Ethanol woes anyone? By frmrwiseguy (Read 726 times)

[frmrwiseguy]

Not a fan of Ethanol in my gas.
Having a plethora of equipment at my one property it is a constant battle to carbs from corroding and the Ethanol from soaking up water in a High humidity climate.
I would think in certain high humidity climates and when these Scoots are waiting out a long winter Ethanol will wreek havoc on these little chinese carbs.
I have two friends in the Power equipment business. The one, two years ago in a seasonal business sold more than 128 new carbs. and twice that amount in carb kits. this past or current season is up to 400+ carbs and as many carb kits.
First Ethanol/Methanol is corrosive to Alumin. In my Kart racing days using the Yam KT100 on Methanol after the race I had a jug of gas/oil mix we hooked up to the carb (Walbro) to flush the system and the remaining Alky in the tank was discarded as it absorbed water like a sponge, Even fueling up in the High Humidity morning you could see the Alky drops turn to a Milky color absorbing moisture.
I have found that gas station's once the tank gets low and the Ethanol has separated from the gas your not getting E-10 the actual amount could be as high as E-25 or higher. The treatments I have seen on the market only list Petroleum Distillates, in this case a Aromatic and is only a solvent.
I have only recently fired up my new scoot, but I do have one gas station in town that sell's 90 engine octane No Ethanol gas. is pricy at $4.39 a gallon. But as my scoot sit's waiting my return from travel I find it cheaper in terms of my labor time and parts to fix the carb from the Ethanol attack.
The AMA has been fighting Washington on the E-15 coming out as it will attack older Cycles and especially Two Strokes.
Any other's with Ethanol prob's in power equipment and or Scoots?

[Bashan]

The veracity of your statements cannot be questioned as they are validated by extensive anecdotal and statistical evidence. However, for whatever reason, I have never had a problem with my cycles, scooters, or lawn equipment associated with ethanol. The degradation of fuel and vac lines that others report have never happened to me. I also don't get crud in the carbs or fuel injectors. I do start the engines if they've been sitting for a couple weeks. Also, if I know they're not going to be used for a while I drain the system. Other than that I take no special actions. I personally think Sta-bil is waste of money and offers no special protection. Hey folks, Sta-bil can go bad and it doesn't take it that long to do so. If your Sta-bil is dark red, pitch it. For those of you who wonder why you can buy ethanol free gas in one town but not another it's dependent on a federal formula involving the number of vehicles in the area, the population, pollution levels, and a spin of a roulette wheel.

[kz1000st]

I only had trouble with it once on my last Kawasaki. A little system cleaner and a good run solved the problem. I let my Bashan sit for a year while I waffled about fixing it. After attaching all the bits to the engine, I tried to start it out out of curiosity. It fired up and ran fine. When I added more fuel to the half tank I added Seafoam and it's running fine. I have to wonder if the crap people are fighting with in their tanks and carbs is forming there or in the gas tank at the station.

Years ago I worked in a station before ethanol and the amount of crud we pumped out of the tanks was crazy. I always warned people, " NEVER BUY GAS FROM A STATION WITH A TANK TRUCK FILLING THEIR TANKS" they stir up all the crap on the bottom and it takes a while to settle, usually 10 minutes or more. A guy I worked with filled his KZ-400 while a truck was there. It stopped running altogether and when he opened up his float bowls to clean them he found balls of brown crud floating in the gas. He didn't know about the crud stirring process involved in filling the tanks and assumed that pump filters at the station took care of it.

They don't.

[frmrwiseguy]

Very well stated Bashan.
My first experience with Ethanol was back around 89 or 90 my first Summer in Texas.
It was either a Texaco or Marathon station across the street that I found my first gas with ea10.
I had brought down a Yam.XT350 for some off road riding, got so hot in the Summer (102-104) outside and in my warehouse was 4-7 degrees hotter. No need to say at the end of the day I was not hopping on the XT for a ride.
It sat for two months, when I went to start it did the classic only ran on choke. I yanked off the carb to find the brass alloy main jet had this huge green Christmas tree of corrosion hanging out of it. never seen anything like it to that date.
You are correct, best policy is to keep them running and or drain the fuel bowl.
Good Day!

[scootmonk]

Don't know what all the fuss is about. I've never had a problem with ethanol and I don't do anything special for it.

[Alleyoop]

Same here, I buy shell 89 and haven't ever had to clean out my carb in over 4 1/2 years. I do add 1 oz of seafoam per gallon and I when not riding winter, I start the motor once a week and let it warm up. Never even take the battery out the 1 start per week brings up the charge. On my Trike it is charging 14.5 even at idle, anytime 365 days out of the year you just turn the key on hit the start button and it starts right up.
Alleyoop

[sjrainsford]

It's not yet a problem in the UK, but there has been talks about it just the same on many forums. We can get gas (petrol) with added ethanol, but that so far seems to be the higher octane rating stuff. But only recently have I noticed that we generally run different octane ratings to you guys over the pond. Standard stuff here is 95, then super is 97 or sometimes 99 now. In other parts of Europe ethanol based is becoming more common I believe.
Wish we could buy fuel at $4.39 a gallon, we pay the equivalent of around $9 per UK gallon!
As an example at current exchange rate, it costs $9 to fill my scooter and $124 to fill the tank of my Lexus IS. But that's a whole other subject! I know you guys have suffered ridiculous fuel price increases over the last 10 years too.

[frmrwiseguy]

Sept 5, 2013 9:39:00 GMT -6 Alleyoop said:

Same here, I buy shell 89 and haven't ever had to clean out my carb in over 4 1/2 years. I do add 1 oz of seafoam per gallon and I when not riding winter, I start the motor once a week and let it warm up. Never even take the battery out the 1 start per week brings up the charge. On my Trike it is charging 14.5 even at idle, anytime 365 days out of the year you just turn the key on hit the start button and it starts right up.
Alleyoop

Wonder if its the "Nitrogen Enriched" Shell provides? or is that just marketing bs?
I like Shell fuel when in a part of the country were it's readily available.

[jct842]

I have also wondered about the nitrogen shell "enriches" it gas with! Nitrogen does not burn, used in some welding processes as a shield. It does not burn nor does it support combustion.

[Alleyoop]

I haven't the slightest idea about the nitrogen shell never even noticed it says that(HAHA).
But I am a racer and my 150 bored out Trike eats most 250s scoot. EAT MY DUST.
Alleyoop

[frmrwiseguy]

Nitrogen is Inert Diatomic gas.
seems the only use in Gasoline is to reduce emission's.
As a Diver next to Cruise ship Divers Nitrogen is my Enemy.
The Air we breath is mostly 79% Nitrogen, 20 % Oxygen an around 1% trace gases ( Argon,Helium etc.).
Depending on my depth (every 33 feet is one more atmosphere of pressure in sea water) I generally use Nitrox with a 36% mix.
approaching 80-90 feet in depth breathing air, Nitrogen Narcosis starts to set in. Many factors determine how one is effected. and in the reverse on Nitrox there is a max depth depending on mix as Oxygen becomes Toxic, Mix gas divers use allot of Helium, then switch up as the ascend, very technical.
Nobody can hear you Scream at 200 feet!!
Good Day

[Alleyoop]

Well since we are now talking about Diving which can be very dangerous, not only concerned with the breathing apparatus but sharks and water snakes and what not I would rather be in something like this. ;D
Alleyoop

[frmrwiseguy]

Ya, I know I went off topic there. LOL
Next to Motorsports Diving is my passion.
Of topic once more.
Sharks don't scare me as they have a predictable behavior.
Dove with lots of Banded sea Crates in Fiji. more venomous than a King Cobra, but very docile as they could be easily handled. Not to mention the Deadly Textile Cone shell's, he stings you and you wont make it to the surface alive. But there were White tips, Bronze Whalers, Bulls no big deal they just swam away as you try to get up close and personal.
Barracudas concern me, they are very curious, and a flash of Bling may make them strike,
Moray's have terrible eye sight, but a keen sense of smell, keep fingers away.
A most memorable moment in CZM was diving, North end for lunch we speared a 4 foot Nurse shark. that boy did a death roll like a Gator, Broke the spear gun in half and the spear as thick as Rebar bent it in half, took two of us two bring him up and he became lunch. Skin so tough I was unable holding him to the bottom to penetrate it.
Went thru 2,800 psi at 60 feet in 10 minutes.