Small engines, fuel with ethanol.

The stabil will keep the gas fresh but still won't help with the alchohol. There is an additive that is supposed to keep the alchohol mixed but I can't think of the name.

 

Well no matter what any one thinks about the fuel they buy it is a fact that once lead was taken outta the fuel and then MTBE was also taken out you got what you got. Use a fuel stabilizer as needed and just use a little common sense when storing fuel and running it in a machine. Even diesel and kerosene have a shelf life. Think off it this way, if you was thirsty and found a gallon jug of water that you had lost in the back 40 maybe 6 months ago, would you pop the top and expect it to be good?

 

The lead in 100LL causes its own problems, as does the bromine they add to it. I personally wouldn't run itbin anything but an aircraft engine, and I have my own personal issues with it there as well.

 

This is the stuff I put in 4 cycle equipment on the villages Fire truck. I end up changing the gas once a year and everything seems to be running well so far.
http://b3cfuel.com/products/ethanol-shield-fuel-stabilizer

 

Anyone ever tried the sta-bil for ethanol? I had posted this a year or 2 ago on CSR.

STA-BIL® Ethanol Fuel Treatment & Stabilizer

http://www.goldeagle.com/product/sta-bil-ethanol-fuel-treatment-stabilizer


or
Marine STA-BIL® Ethanol Fuel Treatment & Stabilizer


http://www.goldeagle.com/product/marine-sta-bil-ethanol-fuel-treatment-stabilizer


there is others too

 

Just like Butcher, I also was not concerned about the "new 10% corn additive" in gas and everything was always just fine. Until the lawn mower and snowblower figured out that they don't have to put up with that damm corn additive! Since that time, I use "corn free" in any engines that may sit for awhile-splitter, chain saw, mowers, atv's, snow blower, and also add sta-bil to them before the storage season. Life is good again.

 

All STIHL gasoline-powered engines can be used with up to a 10% (E10) blend of ethanol in the gasoline/engine oil mix. We also recommend that if a unit will be left unused for more than 30 days that it be stored "dry." This means emptying the fuel tank and then restarting and letting the unit run until all the fuel is consumed and the engine stops. For maximum performance and engine life expectancy we also recommend using STIHL Ultra 2-cycle engine oil with built-in stabilizer.
Note: STIHL recommends use of fuel with no more than 10% ethanol content. Using fuel with greater than 10% ethanol content may cause damage to your equipment and may void your STIHL warranty. Learn More…
I copied this from the stihl web site. Now, just cuz it was printed on the interweb don't make it so but neither does the hoopla about all the demons of ethanol that get bantied around. I have a 4 year old walk behind snow blower in the shed that the owners manual and on the gas cap recommends the use of E10 fuel since that is how they built the engine to run on. Ethanol based fuels are a fact of life any more like it or not. You just need to know how to store it, use it or go back to cutting farwood like a caveman. That is just my 2 cents worth. I don't want to break the rules of this forum but iffn a person don't like the fact that the gas they purchase has ethanol in it then you should contact your senator or congressman since the ethanol industry is so highly subsidized by your tax dollar.
Me, I just live with it cuz I buried a dinosaur awhile back and it aint turned into oil yet. Go figure huh?

 

While I agree that getting the ethanol out of all fuel would be a political matter, you can still buy non-eth fuel. Patronize the places that sell it and they will keep selling it. Politics is one unstoppable force, but so is supply/demand.

David

 

Thanks Butcher-I have never done that with my chainsaw. Never knew you should run her dry before storing.
As far as the waiting for the dino to turn into oil, maybe if you spread some compost with it, it'll speed up the process!

 

Another part of the equation is the ethanol is added at the distributor, and some are getting very sloppy about the %. This is already documented if ya care to look it up. Between the water attraction and the ethanol attacking various soft parts of the fuel system AND that ethanol causes your engine to run much hotter than without it + the new EPA regs = self destruction.

 

I keep 20-25 gallons of non-E gas here all the time & I treat it with Marine Sta-Bil. It gets rotated with-in 6 months or so... Don't know if it helps or not, but I'm going to keep using it.

I had some trouble with a 40hp four stroke Yamaha outboard motor from 2003 to 2008. The trouble was traced to ethanol in the un-treated gas. I've had a 25hp 2 stroke Mercury since 2006 running non-E treated with Sta-Bil. No trouble at all & it has gas in it year around.

 

Good info there Ray, TY!

 

Is this fuel stabilizer any different than Sta-bil (as is) found on the hardware store shelf?
Do these work differently with ethanol?

 

I like to use the startron stuff. I buy it at a marine store and get it a little cheaper than buying the small bottles at Walmart/Lowes.

 

What does that stuff do for fuel?