and also remembered old rusty WD40 cans in my grandpas basement around the same time frame so I had to have a read.


"WD-40 was developed in 1953 by Norman Larsen, founder of the Rocket Chemical Company, in San Diego, California. 'WD-40' is abbreviated from the term 'Water Displacement, 40th formula', suggesting it was the result of Larsen's 40th attempt to create the product. The spray, composed of various hydrocarbons, was originally designed to be used by Convair to protect the outer skin and, more importantly, the paper-thin balloon tanks of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion. These stainless steel fuel tanks were so fragile that when empty they had to be kept inflated with nitrogen to prevent them from collapsing. WD-40 was later found to have many household uses and was made available to consumers in San Diego in 1958."

And I know for a fact he took the idea and formula from fellow chemist Bo Floresch.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=596929

Anyway. No.

 

[Briguy]

It seems crazy and I don't want to ruin an engine tested it myself obviously but something tells me it may be would? What do you guys think? I bet he would actually run real good on 50-50 WD-40 and gas but again I'm not going to ruin an engine just to test my zany hypothesis here, and I can't recommend in good faith that you do either lol

Don't try it. In spite of what most people think, WD40 is NOT a lubricant. WD stands for "Water Displacement" ...the 40th recipe they tried until they got it right. Story here:
https://www.wd40company.com/who-we-are/our-history/
It's mostly a liquid "vehicle" (aliphatic hydrocarbons) to carry the little bit of oil that's in there....presumably mineral oil to help coat and protect....disperse moisture and free stuck nuts and bolts. It was never intended to be the kind of lubricant 2-stroke motor oil is or 10W-30.
There's just not enough lubricating properties in WD-40 to be of much good.