Higher Ethanol Blends coming

[Medic21]

Must be why I sat at the ethanol plant for 4 hours a load of corn today.

 

[Sodbuster]

Interesting, I've had zero, ethanol related problems in my saws.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Me neither, in any of my gasoline fueled equipment. Ethanol in gasoline is a loooooong story, but interesting. We have to go back to the time we had lead in our gasoline, and more. But we can thank the EPA for all this.

 

[firefighterjake]

Interesting, I've had zero, ethanol related problems in my saws.

Same here . . . but I also have newer equipment and am very diligent about using stabilizing agents if the fuel will be sitting un-used for longer periods of time.

 

[peakbagger]

Ethanol has its uses and that's for drinking. For high blend road fuel its a big farm subsidy, If you look at the fossil inputs to make the ethanol its a big mix of diesel (to haul the corn long distances) and natural gas to make the fertilizers. In order to crank up crop yields farmers apparently inject ammonia into the fields along with dumping large amounts of fertilizer into the ground. The ammonia is made with natural gas. Much of the fertilizer ends up in the local rivers causing them to choke out with weeds and the local aquifer gets loaded with nitrates. Most studies concluded long ago that ethanol at best is borderline just slightly renewable when the fossil inputs are calculated in.

 

[D8Chumley]

Don't U just love em when they do the smoke thing and no muffer too. Harley came by me other day and we both stopped. No Muffler, he was so loud it hurt my ears. But hey his days are numbered on Hog in Winter. Besides they don't see them here. Report any that alter emissions to State Patrol. My rig emits flowers, or is it burned piss.

Loud pipes save lives brother. You drive a Prius?

 

[Dataman]

Ram 3500

• Dataman
• Sep 17, 2018

Small PU Truck

Loud pipes save lives brother. You drive a Prius?

Not that Loud. I drive small PU Truck. RAM 3500 with 6.7L Diesel. Something safe against all the Deer around. We lose about 2-3 bikers a year from Bambi and Mom. They end up running off the road or hitting them. I gave up small car out in the sticks. Not worth the risk.

 

[jetsam]

Gasoline, isobutanol and ethanol all smell nice. My personal favorite is light sweet Naphtha, 1,3-Butadiene is a very good second. Jet A1 is third.

I love these fuel threads where Jan shows up. How many people do you know who have a ready-made mental list of petroleum products ranked by how nice they smell?

 

[peakbagger]

Real handy to keep me honest

 

[blades]

So far I have managed to avoid Bambi with a vehicle- Idiot drivers with deer in headlight looks when they finally take their eyes of the cell phone - that's another story.

 

[D8Chumley]

I prefer F U loud on my H D. That’s why there’s chocolate and vanilla

 

[blades]

My friend'd H D sets off car alarms a block on either side of his passage.

 

[Sodbuster]

I prefer F U loud on my H D. That’s why there’s chocolate and vanilla

LOL, reminds me of my buddy, and neighbor who left for work everyday at 6:00 AM, he'd fire up his HD, of course it ran rough for a few seconds, he'd give it a few revs to clear the pipes and off he'd go. We joked about that all the time. They need to be loud to snap people out of their dazes or their phones.

 

[pen]

Only time I'd buy e-85 is to fill up a rental that is capable, or to use up the last of the tires before new ones are to go on in a Chevy Pick-up, as the 5.3, to the last of my knowledge, when e-85 capable, gives the owner an extra 30 or 35 hp.

That said, The carburetors I take apart today look a lot different than those I took apart back in the 90's. Where I used to find varnish, I find white looking, gritty type sand stuff.... or what resembles Vaseline.

Long story short, e-10 has changed carb repair for me, but has not changed the vehicles I service that get run regularly.

I have helped a friend repair almost every piece of equipment he has,,,, and he owns a gas station selling e-10. For the way he uses his machines, I told him to suck it up and put marine grade stabil in everything that goes into a gas can, or else run up the road and buy non-ethanol from the neighbor. Took two years of fixing his equipment again and again, and after making whichever change he made, his things are running consistently again. I still service the equipment, but haven't had to do carb work for him all year.

pen

 

[Sodbuster]

Only time I'd buy e-85 is to fill up a rental that is capable, or to use up the last of the tires before new ones are to go on in a Chevy Pick-up, as the 5.3, to the last of my knowledge, when e-85 capable, gives the owner an extra 30 or 35 hp.

That said, The carburetors I take apart today look a lot different than those I took apart back in the 90's. Where I used to find varnish, I find white looking, gritty type sand stuff.... or what resembles Vaseline.

Long story short, e-10 has changed carb repair for me, but has not changed the vehicles I service that get run regularly.

I have helped a friend repair almost every piece of equipment he has,,,, and he owns a gas station selling e-10. For the way he uses his machines, I told him to suck it up and put marine grade stabil in everything that goes into a gas can, or else run up the road and buy non-ethanol from the neighbor. Took two years of fixing his equipment again and again, and after making whichever change he made, his things are running consistently again. I still service the equipment, but haven't had to do carb work for him all year.

pen

We only have a few places around that carry non-ethanol gasoline, and it comes with a hefty price. It would be cheaper to use the marine grade Stabil.

 

[blades]

a lot of carbs have alum. in them oxidation of alum = white sandy crumbly stuff brought on by the ethanol's affinity for moisture. gel stuff is residual from separation of the petroleum and ethanol mix. What doesn't evaporate and is attacked by the ethanol ( membranes gaskets ect)becomes gunk. Not that there were similar things going on prior to ethanol laced fuels just that ethanol is more detrimental to a greater variety of materials. I have replaced more carbs , injectors and fuel pumps in the last 15 years than the prior 40. Coincidence- I don't know, I do know that I replaced only one mech. fuel pump in the first 40.

 

[Chas0218]

In order to keep farmers happy, Trump lifted the ban on higher ethanol blends so we may be seeing 15% blends instead of the current 10% blend. Many cars and small engines are only rated for 10% and higher blends may cause damage and warranty issues.

In my area we already have 15% I don't think there was a ban on higher Ethanol unless the pumps in NY were illegally selling higher Ethanol.

My understanding of Ethanol in small engines is the rubber is aged faster and gets dried out. Also that white film like subtance. Most small engine carb bowls are stamped steel most zinc coated at least my Briggs, Kohler and Tecumseh engines are. That said in the float bowl the water will separate from the gas and rust the bottom of the bowl which then gets sucked into the jets and the motor starts to run like crap.

As for the white film I have seen the film mentioned but not sure what causes it.

All of the gas I put into cans for storage get Stabil gas treatment. All of my 2 stroke engines get Non-eth along with my wood splitter although it says it can take up to 10%. My lawn mower gets 10% only because I go through 2 tanks of gas to mow the yard.

On a side note if you have a horrible varnish problem E-85 will remove it in a flash but I wouldn't recommend running it through your engine unless it was made for it.