# Ethanol in gas - killing my equipment



## 95g atl (Aug 31, 2011)

hi,
I strongly believe the ethanol in the gasoline is killing my equipment.  I have TWO generators that I start up every few months or so....and now won't run.  Spray starting fluid in the carb and they run for a second.  Same w/my pressure washer.  It seems like every year I am pulling apart carbs and cleaning them out.  

I do try and run the gas out of the carb after each use....and have used STA-BIL fuel additive....but it isn't working.

hate it.  Suggestions???
-Brian


----------



## Backlasher82 (Aug 31, 2011)

Yep, quit buying that garbage.

http://pure-gas.org/ has a list of ethanol free stations and there is a sticky in the fishing forum that lists some more.

Ethanol is the biggest scam we've had pulled on us in years.


----------



## MonroeTaco (Aug 31, 2011)

Start running some Seafoam through them every so often.


----------



## rjcruiser (Aug 31, 2011)

Don't leave gas in the carb.

Every few months is not enough....gas will go bad in that time.


----------



## Twenty five ought six (Aug 31, 2011)

Know what you mean.

I'm about to hang out my "small engine mechanic" shingle.


----------



## multihunter (Aug 31, 2011)

Yup, learned real fast to make sure no gas enters my garage without stabil in it & sea foam has definitely become my friend, but thanks to Ethanol I have definitely learned everything about rebuilding carburators I ever wanted to know.  I think that Stabil works pretty good though, most of my problems seem to have gone away since I started using it.


----------



## Dustin Pate (Aug 31, 2011)

Drain them if they are sitting for any period of time. You could also double up on the Stabil to help some also.


----------



## Lukikus2 (Aug 31, 2011)

multihunter said:


> Yup, learned real fast to make sure no gas enters my garage without stabil in it & sea foam has definitely become my friend, but thanks to Ethanol I have definitely learned everything about rebuilding carburators I ever wanted to know.  I think that Stabil works pretty good though, most of my problems seem to have gone away since I started using it.



I'm with you on that. I'm now a professional 4 wheeler, lawn mower and pressure washer carb cleaner. The pressure had more rust on the inside of the bowl than the outside.


----------



## multihunter (Aug 31, 2011)

Lukikus2 said:


> I'm with you on that. I'm now a professional 4 wheeler, lawn mower and pressure washer carb cleaner. The pressure had more rust on the inside of the bowl than the outside.



2 dirt bikes, 300cc two stroke & a 125cc 4 stroke, polaris 500 sportsman, 18 inch stihl & a 18 inch Mccullough, couple of weed eaters, 2 leaf blowers, 90hp Evinrude 2 stroke, generator & probably some other stuff I forgot & some of this stuff sits for months at a time, got caught with my pants down when they started the Ethanol stuff & wound up tearing apart carburetors on most of that stuff.  Definitely double up on the stabil  & I ran sea foam through all of it a while back & have had no problems since.  Anyone who brings gas into my garage without Stabil or sea foam in it will get  real fast.  That stuff will clog up a main jet like concrete & yes, I am now a carburetor expert.


----------



## Lukikus2 (Aug 31, 2011)

multihunter said:


> 2 dirt bikes, 300cc two stroke & a 125cc 4 stroke, polaris 500 sportsman, 18 inch stihl & a 18 inch Mccullough, couple of weed eaters, 2 leaf blowers, 90hp Evinrude 2 stroke, generator & probably some other stuff I forgot & some of this stuff sits for months at a time, got caught with my pants down when they started the Ethanol stuff & wound up tearing apart carburetors on most of that stuff.  Definitely double up on the stabil  & I ran sea foam through all of it a while back & have had no problems since.  Anyone who brings gas into my garage without Stabil or sea foam in it will get  real fast.  That stuff will clog up a main jet like concrete & yes, I am now a carburetor expert.



I forgot about chainsaws. Did two and got one sitting in the shed that has been there for months I cannot make myself fix. Chainsaws are the debil. Major pain.

And you're right about concrete. How on the world does that stuff get so hard? And everytime I do one I spend more time looking for a wire that will run through the jet than I do fixing it.  What a pain.


----------



## multihunter (Aug 31, 2011)

I gave up trying to unclog them, they're fairly cheap, just started ordering new ones, I never could find anything thin & strong enough to poke the stuff out, soaked em in everything I could think of & all the air pressure in the world won't blow em out.


----------



## Lukikus2 (Aug 31, 2011)

I soak mine in PB Blaster for a couple of hours and it comes out fairly easily. If I can find a small stiff wire.


----------



## thomas the redneck (Aug 31, 2011)

i buy non ethanol at a station in macon for all my mowers and saws and high test at that AFTER i forgot and left it in my riding mower last summer for a few months and payed dearly to 2 cleanings and about 3 tanks of good gas to start running good again
but i do hear good things about seafoam


----------



## safebuilder (Aug 31, 2011)

Marathon at hwy 11 in Social Circle (the hub) has non ethanol gas


----------



## 95g atl (Aug 31, 2011)

The only stations in my neck of the woods are at lake lanier....about $5 a gallon.  Probably worth it.

Well fella's, thx for the responses.  Guess what i'm doing this weekend.  Taken apart carbs ---- AGAIN.  I will get a big can of stabil and some seafoam.


----------



## rjcruiser (Sep 1, 2011)

95g atl said:


> The only stations in my neck of the woods are at lake lanier....about $5 a gallon.  Probably worth it.
> 
> Well fella's, thx for the responses.  Guess what i'm doing this weekend.  Taken apart carbs ---- AGAIN.  I will get a big can of stabil and some seafoam.



Get a can of carb dip if you're going to be cleaning them out.  Let them sit over night in the can and spray compressed air through them in the morning...they'll look brand new.

Biggest thing is to not let gas sit in the carb for long periods of time.


----------



## badger (Sep 3, 2011)

rjcruiser said:


> Get a can of carb dip if you're going to be cleaning them out.  Let them sit over night in the can and spray compressed air through them in the morning...they'll look brand new.
> 
> Biggest thing is to not let gas sit in the carb for long periods of time.




Welcome to the club. Its becoming an everyday happening in my shop. All the ethanol proponents don't seem to want to accept the fact that it causes lots of problems, and not just on the older vehicles. This is a 2007 Mercedes.......


----------



## 95g atl (Sep 5, 2011)

badger said:


> Welcome to the club. Its becoming an everyday happening in my shop. All the ethanol proponents don't seem to want to accept the fact that it causes lots of problems, and not just on the older vehicles. This is a 2007 Mercedes.......



wow.  I have a late model V8 Mercedes too.  I would be scared to death to take that car to the shop.  Labor on them is insane....and not many folks know how to work on German cars.

Yesterday afternoon I took apart my riding lawnmower's carb.  Actually, you need to remove half the lawnmower engine just to get at the carb.  It's a TWIN cylinder....has a fuel filter too.  Finally got the carb off and rinsed it off in the sink with hot water and dish soap --- cleaned the years of dirt off it.  Opened it up.....fuel bowl wasn't bad, but had some deposits on it...(probably from ethanol).  Sprayed carb cleaned, brake cleaner, and used air compressor.  While I had it apart, replaced fuel lines and new fuel filter ---- two spark plugs and put back together.  Fired up, runs great!

This week, I will tackle the 11hp Honda pressure washer and 11hp Honda 5500 watt generator - I believe they are the same engine....so it should be easy.  Did them both last year.

================================
On a similar note, I use to have my own business as a teenager years ago, fixing small engines.  Wonder if it would be a good business to get back into now?  Anyone know what a small engine shop charges an hour these days?


----------



## Twenty five ought six (Sep 5, 2011)

95g atl said:


> ?  Anyone know what a small engine shop charges an hour these days?



Local "pro" shop charges $40.00 /hr.


----------



## MTMiller (Sep 23, 2011)

I just started using some additive named "Star Tron" in my motorcycle and all small engines.  They claim it cures ethanol fuel problems.  So far so good.

http://mystarbrite.com/startron/


----------



## DrewDennis (Sep 27, 2011)

Lukikus2 said:


> I soak mine in PB Blaster for a couple of hours and it comes out fairly easily. If I can find a small stiff wire.



Guitar strings work best. just have to be REAL gentle on the brass jets.


----------



## BriarPatch99 (Sep 27, 2011)

Torch tip cleaners ... easy to do damage... be careful ....


----------



## win280 (Sep 29, 2011)

MTMiller said:


> I just started using some additive named "Star Tron" in my motorcycle and all small engines.  They claim it cures ethanol fuel problems.  So far so good.
> 
> http://mystarbrite.com/startron/



I have been using this for 3 years and my repair bills are almost non existent.
Before that every season was a trip to the repair shop
I put this in every gallon of gas I buy. I will buy 10-15 gallons at a time for my 4 wheeler,lawnmower,chainsaw,pressure washer and it might sit for a month before I use it.


----------



## hammerz71 (Oct 7, 2011)

A buddy of mine who owns a performance shop told me to use TCW3 in my gas at 1 oz. per 5 gallons to make up for the lubrication the ethanol takes out of gas.  He also said it would "save" all my small engines and stop the primer bulb, gas line deterioration issues.  I did this for about four years and he was right, my yard equipment, generators, etc. stopped having issues and my truck and Jeep actually idled smoother and gained about 1.5-2 mpg to boot.
I've since found two stations close to me who are independents and have non-ethanol gas, so I stopped using the TCW-3, but my fuel economy is still a tad better then when using ethanol gas.

Now I just stabilize my gas for the yard stuff with Sea Foam at the ratio recommended on the can...


----------



## wildlifepro (Nov 9, 2011)

I have friends that have small engine repair shops with fields full of engine damaged units from ethanol based fuel. But yes you have to put an addative in your fuel for your saws, small engines atvs etc.. It kills me that the goverment knows its a waste but they still push it.


----------

