Zeda and Phantom break in

Triplehelix

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Corresponding with bicycle engines.com today revealed things I did not know. Their customer service is excellent by the way. They sent me a Zeda instruction manual. Premium gasoline was recommended . It also recommends oil to gas of 30:1. 20:1 If you are working the engine hard, operating in hot temperatures, or for break in. The manual suggest Dino oil only and recommends Valveoline racing oil. It warned not to use synthetic or synthetic blend oils because of premature failure of bearings and seals and that use of these oils voids the warranty. And lastly BE recommend 16:1 for Phantom 85. Perhaps everyone knows all this but me. But I thought I would share.
 
It warned not to use synthetic or synthetic blend
Some people swear by synthetic. I tried it (16:1) but I had a bad experience when using the same mix in my old Homelite saw. The fuel started boiling in the tank and spewing out the cap breather. It never did that using petroleum mix oil, so I switched back to a 32:1 mix for my bike. Petroleum mix might smoke a little, but I have more confidence in its lubrication. By the way, I dumped the remaining synthetic mixed fuel in the tank of my '73 F250. That truck burned it up just fine. ;-)
 
Some people swear by synthetic. I tried it (16:1) but I had a bad experience when using the same mix in my old Homelite saw. The fuel started boiling in the tank and spewing out the cap breather. It never did that using petroleum mix oil, so I switched back to a 32:1 mix for my bike. Petroleum mix might smoke a little, but I have more confidence in its lubrication. By the way, I dumped the remaining synthetic mixed fuel in the tank of my '73 F250. That truck burned it up just fine. ;-)
Back in the old days we used to run straight 30w mixed at 30:1 in our old Homelites and Pioneers, never hurt them.
 
we used to run straight 30w
I've always liked that thick, green outboard motor mix oil. My Homelite XL likes it too. It's hard to find these days, everything is synth now. When I was logging in the Tuolumne, we would fill gallon antifreeze jugs with mix out of a 50 gal. drum at the saw shop. My Husky 181 ran like a demon.
 
t warned not to use synthetic or synthetic blend oils because of premature failure of bearings and seals and that use of these oils voids the warranty.
I asked B-E.com about that bit about not using synthetic oil back about 2 years ago...Even though its still printed in older manuals, Zeda no longer is against the use of synthetic oil AFTER the break in period, only DURING the break in period...I was curious myself about this one thing because after retiring from police work back in 1989, I spent my last 20 or so years working for Valvoline Oil here in the US and that didn't sound right to me at all.

My Zeda 80 has been running Amsoil Dominator full synthetic 2 stroke racing oil @ 32:1 ratio now since around June of 2020 and has almost 1200 miles on it at this point running perfectly...Hope this is of help to you.

That manual was written some years back before the Zeda 80 was using ceramic lined cylinders in that motor so that one piece of information is now outmoded regarding use of synthetics..I did talk to "Rebecca" at B-E.com in Montana about this personally on the phone to confirm this during my warranty period back then and was assured that this would no longer void the warranty as long as synthetics were used only AFTER breakin is over.
 
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