It's not the ethenol!!

[echomeister]

Steve says its other stuff in pump fuel that is hard on carbs.

After using a saw i pour out the remaining pump gas mix then put just a little can gas in and start it for about 2 minutes. Is that long enough to burn out the remaining pump gas and circulate the can gas in the carb?

 

[MacAttack]

I think your practice of purging out the pump gas and storing the saw with canned gas in the carb is a very good idea and should prevent problems.

I will also never be convinced even entertain the notion that ethanol does not cause corrosion, rubber deterioration, and other issues in small engines.

 

[bwalker]

This guy doesn't have a clue what the hell he is talking about.
Aromatic content in fuel has never been lower and despite the stupid Stihl chart does not approach anything close to 30% in this country. Aromatics are valuable as they are the precursors to plastics and other petro chemicals. As such there is an economic incentive not to include them in low margins products like gasoline. Benzene has a EPA mandated limit of .62%. The process units that remove benzen IE BRU's also remove other aromatics.
In addition aromatics use was high prior to ethanol no one had problems. Ethanol comes around and problems galore.
Per usual, trash content from Youtube.

 

[Hermio]

I think it is pretty well documented that ethanol can cause a variety of issues. That having been said, I have used E-10 fuel with Sta-Bil added for more than 20 years, and I have not had carburetor issues with my chainsaws. I would prefer to use ethanol-free fuel, but there are no dealers near me. I have bought some from time to time from a dealer about 30 miles away when I am passing by. It costs over $5/gallon there.

 

[echomeister]

Does the Sta-bil help prevent ethanol from damaging carb parts. What does it do?

 

[Hermio]

Does the Sta-bil help prevent ethanol from damaging carb parts. What does it do?

Mainly, I think it prevents oxidation, but it may also keep everything in solution. I suggest contacting them directly to get a more detailed answer.

 

[bwalker]

I think it is pretty well documented that ethanol can cause a variety of issues. That having been said, I have used E-10 fuel with Sta-Bil added for more than 20 years, and I have not had carburetor issues with my chainsaws. I would prefer to use ethanol-free fuel, but there are no dealers near me. I have bought some from time to time from a dealer about 30 miles away when I am passing by. It costs over $5/gallon there.

Stabil helps fuel from oxidizing. It doesn't blunt the effects of ethanol.

 

[bwalker]

Stabil helps fuel from oxidizing. It doesn't blunt the effects of ethanol.

Should mention this pertains to the red Stabil. The also sells a blue Stabil thats suppose to work with ethanol.
We add a concentrated product similar to stabil at the refinery, so the reality of the situation is Stabil's effects are limited. If you are using it keep in mind that part of the problem with storing fuel is oxidation, and part of it is the loss of light ends. With the loss of light ends octane decreases and the lower volatility fuel requires richer jetting. Running lean on low octane is a recipe for disaster in a two stroke.
If you are storing fuel long term by all means use Stabil, but also store in a cool dry area in sealed metal containers.
Personally storing fuel has never made sense to me from safety and performance standpoint.

 

[diver64]

I think it is pretty well documented that ethanol can cause a variety of issues. That having been said, I have used E-10 fuel with Sta-Bil added for more than 20 years, and I have not had carburetor issues with my chainsaws. I would prefer to use ethanol-free fuel, but there are no dealers near me. I have bought some from time to time from a dealer about 30 miles away when I am passing by. It costs over $5/gallon there.

I also use pump fuel treated with StaBil and a touch of Marvel. 40yrs in and I've not had a problem. Current riding mower for example is over 30 yrs old and I'd think a problem with the fuel would have shown up by now. I bought a Husky 41 new from Agway and used it on pump fuel pretty hard over 15yrs. I took me a brain fart straight gassing it to make it stop

 

[diver64]

Steve says its other stuff in pump fuel that is hard on carbs.

After using a saw i pour out the remaining pump gas mix then put just a little can gas in and start it for about 2 minutes. Is that long enough to burn out the remaining pump gas and circulate the can gas in the carb?

That's an interesting idea. I usually just pull the plug, put some oil in the a few pulls replace the plug and store it. All fuel has StaBil, though.

 

[Hermio]

Should mention this pertains to the red Stabil. The also sells a blue Stabil thats suppose to work with ethanol.
We add a concentrated product similar to stabil at the refinery, so the reality of the situation is Stabil's effects are limited. If you are using it keep in mind that part of the problem with storing fuel is oxidation, and part of it is the loss of light ends. With the loss of light ends octane decreases and the lower volatility fuel requires richer jetting. Running lean on low octane is a recipe for disaster in a two stroke.
If you are storing fuel long term by all means use Stabil, but also store in a cool dry area in sealed metal containers.
Personally storing fuel has never made sense to me from safety and performance standpoint.

I store fuel in my 2-story detached garage, which stays cooler on the bottom floor than ambient temperature by about 10-15 degrees due to thermal stratification. (It gets really hot on the second floor!) Mostly I use plastic containers, though they do seal well, as evidenced by how they bulge when warm. I am sure some oxygen can diffuse through the plastic, however. I keep my UTV, ZTR and chainsaws there also. Maximum storage time is over the winter, where it may be 6 months or more. BTW, I tried the ethanol-free fuel (91 octane) in my ZTR and chainsaw recently (50:1 mix in the chainsaw), and the exhaust smelled really bad, similar to aromatic molecules. Do they use aromatics as octane boosters in ethanol-free fuels?

 

[toppers]

This Steve guy is one of the worst YouTubers for small engine advice, avoid his content.

 

[bwalker]

I store fuel in my 2-story detached garage, which stays cooler on the bottom floor than ambient temperature by about 10-15 degrees due to thermal stratification. (It gets really hot on the second floor!) Mostly I use plastic containers, though they do seal well, as evidenced by how they bulge when warm. I am sure some oxygen can diffuse through the plastic, however. I keep my UTV, ZTR and chainsaws there also. Maximum storage time is over the winter, where it may be 6 months or more. BTW, I tried the ethanol-free fuel (91 octane) in my ZTR and chainsaw recently (50:1 mix in the chainsaw), and the exhaust smelled really bad, similar to aromatic molecules. Do they use aromatics as octane boosters in ethanol-free fuels?

No. The only difference between premium and regular is premium has more alkylate blended into it.
The EPA has pretty strict rules in regards to benzene. Everything you do to reduce benzene also reduces the other aromatics as well.

 

[JohnL]

I have access to ethanol free pump gas and use only that in small engines. A lot of my equipment is older, made before ethanol was added, with plastic and rubber parts that don't play well with it. But even on my newer Poulan saws with plastic gas caps, when using E10 the caps swell and are very tight, hard to remove. With non-ethanol, come right off. I don't like ethanol as a fuel. I do like it as a beverage.

 

[Hermio]

No. The only difference between premium and regular is premium has more alkylate blended into it.
The EPA has pretty strict rules in regards to benzene. Everything you do to reduce benzene also reduces the other aromatics as well.

I am puzzled why this stuff stinks. I don't get that foul smell with standard E10 pump gasoline. I guess it will remain a mystery.

 

[Hermio]

I have access to ethanol free pump gas and use only that in small engines. A lot of my equipment is older, made before ethanol was added, with plastic and rubber parts that don't play well with it. But even on my newer Poulan saws with plastic gas caps, when using E10 the caps swell and are very tight, hard to remove. With non-ethanol, come right off. I don't like ethanol as a fuel. I do like it as a beverage.

I don't have a problem with ethanol as a fuel when the engines are made for it. Brazil has been using flex-fuel vehicles for years. It is a bit newer in the USA. But I have used E10 in multiple vehicles over the years, generally keeping them for 250,000 miles or more. I never had a fuel-related problem. I am a bit more concerned about it in small engines and vehicles used less frequently, such as MY UTV and ZTR. But so far, I have not had problems with them or in my chainsaws either. The only small engine problem I have had was with my heavy-duty Stihl weed whacker/brush cutter, when I let fuel sit in the tank for two years. But I probably would have had problems with any fuel. I now empty it and run it dry when I don't plan to use it for a while.

 

[bwalker]

That's an interesting idea. I usually just pull the plug, put some oil in the a few pulls replace the plug and store it. All fuel has StaBil, though.

What I do is start the motor up and bring it up to temp. Then spray fogging oil into the carb until it dies.
I do this to all 2 and 4 cycle engines that will sit over the winter.

 

[Fried Chicken]

I run ethanol free gas with 2-stroke mix and sta-bil in a new epa can that might (???) prevent VOC's from causing the gas to go stale?

That gas is like a year old and I have no problems with carbs, performance, or anything.

 

[bwalker]

I am puzzled why this stuff stinks. I don't get that foul smell with standard E10 pump gasoline. I guess it will remain a mystery.

Aromatics typically make the exhaust smell sweet FWIW.

 

[Hermio]

I run ethanol free gas with 2-stroke mix and sta-bil in a new epa can that might (???) prevent VOC's from causing the gas to go stale?

That gas is like a year old and I have no problems with carbs, performance, or anything.

I am sure the EPA can helps. For convenience, I make up my 2-cycle fuel a gallon at a time, and I use the Husqvarna Combi-can in the field. It is pretty air-tight, but not as much as a metal can. But having the fuel and oil in once container is nice, and the spill-proof nozzles really work, though the oil flow is slow in cold weather.