Ethanol gas, Seafoam additive and storage or starting issues.

[ultrarunner]

I like using ethanol gas. Helps keep the fuel system clean. For those who love Seafoam but hate ethanol...you do realize you're adding alcohol to your gas right?

I run ethanol in everything. Even run it in my boat. I store about 15 gallons of gas all the time and have kept it sealed in cans for up to 2 years at a time. I run it in all my 2 cycle engines....2 chainsaws and 1 weedeater. I had my boat stored since 2015. I had a 6 gallon gas tank with ethanol gas in it from 2015. I recently got the boat out to sell it. Opened that gas tank and the gas smelled just fine. Started up just fine too. I haven't had any of the horrors of ethanol that some claim.

Ethanol gets the blame for every fuel system problem but in doesn't cause the problems it's blamed for.

The secret to keeping fuel from going bad is to store it in well sealed containers. All gasoline, ethanol or not, goes bad. Keep it well sealed and it'll last for years. I know....I've done it many times.

I do like using PRI G as a little extra insurance but have stored it without it and still had no problems.

And therein lies the problem for us with older equipment/vehicles... the tanks are vented to atmosphere so no possible to keep sealed tight.

 

[3930dave]

Startron approaches the problem from a different angle, and I believe it is useful as a stabilizer.

Seafoam is my goto liquid for rough running engines. It has limits to what it can do - obviously if something is mechanically damaged inside a carb it can't fix that, and a jet has to be at least able to seep fuel through itself for Seafoam's solvent action to kick in quickly - if a jet is totally plugged, it may not work.

There are other options for FInjected gas engines, but Seafoam is also a useful cleaner there too. With no changeable fuel filter on many gas vehicles now, you want to keep the tank-sock clean, as well as the guts of the injectors.

Rgds, D.

 

[Texasmark]

I just quit buying E fuel, all the problems went away!

SR

Easily said if you have an option which we don't within 100 miles and that's only one source who happens to also be a propane home delivery dealer and ag supplies (feed, seed, tools, fert. parts) merchant.

 

[sdef]

Glad to know about the SeaFoam addition for something gone bad. Now I hope to remember this trick should the need arise.

I have stored ~ 50 gallons of diesel and ~ 65 gallons of gasoline for years for use in all of my equipment and use Pri-D and Pri-G fuel stabilizer in Ethanol free and Ethanol laced gasoline. So far the longest stored has been close to two years with no ill effects. That said, I also drain and burn all fuel out of the seasonal/little used equipment, with the 12 - 14 year old Husqvarna pro/semi pro models 2 cycle string trimmer, chain saws and blower always waking up nicely from their naps.

 

[3930dave]

I like using ethanol gas. Helps keep the fuel system clean. For those who love Seafoam but hate ethanol...you do realize you're adding alcohol to your gas right?

I run ethanol in everything. Even run it in my boat. I store about 15 gallons of gas all the time and have kept it sealed in cans for up to 2 years at a time. I run it in all my 2 cycle engines....2 chainsaws and 1 weedeater. I had my boat stored since 2015. I had a 6 gallon gas tank with ethanol gas in it from 2015. I recently got the boat out to sell it. Opened that gas tank and the gas smelled just fine. Started up just fine too. I haven't had any of the horrors of ethanol that some claim.

Ethanol gets the blame for every fuel system problem but in doesn't cause the problems it's blamed for.

The secret to keeping fuel from going bad is to store it in well sealed containers. All gasoline, ethanol or not, goes bad. Keep it well sealed and it'll last for years. I know....I've done it many times.

I do like using PRI G as a little extra insurance but have stored it without it and still had no problems.

You adhere to good storage practices, but I'd say you also have a good regional fuel formulation, and probably also a bit of luck..... phase separation with E fuel is bad news, and can even occur on a small scale within vehicle tanks.See posts from Diamondpilot and others, many people have had marine E fuel issues.

View attachment Ethanol-Water-Phase-Separation-facts.pdf

What I value about Seafoam is that it uses isopropanol (as a low-cost way of dealing with moisture contamination in fuel), instead of ethanol. Across all systems (esp. older carbs, and early FI systems), I'd sooner dose with propanol than ethanol, and only when I want to....

Blending errors (both high and low E content) can cause problems, including sub-87 octane fuel referenced in the above attachment. Some jurisdictions test for E content, some never do - literally, YMMV.

View attachment Sea-Foam-Motor-Treatment-SDS-v20161205-ENG.pdf

Good idea yotadriver to emphasize what alcohol is in Seafoam, so that people have a better understanding why it is not good practice to dose with extremely high concentrations of Seafoam.

Somewhat off-topic, but one of the reasons I like Stanadyne for diesel fuel is that it does not use alcohol to deal with water.

Rgds, D.

 

[Texasmark]

I like using ethanol gas. Helps keep the fuel system clean. For those who love Seafoam but hate ethanol...you do realize you're adding alcohol to your gas right?

I run ethanol in everything. Even run it in my boat. I store about 15 gallons of gas all the time and have kept it sealed in cans for up to 2 years at a time. I run it in all my 2 cycle engines....2 chainsaws and 1 weedeater. I had my boat stored since 2015. I had a 6 gallon gas tank with ethanol gas in it from 2015. I recently got the boat out to sell it. Opened that gas tank and the gas smelled just fine. Started up just fine too. I haven't had any of the horrors of ethanol that some claim.

Ethanol gets the blame for every fuel system problem but in doesn't cause the problems it's blamed for.

The secret to keeping fuel from going bad is to store it in well sealed containers. All gasoline, ethanol or not, goes bad. Keep it well sealed and it'll last for years. I know....I've done it many times.

I do like using PRI G as a little extra insurance but have stored it without it and still had no problems.

I'm the converted skeptic. I blew off like you ever since it arrived here. I do all the things you said and use SF and with that Alcohol, in there to combat water in the fuel mainly, there is also light mineral oil for upper cylinder lubrication and loosening carbon and Naptha to dissolve the carbon.

I have finally proven to myself that it can and will affect your equipment.

 

[toyotadriver]

I'm the converted skeptic. I blew off like you ever since it arrived here. I do all the things you said and use SF and with that Alcohol, in there to combat water in the fuel mainly, there is also light mineral oil for upper cylinder lubrication and loosening carbon and Naptha to dissolve the carbon.

I have finally proven to myself that it can and will affect your equipment.

Please explain.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I switched to Staybil 360 Marine 2 years ago. I works like a champ. I bought two new Husky saws last year. Hadn't used for 6 months, and did not drain the tanks. Dumped the residual filled with new and both started just like new. I have been buying in 50 GL lots in a transfer tank and add the Staybil each fill, 1.5 times as mush as specified for long term storage. Now mostly have it for a 17.5 KW generator. The generator has never failed to start since. Naturally I am not draining out 15 GL like Generac says in their manual.

Ron

 

[Lem]

Sta-bil is great and I use it in everything but my diesel and have a sears tiller that gets it and sits in the building for almost a year at a time. Pull the choke and within 3 pulls it starts and runs like it did the day I bought it 25 years ago. Do all my 5 gal cans for yard mowing etc. Great product.

 

[Texasmark]

Please explain.

Just saw your question. Just for grins one day being retired, some days are dull. So I pulled out a couple of old weed whackers, an old chain saw, 3 hp BS powered push lawn mower and a Mantis 2 stroke garden tiller. Before the day was done I had them all purring sweetly thanks to SF and fresh gas....plus some replacement fuel lines for the 2 stroke stuff. Said it all. Course the 2002 Merc. 90 hp OB told me how it does for engine maintenance. But to clean up an old squatter that hadn't been run for years, actually several.....that clinched the deal.
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A side note I picked up in this post that I didn't expect was that the alcohol used in SF is Propanol not Ethanol and doesn't function the same in an engine. I knew SF added alcohol to pickup moisture in the fuel but was curious as to the interaction and phase problems and all you have with ethanol.

Course all alcohol doesn't phase separate. Example is in your medicine cabinet........Your alcohol bottle is detuned with water to 50, 70, or 91% and you never have phase separation. Booze at 100 prof is ½ water for a couple of examples. I'm not a chemist nor a petroleum engineer...electromechanicals are my bag. So I don't know the differences between the alcohol distillations other than the rumor that wood alcohol will do this and that to the human body where grain won't. Never knew of this wives tale being proven or disproved. I guess if true the candidate became a victim before the truth were known. Grin