NobleCarpetCleaners
Member
- Joined
- May 16, 2010
- Messages
- 1,191
- Name
- Noble Carpet Cleaners
"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?
"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?