post proof of bad ethanol problems

[den052]

So for proof of my knowledge of fuel systems, I am a Master Certified Car and Heavy Truck mechanic, certified in all areas of vehicle repair. Work on everything from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Freightliner.

I can assure you that ethanol is not good especially for 2 cycle engines in chain saws and etc. My Stihl chainsaw has a plastic gas cap that is getting exceedingly hard to screw into the tank because the threads (complete gas cap), have swollen from ethanol and it turns very hard.

Stihl sells a fuel with no ethanol for use in their chainsaws and weed whackers. It is about $8-9 dollars a QUART. A gallon would cost about $32.00

However a small airplane mechanic and I got to talking about ethanol in gasoline. The FAA will not let ethanol be used in aircraft fuel systems. So Aviation Gas (AVGAS), does not contain any ethanol. Come to find out, the general public can buy AVGAS too. Theres no restriction. He said all you have to do is go to a local airport, and ask someone where the pumps are to get it. Where I live, you just drive to the airport and insert your debit card in the pump and pump it into an appropriate container. It is about $5.00-$5.50 a gallon based on my location at the present time, but contains no ETHANOL. They apparently don't mind the public purchasing it either at that price per gallon.

It also has the unique ability to be used 2-3 years after you put it into a storage container and is just as potent as when you put it in (it doesn't get stale). So if you use your equipment seasonally, you don't need to purchase Stabil or drain your equipment. Many people would balk at the price being $1.00 to $2.00 more per gallon, but $25 worth would power a lot of chainsaws or mow your lawn all summer long at that price. Just like the old days with no ETHANOL.

 

[exotion]

So for proof of my knowledge of fuel systems, I am a Master Certified Car and Heavy Truck mechanic, certified in all areas of vehicle repair. Work on everything from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Freightliner.

I can assure you that ethanol is not good especially for 2 cycle engines in chain saws and etc. My Stihl chainsaw has a plastic gas cap that is getting exceedingly hard to screw into the tank because the threads (complete gas cap), have swollen from ethanol and it turns very hard.

Stihl sells a fuel with no ethanol for use in their chainsaws and weed whackers. It is about $8-9 dollars a QUART. A gallon would cost about $32.00

However a small airplane mechanic and I got to talking about ethanol in gasoline. The FAA will not let ethanol be used in aircraft fuel systems. So Aviation Gas (AVGAS), does not contain any ethanol. Come to find out, the general public can buy AVGAS too. Theres no restriction. He said all you have to do is go to a local airport, and ask someone where the pumps are to get it. Where I live, you just drive to the airport and insert your debit card in the pump and pump it into an appropriate container. It is about $5.00-$5.50 a gallon based on my location at the present time, but contains no ETHANOL. They apparently don't mind the public purchasing it either at that price per gallon.

It also has the unique ability to be used 2-3 years after you put it into a storage container and is just as potent as when you put it in (it doesn't get stale). So if you use your equipment seasonally, you don't need to purchase Stabil or drain your equipment. Many people would balk at the price being $1.00 to $2.00 more per gallon, but $25 worth would power a lot of chainsaws or mow your lawn all summer long at that price. Just like the old days with no ETHANOL.

Finally some good info! I'll look into aviation gas and as to why they don't want ethonol in air planes

 

[den052]

I would hazard a guess that one of the factors with ethanol would be it tends to boil at high altitudes and also attracts water. One of the pre-flight check list steps is to check for water in the fuel tanks by draining some into a cup to observe.

 

[braxx]

Well my generator that I posted about last September still has the same 2-3yr old fuel in it and it started just fine in May of this year. The gas is yellow as dark urine. Ethanol hasn't caused any problems for me.
If you want gas ethanol free gas. Check here: Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada
No need to go to the airport. I can get ethanol free gas about 5 miles from my house.

 

[tomsteve]

quite a few repairs I have done and would believe the culprit to be the ethanol in the gas. cutting open fuel lines and seeing them rotted on the inside is something that shocked me the 1st time I saw it. then seeing the non metal parts in carbs wore out/ rotted/corroded away lead me to believe its the ethanol.
but now im also wondering, after reading this thread and thinkin about it: not everyone has problems with it so im wondering if there could be something in the quality of the non metal parts playing in here( or even the metal parts). manufacturers are always lookin for ways to cut costs on producing their equipment, so im wonderin if maybe them parts are now a lower quality material now?

 

[Carscw]

quite a few repairs I have done and would believe the culprit to be the ethanol in the gas. cutting open fuel lines and seeing them rotted on the inside is something that shocked me the 1st time I saw it. then seeing the non metal parts in carbs wore out/ rotted/corroded away lead me to believe its the ethanol. but now im also wondering, after reading this thread and thinkin about it: not everyone has problems with it so im wondering if there could be something in the quality of the non metal parts playing in here( or even the metal parts). manufacturers are always lookin for ways to cut costs on producing their equipment, so im wonderin if maybe them parts are now a lower quality material now?

This is what I am saying.

It is more the poor quality of the parts.

Cars go years running ethanol and no fuel line rot.

 

[den052]

This is what I am saying.

It is more the poor quality of the parts.

Cars go years running ethanol and no fuel line rot.

Braxx, Very good info on Ethanol free gas stations. Yes you probably won't have problems a time or two with your generator. However with my generator, eventually the carb gummed up from the old gas after a few times of this and I had to disassemble and clean the carb. This was not however the fault of Ethanol. It was problems with stale gasoline. I added a drain line where I could drain the tank of the generator and run it dry to store it. The problem is that you never know how long your generator will sit before its needed again.

The BIGGEST problem with Ethanol is attacking rubber parts and causing swelling of gas caps and rubber o rings and etc.
It also causes equipment with carburetors to run slightly lean. Try running a engine with a carburetor temporarily with E85. You have to run it with the choke partly on to make it run correctly even warmed up. (I did this as an experiment once on my motorcycle, and drained the tank immediately afterward).

 

[pjturchen]

So for proof of my knowledge of fuel systems, I am a Master Certified Car and Heavy Truck mechanic, certified in all areas of vehicle repair. Work on everything from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Freightliner.

I can assure you that ethanol is not good especially for 2 cycle engines in chain saws and etc. My Stihl chainsaw has a plastic gas cap that is getting exceedingly hard to screw into the tank because the threads (complete gas cap), have swollen from ethanol and it turns very hard.

Stihl sells a fuel with no ethanol for use in their chainsaws and weed whackers. It is about $8-9 dollars a QUART. A gallon would cost about $32.00

However a small airplane mechanic and I got to talking about ethanol in gasoline. The FAA will not let ethanol be used in aircraft fuel systems. So Aviation Gas (AVGAS), does not contain any ethanol. Come to find out, the general public can buy AVGAS too. Theres no restriction. He said all you have to do is go to a local airport, and ask someone where the pumps are to get it. Where I live, you just drive to the airport and insert your debit card in the pump and pump it into an appropriate container. It is about $5.00-$5.50 a gallon based on my location at the present time, but contains no ETHANOL. They apparently don't mind the public purchasing it either at that price per gallon.

It also has the unique ability to be used 2-3 years after you put it into a storage container and is just as potent as when you put it in (it doesn't get stale). So if you use your equipment seasonally, you don't need to purchase Stabil or drain your equipment. Many people would balk at the price being $1.00 to $2.00 more per gallon, but $25 worth would power a lot of chainsaws or mow your lawn all summer long at that price. Just like the old days with no ETHANOL.

Ethanol is not responsible for destroying anything. As for your statement "I am a Master Certified Car and Heavy Truck mechanic, certified in all areas of vehicle repair" I would like to think you have done your homework which is not proven in your rant. You need to check your facts and possibly get your hands a little dirty. Their have been many tests done to prove a few things. I'm surprised that for being a fuel system mechanic you don't already know this, but here goes. Fact#1 Since the introduction of ethanol to fuel supply it has drastically reduced pollutants from all combustion systems associated. Fact#2 Ethanol does such a good job of cleaning up the gas that it allows the refiners to add more junk. Fact #2 has been proven through numerous studies conducted and all show the levels of benzene's are sky high including all the other components. Because of the increase on this junk, that is what's damaging fuel system components. I will attach a couple youtube links for your review. I would also be willing to send test data to you proving the gas quality has gotten worse. I don't mean to be sarcastic but often come across that way during times of frustration. These arguments about ethanol causing this or damaging that have run their course. The ethanol produced here in America is a great thing. It brings jobs to the table and money to the local economy. We're very simple in nature and our staff of people it takes to run these facilities are normal folks you would bump into on the street. I would be happy to work with you and see if we could get to some common ground on this issue. I have an abundance of information and truly think this could benefit all parties. pjturchen@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDJs6nuNWkY
http://youtu.be/Vj2Rhv5szzQ

 

[panabiker]

If ethanol is such a great fuel, why does EPA put out a warning label on the pumps like this one? It sounds to me it's against Federal Law to put E15 gasoline into most (if not all) lawn mowers.

 

[exotion]

Same reason epa taxes the hell out of solar panels... Or electric cars, or anything that might take money out of big business. Big business funds elections putting someone who will benefit them in charge of things like these.... Because guess what there will be a time where we run out of natural oil and petrol. So they have been trying to slow that down and look for alternatives that's why ethonol exists.