#TechTipTuesday

We're two days through the work week, and that means it's time for another #techtiptuesday! This week we want to talk about a handy little tool that is rather helpful when.....well really all the time. Having a bottle of Assembly Lube within reach in your shop can help save you time, energy, and prevent damage. Assembly lube is typically a thick tacky oil that is designed to stick to metal surfaces to both aid in putting parts together, and to provide protection post assembly. There are many uses for an assembly lube but we are going to highlight a few of the key ones today, and if you have any uses of your own we would love to see them in the comments!

Since it is quite literally in the name, the first use we want to talk about is for assembly. Have you ever battled those little parts that are supposed to slide together and they just resist going easily? Often times during an engine build, or reassembly parts are cleaned with solvents or other similar materials. This removes all lubrication from the parts and when trying to put them back together the rough metal surfaces with zero lubrication can become stubborn. Pins, dowels, slides, and the like all benefit from a small sampling of this fluid on them.

The final assembly of a motor, transmission, or other machine can be a long process. Between taking your time to make sure everything is in it's place and you aren't missing anything the minutes add up. This is where the thick tackiness of an assembly lube come in big as it will hang in place for a decent amount of time giving you the time needed to complete assembly. Using an assembly lube to coat any components that will see metal to metal wear such as cam lobes can help prevent wear on the initial startup. This is a job normally performed by the engine oil, however on the very first startup after a rebuild it can take a few seconds for the engine oil to get dispersed throughout the motor. by having assembly lube in the friction areas of the motor it can help to protect those components until the engine oil can take over permanently.

Another nice benefit of an assembly lube is as a rust preventative. Use it on nuts and bolts as a light coating to help prevent oxidation of the metals. A little coating of the assembly lube can help delay rust, so it can be especially useful on parts that you will need to take back apart at some point and would prefer not to fight with. A little extra work the first time can save you a fair bit the next time you have to take it apart.

It's time for another #techtiptuesday and this time it's a special edition! We went way back in our past for this one, back to our first ever product that is, Golden Spectro Motorcycle Two Cycle Premix. There are many...many things we want to talk to you about two stroke oils. It is a topic that has a lot of information so we want to break it down for you. Today we want to talk specifically about mix ratios.

A very common question that we get asked is "What ratio do I mix your oil at?" and we have a stock answer for that question. You should always mix your two stroke at your OEM recommended ratios. Now while this may sound like a lazy stock answer, we say it with good reason. Most two stroke oils can be mixed at a wide variety of ratios and still be effective. The reason that you should always follow factory info on this is that they build the bike to run at a certain level of oil. Too much and you run rich, foul plugs, and get carbon buildup...Run too little and you are running lean, not enough oil can lead to wear and damage.

Now this is all if you have a premix system, but what if you are oil injected. For the most part the bike will be preset to what it needs, but there is still one very important to thing to remember when looking for oil. Make sure you are using an oil that is acceptable for an injection system. Some oils are made for premix only and will not gum up, and not run through an injection system properly.

Spectro Oils makes a high quality two stroke oil that will work in all OEM machines without issue and it can be mixed to every known major OEM mix ratio. We offer premix and injector options in Petroleum, Synthetic Blend, and Full Synthetic Formulas for whatever you ride!

It is time for a very important #techtiptuesday We can't stress it enough, this is an issue that we see every day, and it can have serious negative effects on your motorcycle. It is a topic that has been thoroughly debated, but today we will discuss the facts. Today’s topic is why you shouldn’t use automotive oils in motorcycles.

For many years it was common to use the same oil in your motorcycle and your car, so we can understand the confusion around this topic. There are also some bikes out there that are built in a way that it isn’t a big concern. However with the way oil and engine technologies have changed there are a number of reasons as to why you should use an oil designed for motorcycles specifically, and never use automotive oils in them.

For this week’s #techtiptuesday we want to discuss small batch blending, what it is, why we do it, what the alternative is, and what it means for you!

Small batch blending is the art of blending oil in a blending tank in a limited quantity. To use our setup as an example, we typically blend between 110 gallons, to 3,000 gallons at a time depending on the product. While 3,000 gallons may sound like a lot, in the grand scheme of things it is on the small end.

We use the small batch blending method for a number of reasons, but the most important to us is that it helps ensure that every product we produce is made to our exact specifications. Think about it like multitasking, when you have a lot of things to do it is not uncommon for something to be forgotten, where if you focus on a few key tasks at a time the result is usually better. It takes longer, it’s more work, but at the end of the day it is a better product, and we have much more control over the quality of our products. By mixing the products together in a blend tank we can ensure that all of the components that go into it are evenly mixed and all of the oil is the same.

For today’s #techtiptuesday we are going to talk about the science of why regular oil changes are important. We’ve discussed in the past how viscosity can change in mineral oils over extended use, but there is another important factor to keeping the oil in your vehicle fresh, and that is what we refer to as “consumables”.

Consumables are additives that over time and use either degrade or become damaged beyond use, thereby inhibiting their positive effects on your engine and oil. There are three main ones we want to talk about today; Antiwear, Detergents, and Dispersants.

Time for another #techtiptuesday to begin! This week we are going to talk about oil shelf life. We often get people asking if it safe to use old oil bottles they find around their house, if it is going to cause damage, or if the oil has "gone bad".

The general rule of thumb when dealing with engine oils is that they tend to remain usable for around 5 years if stored properly. That last part is key. Sealed bottles kept in a safe environment will last longer and you will not need to worry about contamination.

Today’s #techtiptuesday talk is about fuel, changing standards, and what that means for you and your machines. It’s not uncommon these days to see stickers at the gas pump such as E10, but what does that mean? Recent trends have seen gas stations adding Ethanol Alcohol to gasoline. There are a number of reasons that this is being done, many political in nature so we will not dive into that part of the subject. Rather we will tell you what Ethanol is, and why you need to be cautious when using it.

Time for another #techtiptuesday ! This week we want to talk to you about base stocks, specifically Group IV base stocks. There are 5 grades of base stocks, Groups I, II, and III are all refined from a mineral base, Group IV is PAOs and are a man made synthetic, and Group V is all other man made synthetics. For reference Group III can be referred to technically as a synthetic, but it is from a mineral base. But we are here today to discuss PAOs. PAO is short for polyalphaolefins. PAOs are most highly touted for the extremely stable molecules making them one of the most durable, and the best at wear protection.

For our first ever #techtiptuesday we want to talk about Viscosity. This is a word that a lot of people know, but may not understand what it truly means. Viscosity is the resistance of a substance to flow. In the video you see two fluids side by side, water, and honey. Water has a low viscosity, or is less viscous meaning that it flows more easily. Honey has a high viscosity, or is very viscous meaning that it doesn't flow as easy.

When looking at the viscosity of oils they use a system of numbers to describe the viscosity of the fluid. The lower the number the lower the viscosity and the higher the number the higher the viscosity. Using the proper viscosity of fluid is crucial to the correct operation of the machine they are in.