Gasohol and Small Engines

[Garycw]

If I started every motor I had every few weeks, all i'd get done is cranking motors Sent from the mountains

 

[Sodo]

I hear that. If I had to pickle every motor I have all I'd ever get done is pickle motors. Started down that path 5 years ago and that became apparent,,,,,, i much prefer the current method.

 

[big bubba]

If I started every motor I had every few weeks, all i'd get done is cranking motors Sent from the mountains

hey great. if you have too many to handle at a crank's pull, maybe time to take inventory. just a suggestion from my experience...running it once in a while off season will keep it up to speed....

 

[Garycw]

I can think of 30 off the top of my head. I'm sure I've missed a few motors Also not all in the same place

 

[big bubba]

I can think of 30 off the top of my head. I'm sure I've missed a few motors Also not all in the same place

whoa! lots to keep track of. imho if you keep them in ethanol free w/stabilizer my experience would say just fine! best of luck

 

[tcartwri]

That could be. Is that Honda TSB on the internet somewhere? I'd like to read it.

Honda Job Aid PJA54119

Interesting that they try to sell you the heat gun at the end of the bulletin.

 

[Sodo]

Just had Honda deny a warranty claim on a push mower with less than 25 hours on it. Seized an exhaust valve due to "owner negligence". Even though all the equipment gets fueled with 93 which is supposed to have minimal ethanol in it. They claim that even in the middle of the season if the machine is gong to sit for more than a few weeks, you have to run it dry. Cylinder heads are cast as one piece with the block, so are not serviceable. $600 piece of scrap now. Total BS.

You mentioned an exhaust valve stuck, this procedure is for intake gumming. Interesting they recommend using heat.

I know this issue is is not really for those who know whats inside an engine but for those who do, I had EXACTLY that problem on an EU2000i, from using an old steel gas can that had "varnish" in it. It was so obvious (after the fact ) I could smell varnish strongly in the Honda tank. Pretty sure the fresh gas absorbed varnish from the old can, and then "got in" my Honda.

I used carb cleaner to unstick the valve by spraying it into the intake stem (above and below) and working the valve spring up and down. It was almost instant success, within about 10 or 20 pressings of the valve it was completely free. I did not remove the valve spring, just worked the (surprisingly soft ! ) spring with a prybar. I don't know if carb cleaner is the wrong thing to use and was careful to avoid getting it on any rubber. As don't recall rubber seals on the valve stems. I had this notion that I needed to unstuck the piston rings too, so actually let it sit in the cylinder. The generator was only a couple months old at the time. Its been several years, the engine runs perfect.

The Honda EU2000i engine has very soft valve springs (I think) because the camshaft is composite (looks like black plastic). The engine is pretty low RPM and constant. Not sure if your mower has a similar constructuion but thei is what I found inside my (under warranty) generator. In any case nobody ought to debate whether an EU2000i engine goes the distance with a plastic camshaft. But I think the soft valve springs make it more vulnerable to varnish. Honda sells these worldwide, I'm certain they've experienced every type of warranty problem imaginable (including mine).

In any case as I wrote before if everybody is dumping gas on the ground after 30 days that's a bunch of hooey but it does CYA for Honda. Here's Honda Job Aid PJA55119

 

[Diamondpilot]

My guess is with gas now below $2 a gallon Ethanol above 10% is dead just like Bio Diesel.

Guess the Ethanol people are not paying the right folks off.

Chris

 

[ultrarunner]

Even here in the SF Bay Area I just paid $2.79 a gallon... some stations around here are still in the $3.29 to $3.39 range... never seen such a wide disparity.

Of course only fuel diluted with alcohol is available... no other local options.

 

[Sodo]

Chris you are right about that. But the Ethanol lobbyists already got their money for that project. If more is offerred I'm certain they or others will take it and do what they can. Some are probably turncoats now highly eexperienced in the ways of WA DC; getting paid to overturn the legislation they pushed thru in the Bush Jr era. This is our USA, legislation by lobbyists. Some prefer it that way.

Using our cropland to produce fuel is a travesty, but I haven't had much trouble with gasohol, not noticeably more than the previous formulations.