argh! stupid ethanol... ways to keep from blowing up small engines

[066blaster]

Ok, so your not a grain farmer, but your paying even worse for the Ethanol then most.

Didn't mean anything personal at you at all, just pointing out the mentality of all the grain farmers that I know. They get down right nasty when you talk bad about ethanol.

I bought a nice used Poulan Pro 395 from a farm implement dealership and I thought they were going to throw me out of the place when I badmouthed the EPA and the ethanol lobby. Good thing I already had the saw bought and in my hand already.

I know there is alot of guys making big money off it. I will say i am too "indirectly" I get double the land rent and food prices are high, I grow produce, But it also costs more to grow the stuff.
If i told you what i get an acre off of strawberries and asparagus and apples, that $1000 an acre for corn sounds like nothing,but its alot more work than corn. Its not just driving a tractor.. you can live without oil,but not without food!!

 

[2dumb4words]

The whole ethanol movement is riddled with problems. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather see American farmers pocket the money rather then ship it overseas. But if it don't work without subsidies, it's time to pull the plug. Any hint of environmental impact reduction from the addition of ethanol is likely far exceeded in the effects of the boatloads of engines killed from it. Now were reduced to mixing water with pump gas to "brew your own", driving near crazy distances to get "real gas", paying north of $20/gal for trufuel. A few years back, I would have laughed.

 

[muggermike]

better make it a tall one

ethanol is best on ice. I am pro alt fuel, but we suck at it. soy has strong MARKETING and can get soy bio diesel into pumps, never mind that its one of the least efficient crops to make bio diesel out of. ethanol is worse. not only do we not have a net gain of energy, but it is harmful to the engines that it powers. I am lucky to have e0 around home.

 

[2dumb4words]

[/QUOTE] I am lucky to have e0 around home.[/QUOTE]

For now. But for how long?

Edit: I'm all for alt fuels, but only if they can be used efficiently. Costing more, damaging engines and decreased efficiency aren't good compromises. Politicians using ethanol as a shield for a money grab doesn't help most of us. Just those in the circle.

 

[066blaster]

around me i am able to buy a deisel fuel that is dyed red. It costs less (doesnt have the highway taxes) and is for off road use (tractors) runs about 50 cents less a gallon than your regular deisel and is the same stuff.
It would be nice if we could get a non ethanol gas for off road use, I would be willing to pay 50 cents more for it. I have a gas station near me that sells racing fuel but its about $8 a gallon I think its like 104 octane. It sure smells nice

 

[Modifiedmark]

around me i am able to buy a deisel fuel that is dyed red. It costs less (doesnt have the highway taxes) and is for off road use (tractors) runs about 50 cents less a gallon than your regular deisel and is the same stuff.
It would be nice if we could get a non ethanol gas for off road use, I would be willing to pay 50 cents more for it. I have a gas station near me that sells racing fuel but its about $8 a gallon I think its like 104 octane. It sure smells nice

Your off road diesel is not the same stuff as on road. It is a double standard to even have it though if you cannot get non E gas for the same reason.

 

[mikefunaro]

In addition to revealing the power of lobbies, the entire ethanol debate also reveals the hazards of strong production quotas and mandates.

To think that someone in the 90s or early 2000s blindly said, we're going to make and use x number of gallons of an unknown biofuel in 2013, non negotiably, is absurd to me. But presumably to politicians this is standard. Make decisions now and "figure out" the details later.

I think, among the various other problems, is the fact that the 535 members of the senate and house probably never even mow their own lawns. And if a select few happen to ride their compact tractor periodically, I'm sure there's someone else who runs it 90% of the time and has any maintenance issues sorted out. Even those that boat. It's probably parked at the marina, and any fuel related issues are masked by hundreds if not thousands of dollars of other sorts of upkeep, like cleaning and waxing and slip fees.

It will be until they put the needs and troubles of the average citizen first that something will get fixed.

I think in the modern era the real problem is that there's just too much to know. It's silly to expect an elected official to know about everything. And they dont. And then the consultants they bring in who are supposedly "experts" are those with pointed business interests in whatever they're talking about.

I would love to see choice. An E0 pump, an E10 pump, and E15 pump and an E85 pump. Once noone buys any of the other #### the business can slowly die out and they will stop making it.

At the very least I would love to see something where each county was required to have an E0 pump for boating and small engine use.

 

[066blaster]

Your off road diesel is not the same stuff as on road. It is a double standard to even have it though if you cannot get non E gas for the same reason.

I'm not sure what would be different with the diesel other than the color, they just feel farmers shouldnt pay the taxes for fixing roads and stuff if its used off road. I know there are people that run it in there trucks but you can get a big fine. They should have off road non E gas but you know there would be to many people running it in there cars

 

[Modifiedmark]

I'm not sure what would be different with the diesel other than the color, they just feel farmers shouldnt pay the taxes for fixing roads and stuff if its used off road. I know there are people that run it in there trucks but you can get a big fine. They should have off road non E gas but you know there would be to many people running it in there cars

Listen, no offense intended to you at all, but you really don't seem to know what is happining here with all this stuff. If you really don't know the difference between the newer, lower sulfer diesel and the older now called off road diesel, you really shouldnt be commenting on it.

As for the farmers fixing the roads I disagree, they use them as much as I do and the way they overload there grain trucks etc, they actually do more harm to them then the rest do around here.

 

[tollster]

around me i am able to buy a deisel fuel that is dyed red. It costs less (doesnt have the highway taxes) and is for off road use (tractors) runs about 50 cents less a gallon than your regular deisel and is the same stuff.
It would be nice if we could get a non ethanol gas for off road use, I would be willing to pay 50 cents more for it. I have a gas station near me that sells racing fuel but its about $8 a gallon I think its like 104 octane. It sure smells nice

Novel idea but it makes too much sense for a politician to understand, besides some of their family members and friends would miss out on some of the profits they have made off ethanol. Remember, they don't ever act on the better behalf of the country, only what's in it for them.

 

[066blaster]

Listen, no offense intended to you at all, but you really don't seem to know what is happining here with all this stuff. If you really don't know the difference between the newer, lower sulfer diesel and the older now called off road diesel, you really shouldnt be commenting on it.

As for the farmers fixing the roads I disagree, they use them as much as I do and the way they overload there grain trucks etc, they actually do more harm to them then the rest do around here.

The dyed off road diesel is the same low sulfer stuff as the on road. It says it on the pump!!

Its dyed red so the cops can take a wire with a swab on it and shove it down your tank to see if your burning it in your truck. the non tax is the only other difference , they like to do this at farm auctions. I dont know what you got where you live. But thats what we got here. No offence to you but you dont know a thing about any fuel.

I just checked it out and also found out loggers can get a refund from the tax paid on gas or diesel if it was used for off road use in equipment. as well as snowmobiles, lawn mowers, and all other off road equipment. you just have to keep track of it. and make a claim.

 

[Modifiedmark]

The dyed off road diesel is the same low sulfer stuff as the on road. It says it on the pump!!

Its dyed red so the cops can take a wire with a swab on it and shove it down your tank to see if your burning it in your truck. the non tax is the only other difference , they like to do this at farm auctions. I dont know what you got where you live. But thats what we got here. No offence to you but you dont know a thing about any fuel.

I just checked it out and also found out loggers can get a refund from the tax paid on gas or diesel if it was used for off road use in equipment. as well as snowmobiles, lawn mowers, and all other off road equipment. you just have to keep track of it. and make a claim.

You didnt do what I told you did you? You took offense anyway.

You found out correctly on the tax money refund for running off road and now you will see why the off road diesel fuel is dyed. The off road fuel is not the super low sulfer fuel that is required on new diesel engines, and alot of the older diesels will not run on the new stuff, thats why they still sell the older fuel as off road.

It is not only for the tax purposes.

For the record, I called a small county airport this week about 40 miles from me who was listed as having non ethanol unleaded gas to see if I could buy some. I was told they would not sell it to me and one of the reasons was there was no road tax paid on it. I told them that I was going to use it off road and would sign a affidavit stating so and was still turned down...

 

[066blaster]

You didnt do what I told you did you? You took offense anyway.

You found out correctly on the tax money refund for running off road and now you will see why the off road diesel fuel is dyed. The off road fuel is not the super low sulfer fuel that is required on new diesel engines, and alot of the older diesels will not run on the new stuff, thats why they still sell the older fuel as off road.

It is not only for the tax purposes.

For the record, I called a small county airport this week about 40 miles from me who was listed as having non ethanol unleaded gas to see if I could buy some. I was told they would not sell it to me and one of the reasons was there was no road tax paid on it. I told them that I was going to use it off road and would sign a affidavit stating so and was still turned down...

so if you have an older truck you cant buy fuel for it?

I think its the other way around the new trucks dont like the old diesel and the old trucks will run on either. and the new tractors (I have a 2012) run on the low sulfer off road diesel.

I think your too paraniod that when they change any fuel a little you can no longer use it..

do you have a stash of leaded gas sitting around for all the muscle cars? cause im sure you would think they would blow up on unleaded.
anyway nice debate...

 

[066blaster]

did some reseach and everyone says the on road and off road are the same. I dont think they make the old diesel anymore. and i am sure in a year or 2 you wont find any non E gas. unless its aviation or racing fuel. Its getting harder everyday.....

 

[Moparmyway]

, i cut alot of wood and cant justify the added cost of getting around it

I aint paying anything extra, I am just mixxin in some cold, fresh water.
I ran some of my brew today, it definately ran stronger, and I had to lean out the carb some. She still 4 cycles nicely, but that high screw went in about 3/8 of a turn today on each of my saws .................

Looks like I will be getting a few more cuts on each tankfull now, so actually ............ I am SAVING $$$

 

[066blaster]

I aint paying anything extra, I am just mixxin in some cold, fresh water.
I ran some of my brew today, it definately ran stronger, and I had to lean out the carb some. She still 4 cycles nicely, but that high screw went in about 3/8 of a turn today on each of my saws .................

Looks like I will be getting a few more cuts on each tankfull now, so actually ............ I am SAVING $$$

can you go through the procedure for doing that? If its that easy I will do it

 

[2dumb4words]

so if you have an older truck you cant buy fuel for it?

I think its the other way around the new trucks dont like the old diesel and the old trucks will run on either. and the new tractors (I have a 2012) run on the low sulfer off road diesel.

I think your too paraniod that when they change any fuel a little you can no longer use it..

do you have a stash of leaded gas sitting around for all the muscle cars? cause im sure you would think they would blow up on unleaded.
anyway nice debate...

An awful lot of old muscle cars did die from unleaded. And yeah, E-10 is rough enough, wait till e-15 becomes the norm. Will you then say it doesn't affect things? The quality of our pump gas sucks.

 

[Modifiedmark]

so if you have an older truck you cant buy fuel for it?

I think its the other way around the new trucks dont like the old diesel and the old trucks will run on either. and the new tractors (I have a 2012) run on the low sulfer off road diesel.

I think your too paraniod that when they change any fuel a little you can no longer use it..

do you have a stash of leaded gas sitting around for all the muscle cars? cause im sure you would think they would blow up on unleaded.
anyway nice debate...

They may have indeed changed the diesel lately, I have not paid attention to it really, I do know that when they first came out with the low sulfer it was hard on the really old tractors, construction equipment and such and that was why they kept the old high sulfer around and dyed it red.

 

[Iron Head]

It's really difficult to get non-ethanol gas around my area.
I had to drive 40 mi to get some.

 

[ch woodchuck]

can you go through the procedure for doing that? If its that easy I will do it

Here ya go bro..the whole truth..and noting but the truth...Sometimes might want to read all the threads.Posted this on page two...I believe.



What I do..Make my own.. Basics...Alcohol is an octane booster,approx 2.5 points.Use 93...93-2.5=90.5 octane.
I use an old glass 5gal carboy.Put one qt of water..fresh!not salt.....Mark the spot where the water sits with a marking pen.Down to the station,put in 3gal of 93.This will mix the alcohol and water an instigate phase separation.Cover the container,let sit in a shady cool place.Have a few beers with the bros....Come back in a few hrs.Now you will notice that the water is cloudy and well above the line that was marked.So......Ya all still awake?.128fl oz in a gal x 3 =384oz 10% of that is 38.4 oz of removed alcohol....You've got straight 90.5 gas.
Can I tell the difference..not really..Better safe than sorry though... Had to reset my carbs...

cheers