4231 Engine

Don't they know that ethanol eats rubber and many plastics ???
I wonder if the Sta-Bil (Marine formula & now a specific ethanol formula) will slow or stop the damage ?

Corn is for eating - by both human and animal -- another Gobmnt rule and subsidy ! :thumbdown:
Some say it makes good moonshine ! :biggrin:
 
Hi - I thought I would jump into this conversation. Full disclosure - I work for Gold Eagle Co. the makers of STA-BIL. I hope this information helps. This information came directly from the product manager for STA-BIL. For trademark reasons, we need to include the registered mark when referencing our products.

Unfortunately, there is NO additive, including STA-BILｮ products that can protect RUBBER and PLASTIC parts that are not already designed for exposure to Ethanol in gasoline. However, STA-BILｮ products WILL protect and prevent other issues, such as corrosion on METAL parts of the fuel system. We recommend using STA-BILｮ Ethanol Treatment at every fill up on all of your gasoline small engines (lawnmowers, string trimmers, etc) . It will also help clean out your fuel system, removing deposits that have accumulated on the carburetor, fuel injectors or intake valves.

Again - Hope this information helps.

Regards,

Jennifer Rook
Gold Eagle Co.
 
I use the Marine Formula in all my gas that is used on small engines - I just put it in the 5 Gal. can before going to the gas station. I haven't been able to find the Ethanol treatment formula in the local stores yet !

I haven't used the Marine formula in the car and truck regularly, but do add it periodically. Would it be prudent to add all the time ?
 
Marine Formula STA-BIL is absolutely safe to use in your small engines, or other gasoline powered vehicles, although using the non-marine Ethanol Treatment version would be effective as well. The Marine Formula has additional corrosion protection and cleaners, that are needed for those vehicles/equipment used in more moisture-laden environments (i.e. on or around water). Whichever Ethanol treatment product you use, be sure to use it with every fill up in your small engines and marine engines, as they are more prone to moisture /condensation and corrosion issues (due to their open vented gas tanks). It's ideal to use the Ethanol treatment in your every-day driving vehicle (car or truck) as well, to address any moisture issues you may already have, and to clean your fuel system regularly, but it's not as crucial for those to use at every fill up as you should with your small engines and marine equipment. For future purchases, you should be able to find the non-marine version of STA-BIL Ethanol Treatment in most AutoZones and Advance stores. Hope this information helps!

Regards,

Jennifer
 
Thanks, I wish I could find it in a case of 12 - the best price I have found is the
32 Oz. bottle at Tractor Supply and use it in every 5 Gal. can that I fill up.
 
I finally found out what the real problem was with my fuel supply on my Ventrac.. After installing a new pump it seems to work fine for the first hour or so then I began to have fuel starvation problems again. I ended up having to remove the fuel tank.. the fuel fitting exiting tank..not sure if it was done at the factory or buy a dealer,the angle was wrong forcing the fuel line to kink about 90 percent closed. I don't know how it even ran above idle but it did... I can see Allen wrench marks on the bolts so I believe it was likely done by a dealer or owner... This machine has been a work in progress... Eventually ill get it 100 percent... If the average Joe bought it he'd spent thousands at the dealer by now or traded it in...,

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Who would expect to find a kinked line ? There must have been some reason for someone to have removed the tank before. How old did you say this machine is ?

Why would anyone change the angle of the fittings unless they had to be removed ????? The only reason I could think of to take the tank out would be if it got an excess of dirt or something inside the tank and it needed to be cleaned out.

Glad that was the problem, but sorry you had so much frustration before finding the problem !

I just hit 200 hours on my new 4231 Gas L.C. and NO problems yet. I change oil and filter every 50 hours. As stated in the thread -- Marine Formula Sta-bil in all the gas.

Good luck and hope all is trouble free from now on ! :thumbsup: :biggrin:
 
There was an updated tank for the 04 model year, I'm pretty sure this was done by a Ventrac dealer... Either way I mowed yesterday and it's definitely fixed... I'm hoping I'm done with repairs for now... For what I paid for it I expected to have to work on it.... At least now I have been thru it and have all the updated parts especially the new aluminum radiator, which transfers heat incredibly.
 
OK - my first 4231 was an 04, but it was late in the year so the update may have been done before mine was built. I never had any problems with the 04 - just normal routine maintenance.

So far no problems with the 2011 either.

I will put the word out about tires and "Bead Butter". I got an extra set of wheels and tires and mentioned that sometimes there was a slight air leak at the rim on some of my other tire/wheel sets - the installer said he would use "Bead Butter" when putting the tires on the wheels -- turned out to be a mistake -- I had tires come off the rim - not near the garage :thumbdown: -
(what a pain) and found that they would just push off by hand and did not require hardly any force to break the bead. I had to clean the wheels and tires completely at the bead and have not had any further problems.
 
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