Ethanol Free Gas

[1Mech]

In my mind one problem with ethanol hype is it burns cleaner. I believe that’s true but raising the crops to make it is mostly done by diesel burning tractors and combines, plus all the pesticides, weed killers and fertilizer applied to the fields. Then the energy and pollution that the ethanol plants create. Are we really ahead with the ethanol fuel.

Similar to electric vehicles; sure, there are no emissions out of a non existent tail pipe. All the emissions occur during the mining and processing of the lithium and at the power plant producing the electric "fuel". Of course, the same could be said of petroleum powered vehicles, emissions occur all along the extraction and processing of the fuel. There is no free lunch! Even horses fart!

 

[1Mech]

I am going to say "no" as ethanol has the opposite effect; it cleans any sludge and varnish which might be in the fuel system.
At the same time it's destroying your o-rings, gaskets, and the rubber tips on your float valves.

Yes, ethanol is a good solvent and will clean a dirty system, but it does not destroy modern rubbers formulated to work with ethanol as most rubbers are in post 2000 equipment. Now methanol is a different story, it very corrosive, but it is not mixed with gasoline. Remember, ethanol is what we drink as beer, wine and liquor, a little is good, too much is not!
I have used e10 in all my yard equipment, cars and tractors for many years with no ill effects that I can detect. The yard equipment will sit all winter, wet, and come spring, I will top it off, prime the primer bulbs and a few pulls later, it starts and runs fine.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Yes, ethanol is a good solvent and will clean a dirty system, but it does not destroy modern rubbers formulated to work with ethanol as most rubbers are in post 2000 equipment. Now methanol is a different story, it very corrosive, but it is not mixed with gasoline. Remember, ethanol is what we drink as beer, wine and liquor, a little is good, too much is not!
I have used e10 in all my yard equipment, cars and tractors for many years with no ill effects that I can detect. The yard equipment will sit all winter, wet, and come spring, I will top it off, prime the primer bulbs and a few pulls later, it starts and runs fine.

One "ill effect" that you are experiencing is lower mpg although I guess you don't notice it. Most people don't care about 5% -10% lower fuel mileage but it bugs me. I think it was the ethanol that ruined my fuel hoses on my cheap Chinese brush cutter too. My zero turn Walker mower is a 2000 model and a new replacement is about 15 grand. I prefer to use pure gas in both now, especially since things are going E15 year-round.

I broke my record for mpg for my 35 mile trip home last night with E0. The Mazda mpg computer read 58.5 mpg when I pulled into my driveway. It's been very accurate when hand calculating.

 

[tradosaurus]

One "ill effect" that you are experiencing is lower mpg although I guess you don't notice it. Most people don't care about 5% -10% lower fuel mileage but it bugs me. I think it was the ethanol that ruined my fuel hoses on my cheap Chinese brush cutter too. My zero turn Walker mower is a 2000 model and a new replacement is about 15 grand. I prefer to use pure gas in both now, especially since things are going E15 year-round.

I broke my record for mpg for my 35 mile trip home last night with E0. The Mazda mpg computer read 58.5 mpg when I pulled into my driveway. It's been very accurate when hand calculating.

Since using non-ethanol fuel in my zero turn, weed eater and SxS I've had no ill effects.
I also use the can fuel for chain saws and leaf blower

 

[MossRoad]

There are still stations selling E10, yes. I don't know how long that will last. The station I was at, I believe it was a Pilot, had changed from E10 to E15.

I wonder if it will affect their business, or most people do not know or care? Will it really damage a car? Will it cause any warranty issues? Who knows?

While I have no issues with E10, or E85 for that matter, I don't care for ethanol in general. It's a waste of BTU's to produce it.

A long time ago I read a study that said if all cars ran on natural gas, and we burned corn kernels for home heating, it would be much more efficient, as every time you convert something to something else, you lose BTUs. Natural gas can be burnt in engines with no conversation and corn can be burned in furnaces with no conversion.

It would greatly decrease the need for oil to be converted to gasoline, another high waste of BTUs.

Natural gas is about as clean of a carbon based fuel you can get, and corn kernels are carbon neutral.

Anyhow, it was an interesting study.

One of the first ethanol plants in the country is here in South Bend, IN. It has gone through some changes. At one point, it was shuttered and sold to a scrapper. But another company took it over and has/is invested hundreds of millions to modernize it and make use of everything but the oink in that pig. Carbon dioxide captured for industrial gasses. Animal feed from the waste. A few other things I can't recall off the top of my head.

 

[MossRoad]

In Oklahoma, they sell regular gas a most stations, and you have to choose the separate nozzle to get E10.

Local truck stop has ethanol free gas on a dedicated pump.

Thats where I get my gas for all my small engines.

I noticed that when our kid lived in OK.

 

[MossRoad]

I've only had problems with ethanol in two pieces if equipment and they both had Briggs and Stratton motors. coincidence????

I doubt it. I had a Briggs that ran on E10 for 29 years that would start first pull every spring with the fuel left in the tank over winter. I couldn't kill that thing!

 

[Dftodd]

I noticed that when our kid lived in OK.

I was traveling to Wichita quite a bit when I noticed it.

 

[Dftodd]

I doubt it. I had a Briggs that ran on E10 for 29 years that would start first pull every spring with the fuel left in the tank over winter. I couldn't kill that thing!

Them old Briggs engines would run on monkey spit and vinegar

My roommate years ago was cheap..... like miserly cheap

He had a 1960ish push mower with a Briggs engine in it. This engine also fogged mosquitos in the process since it burned quite a bit of oil as well.

He forget to check the oil before mowing one week and locked the engine up.

I pulled the spark plug and started soaking it with hilco lube. It's pb blaster on meth

After soaking it morning and night for a week, I took a wooden dowel and started tapping at the cylinder and got the piston to free up.

I filled it to the line with straight Lucas oil treatment. Cranked the engine over with the spark plug removed several times to lube everything up and to remove the penetrating oil from the top of the cylinder.

Put the spark plug back in. Topped up with gas.

It started on the third crank, quit smoking about halfway through mowing the yard, and ran like a champ

 

[Oaktree]

One "ill effect" that you are experiencing is lower mpg although I guess you don't notice it. Most people don't care about 5% -10% lower fuel mileage but it bugs me.

Considering that non-E gas costs 25-30% more than E10 you're still ahead even if your gas mileage is a bit lower. Can't speak for E15, AFAIK it isn't sold around here.