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?