Ethanol Sucks...

[Crf450r420]

I was posting in a thread about someones 6.2L and it turned to fuel. Someone asked which is better, 91 non-ethanol or 93 10% ethanol? I of course said 91 because it's actually gas. I want to post this video in that thread, but couldn't find it again. I've had mostly issues with Carb motors because you have to rejet just to run right on 10% and have also had it lift the coatings of the insides of the bowl. I've also had to rebuild the carb on my lawn mower twice since the ethanol change, but not anymore because I drive across town with 10 race jugs now to stock up on non-ethanol. If you have an EFI vehicle you drive every day, you may not ever notice an issue. However if it sets you could have lots of trouble. Also, likely to be an issue with lawn equipment. Of course if you have a flex fuel 5.3L you can run it for a 6.5% increase in power and a 20-25% less milage. Anyways here is what I know that I can show you real quick. This is fresh gas out of the pump 5 minutes before the video into a race jug. The bowl is in the A/C'd shop, so not your normal Florida humidity. I didn't notice the vent was blowing on it that bad when I shot it. I had to kill the sound since we ended up talking about or next race motor in the background and can't have that info getting out.

 

 

 

Then 15 to 20 minutes later I took this picture of the same fuel.

 

[Daryl LBZ]

Just wanted to add to your thread. Here are a few pictures of my Wife's old Raptor 250 Carb bowl after sitting for a few months. It did this twice, and both times I had a huge mess on my hands getting it cleaned up, and running right again.

 

 

 

 

[thewhitestallion]

that is prob why my 4 wheeler is running like crap right now...

[Kennedy81]

Yep, Ethanol is bad on all carbed and small engines. It is also bad on few injected engines that aren't set up for it. The ethonal not only causes corrosion on metal parts, but can east certain plastic and rubber seals, gaskets, and lines.

It had damged a lot of motorcylces. Groups like the AMA have campaigned hard to congress on this topic.

[Retired Bob]

If you're interested in ethanol or where to find 'pure gas' (0 ethanol), try:

http://pure-gas.org/comments

[Kennedy81]

http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/blog/14-05-15/DC_Insider_What_happens_when_ethanol_blended_fuel_mixes_with_water.aspx

[Crf450r420]

If you're interested in ethanol or where to find 'pure gas' (0 ethanol), try:

http://pure-gas.org/comments

There are not as many as I'd like, but there are way more than EV charging stations. Good site, now I know for sure the place I drive all the way over to get mine is the only one in the area with 93.

[kstruckcountry]

I use startron ethanol treatment in my outboards. But now I can get ethanol free fuel for them so I won't need it any more.

[Colossus]

Problem for many of the small carbd engines such as on lawnmowers and weedeaters is that they don't like high octane and since the only stations around here that sell non-ethanol fuel only do it for 91 octane, I can't run it. So I've started using this crap and so far no complaints.

 

http://www.sta-bil360.com/?gclid=CIfi7La00r4CFVR5MgodQiAA9Q&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Black02Silverado]

Yes, Ethanol is a major issue, especially on small lawn equipment and play toys.

 

Here is another option that works well at keeping the Ethanol in the fuel in suspension and prevents issues as stated above.

 

AMSOIL's Quick Shot

 

[Silverado-Hareek]

Problem for many of the small carbd engines such as on lawnmowers and weedeaters is that they don't like high octane and since the only stations around here that sell non-ethanol fuel only do it for 91 octane, I can't run it. So I've started using this crap and so far no complaints.

 

http://www.sta-bil360.com/?gclid=CIfi7La00r4CFVR5MgodQiAA9Q&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

My weed eater specifically calls for minimum 89 octane gas. It's a Stihl trimmer. Ethanol free fuel sold at Lowes and by Stihl for small engines has a 92 octane rating. The higher octane is good for these engines actually. It's the ethanol that fouls them up.

 

This is what I buy for my 2-cycle Stihl trimmer: http://www.stihlusa.com/products/oils--lubricants-and-fuels/premixed-fuel/motomix/

 

This is the stuff you can find at the hardware store: http://www.trufuel50.com/

[Northside]

I keep hearing these Ethanol horror stories. It seems harder and harder to get good honest information these days. All of our news seems to be skewed toward the political agenda of those reporting it. I don't believe much of anything I hear anymore.

 

We have had 10% Ethanol here for years so I did a little research on it, to try to learn something about it.. At first it was only added in the winter, but now it's here year round. I've had zero problems with in in my Mikuni carbed equipped Hot Rod Harley and none in my F.I. one either. I ride a lot in the winter as the climate isn't as severe as some folks think. I had the float bowl off my lawnmower that had been running it for 6 years. No corrosion, no problems, and starts on the first pull. Now it's a fairly dry climate here so maybe that changes things. I ride with a lot of guys who run carbed Harleys and nobody has had a problem with the 10%. A local Preacher, who rides in a Jesus Motorcycle Club is now preaching the evils of Ethanol to everyone who'll listen. He asked me to work on his carbed 2000 Roadglide's CV carb as it was running poorly. His problem was the rubber/neoprene seal above the vacuum slide that never touches fuel. It was 14 years old in a dry climate and had cracked resulting in his vacuum controlled throttle slide to barely open. Another Ethanol horror story. The only negative effect I've seen here is it decreased my mileage when they added it in the winter, and the mileage would get better in the summer.

 

When I researched E-85 I found guys are modding Holley carbs to run 85 in hot rod cars. I then decided run E-85 in my Silverado but it's set up for it. !00 octane in an engine with 11:1 compression just makes sense to me, and I can feel the power increase.

 

I wish they'd leave it out of the gas for mileage reasons but I like E-85 in my truck.

[bigsapper]

Northside, sounds like you have it figured out. ;)

[patriot]

Corn liquor is for drinkin' not burnin'.

[bigsapper]

Oh, rest assured, corn juice is for burnin baby!