News: National Post | Ethanol, the enemy of small carbureted engines

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TorontoBoy

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Ethanol can be the enemy of any carbureted engine, but the small ones especially suffer

http://driving.ca/auto-news/news/yo...-small-engines-when-they-use-ethanol-gasoline

The usual winterization for my bike includes adding fuel stabilizer and topping up the gas tank, and ensuring the fuel stabilizer sloshes around sufficiently, run for a while to ensure the treated fuel gets into the carb. Then she goes to sleep.

Now I'm wondering if the last tank should be zero ethanol gas. I know this has been discussed before, but where can you get zero ethanol gas? It seems to be a higher octane fuel. Does anyone winterize using zero ethanol gas?

For my small engines such as lawn mower (4T) and snow blower (2T) I usually turn them upside down, dump the gas, remove and clean all the gas in the float bowl, before putting them to sleep.
 
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TorontoBoy said:
Ethanol can be the enemy of any carbureted engine, but the small ones especially suffer

http://driving.ca/auto-news/news/yo...-small-engines-when-they-use-ethanol-gasoline

The usual winterization for my bike includes adding fuel stabilizer and topping up the gas tank, and ensuring the fuel stabilizer sloshes around sufficiently, run for a while to ensure the treated fuel gets into the carb. Then she goes to sleep.

Now I'm wondering if the last tank should be zero ethanol gas. I know this has been discussed before, but where can you get zero ethanol gas? It seems to be a higher octane fuel. Does anyone winterize using zero ethanol gas?

For my small engines such as lawn mower (4T) and snow blower (2T) I usually turn them upside down, dump the gas, remove and clean all the gas in the float bowl, before putting them to sleep.
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I just use Shell premium gas in all my small engines. No ethanol. Other brands premium gas are also ethanol free.
 
I'm not sure gasohol is the problem that everyone makes it out to be.
 
TwistedKestrel said:
I'm not sure gasohol is the problem that everyone makes it out to be.
Click to expand...

Its getting better now that its been an enormous problem for 15yrs ,and manufactures are making ethanol resistant gaskets and seals and tanks are being lined, but if you have older fiberglass tanks, and elderly carburators its a really big expensive problem. It has cost the marine industry literally millions.
 
You're good. I just put them to bed for the winter as is. The only extra I do is run a bit of antifreeze through the pressure washer.

TorontoBoy said:
For my small engines such as lawn mower (4T) and snow blower (2T) I usually turn them upside down, dump the gas, remove and clean all the gas in the float bowl, before putting them to sleep.
Click to expand...
 
crankcall said:
Its getting better now that its been an enormous problem for 15yrs ,and manufactures are making ethanol resistant gaskets and seals and tanks are being lined, but if you have older fiberglass tanks, and elderly carburators its a really big expensive problem. It has cost the marine industry literally millions.
Click to expand...

I don't deny that it is actually a problem in some situations, though I didn't articulate that. The pictures of melty Ducati gas tanks are always good for a laugh. I've had a lot of carbonated Japanese bikes that have had nary a hiccup with it. The only time it ever has even manifested as a problem for me was when I used a cheap rebuild kit and a fuel bowl gasket swelled so much it popped out of its groove. After drying it out and reinstalling it, it was happy forever after. I am extremely skeptical that it presents a problem for any fuel-injected* bike, but some voices here that claim it does are people that have done a lot more tuning than me.

*Pre O2 sensor manufacturer experiments notwithstanding
 
TwistedKestrel said:
I am extremely skeptical that it presents a problem for any fuel-injected* bike, but some voices here that claim it does are people that have done a lot more tuning than me.

*Pre O2 sensor manufacturer experiments notwithstanding
Click to expand...

The user manual for my 2012 BMW G650GS call for 87 octane gas and that's what I have been running in it since I got the bike. For winter storage I add some fuel staibilizer.
Never had an issue with it. She's always started right up come spring :D
 
I know my snow blower and lawn mower both require premium fuel because of the ethanol issue. I also fill up the bike with premium before storing each winter for the same reason . Gummed up the carburator on my old Virago one winter when I put it away with regular fuel. I also use a fuel stabilizer that claims to help against ethanol gumming .
 
Tried premium Shell this past winter the first time in one bike and not in another...both the same model. I didn't really see any difference. The '96 with regular gas and stabilizer has been stored that way for 13 years....sometimes without stabilizer. No issues that were gas related in the last 3 decades on multiple bikes stored with regular gas with and without stabilizer.

Stored the lawnmower with just a bit of regular gas...just enough to cover the bottom of the tank. Started first pull. Only time I ever had a problem with a mower, was when I drained the gas for storage one year. Leaked and had a hard time getting it running the first time. Once back to running, I've never stored it dry again...and never had a first start issue again.
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