Gasohol = Bad???

[tpelle]

I happened to be at a hardware store this AM buying a mower deck belt for my Cub Cadet. The guy ahead of me was bringing in a Stihl trimmer for service, and was complaining bitterly about the carburetor. He said that he had owned Stihl chainsaws, trimmers, etc. for years, and had always had good service from them, except lately he thought they had gone to "crummy" carburetors = he was going to switch to another brand.

The guy behind the counter said that it made little difference what brand he switched to, as all of the 2-stroke motors used a carburetor from the same company, and that the problem was the gasoline that is sold around here (Northern Kentucky). He said that it is "reformulated" gasoline, and is a certain percentage alcohol. He said the alcohol eats up certain seals, etc. in the carbs.

Is this true? Is this something we have to watch for?

 

[Skyliner70cc]

Yes, mostly true but I'm fairly certain most engines can tolerate 10% alcohol without any problems.

 

[kerf]

I don't know about carbs but I can tolerate 10% alcohol just fine, more if ya got it.

 

[SirJakesus]

lol Kerf, bring on the 151*

 

[rocpyro]

Seals can always be replaced. There are materials that won't be affected.

 

[ZnsaneRyder]

I wonder if that's a 2-stroke issue?

Alcohol in my experience makes my engines run better with more low-end torque.

I add a lot of denatured alcohol to my bike motor, and also in my car. 91% isopropyl works good too, but not as well as denatured.

What seals do you have to worry about? The paper gaskets?

 

[wildchild04]

Ethanol

For the small engines, I never put anything except Regular Unleaded. Most Owner Manuals for small engines will say, Regular only. And from what I understand the Ethanol eats away some of the plastic or rubber parts.

 

[Mountainman]

Wasn't sure what type of gas to burn in mine - contacted the manufac - they said Reg only - seems like your state approved mixture should not cause damage - there are a lot of small engines out there.. Happy Riding from - Mountainman

 

[kerf]

Alcohol is an inferior fuel to gasoline for street engines. It produces fewer BTUs per pound than gas or diesel, absorbs water and becomes corrosive. Alcohol can handle 19/1 compression and produces large amounts of HP in racing engines because it will burn in much richer conditions than gas, just takes twice as much. Alcohol cost more than gas, part of the reason gas has gone up, gets worse mileage and is being produced from food grains, causing an increase in food prices. If this stupid federal mandate were not in effect, alcohol would always be in my liquor cabinet but never in my gas tank.

One day there will be an alternative fuel, but for now:

CRUDE ROCKS
DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW, DRILL OFTEN !!!!!

 

[tpelle]

The issue in my area is that, due to convergence of a couple of major interstate highways to use the bridges across the Ohio River at Cincinnati, and the truck traffic that brings, the EPA has mandated that the three northernmost counties in Northern Kentucky use "reformulated" gasoline. I'm not exactly sure what "reformulated" means, but part of it, I understand, is the addition of alcohol.

While on the subject, folks, a big part of the high fuel prices that we are experiencing is due to the requirements to use these "boutique" fuels. Not only is the refinement process slightly different for each one, meaning that the refineries must alter their "recipe", and their process, for each batch of fuel going to a different market, it means that they have to use separate tanks to store the different fuels in, different trucks to haul it, and on and on. All this adds to the cost.

For example, I can drive about 15 miles south, into Pendleton County, and buy fuel that's not reformulated. But that's a 30 mile round trip out of my way. But to the oil company distributor, it means that his truck that delivers to a gas station in Campbell County, where I live, can't just drive a mile over the county line into Pendleton County to deliver there - he has to send a different truck!