Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!?

   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #21  
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #22  
I think you can still get it at airports.

Most airports won't sell it to you unless you have an aircraft tail number to give them. They don't want to get in trouble for selling it without collecting the appropriate taxes.
 
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #23  
Yeah ethanol gas has been around for years!
 
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #24  
Thoughts On Ethanol Anyone?

Ethanol has 65% the energy as gas, so you'll lose 1/3 the fuel economy (gallon for gallon) - You would thus expect to lose ~6.5% mileage running E10. Also, in a carburetor, you have to jet that same 6.5% richer to compensate. Those who don't run lean - half the people I know that run snowmobiles blew them up the first year E10 became mandatory. Worse of all, the shelf life of E10 is only 3-4 weeks, at which point it begins to oxidize, turn yellow, and smell like pee. Its horrible, and I think the US public should SUE the federal government for all of the damage done to small engines caused by the mandatory use of the crap.
 
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #25  
There are a lot of numbers out there and the resultant energy in the fuel isn't the direct result of the ratio it's mixed in but E10 is supposed to have only about a 4% reduction in energy (and mileage) relative to regular gasoline. People also lose sight of the fact that premium gasoline actually has less energy than regular. That's why it's resistant to pre-ignition and allows more compression/boost and latitude on timing. An engine that can be adjusted for premium may not lose gas mileage using premium because of the increased engine efficiency, but in the absence of timing and boost adjustments, the gas mileage will drop slightly going to premium fuel.

I've worried about ethanol but over the years I can't say I've seen any problems with multiple small engines.
 
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #26  
I have an electric trolling motor and a tractor powered wood splitter just because I was so fed up with small engines that wouldn't run. Since I started buying High Test things have been much better..and up here our gas is $1.19/ liter or about $4.50 Canadian per American gallon.
 
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #27  
This is odd and I don't know the answer. Only ethanol has been available in our area for 15 years or more. we have two cars, 5 - 4 stroke small engines and 6 - 2 stroke small engines. I have never had any problem that I could attribute to ethanol with any of them and one is a 60+ year old Wisconsin AKN which often sits for prolonged times. I do not drain, use any kind of stabilizer nor concern myself with shelf life with engines and gas cans sitting from one season to the next. Only time I ever had a problem is when I became concerned after reading horror stories on forums, used some Stabil which I didn't realize the shelf life had expired on (My fault) then I really had a mess, that was 6 - 7 years ago, went back to not using anything. No problem. I also work on small engines and occasionally come across a sticking valve which MAY have resulted from ethanol.

Walt Conner


I'm with Walt. We have wildfire suppression equipment both 4 stroke honda and brigs pumps and 2 stroke stihl brush saws, backpack leaf blowers and chainsaws. They receive a lot of long operation abuse for short periods of the year. They may sit on a shelf for 8 months along with the fuel. No issues for 12 years.
 
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #28  
Oxygenates have been used in large cities for some time. Many areas used Ethers (like MTBE's) that are nasty chemicals. Now, alcohol is being used in its place. Sure, it's not perfect, but it is much better(safer) than the MTBE's. True, you will get 3-4% less fuel economy with E10 instead of E0. We can get E0 in 87-91 octane here. I agree that the pictures that the OP had in the first post is a bunch of unrelated conditions being used to get people excited. Are these articles being put out by the MTBE lobbyists? If I can get pure gas, I do.
 
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #29  
I had to bring my trail mower to get fixed and was talking to this man who told me to stay away from Ethanol blended gas.! .Before I use to buy 86 gas now I buy premium and the chain saw and mower seem to run a lot better now.Also small repair shops wont warranty more then 30 day because of ETHANOL
 
   / Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!? #30  
In most of the USA, premium has ethanol too. Unleaded fuel is available in a few areas of the country, often at marinas as ethanol damages polyester resin used in many boat fuel tanks.

There's a simple test to determine ethanol content. Best to use a cylindrical container like a test tube, but most any clear gas compatible container will work. Add a small amount of water to the container - if using a test tube, about 1/10th container capacity. Mark or note water level. Add about 9/10ths (i.e. almost fill container) with gasoline to be tested. Shake and then let settle. In a minute or two, if there's ethanol or other alcohols present, the water level will rise. This is due to the ethanol having a greater affinity to water so it comes out of suspension in the fuel and bonds with the water molecules instead.

It's true that 100LL aviation fuel will store for longer periods that auto gas, however the lead will ruin the catalytic converter in engines so equipped.

Aside from the presences of ethanol, using premium fuel in a lower compression engine designed for regular gas doesn't net any performance advantage.

Using ethanol blended regular gas, I get a full 10% less gas mileage in my Ford E450 RV than with non-ethanol fuel.

Ethanol sucks and is a huge consumer rip-off.
 
 
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