New Gas in Power Equipment

[cmhyland]

Is it me or is this Ethanol mixed gas ( Gas 90% Ethanol 10%) absolute crap?

I put gas in mowers and use them and them go back a week later and they won't start. I have 4 motors that aren't running at the moment due to this crap fuel.

I have a small outboard motor ( Honda 9.9) that I just can't keep running on this garbage. Last year was the first year in Rhode Island where we keep our boat. I couldn't get the little motor running so it went to the Marine repair shop. After 200 buck worth of work , he said there wasn't a seal in the carb that wasn't goo and leaking. He rebuilt the carb and it ran for 15 minutes!
I couldn't get it to run for the rest of the season.

Since then the mechanic has sent gas samples off to the lab and found levels of ethanol between 20% and 30%. This is causing huge problems becaus e the fuel depots aren't mixing the ethanol levels properly.

When there is condensation in the tank it gets absorbed by the ethanol degrading the quality of the entire tank. The old stuff got caught in a water trap or filter.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Regal]

I'm with you!!
The ethanol here seems to burn OK in my vehicles but the chainsaw and motorcycle are a totaly different story. I have a hard fast rule to NOT put ethanol in either. BUT what seems to be going on around here is no mater what pump you use, you get ethanol. I went to BP and bought GOLD for my chainsaw. It seemed to run ok but then when I try re-starting it while still hot, no way in **** it will start. Take fuel cap off and see gas boiling in the tank. Ethanol boils at much lower temp than non-ethanol. Almost same thing with motorcycle. After having rode the bike, next time try to start, electric fuel pump runs 3-4 times longer to build preassure and have to crank it over several times before it start to spit and sputter and finaly get up and running.
Never have these issues when I use CAM-2 racing fuel in chainsaw and the times I happen to get non ethanol fuel in the bike.
Approach fuel vendors about ethanol in non ethanol marked pumps and they simply claim no knowlege of problem. I don't hold them accountable, due to the fact, they didn't put the gas in those tanks. I do however blame the distributors for putting same gas in all tanks. I pay good money for what is suppose to be premium fuel and get this cut-rate product.
As Rush would say "Follow the dollars" I'm not smart enough to know how to test the gas I'm getting and prove the results. If I were, I would be very tempted to turn in every station I found for selling ethanol in non-ethanol pumps.

 

[bamatoolmaker]

I recall reading somewhere that the alcohol will ruin rubber gas lines .I would really keep an eye on a bikes lines.

 

[Onthesauk]

Local small engine repair guy and parts house owner have both suggested a gas additive called "Sea Foam" for any small engine gas. Have just started using it the last month or so, can't really give a decent evaluation yet but worth checking out.

 

[mjarrels]

I have been hearing for sometime that the "new" gas is creating many problems in the marine applications.

mark

 

[DieselPower]

I made the mistake of filling up my 5 gallon can with that stuff a couple of months ago. My chain saws and other 2 stroke engines don't seem to like it either. They don't run as smooth and are harder to start. Added a little DZL-LENE to the gas and it seemed to fix the problem. I have since made sure to avoid that gas station and get "real" gas for the little 2 strokes now.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

What the deal with the 'new gas'??? This is the first I've heard about it and it doesn't sound good at all. I would really like my equipment to run, right!!!

Is it a nation wide change like ULSD?? Robbie

 

[DrainPondDesign]

Some gasket sealants like Permatex or Gasket Shellac disolve in alcohol but not gasoline.

I've run a pre catalytic converter low compression engine in a MGB on about 25% methanol to 75% gasoline mix with only a loss of power resulting.

 

[Marcussen]

I had problems with a Echo trimmer using gas with alcohol, it ate holes in the fuel lines. and not covered by warranty becaus the owners manual states not to use gasahol, I had been careful to stay away from the gasahol labeled pumps. I found out the hard way that unless the alcohol is over 10% no labeling is required.

 

[cp1969]

Since then the mechanic has sent gas samples off to the lab and found levels of ethanol between 20% and 30%. This is causing huge problems becaus e the fuel depots aren't mixing the ethanol levels properly.

It may be different in other parts of the country, but when we hauled fuel it was the truck driver that mixed the ethanol in the gas--the distribution terminal does not mix it at all.

Drivers, like everyone else, value time the same as money. When loading a truck, ideally one would put the 10% ethanol in each tank compartment, then add the gasoline to thoroughly mix it up.

Ideally. But in the real world, that doesn't always happen. (It may have happened...once.)

Maybe an example would be in order: A driver gets an order to for a 8500 gallon load of 10% ethanol gasoline. His 4-compartment trailer has compartments which hold 2850, 2850, 2400, and 1100 gallons. The loading spot at the distribution terminal has two gasoline spouts and one ethanol.

How to load this trailer? He doesn't have an order for 9200 gallons, so he can't just put 10% of the capacity of ethanol in each compartment so some arithmetic is in order. Most people are arithmetic-averse, however. Consequently, a lot of people will put the 850 gallons of ethanol needed for the load in the 1100 gallon compartment and the 7650 gallons of gasoline in the other three compartments. Loading a trailer in this fashion means you are loaded quicker and only have one math problem to work. Less time to load, less chance of a mistake.

Now, though, how to unload? If we unload the ethanol compartment first, and the station was very low on fuel, and you happen to be there getting gas at the same time, you could get a very high concentration of ethanol. That is why the driver needs to apply a little common sense to the unloading sequence to avoid this. But the fact remains, that while the truck (the way it was loaded) is unloading, the concentration of ethanol in gasoline will not be what the pump says.