Ol’ budddies

[Bootlegger]

One of my best friends from my college daze is passing through town. While going to school he and I worked for several years on the same crew installing landscape irrigation. We called ourselves "ditch monkeys", since mostly we dug ditches, laid and glued pvc which any monkey can do.

Anyway, the neighbor's Huskee was out of commission (more on that below) so I played hooky from work today and we shared a load of rounds with the Fiskars. Pics of the scene, and my main stacks:

I never thought I'd feel so reminiscent about those days working in the Texas heat, but working with Shawn today brought back pleasant memories.

As for the Huskee, I was filling it with gas and the fuel started dripping out of the carburetor. It looks like its coming from the space where the carb is bolted to the mounting bracket. There are gaskets on either side (other side of the bracket is the air cleaner). The gaskets were kinda worn so I took them off, problem is finding new ones, the local place is ordering and it will be a couple of days. In tracking down the local dealer the regional Honda distributor told me on the phone that gas with ethanol eats gaskets in small engines. He had an environmental agenda as he kept saying that ethanol "does no good whatsoever". But whatever, his opinion, but has anyone else heard of this? None of my other small engines are falling apart from ethanol corrosion.

 

[FireWalker]

Nice wagon you got there, I have the same one.

I've heard of this problem but have yet to have a problem with any of my bikes, snow blowers, saws, trucks, mowers, generators or cars.

 

[StackedLumber]

me and a buddy were talking about this the other day. I have a YardMan 2 stroke lawn mower that the gaskets got eaten up in. I hadn't heard of the ethanol thing till I talked w/ him about it and we got talkin about how it effected one of his Husky 55's. We can only assume (safely) that the gaskets were worn out b/c of the ethanol in the gas.

The best thing you can do is go to an airport and see if they'll sell you some jet fuel. From what I understand, ethanol will eat out gaskets, just similar to the corrosion that corn burners experience with their corn burning augers, fire pots, etc. Rumor is that we are getting a gas station here that will sell 110 fuel-can only hope. I don't know if there are any additives they sell out there to counter act the ethanol in the gas-maybe someone knows of some.

 

[Bootlegger]

Nice wagon you got there, I have the same one.

The kids' wagon? They outgrew it and now I'm destroying it hauling wood.

 

[blades]

yep the ethanol attacks hoses gaskets ect, fuel goes flat in about 30days or so. starts guming up the jets and such if left too long. Causes all sorts of strange problems, thought the transmission was was giving up in the one ton a short time ago, poor fuel was the cuprit ( do not run the v10 that much same 1/4 tank since last March, not a good idea.)

 

[LLigetfa]

The best thing you can do is go to an airport and see if they'll sell you some jet fuel.

You don't want jet fuel. You want av gas.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

The best thing you can do is go to an airport and see if they'll sell you some jet fuel.

You don't want jet fuel. You want av gas.

x2

 

[StackedLumber]

The best thing you can do is go to an airport and see if they'll sell you some jet fuel.

You don't want jet fuel. You want av gas.

x2

Agreed and stand corrected

 

[Bootlegger]

What is AV gas?
Why aren't the engine manufacturers making ethanol resistant gaskets? Why are cars not affected? I'm still not swallowing this whole thing.

 

[firefighterjake]

Newer equipment and gaskets tend to be OK with the ethanol in E-10 fuel . . . many of the older gaskets however will deteriorate over time.

 

[zzr7ky]

Live from Detroit. Auto makers and suppliers spend more on R & D. When I was in that end of the business I was shocked at the variation in what was in "Gas". It was worse in some areas than others.

Fuel is a big factor in recreational and work engine issues.. Gaskets and fuel lines are prone to alchohol and cosolvents that are required with higher levels of alcohol to keep it from separating. Avoiding alcohol is a pretty simple precaution.

ATB,
Mike

 

[blades]

only way to avoid alky around here is diesel, which opens a new can of worms.

 

[Swamp Fox]

One of my local small engine repair shops recently told me about a memo he got from Stihl informing him (and others) they would not honor warranty issues on Stihl saws if the saw had been using ethanol gasoline. He later got another memo from Stihl informing him they would honor warranty issues because so many states were mandating the use of ethanol in the gas sold at pumps.
Recently I had a DR chipper (B&S twin) that would start, but would not run smooth, it would surge spit and sputter. Local repair shop said to drain the gas, get new gas and to use "Dry Gas" in it. He said the ethanol in gas "sucks moisture in the air and gets water in the gas." He said Dry Gas (or STP gas treatment) allows the engine to burn the gas and get rid of the water. I did just as he said and the chipper runs as good as new. He also told me that Sta-Bil does not get rid of the water, it justs prevents the gumming issue. So now I use both Sta-Bil and STP gas treament in all gas I run through my small engines.

 

[StackedLumber]

here's pretty good and descriptive article on the damage of ethanol to small engines:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25936782/

 

[Wallyworld]

One of my local small engine repair shops recently told me about a memo he got from Stihl informing him (and others) they would not honor warranty issues on Stihl saws if the saw had been using ethanol gasoline. He later got another memo from Stihl informing him they would honor warranty issues because so many states were mandating the use of ethanol in the gas sold at pumps.
Recently I had a DR chipper (B&S twin) that would start, but would not run smooth, it would surge spit and sputter. Local repair shop said to drain the gas, get new gas and to use "Dry Gas" in it. He said the ethanol in gas "sucks moisture in the air and gets water in the gas." He said Dry Gas (or STP gas treatment) allows the engine to burn the gas and get rid of the water. I did just as he said and the chipper runs as good as new. He also told me that Sta-Bil does not get rid of the water, it justs prevents the gumming issue. So now I use both Sta-Bil and STP gas treament in all gas I run through my small engines.

Dry gas is alcohol, methanol or isopropyl. I wouldn't use dry gas with E10

 

[Tony H]

Finding gaskets made for your engine can be a problem but you can find gasket material at most hardware and automotive stores and cut your own gaskets and then there are all the permetex gasket products that can be used alone and /or with gasket material. Come to think of it maybe some of the stuff permatex makes is resistant to ethanol ? Worth checking out.
FWIW most all the stations around here sell gas with ethanol (10%) and some sell the E-85 blend also. I have a number of small engines and so far have not had failures I do use stabil and sea-foam additives in my gas tanks. I just am switching over to sea foam from stabil.
BTW only use jet fuel in your jet engines .

 

[firefighterjake]

One of my local small engine repair shops recently told me about a memo he got from Stihl informing him (and others) they would not honor warranty issues on Stihl saws if the saw had been using ethanol gasoline. He later got another memo from Stihl informing him they would honor warranty issues because so many states were mandating the use of ethanol in the gas sold at pumps.
Recently I had a DR chipper (B&S twin) that would start, but would not run smooth, it would surge spit and sputter. Local repair shop said to drain the gas, get new gas and to use "Dry Gas" in it. He said the ethanol in gas "sucks moisture in the air and gets water in the gas." He said Dry Gas (or STP gas treatment) allows the engine to burn the gas and get rid of the water. I did just as he said and the chipper runs as good as new. He also told me that Sta-Bil does not get rid of the water, it justs prevents the gumming issue. So now I use both Sta-Bil and STP gas treament in all gas I run through my small engines.

Dry gas is alcohol, methanol or isopropyl. I wouldn't use dry gas with E10

+1 . . . more of a potential problem I would think with two strokes.

 

[k9brain]

The guy at the small engine repair shop told me the reason the carbs are going bad on my once reliable lawn mowers is from the new gas. They say drain the gas every time I sue it. Not much of a problem with the chainsaw. It gets put away when it runs out of gas.

I'm baffled that an engine goes bad from the fuel it uses. It's almost silly.

 

[amateur cutter]

Ethanol is very destructive to gasket material in general, viton seals hold up better, but still can have issues. Isopropyl alcohol based additives will help remove water by actually absorbing it & allowing it to be burned thru the engine. Ethanol attracts water , but does not suspend it. As gas sits the ethanol & petrol evaporate & leave the water behind. Rust, corrosion, & poor performance result. As stated, stabil will help keep the fuel longer, but does nothing for the water/alcohol residue. Best solution, don't run ethanol impregnated fuels if you can avoid them. If not don't leave equipment sit for any length of time with e 10 in the fuel system. Fuels break down faster in warmer weather as well. I buy a 5gal can of VP race gas for my saws, mix, & add seafoam, & it'll keep for as much as a year according to the seller. It doesn't take me that long to burn it though. AV gas is also a good option @ your local small airport. Also make sure to use just the high octane race gas, not the methanol blend. The area Stihl rep told me they're selling carbs @ cost to keep people happy due to ethanol issues. $ 25.00 for most saws. A C

 

[Flatbedford]

I think that the gas was leaking out of the carburetor because the bowl is overflowing due to some sort of debris in the float valve that is preventing it from closing. I don't think that you would have gasoline leaking out of the carb to engine gasket unless the bowl was overflowing. I had this problem with carb on my Kohler tractor engine. It will look something like this.
http://www.williammaloney.com/Misc/LawnmowerSnowblowerCarburetorInletValveSeat.jpg
You could probably find a picture for the Honda engine on the splitter on the net.