Stuck valve and a public thanks to Boss Hog

[Lt.Mike]

This past spring at Boss's place Dale's cub was given a good going over as it refused to start. Turned out it had a stuck valve, once fixed it ran like a champ. We asked Boss about what to do to prevent valves from sticking and he suggested that pre-mix could be run through. That is a 50:1 gas / 2 stroke oil mix that you'd use in a chainsaw or outboard motor.
Ok, recently I had a stack of knotty pine logs stacked behind my barn that needed splitting. Though I tried to do it by hand I just couldn't get a maul through it so I asked my neighbor if I could borrow his $1,400 Home Depot gas powered log splitter. He had used it little himself but had loaned it out a year earlier and had yet to get it back.
The following weekend I found it parked in my backyard. It did run, eventually, though the oil looked like tar. I figured I'd give it a good run and change it for him after it heated up.
I set to splitting but only got 6 logs in and after 20 minutes it died. Couldn't get it to start. I went through the trouble shooting list, drained the tank, fresh gas, and changed the plug but it still wouldn't start. This was one of those damned Honda motors that has a history of broken rockers and nylon camshafts.
I walked away from it for two days all the while thinking about that moral obligation you have that when you borrow something (running) you return it that way.
Well I removed the valve cover and found no broken parts. Ok that's good but I also found the culprit, a stuck intake valve. It was suck open so a couple of squirts of oil on it, a little tap and it popped back. Putting it all back together I pulled the cord and it fired. A couple of minutes in though and it was stuck again. Damn.
It was obvious I could do this all day but I remembered what Boss had said about the pre-mix. I went and got some 2 stroke oil I use with my outboard and poured a heavy shot into the tank. I unstuck the valve, put it back together and fired it up. It ran great and I was able to finish the stack of logs I had running it for about an hour without issue. To my surprise it didn't even seem to smoke. I changed the oil and returned it to my neighbor. The next day I told him about what transpired and asked how many times he had to pull it before it started, he said a few. I then set the choke and pulled the cord. That motor was singing before I finished the first pull. Nice!
You know I wouldn't return the splitter broken, instead I was able to get it back to him in better running condition than I received it.
At his cubfest Boss shared many pearls of wisdom, I just wanted to take a minute to say that they didn't fall on deaf ears so Boss, thank you!

Mike

[tst]

the leaded gas they took away provided that lubrication these engines need, a touch of marvel mystery oil in the fuel tank also helps

[Boss Hog]

glad to here you got it running , you can not beat the mix
Boss

[Stanton]

Good to see you have the correct neighborly attitude by returning his equipment in as good or better condition.

Thanks for the story and the tip (and to David as well).

[inairam]

I met a guy in the 1980s who collected Nashes. He said he would add a whole quart of motor oil very slowly to the carb intake to free up valves or get rid of tapping. He was a little on the crazy side.

I also applaud the effort to return tools better than you got it!

[Scrivet]

....... He said he would add a whole quart of motor oil very slowly to the curb intake to free up valves or get rid of tapping. ...........

This could lead to a branch of the "which oil is best" debate. Which oil is best to free sticking valves (and eliminate mosquitos) ?

[Lt.Mike]

As tst spoke about marvel mystery oil its what I use in all my working engines. A stuck valve is not an issue I have ever seen in my own equipment so when this happened it threw me a little. I'm not sure if the light mix of marvel would have fixed the serious issue with the splitter but pre-mix certainly did. Marvel might have prevented it though.

Thanks again Boss, hope you and yours are well !

Oh and as for mosquitoes I had expected the heavy shot to smoke badly but I didn't see anything at all. Go figure???
For the record, I used what I had on hand which was Mercury 2 stroke synthetic blend for oil injected direct fuel injected outboards, A little pricey .

Mike.