Ethanol and small engines... GRRRRRR

[motion]

I've always gloated about the fact that Montana has not had ethanol in its gas. Its something I've been battling with in California for years. My carb'd bikes can't sit for more than a couple weeks without the pilot jets clogging up. That means a carb teardown and clean.

So now we have ethanol and I'm having to think about how to protect all my bikes, snowblower, mowers, etc. My new Husky 54" riding mower quit running on one cylinder a few days ago. I tore it down and found the pushrods popped off the rockers. Stuck valves. I'm guessing because of sitting all winter with 10% ethanol fuel.

So, what say ye.... Marvel Mystery Oil? Stabil? Any experience with this?

[Brando]

I vote Stabil. Or use TruFuel in your yard equipment. Lowe's has it typically but here are the options on Amazon:
Amazon.com: trufuel

[porsche4life]

We've been running pri-g in our waverunners. Supposed to be way better than stabil. I will say we let it sit August to may with a full tank and it fired second crank...


But we don't get etoh in ok.

[Jferr006]

Yep, we try to only run leftover jet fuel in the lawn mower/generator, buy the premix stihl for the weed whacker and we only buy non-ethanol for the boat at the marina.

[red-beard]

Motion, the best thing is to put a drain valve on the tank. Then run the engine out of fuel to shut it down. I'm doing this on my new power washer.

[Tim Hancock]

While it is a pain when you own as many small engines as I do, I try to remember to siphon the crap ethanol fuel from my seasonal use equipment at the end of the season and replace it with some avgas and run it long enough to get it through the fuel system. Avgas will last several years and never clogs pilot jets. Last time I fueled up my airplane, it was selling for $6/gallon.

I have also tried Stabil, but I don't think it can always prevent the dreaded chore of pulling tightly wedged in multiple carb banks from motorcycles to microdrill the clogged pilot jets.

I HATE ethanol crap!!!!!!!!!

[Baz]

There was a thread about this a year or so ago from Vinny with lots of posts in case you want to search for it, Richard.

I'm dealing with this as well with all the carbed stuff I have including the 356.

I got a whole bunch of carbed power equipment - trenchers, augers, hand-held power tools, cars, boats, motobikes, you name it.

I've used Stabil and had good success but am also trying Seafoam out at the moment. Bottomline I would say is to try and find gas w/out ethanol....

[Hard-Deck]

I'm with you brothers. Ethanol is EVIL!

[VINMAN]

Ethanol is the spawn of the devil. The stuff trashed every piece of power equipment I own. Not counting the huge amount of damage it did to the fuel system on my Polaris PWC. All my stuff either gets Stabil ethanol treatment or it gets run dry.

We run this stuff in all our firefighting saws and power equipment. Expensive as hell but its worth it.

[Chocaholic]

Lots if gas stations sell Ethanol-free gas. There's an iPhone app to locate them. My Duc has never had ethanol in its tank. Mowers, blowers, etc all get pure gas.

[Jim Richards]

It's probably tough to find ethanol-free gas in SoCal. Perhaps at one of the marinas?

[Black968]

Not sure about Cal, but I thought 93 - 94 Octane was ethanol free. Small price to pay considering the cost of machinery repairs these days.

[Jim Richards]

Our 93 octane contains ethanol

[wdfifteen]

I had the stuck valve issue in my Briggs V twin engine. It was at the end of the season running on all Dino gas. It's a design/materials flaw in the engine.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Black968

Not sure about Cal, but I thought 93 - 94 Octane was ethanol free. Small price to pay considering the cost of machinery repairs these days.

Not here. 10% ethanol

[daepp]

I thought I learned (herein) that Stabil Marine was the way to go. No?

[VincentVega]

Seafoam rated pretty well in a Practical Sailor review recently, sort of the consumer reports for sailing. I use the stuff in just about everything, unless I forget, and so far no issues.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Our 93 octane contains ethanol

Good luck Jim. I run race gas in my 930 when I can get it from my friends. I am not sure how much will it screw up my car. OUr 93 octane gas is garbage.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Lots if gas stations sell Ethanol-free gas. There's an iPhone app to locate them. My Duc has never had ethanol in its tank. Mowers, blowers, etc all get pure gas.

Not in Ohio.... A couple marinas that are over an hour away on Lake Erie or Avgas is the only non-ethanol anywhere close to me.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by look 171

Good luck Jim. I run race gas in my 930 when I can get it from my friends. I am not sure how much will it screw up my car. OUr 93 octane gas is garbage.