HS 142 carbs vs ethanol

[recumbentbill]

I'm on my 3rd HS 142 engine. 1st one con rod bolts fell out[covered by warranty] 2cd HS I screwed up[broke a exhaust stud flush with engine] 3rd HS is about 5 months old and has stopped running. Good compress,valve clearance is right. all 3 engines had a common problem ---carburetor---On all 3 engines i cleaned the gas tank and used a in line filter. All three engines would run fine for awhile before developing performance problems which seem to be carb related.hard to start, hesitation and flat spots on acceleration. All three engines have been running on gas with 10% ethanol. is ethanol the problem?

 

[HeadSmess]

i suspect not. i had the same issues running bp ultimate, 98 octane. from new.

a new carbs fixed it, and im now using 95, so we shall see.... but it took about half an hour running with the new carb to come good ? i am sooooooo confused by this engine.

i can actually already feel some sort of...surging? at hi rpm now after a week of good running... uh oh? time shall tellll...

great when they go.....

 

[KilroyCD]

Ethanol might be the cause of your problems, as American fuel is becoming garbage because of all the additives (especially the ethanol). I have not had any problems with mine (which is 2 years old), but I source non-ethanol fuel whenever I can. However, non-ethanol fuel is becoming much harder to find. Make sure you use Sta-bil or Star Tron in your fuel, and many of issues plaguing you may disappear (once you have cleaned your carburetor). It doesn't take long for ethanol fuel to start causing problems, even if allowed to sit for a relatively short period of time.
This is from Star Tron's website, and will explain a lot about how ethanol causes issues: http://mystarbrite.com/public/pdf/LIT010V2.1-101.pdf

 

[RdKryton]

I just had the fuel go bad in my generator that was less than two months old. I try to remember to put Sta-Bil in the gas can every time I fill it but I must have forgotten one time. I am always able to start my lawn equipment every spring because I use fuel stabilizer regularly. The fuel now WILL go bad in less than two months and once it starts going bad their is nothing you can do to save it.

Jim

 

[don206]

anyone know how to keep a chain on? mine keeps coming off by the back spoket. towards the out side

 

[KilroyCD]

anyone know how to keep a chain on? mine keeps coming off by the back spoket. towards the out side

Kind of off-topic on a thread about HS142 carburetors, but have you checked the chain's alignment? What can look good to the Mk. I eyeball might still be out of alignment. Hold a yard stick to it and see if everything lines up correctly.