Old 2-cycle oil has two basic problems. The first is that the oil itself becomes unstable in the presence of solvents like gasoline, thinning it and converting its inherent viscosity into a sticky film that clogs filters and carburetors. This varnish is similar to that found in any gasoline engine, but the disassembled oil molecules make it thicker and stickier. The second problem is that most modern gasoline contains ethanol, which can eat fuel lines and hasten the breakdown of oil. Along with the usual fuel varnish, dissolved rubber works its way though the system's filters and into the carburetor's small passages. [links]