Lucas Ethanol treatment good, bad?

[Firemoore98]

As the title states I am trying to address ethanol fuel. I do not have good access to ethanol free fuel and I go through about a gallon of pre mix a month, sometimes more frequent and sometimes every 2 months. I consider the cost of motomix, true fuel etc prohibitive.

I run the silver synthetic stihl 2 stroke mix at 50:1 or 40:1 (not intending for this thread to be a oil mixture thread). And I want to address ethanol in my fuel. I purchased this Lucas Ethanol treatment and just wanna get the go ahead from the gurus around here before I start using it. It gets great reviews on Amazon etc and says its 2 stroke and 4 stroke safe. Dosage is 1 ounce per 5 gallons. So I would need to add 1/5 ounce per gallon (this $13 bottle will last a long time)

What's the verdict on this product as a treatment for 10% ethanol fuel? Good, bad, waste of money? Will it prevent corrosion of internal metal parts? Does it truly address the water issue? How long is too long to keep pre mix around?

Thanks

Jason


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rockjock]

I posted a photo not too long ago of about 100 mowers, zero turns, and lawn tractors all with fuel related issues. Today I did a count and the tally is 150 new pieces. Every sort of stabilizer had been used, from Stabil, to K100, Lucas, STP, etc and they still failed. We have no issues getting e free fuel here in Ontario so these customers are just being cheap. I would not hold out much hope for lotions and potions such as those. IF you must run e fuel, mix small batches and then use it up quick. The poor schmucks I am dealing with for the sake of saving a few bucks will each spend about 150.00 to get the mowers back up and running.

Premium e free fuel is good for about 2-3 months from what I have seen. Personally I keep it for 30 days then into the car and fresh fuel is mixed up.

 

[Firemoore98]

Thanks for posting. I'm with ya on ethanol free, I have a marina about 45 minutes from my house and they only sell fuel in the summer. I'm not trying to save a buck, I'm not a cheapskate, it's that in my part of the country we don't have good access to ethanol free fuel unless it's on the water. I live in the mid west and we grow a lot of corn so they shove ethanol in everything.... Politics

Jason


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

I posted a photo not too long ago of about 100 mowers, zero turns, and lawn tractors all with fuel related issues. Today I did a count and the tally is 150 new pieces. Every sort of stabilizer had been used, from Stabil, to K100, Lucas, STP, etc and they still failed. We have no issues getting e free fuel here in Ontario so these customers are just being cheap. I would not hold out much hope for lotions and potions such as those. IF you must run e fuel, mix small batches and then use it up quick. The poor schmucks I am dealing with for the sake of saving a few bucks will each spend about 150.00 to get the mowers back up and running.

Premium e free fuel is good for about 2-3 months from what I have seen. Personally I keep it for 30 days then into the car and fresh fuel is mixed up.

So how long can you keep ethonol free, stihl ultra synthetic so far 90 days not a problem. Won't get into Seafoam.

LoveStihlQuality

 

[JonCraig]

I know the chemistry of what's in the Lucas oil treatment. Based solely on that (snake oil... But I don't want to derail this thread...) I don't trust the brand.

 

[Firemoore98]

Please speak freely, I wanna hear the good and or the bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

I have tags with wire. I date mix and ratio. I run ported saws richer.

LoveStihlQuality

 

[GrassGuerilla]

As I've posted it quite a few times... Why not just remove the ethanol? Easy peasy. Just add water to 91-93 octane e-10. Mix well, let it sit to separate, then siphon off the now pure gas. Let ethanol phase separation work for you instead of letting it happen to you. Or keep buyin snake oil.

 

[Michigan Escapee]

The whole idea is to have a thin layer of oil in the mix to keep the water in the air from bonding with the ethanol. You could use a tablespoon or two of kerosene, and a teaspoon of EDTA per half gallon to suck up the rust/metals. But nobody is gonna pay $4-8 for that quantity of material. But water WILL go through the plastic walls of the gas can over time. More than that, the volatile fraction will cook off over time, and the disolved gunk in the fuel will fall out of solution.

You're buying yourself an extra 2-3 weeks tops. After that, I dunno, get yourself a crappy 3 wheeler to burn it up in if you haven't used it yet.

 

[rageej]

As I've posted it quite a few times... Why not just remove the ethanol? Easy peasy. Just add water to 91-93 octane e-10. Mix well, let it sit to separate, then siphon off the now pure gas. Let ethanol phase separation work for you instead of letting it happen to you. Or keep buyin snake oil.

Agreed. Separate the ethanol out before using it in your saws. We could get into the science of how emulsification and demystification come into play but it is much easier to just separate the alcohol out and go on about your day. These threads almost remind me of diesel additive threads.

 

[NC Cutter]

As the title states I am trying to address ethanol fuel. I do not have good access to ethanol free fuel...snip

Thanks

Jason


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You're not trying hard enough. I just checked Pure Gas and there are stations ringing the city in almost every direction not 15 or 20 minutes drive from the very center of town. That's just the stations reported.

I wouldn't personally put much faith in miracle fuel additives. I've used them in both small and large engines with little improvements.

 

[Storm56]

I am able to get ethanol free gas which I run in my small power equipment. But it is not practical to run in my motorcycles and cars. Some of those things sit for weeks and over the winter months at a time.

I have been using Stabil, Startron, and the Lucas for years, many years. I also often add some Marvel
Mystery oil and the Lucas fuel treatment at times. I have NEVER had any trouble since using these products but had numerous problems before using them.

So while some here label them as snake oil, my experience is quite the opposite. I add it to every tank of my motorcycles and it goes in any vehicle if it is going to sit for any period of time. Works for me.

To answer the OP's original question, the Lucas seems to work for me as good as the Startron and Stabil products.

 

[sunfish]

Thanks for posting. I'm with ya on ethanol free, I have a marina about 45 minutes from my house and they only sell fuel in the summer. I'm not trying to save a buck, I'm not a cheapskate, it's that in my part of the country we don't have good access to ethanol free fuel unless it's on the water. I live in the mid west and we grow a lot of corn so they shove ethanol in everything.... Politics

Jason


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's just best to find a year around source for E-Free gas. I drive 40 minutes one way for 91 E-free and have stored it for one year with No issues.

 

[Firemoore98]

Thanks for all the posts!!

When I post on a forum and try to formulate opinions I look for trends. And basically you all have said about the same thing: ethanol bad, water horrible, ethanol equals water, most all fuel treatments are a band aide at best and whenever possible just buy ethanol free fuel.

My problem is access to ethanol free fuel. Buckeye Lake near me has some ethanol free fuel, but not open year round and about 45 minutes out of my way, I don't even run errands in that direction.

I understand the difference between emulsifiers and demulsifiers and I completely understand additives bring out strong opinions and big vocab words for some of us. I have a bachelors degree in physics and my father is a chemical engineer so we have us some geeky fuel/oil additive discussion while BBQing and drinking beer. NOT all are bad and some can help mitigate certain fuel related predictable issues. But you have to understand going in that in the case of ethanol it's a band aide not a cure I suppose.

I was interested in first hand Lucas Ethanol treatment experiences good or bad and did not intend for this to be a additive bashing thread.

Lots of smart brains around here and I'm grateful for all the replies.

Thanks

Jason


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Firemoore98]

I've googled e free fuel (today even) maybe I need to try a different link. Can someone please post a good locator for e free fuel.

That would make this whole thread go away [emoji854]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sunfish]

I've googled e free fuel (today even) maybe I need to try a different link. Can someone please post a good locator for e free fuel.

That would make this whole thread go away [emoji854]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The station I use here for E-free isn't on any web site. I found it by getting out and hunting the old fashion way. I buy 15-20 gallon every 4-6 months, treat it with stabil and keep the cans in a cool dry place out of the sun.

 

[Firemoore98]

My zip code is 43112 I live between Lancaster and Columbus Ohio.

Anyone know of an off the grid e free fuel station in my area I might be missing?

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NC Cutter]

pure-gas.org is what I use. Remember, only the stations reported to the site by users make it on the map. There could very well be more in your area.

An alternative might be stopping into a local saw shop or outdoor power equipment seller and asking where they get their E free fuel or if they know of a station nearby. Just a thought. Good luck!

 

[7sleeper]

I am sorry but this thread is just a sign of typical stupid paranoia! The original poster uses one gallon PER MONTH! What the heck does someone with this consumption need to treat or stabilise or whatever stupidity that the companies try to sell! Before any problems may ever materialize the fuel is used up long ago!

If on the other hand consumption was one gallon PER YEAR I might comply and recomend another way to prevent problems. Personaly I would recomend only mixing a MUCH smaller amount to use up as soon as possible.

7

 

[raventai]

As I've posted it quite a few times... Why not just remove the ethanol? Easy peasy. Just add water to 91-93 octane e-10. Mix well, let it sit to separate, then siphon off the now pure gas. Let ethanol phase separation work for you instead of letting it happen to you. Or keep buyin snake oil.

I have done this in small test tubes to verify ethanol content, water will pull the the alcohol out of solution.

but Ethanol raises the octane. ethanol allows them to use lower octane hydrocarbon chains as the base fuel. I don't know how much but I do know your 93 will no longer be 93 after you have removed the ethanol. Probably well into the 80's.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk