Engine Damage Caused By Ethanol Gasoline!?

[ztrjim]

I came across this interesting article about Ethanol Gasoline and how it not only damages engines but it can reduce fuel economy? I've been using the wrong fuel for my lawn for years apparently. :confused2: Phew, WOW. I realize that Ethanol mixed gasoline is supposed to help farmers and according to the US Government be an alternative fuel!? Hmmm that just doesn't seem right. Why do so many things seem backwards here? Expert's thoughts?

Here is common information that I come across...
"Outdoor power equipment engines, including those found in lawnmowers, chainsaws, and string trimmers, are susceptible to corrosion damage caused by E10, or gasoline that contains 10 percent ethanol. E10 is common in most U.S. gas stations. While ethanol has been shown to cause damage to all engines, small engines found in outdoor power equipment run a higher risk of being damaged by ethanol due to less frequent use. To protect your investment, use a fuel stabilizer containing an ethanol treatment with each fill-up. This is an easy and inexpensive way you can protect your small engine from corrosive damage caused from ethanol."

Article that Sparked my interested:
http://www.new-fuel-blends-confuse-consumers-read-before-you-pump/

Thoughts On Ethanol Anyone?

 

[Raincoast]

The section in quotes in your post kinda says it all.
I find that fuel stabilizer works OK, but a few years ago I switched to premium gasoline (zero percent ethanol) for all my mixed & unmixed equipment fuel. Haven't had to clean a chainsaw carb since.
I still use fuel stabilizer in the fall, when frequency of use goes down... especially for the lawn equipment.
I personally don't like the hassle of fogging small engines in the fall. I try to run the mowers for about 20 minutes once a month in the off-season. Saves a lot of springtime maintenance (and frustration) not to mention the real possibility of internal corrosion problems.

 

[ultrarunner]

Here there is no choice... only ethanol available.

 

[PSEbowhunter]

It's more costly than E gas here but worth it to me. You can find stations and information on them here.
Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada
Even our premium is E mix.

 

[RandyT]

The pictures are misleading at best and wrong at the worst. the first upper left picture is eroded valve stems caused by improper air filter maintenance and dirt ingestion. the white deposits on the stems is lead from leaded gasoline, which was discontinued in the 70's, prior to ethanol being added to gas. There is also a picture of an engine that is burning oil, and car engine destroyed by a fire, two or three pictures of gasoline varnish that could of happened prior to ethanol fuel. A water damaged carb, which may or may not of contained ethanol, and some other misc pictures.

ethanol could of contributed to some of the problems, and fuel stabilizer may have prevented some of the problems but don't think that it couldn't of happened without the ethanol.

 

[Mysfyt]

A friend of mine is an absolute mileage freak. He drives 60 miles per day and decided to test all 3 available fuels, regular and mid grade with 10 percent ethanol, and premium with no ethanol. His results showed no economic advantage to any of them. Basically, cost per mile was about the same. After he told me this, I started putting premium only in everything I own, including the small engines. I immediately noticed a performance difference in my 2500 HD (6.0 engine) as in more power. I'll put a tank of regular fuel with ethanol in occasionally during the cold stretches of winter to pick up any water that might be in the tank.

As far as the small engines go, I don't know. I've been told that the higher octane actually hurts performance on the lower compression engines. I'll live with this if this is true because I believe there is a payback on reliability and longevity.

I agree with RandyT about the pictures being misleading. I don't think those are much related to ethanol. How about you mechanics out there that saw the transition to ethanol, what is your take on fuel?

 

[s219]

Ethanol has about 15% less BTU per volume than pure gasoline if I remember right, so it will indeed give less power, which in cars means poorer fuel economy. That is a thermodynamic reality.

It sure can wreak havoc with outdoor power equipment, especially two-strokes. I think the main problem is that it doesn't have a good shelf life, because the alcohol can separate out and it accumulates water more readily. I tend not to keep ethanol gas around for more than a couple months. I definitely don't leave it sitting in any equipment for more than a couple weeks. Since I started buying ethanol free gas, it has made things a lot easier.

I honestly don't believe any of the stabilizers can really address the issues with ethanol gas -- those effects are beyond what you can really do with an additive. I use Stabil or ValvTect for general treatment, but don't expect them to deal with the ethanol issues.

 

[s219]

By the way, there is a common misconception that premium-grade gas is ethanol free, but that is not true in my area. They all have ethanol blended in.

When buying ethanol-free gas in my area, I have never seen it available in other than 87 Octane. There are only about 2-3 stations in a 50 mile radius where it's available. I stock up whenever I go get 55 gal of off-road diesel from a fuel depot.

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

One nuance to add to the OP: ethanol fuels might help /corn/ farmers. Poultry growers don't much care for higher corn prices. The owner of my local gas station told me he carries 100% gas because it gets him more business from the chicken producers. I believe him, though the fact that he can charge 20 cents a gallon more for it might enter into his calculations just a little bit.

For what it's worth, I use e10 in my car to save money, but I've switched to 100% gas in my small engines. Haven't noticed a difference in power, but they start on the first pull when I take them out of winter storage now.

 

[Grandad4]

The gasoline formulations in use today don't have a very long shelf life compared with what was sold back in the day, at least from what I've seen. And the small engine mechanics I've spoken to all say blending in ethanol only makes it worse due to its moisture accumulation tendencies. All I know is that I was constantly tearing apart carburetors to clean them out prior to switching to ethanol-free gas. Since the change, not a one has needed work.

I haven't noticed much difference in how a lawnmower runs once you get it started, but trying to start an engine that has been sitting for 60 days or more with ethanol-laced gas in it is an iffy proposition. Of course it helps if you run them dry before putting them away, but that's not always possible for Tim-the-toolman wannabes like me whose small engine cylinder count is somewhere north of 20.

So every few months I head off to the next town for 10 gallons from an old-fashioned full service station that sells the ethanol-free gas (It's a busy place, by the way). For additives, I like Sea-Foam or Marine Stabil.