Removing ethanol from gasoline

[crazyal]

Interesting list. Thanks. He is in North Concord so it would be Newport Ctr or Barre. Quite a way but places we go once in a while.
There was a Valero in St. J that had it but they shut down due to lack of business.

Part of the problem around here is once boating season ends it gets hard to find. I haven't been by it in a few months but there's a gas station near Lake Elmore I'm going to check out that's listed. They have both super and regular listed.

 

[Tig]

Work in the marine or small engine sector for a month and your attitude will change. I work in both part time. Anything with a carburetor is doomed unless used daily. Fuel injection fares much better.

Chris

I've been maintaining and repairing engines as a hobby for almost 40 years. E10 has been around for 22 years and it's the only fuel for the past 10 or so years. I've seen no evidence of E10 problems or any increased rate of failure. The brigs in my Bolens and the one in my little Viking snow blower are from the lead fuel days of the 70s. I have not touched the carbs in 20 years of E10 use and I have never drained fuel from either. I have never used stabil. All in all, I just can't imagine how our engines and fuel could be so much better than yours.

 

[Bob77064]

Ethanol I have been told is very bad for the rubber and plastic parts in the fuel systems on small engines like mowers. The 10% ethanol gas that I have been using in my truck for about 100,000 miles has not caused any problems.

 

[Tig]

Ethanol I have been told is very bad for the rubber and plastic parts in the fuel systems on small engines like mowers.

I've heard that and it always makes wonder why they can sell eth in plastic bottles and pump E10 through rubber hoses.
BioFlame Ethanol, 3.78L | Canadian Tire

 

[cqaigy2]

I have a stihl chainsaw that i got back sometime in the 1980s that still has the original fuel line in it. I usually leave fuel in it during the season but run it out when storing. So far so good.

 

[Bob77064]

I've heard that and it always makes wonder why they can sell eth in plastic bottles and pump E10 through rubber hoses.
BioFlame Ethanol, 3.78L | Canadian Tire

Good point, maybe it is the older ones that have a problem.

 

[coobie]

I have a friend that built a rig to remove the 10% ethanol from gas by adding water. He does 5 gal at a time. Adds 2 qts water and then drains off 1 gal water/ethanol. He uses the straight gas in his outboard, chainsaw, mower, etc. We went fishing yesterday and the outboard ran great.
My question is what happens to the octane level of the fuel when he does that. If he starts with 87 octane does it go up or down when the ethanol is removed ?? Just curious.

2 words,starbrite & sta-bilt marine grade additives.I have used both and they remove enthanol.coobie

 

[Tig]

Good point, maybe it is the older ones that have a problem.

I think one thing that gets lost in the E10 failure discussion is that plastic, rubber, cork, fiberglass, carbs and engines have always had problems. Lines and diaphragms crack and fail. Varnish builds up. Premix gums up the floats and jets if it evaporates in the bowl. Cork eventually falls apart. Tanks leak.
Now, not all products are up to the new fuels, but E10 has been around a long time, old problems have been documented (eg: BoatUS: Seaworthy )and there's no excuse for new problems other than manufacturing defect. If anyone else has specific examples of flawed product please post info.
As previously mentioned this is reminiscent of when leaded fuels were discontinued. I remember people buying lead additives to prevent the reckless carnage that unleaded fuels were supposed to unleash on the internal combustion engine. In my experience, I wore out the rest of the vehicle before the valves. Ymmv

 

[buickanddeere]

Tig you are very lucky or you use it fast enough for it not to go bad. We are fortunate enough that the non-ethanol is coming back into the area and many are noticing good savings in their weekly fuel bills from better mileage as well as no aggrivation from failing parts in the fuel system.
Seems like it is simulair to the early 70's when they started putting all the crap under the hoods of cars to cut emmissions and cut the fuel mileage in half on most cars trying to clean up the air. Did they count on more fuel being burned when they mandated the rules, probably not just another government blunder!

The 70's are long past sir. Starting in the late 80's when computers and feed back from O2 sensors plus lockup torque converters were used. The mileage of a current 300+HP 4x4 pickup is in the mid teens. In the 60's and 70's a 4x4 pickup did well to make half the mileage or HP.

 

[Mace Canute]

This is anouther one of the scare tactics BS, I have a cheap leaf blower that had fuel in it for 5 years and it started first pull, I admit I was amazed. I have never had a problem with ethanol in fuel or seen a cab that was damaged and I work on lots of equipment.
I am old enough to remember the BS that was spread, when they took out the lead in fuel, every engine was suppose to need a valve job, 100% BS
Ethanol in fuel is a detergent so if you fuel system is dirt, it will clean it out and your filters will get dirty.
When they removed the sulphur in diesel ethanol is the best lubricant, better that any aditive pacage, you can buy.

Back that statement up with some hard evidence.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I've been maintaining and repairing engines as a hobby for almost 40 years. E10 has been around for 22 years and it's the only fuel for the past 10 or so years. I've seen no evidence of E10 problems or any increased rate of failure. The brigs in my Bolens and the one in my little Viking snow blower are from the lead fuel days of the 70s. I have not touched the carbs in 20 years of E10 use and I have never drained fuel from either. I have never used stabil. All in all, I just can't imagine how our engines and fuel could be so much better than yours.

I wonder if its a location issue? I have pulled more water out of tanks and carb bowls then you could imagine. The climate in my area is from -20 to 110. Fuel lines if not silicone will break down internally like a eraser debris on paper.

Chris

 

[art]

The sixties got better mileage then the seventies but still could get mid teens! We work with lawn mowers and chain saws, gave up the sleds but watch the help all day and I still play with cars into the 500 hp range carburated.
I appreciate the added business from the corn farmers although it hurts my dairy customers. I see it all day, don't trust todays gas much over thirty days to be stable in this area even high test.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

We see less issues with E10 in small engines that have plastic gas tanks vs. metal gas tanks that can sweat more in vasts temp changes.

 

[FredH]

What Gale just wrote is were I am at also . Metal building , lawn mower would draw moisture in 1 week , in wood pole barn , it would sit for a year between use's and not have a issue .

Fred H.

 

[Bill Hoffman]

Well, I have a 1996 Honda Goldwing motorcycle. Since we have been forced to use ethanol
laced gas, the carbs must be rebuilt each spring. Even after draining fuel from the tank and
the carbs. $800 every spring! The "rubber" parts dissolve. Echo pole chainsaw, gas lines
and pump totally rotted away. Husqvarna lawn mower, new carb last year, mower only 3 years old.

You won't ever convince me that ethanol fuel doesn't damage carbs. By the way, I worked as an International
Harvester mechanic all through college. So I have more than a little experience with engines and fuel
systems.

Bill

 

[Rustyiron]

Interesting list. Thanks. He is in North Concord so it would be Newport Ctr or Barre. Quite a way but places we go once in a while.
There was a Valero in St. J that had it but they shut down due to lack of business.

I've heard of guy's buying aviation gas at the local (little) airstrip for their saws and other small sngines, been told that it's expensive, high octane and no corn in it, but local.

 

[jejeosborne]

The subsidies ended Jan 1,2012

Here in southern Indiana an ethanol plant 90% complete was scrapped when this took place. The government still mandates its use. I think it is more expensive to make a gallon of ethanol vs a gallon of gas but could be wrong. Fortunately we have two local stations that sell pure gas for all my carbureted engines including my boat, motorcycles, two cycle equip., etc. I have cleaned out too many aluminum carbs and now just don't risk it.

 

[Barry 1]

Where are these two stations? I might make a trip! I never had any problems until last year,and all the sudden gas lines were crumbling and all my saws are messed up.I've always used stabil,but nothing works anymore,and what is in this gas that burns your skin and turns it white??? Can't find real gas in Northern Kentucky.

 

[jejeosborne]

Where are these two stations? I might make a trip! I never had any problems until last year,and all the sudden gas lines were crumbling and all my saws are messed up.I've always used stabil,but nothing works anymore,and what is in this gas that burns your skin and turns it white??? Can't find real gas in Northern Kentucky.

It has been posted already but look here http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=KY

I just searched evansville again and now there are three stations.

 

[Barry 1]

Thanks,but nothing even close to me.What gets me,is that they have to mix the ethanol in just before they deliver to the stations,so there is Real gas everywhere but they won't sell it.I would pay twice as much for some real gas!