[Chevelle_Nut]

My poor lawn equipment is really feeling the ethanol gas this year. My kids go-kart won't start, dumping fuel because the gaskets are shot and my weed whacker that always starts has a swollen/cracked fuel line. My lawn tractor was hard to start the first time I fired it up but is OK now. Man that stuff is brutal. The gas I had must have been too old, it didn't even smell like gas anymore.

 

[joeyv69ragtop]

Someone take a leak in your gas can?

 

[Derek69SS]

but, but, but... it's good for us to pay extra for worse, less efficient crap, which damages our equipment, because it's "made in America" even though it takes more energy to produce than the product itself contains, and its production is paid for by the taxpayers.

 

[Doug Garland]

It is rough on EVERYTHING. Our van has developed a floating gas gauge. They have checked the gauges, and ground wires. I added a bottle of Sta-Bil Ethanol treatment, and it started working again correctly. That lasted for 3 mos., but has started up floating again. My mechanic says the ethanol brings moisture into the tank, and the connection points corrode. He says it will eventually break. So, now a new fuel pump/gauge assembly is in the works, eventually. That is @ $400 plus install.

 

[Mike]

See if you can get ethanol-free from any of these - http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=NC

 

[Chevelle_Nut]

I was also thinking about getting gas at a marina, 2 cycle outboards are really having fuel problems and many marinas are ethanol free. Unfortunately none of the stations on the list are close to me.

 

[forcd ind]

i quit using 87 in small engines, only use 89, a friend said they were having a lot of problems with 87-i noticed some of the newer manuels are now saying use 89 also

 

[novaderrik]

we must have different ethanol up here.. our stuff still runs after over 20 years of having it in the gas.

 

[animal69]

We've had nothing but ethanol added gas foe decades now with no problems. I think your problems might be contaminated or old gas.

 

[The Old Reliable]

GM has a TSB/Technical Service Bulletin out about the corrosives in ethanol.

It's eating fuel sending unit sensors, and they are limiting their dealers to 1 warranteed R & R per vehicle.

Owners are advised that the new GM brand Fuel Additive should be used every 3000 miles.

So, a coast-to-coast prob. Ask any small-engine repair shop also.

 

[1968]

but, but, but... it's good for us to pay extra for worse, less efficient crap, which damages our equipment, because it's "made in America" even though it takes more energy to produce than the product itself contains, and its production is paid for by the taxpayers.

First off ethanol production is not paid for by the taxpayers.

It gets a tax break but the total production cost is not all paid for by taxpayers.

Also it does NOT take more energy to produce ethanol than ethanol returns.

 

[The Old Reliable]

but, but, but... it's good for us to pay extra for worse, less efficient crap, which damages our equipment, because it's "made in America" even though it takes more energy to produce than the product itself contains, and its production is paid for by the taxpayers.

...and uses 45% of America's corn crop, driving up food prices world-wide.


Brilliant, eh? :noway:

 

[Keith Tedford]

My small engine guy told me to use premium gas which isn't supposed to have alcohol here. I checked on the gas pump at a Shell station. Premium 0% alcohol, Mid Grade 5%, 87 octane 10%. There was a TV show about the probems the guys with outboard motors were having with the alcohol deteriorating the fuel lines and stuff. Cutting open a fuel line showed all the cracked and breaking off material that was plugging the filters. Then again, it could be like everything else where the fuel lines are being made of cheaper and cheaper stuff until problems surface. Whatever the cause, I'm going to use the premium for now.

 

[FLASHED]

I have learned the hard way on my mowers ,weed eaters ,garden tiller, generator and chainsaws to run them out of gas at the end of every season due to the gas/ethanol ruining the fuel lines, filters and all the crud gathering in the carbs .My local repair shop told me to do this as well as add fuel stablizer after having to repair all of the above mentioned items.We have to have a special blend of fuel due to smog in the metro area even though we are not really in the metro area if that makes sense.

 

[johnretired]

The ONLY issue I have ever had or even see concerning e-10, or even E-85 was cold starts were a little slower.

BTW, the comment about using 45% of the food use of corn is not quite right.
The corn is mostly used for beef and the by-product from ethanol production is still fed to the cattle and in actually better food for them.

I do NOT support the idea of mixing gas and ethanol because they are different fuels. Sell ethanol seperately and let us build E-100 motors.

 

[The Old Reliable]

Seems the states with the highest corn production
have no problems with their engines & equipment
due to the (forced/involuntary) ethanol-blend fuel.

Hmmm...

 

[Derek69SS]

First off ethanol production is not paid for by the taxpayers.

Not entirely, but it is subsidized with tax-dollars.

It gets a tax break but the total production cost is not all paid for by taxpayers.

That's the only way they can get that crap to sell... tax it at a lower rate to make it cheaper.

Also it does NOT take more energy to produce ethanol than ethanol returns.

When you factor in the energy required to produce the corn, it does... ethanol producers conveniently leave that information out of their "studies".

Ethanol is a scam allowing ADM to loot the public treasury in exchange for campaign funds.

 

[steve_sutherland]

First off ethanol production is not paid for by the taxpayers.

It gets a tax break but the total production cost is not all paid for by taxpayers.

Also it does NOT take more energy to produce ethanol than ethanol returns.

It is pretty close to it, the EROI, or eneryg return on investment, it is pretty close to 1. So it basically takes 1 L of fuel to create 1 l of ethanol.

 

[BillK]

Jonathan,
We have had 10% in the fuel here for at least ten years, probably longer. I just have not seen any issues with it other than when it sits for more than a couple of years. I cut the grass on Thursday for the first time. The mower has been sitting since last fall with about a half tank and it started on the first pull like it always does. I did run the snowblower dry but it might not get used for a couple of years around here. I just dont see the problems that others talk about.

 

[Autoace]

Good point Derek. Takes oil for make that stuff. Move tractors, 7+ gallons of oil used to make every tire, etc, etc, etc, etc, ....