How do you prep your mowers for Winter storage?

[GearHead36]

Tell me the compression ratio of these OPE engines. My bet is none of them would even note the difference in octane with or without the ETOH being present. Most are pretty low stressed designs, and likely could work fine with lowered octane.
I will not tell anyone to buy a particular grade, just stating I think it would cause no problem to run with 87 rated fuel that has had the ETOH precipitated.
Try it both ways, and see. Take a quart of 87 rated E10, add water, and decant the gasoline. See if it has a problem, or just do the same with some 91/93 rated fuel. Some, (not all?) of the mid and high grades are supplied without a 10% portion of ETOH added, but testing with water should demonstrate whether they do or do not. There are graduated cylinders marked so you can add specific amounts of adulterated gasoline to, then add calculated amounts of H2O, and determine the percentage of ETOH in the fuel. That way you know your 'E' number.
I posted the note about making ETOH free fuel so those who cannot find it locally can make their own, nothing beyond that.
tom

The old flathead engines have very low compression. The new OHV engine have higher CR's, but I don't know what they are. If I were making E0 for a flathead, then I wouldn't worry about low octane. Not sure if that would work with an OHV engine.

 

[slomo]

I used to completely drain the gas, but the cork seals, etc on the carb dry out and deteriorate, and leak.

Same here.

 

[7394]

ditto

 

[grumpyunk]

If your are using machines that have cork seals in their carburetors, you likely can make your own ETOH free fuel and have adequate octane for use without worry. I do not think I have anything newer than 1990 that has cork seals. anywhere that I know of. I have a Craftsman(AYP) push mower with a Tecumseh that may have one in the carb, but I have not taken it apart beyond the float bowl since the 1980's. There is a cork gasket on the spring box where the tappets meet the valve stem. The cork did not seem to mind adulterated gasoline. I guess I dodged a cork bullet?

 

[slomo]

For me it's mainly rubber fuel line and trimmer lines that would dry out and crack.

 

[7394]

For me it's mainly rubber fuel line and trimmer lines that would dry out and crack.

That's my main reason I keep my stuff full of 100% gas..