California E10 Gas........

[NobleCarpetCleaners]

"The Environmental Protection Agency has approved gasoline with 15 percent ethanol for use in cars year 2001 or newer, yet it prohibits its use in mowers and other power equipment, stating it may cause damage. A Department of Energy study found that E15 caused hotter operating temperatures, erratic running, and engine-part failure. But even gas with the usual 10 percent ethanol (E10) could help destroy small engines.

"Ethanol has inherent properties that can cause corrosion of metal parts, including carburetors, degradation of plastic and rubber components, harder starting, and reduced engine life," says Marv Klowak, global vice president of research and development for Briggs & Stratton, the largest manufacturer of small engines. "The higher the ethanol content, the more acute the effects." Servicing dealers are reporting similar problems, even with E10, according to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, the industry's trade group."


My first Kohler on a previous machine carboned up at 2,500hrs. Ran 10% ethanol fuel the whole time. Not a word from Kohler or Sapphire about running this crap gas we have out here. Today I pulled 500hr spark plugs and will be saving them to show some fuel experts I'm tracking down. My suspicion is we're being kept in the dark about the long term effects of ethanol fuel on these small air cooled engines on our machines. I don't think Marvel Mystery Oil can keep up. Marvel smoothed out my Ford 5.4L and my Chevy 350 but I've doubts about my 20hp Kohler.

Several of my custies are race nuts, they suggested VP Racing Fuel, something called VP-SEL 94. Holy crap it's $75 for 5 gallons!; I burn 3-5 gallons per day. 20 years ago I ran aviation gas in an old vintage car and it perked right up and so I wonder if AV gas has ethanol as well now.

There's tons of brands of fuel additives/stabilizers and many that make claims of eliminating the effects of ethanol. Anyone here found one that isn't snake oil?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

The whole Ethanol issue is a boondoggle. Near zero net benefit in any regard.

 

[Chris A]

Dumbest fuckin idea on the history of the earth. Global population surging and using food as fuel...

 

[Chris A]

I'm a boater, lots of issues in older boats as a result of e10. Eating fiberglass tanks, degrading fuel lines, messing up carbs, etc. Giant pain in the ass! Some marinas do carry ethanol free gas though

 

[Able 1]

Hopefully things change soon!! Ethanol is absolute garbage!

This crap comes from the left that whines and cries about a duck covered in oil, but excepts wind turbines taking out 4,200 bald/golden eagles(with no mention of other bird massacres).. Great thing is the hypocrisy is catching up with them!!

 

[dealtimeman]

The whole Ethanol issue is a boondoggle. Near zero net benefit in any regard.

Lee you couldn't be more wrong!!!!!


There are several rich guys that are profiting a whole lot of money off of corn fuel. While we deal with all of the consequences of ethonol.

 

[Mikey P]

cool, my Walmart sells Ethanol free gas.


Guess I'll be going there full time now.

 

[dealtimeman]

Seriously?

I would fill a couple of 55gallon drums with it for all small motors.

Carburetor problems would almost be a nonissue.

 

[Onfire_02_01]

I have two thoughts on the subject, both will probably get me kicked off this forum.
1. Nascar uses 100% ethanol in their vehicles, have been for several years, so there is a way around the issues people are having with ethanol. Ethanol burns hotter than gasoline giving you more power and better fuel efficiency.
2. There are known ways of getting around the ethanol problems for both large and small engines, the makers don't want to make the changes necessary and want to blame the gas for the problems instead of themselves.
Ethanol in Gasoline will never go away unless gas itself goes away. American farming would collapse if farmers were not able to sell their crops to the refinery's.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I have two thoughts on the subject, both will probably get me kicked off this forum.
1. Nascar uses 100% ethanol in their vehicles, have been for several years, so there is a way around the issues people are having with ethanol. Ethanol burns hotter than gasoline giving you more power and better fuel efficiency.
2. There are known ways of getting around the ethanol problems for both large and small engines, the makers don't want to make the changes necessary and want to blame the gas for the problems instead of themselves.
Ethanol in Gasoline will never go away unless gas itself goes away. American farming would collapse if farmers were not able to sell their crops to the refinery's.

NO. It has actually been farmers who have filled in the blanks for me. They'd prefer to make food. It's only subsidies that make E even viable. Lockhart noted the key fact.

The Nascar "facts" are also skewed.

 

[FredC]

Maybe he meant Indycar which does use close to 100% ethanol.

 

[Onfire_02_01]

NO. It has actually been farmers who have filled in the blanks for me. They'd prefer to make food. It's only subsidies that make E even viable. Lockhart noted the key fact.

The Nascar "facts" are also skewed.

You are right in that it is the subsidies that make it viable. However growing food isn't profitable either, my entire family has left farming because there wasn't enough money in it.
What "facts" about Nascar are skewed?

 

[FredC]

What "facts" about Nascar are skewed?

nascar uses e15

 

[FredC]

https://www.sunoco.com/sunoco-racing/nascar/

 

[Old Coastie]

I have a small bottle of ethanol. Smooth. Makes my small engine feel good...

 

[dealtimeman]

Indy runs on almost pure ethanol.

And yes if you tune your car to run on anything it will run on it. Alcohol ethonol compressed gas etc....

the problem with ethanol is the shelf life, that producers say is 90 days but I believe is shorter.

The ethanol gums up in the smaller ports and effects ratio at first then altogether doesn't run as well as a slu of other problems.

View attachment 68691

 

[Shane T]

The racing industry doesn't run their engine for any length of time. They rebuild or replace before long term effects of ethanol are seen.

 

[Cleanworks]

Some farmers have been selling their corn in liquid form for years.

 

[NobleCarpetCleaners]

dam right the racers don't see the long term effects of ethanol. It's used because the octane rating (the benefit of controlled combustion especially in higher compression engines) is essential for keeping their motors going mach .25 for several hours. They'd use horse pee if it propelled them on the track so more power to them. Truck all the corn fuel to the race tracks and let them have at it.

It's "dirty" fuel in internal combustion engines and even Henry F. saw that many years ago. It was old fashioned crude that made the engines run smoother and longer. My hit-and-miss engine hobby was an eye opener when I found out how many engines on farms were trying to run on alcohol (way over 100 years ago). Super low compression and they didn't last long. Years later we are steered by emission data which in turn steers legislation and other state regulations. And hell yes ethanol is highly political. Corn growers are paid in many areas to NOT make ethanol. Two commodities come out of fermenting corn, food for livestock and ethanol. Bought as political as you could dream up.

No worries though. I'll find a happy medium that won't blow up my Kohler and won't break "to many" regulations.

 

[Cleanworks]

dam right the racers don't see the long term effects of ethanol. It's used because the octane rating (the benefit of controlled combustion especially in higher compression engines) is essential for keeping their motors going mach .25 for several hours. They'd use horse pee if it propelled them on the track so more power to them. Truck all the corn fuel to the race tracks and let them have at it.

It's "dirty" fuel in internal combustion engines and even Henry F. saw that many years ago. It was old fashioned crude that made the engines run smoother and longer. My hit-and-miss engine hobby was an eye opener when I found out how many engines on farms were trying to run on alcohol (way over 100 years ago). Super low compression and they didn't last long. Years later we are steered by emission data which in turn steers legislation and other state regulations. And hell yes ethanol is highly political. Corn growers are paid in many areas to NOT make ethanol. Two commodities come out of fermenting corn, food for livestock and ethanol. Bought as political as you could dream up.

No worries though. I'll find a happy medium that won't blow up my Kohler and won't break "to many" regulations.

Only 2?

 

[The Great Oz]

Hmmm, if ethanol additives give you more power, why does your gas mileage get worse when burning ethanol blends? My gripe with bleanded fuel is that it degrades so quickly as it absorbs water from the air. Fuel stabilizers don't help when the gasoline is contaminated with ethanol.

 

[Mikey P]

Seriously?

I would fill a couple of 55gallon drums with it for all small motors.

Carburetor problems would almost be a nonissue.

$385 a barrel, how many do you want?

 

[Cleanworks]

In Kentucky they sell it by the jug