Corn Fuel Issues?

I have had a couple buddies that were small engine mechanics. One of them had the contract for warranty work at Sears. Every spring he would go to the store twice a week to service mowers. For the month of May every time he went there would be 20+ push mowers there that wouldn't start. He would pump it out the old fuel and put in new. Pretty much every one would start and run fine. The odd one had another issue but according to him 99% was just fuel. It's what made keeping the contract worth it as he was payed a flat rate per fix no matter how much work it was. They would sell hundreds if not thousands so hard to say if thIs story has any relevance or not but all of my mechanic buddies recomend stabilizer so I do. It cost me around $10 a year and makes me feel better so worth it to me.

 

I know that the last gas powered push mower we owned would sputter, smoke, and all around run poorly if we used,the 89 ethanol mix but ran great on 87 non-ethanol.

 

Ive had the same rough performance running Egas.
The extra 50 cents/gal for pure Dino juice is worth not Jackin the dog when it comes time to mow,saw,whack, wheeler,weld or generate.

 

In older machines, the ethanol will clean all the crud that had accumulated in the gas tank and deposit it in the filter, or carb, or run it through the engine.

Been there done that on my ski nautique. The aluminum fuel tank is spotless now. It used to have a yellowish hue to the silver aluminum.

Honestly, e10 is still better than the fuels that used to be available even as recently as 20 years ago.

 

OK I'll bite, how so?

 

I run 100LL leaded airplane gas, you can get it at any airport.
It smells great mixed with 2 cycle oil, and will never have any ethanol or alcohol in it, since they ruin airplane engines.
I'm an airplane mechanic so I get it free at work when they sump the fuel trucks each day.
If you live nearby I could get anyone some for free.

 

Use fresh gas and use the stabilizer all the time. Only buy small amounts of gas. That is the best advice I can give. stabilizer will save you a lot of heart ache and wasted time. Fresh gas= gas that hasn't been sitting for weeks.

 

.1-.2 on my AFR gauges (Afr scale not lambda). I've tested it several times on cars.
I would think goofing just a little bit on the oil mix might have the same effect on a two stroke.
Due to its knock resistance running that little bit leaner doesn't hurt either.

 

Seafoam is your best friend for stabilizing/storing gas for long periods of time. I also run tru fuel in all my saws. Premixed and no ethanol.

 

Does anyone have any knowledge about the use of non-ethanol, LEADED, high octane(110) fuel, in today's small engines?

Sunoco near me, sells this. I'm looking to get non-ethanol, but am concerned about the high octane, and the existence of lead.

I'd be using it in my Husky 435, as well as a snowblower, and lawnmower.

 

I have been using it for years in all my small engines. CAM 2 fuel also at a Sunoco down the road from me. I also run it in my 82 Harley FLH shovel. Runs like a top.


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Sorry I didn't see this until now.

The guru's today are cleaner and have less non essential crap in them. They are simply refined and formulated better.

 

Leaded fuel will quickly ruin a catalytic converter and also presents an airborne lead breathing hazard. That is why all modern fuel at the regular fueling places is unleaded. Leaded fuel uses tetra-ethyl lead to raise the octane rating of junk fuel.

 

Exactly. It's another reason that fuel is better now than in years past.

 

Thanks. No cat on my small engines, but I'm not sure if the lead and octane with hurt them.

Anyone know for sure?

 

O.K., I switched out of mechanical/automotive engineering school at University of Michigan in 1988, so I am by no means an expert. HOWEVER, a few things stand out over time. 1) Water is your enemy and ethanol attracts water. 2) No-ethanol fuel will be more hydrophobic, than anything with ethanol. If you can find it without ethanol I would highly recommend buying it in small quantities that you can use in 1-2 months. 3) If you cannot by buy ethanol-free gasoline, then go ahead and buy whatever you can get. Then add an anti-ethanol additive like "Startron" with or without a preservative like "Stabil." Most importantly, mix with 2-stroke oil and DATE the container . After 2-3 month, pour the fuel into your car/truck's fuel tank and burn it up. KEEP YOUR GAS FRESH! My local OPE Dealer always says "Fresh gas is the only gas you should run through your OPE."

Also, I have noticed that most if not all small engine manufacturers have acknowledged thereality that most, if not all people can only get ethanol supplemented gasoline (total boondoggle, but don't get me started). Fortunately, as we go forward, most new small engines are engineered to deal with ethanol and water in the gas. 10 years from now, this will be be a moot discussion.

 

Exactly, now everyone thinks they can get e-free gas and it won't go stale.

I think poor storage habits is the killer.

 

I am an aircraft mechanic as well, and there is no way I would run 100LL in my saw! You've seen what it does to the airplane sparkplugs? And they are designed for it.

The lead in the fuel adds no value other than an octane booster, and chainsaws don't need that high an octane rating. More than that, lead is a significant poison, and you don't want to be breathing that.

 

Good to know. I guess I'll pass on it. Thanks!

 

Lead is most dangerous to development, a grown man can carry enough lead in his system to mess up a dozen children.
Castboolits.com has guys who cast lots of lead shoot lots of lead and publish blood test results, doctor reconditions etc. It takes alot of exposure....Not saying it's good for you...
Pre 70s all fuel was leaded. People didn't die of it. Although it was known not to eat fruit or Berry's next to roadways...
Lead also used to coat old school valves and valve seats..It was also used in oil to coat flat tappet cams and lifters. But it is a good octane booster. And is modernly used as such.