Fuel with ethanol

[minn]

Oh the evils of ethanol.  Carb problems with seasonal use small engines have been around long before ethanol.  I remember in the late sixties having to take snowmobile carbs apart every year to make them run.  But all this bad info about ethanol is on the internet so it must be true.

[yellowrosefarm]

Thanks to the United States glorious EPA, ethanol is here to stay.

For outdoor power equipment and small engines, those made in the past 10-15 years are rated and approved for ethanol based fuels.

Storage practices of the fuel by the individual amounts to majority of failures
in OPE.

Sorry, that's just not true.  I work on small engines for a living and it doesn't matter if it was made a month ago. Just ask any Stihl tech representative about primer bulbs and gas caps. Ethanol eats carbureted fuel system components. It doesn't matter how you store it, it's the Ethanol that is bad. You can extend the shelf life of the gasoline by adding Sta-Bil or the like but the Ethanol is still there. I've seen yellow Tygon fuel line go from flexible to breaking like a matchstick in 3 months. Old stuff can not tolerate it at all. The black fuel lines used on saws, trimmers, etc will completely dissolve in Ethanol mix gas. I've seen it. Do not run ethanol in any carbed engines if you can help it.

Well I just asked myself as a Stihl Master Tech, Husqvarna Gold Tech, certified Honda, Kohler, and Briggs tech.
Once again rated components/parts are not as much of an issue (FYI Tygon is not rated for E10).  Most components on OPE since at least mid 2000's have been rated for E-10.

How one stores Ethanol fuels is very important.  Alcohol is what is deteriating/eating old fuel system parts, yes a pain, but fixable and manageable.

Poor storage of Ethanol add water to the equation.......which leads to destroying 2-strokes and messing with 4-strokes, to keep things simple.

To store Ethanol based fuels, buy it more often in smaller quantities, store it in non-vented containers, try to limit temperature fluctuations.

Up here in Canada, we have to put on the pumps, may contain up to x % ethanol, the only way to know is to actually test each tank you purchase.
There are many fuel re-sellers, but very few refiners. All of our fuel in North America comes from a handful of refineries.  Your re-sellers are just mis-informing you by saying its ethanol free.

Again, not true. I have the very simple test kit from  Briggs and Stratton that was given to me by our Stihl company representative. It works and plainly shows if there is Ethanol in the fuel or not. As someone else mentioned, the Ethanol is added at the distribution hub. In the USA, the distributor gets a subsidy from the Government for adding it. At least one distributor here figured out that they could charge a premium for non ethanol that amounted to more than the government subsidy and people would pay it. The station I buy from charges about .50/gal more for E-Free. Stihl had the recall on gas caps last year specifically because of Ethanol. They would swell up and not fit right in the tank. Same thing with primer bulbs. I put 2 or 3 a week in because they have hardened and split because of Ethanol. I have a 30 year old green machine trimmer at home that has never seen Ethanol gas and has it's original primer. I've seen older Homelite and Echo products where the fuel line, bushing and cap seal were gone........dissolved in suspension in the ethanol gas in the tank. Customers said they had been running machines 3 months previous.

[minn]

"In the USA, the distributor gets a subsidy from the Government for adding it" 

Not true blenders credit is gone for ethanol.

[hamish]

http://www.stihlusa.com/WebContent/CMSFileLibrary/Gasoline_Guidelines-1.pdf

[Po-Jo]

that got an additive called "blue star" that I seen at the local Tractor Supply store over in the two stroke equipment section that is suppose to help, going to give it a try, don't know if it is just another snake oil or not?

[Ocklawahaboy]

I'm jealous of some of y'all.  Ethanol free is more than a dollar additional here.  It is all I run in my new chain saw, 1986 onan on the mill and 1954 9.5 hp evinrude.  A friend of mine just recently bought a new four stroke mercury outboard.  She was told ethanol gas would void the warranty.  That tells me that it's still bad news.

[hamish]

A friend of mine just recently bought a new four stroke mercury outboard.  She was told ethanol gas would void the warranty.  That tells me that it's still bad news.

http://www.mercurymarine.com/media/mercury/documents/storage-4to6FS.pdf

Trust me they are not going to build a motor that:

1. Is not EPA approved
2. its a four stroke, much different hand of cards
3. read the actual warranty.................falls under owners responsibilities

Additionally take a look at the Mercury Fuel System Advantage ...............

Regretfully I am not abreast of the refinery processes or distribution in the US, my err for a generalized cross-border thinking, and ironic that I am subject somewhat to the rules and regulations on the EPA in a foreign country.

OEM Factory small engine ethanol testers are used to test for greater than E10 ethanol content (the presence of lesser percentages of ethanol are regardless for warranty purposes, both in the US and Canada).

Its all about storage and usage my friends.

[CalebL]

Warranty will not cover damage from ethanol fuel.  At least not at my stihl dealer. 

[snowstorm]

when we first got this e10 trash. i asked one of the irving drivers where it was mixed. he said at the rack when i fill the trailer. it comes to the tank farm as the real thing and the corn is added to the trailer after it is loaded with gas. so if its only hauled 2 miles to the gas station will it mix? there is one store less than a half mile from the tank farm

[CalebL]

Right on snowstorm.....Almost all storage tanks in gas stations have water in them.  Ethanol + gas + water= disaster. 


again......mid grade and premium gas should NOT have any ethanol in it. 

[thecfarm]

Maybe that's why I don't have trouble with the e stuff. I only buy the high grade for all my small engines. I will have to check that next time I need some. Since I would have to travel a ways to get it without the e,the high grade is better, IMO anyways,for small motors.

[yellowrosefarm]

Its all about storage and usage my friends.

I absolutely agree. If you use ethanol blend fuel in a small engine and store it in the carburetor, you will have problems.

Right on snowstorm.....Almost all storage tanks in gas stations have water in them.  Ethanol + gas + water= disaster. 


again......mid grade and premium gas should NOT have any ethanol in it. 

All fuel grades here (VA) have ethanol in them. The stations that sell ethanol free fuel only sell the premium, 93 octane and it is plainly labeled as "does not contain ethanol". I've tested the 3 stations around here and they are free of E

[beenthere]

mid grade and premium gas should NOT have any ethanol in it. 

Our stations that sell with ethanol, also include up to 10% in the mid and premium grades.

[CalebL]

That's crazy.  Another reason I'm glad I live in Arkansas. 

[clww]

Well, up in our county in VA (Highland), we're lucky in that we have all three grades available without ethanol.