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Moose McAlpine
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I think Brazil produces a lot of bio-ethanol, hence having E100. Scandinavia has a lot of E85.
Does that work?
I run my stuff on Aspen so it doesn't all go wrong due to rubbish fuel.
Blue Chips
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I would not use E15 in a small engine unless I was certain that the manufacturer had upgraded the fuel system components to be compatible with higher ethanol levels...and that it wouldn't void the warranty.
Even though E10 is now approved by many small-engine manufacturers, I would still prefer not to use E10, but depending on where one lives, it can sometimes require a fair drive to one of the subset of stations that still carry non-ethanol fuel.
For convenience reasons, I've been using E10 in my small-engine equipment for quite a number of years now, and after what I might call a "transition" period some years ago, when I had to overhaul several carbs, etc., I really haven't had much of an issue with it for some time now. I think most of the newer machines and newer replacement parts use materials that are more ethanol resistant than the older ones. I currently have something like 17 different small petrol-powered equipment items, and the remaining fuel only gets drained once a year, after about a 6-month usage season.
I don't know what the E10 compatibility situation would be in the UK.
I should mention that we do have E85 fuel here at a 'relatively' small number of stations in most states, as well as quite a number of Flex-Fuel vehicles, although E85 has not gained a huge amount of popularity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexible-fuel_vehicle
The majority that get replaced are the ones on tillers.
They get used once or twice and set till next year.
Cars that have set for a few years will sometimes need the gas tank replaced.
northwest
Searching for the Holy Grail.........
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Made in Port Chester New York. Used to walk past the building of a morning.
dobbslc
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Ducati have / had a very bad problem with ethanol fuels, I think there's a law suit going on in the states over knackered fuel tanks and fuel injection systems. My bikes are from the 90's so possibly no good for them!
I wouldn't worry about small garden tools, it's your car that will cost a fortune to fix if ethonal attacks it's components!
Lower calorific values and the burning of forests to grow the bloody oil seed rape etc they use to make it is madness!
I wouldn't worry about small garden tools, it's your car that will cost a fortune to fix if ethonal attacks it's components!
Lower calorific values and the burning of forests to grow the bloody oil seed rape etc they use to make it is madness!
frank horton
V twins are great but 4"s rule.........
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Ok ...we had 10% ****e in the fuel in SW France for ages....
for the small engine an the very old cars I add 2stroke mix to the fuel...never been a problem....
will not oil the plugs and really no extra smoke.....
all engines where poss, switch of the fuel and run till empty......
2stroke stuff like strimmers.....switch off, drain the remainder of the fuel and top up the tank with the artificial fuel (blue from memory, bought mine from Huskvarner) pump it thru the carb with the primer bulb.....if my machine will not be used for a month, that what I do......
I use a 1980's Nissan pick up...it has LPG....(talk about low power when using that stuff)....when run on petrol have a seperate power switch to the lecky fuel pump.....when parked up overnight, last trip sw off the pump and run till the carb is empty...
for those that can remember the brass gause filter in mechanical fuel pumps and in tractors and the like the
Diesel fuel with the ****e in it will eat away the gause....ask me how I know.....
for the small engine an the very old cars I add 2stroke mix to the fuel...never been a problem....
will not oil the plugs and really no extra smoke.....
all engines where poss, switch of the fuel and run till empty......
2stroke stuff like strimmers.....switch off, drain the remainder of the fuel and top up the tank with the artificial fuel (blue from memory, bought mine from Huskvarner) pump it thru the carb with the primer bulb.....if my machine will not be used for a month, that what I do......
I use a 1980's Nissan pick up...it has LPG....(talk about low power when using that stuff)....when run on petrol have a seperate power switch to the lecky fuel pump.....when parked up overnight, last trip sw off the pump and run till the carb is empty...
for those that can remember the brass gause filter in mechanical fuel pumps and in tractors and the like the
Diesel fuel with the ****e in it will eat away the gause....ask me how I know.....
LandRoverTom
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From what I've been reading the E10 has a sort of cleaning action - i.e. any gunk that has built up in the system will get washed though. Whcih enevitably will clog up somewhere (hopefullythe filter, but sods law elsewhere).
Also a lot of rubber (and I think some PTFE) fuel lines will be no good as the ethenol atackes that.
Not sure about aluminium components, but that would be good to hear about as by the time I get around to rebuilding the land rover (Rover V8) i suspect the E10 will be fully roled out!
Also for the motorbike, although that is a more modern engine so Triumph say it is 'compatable with E10' but it does get left stood for some time during the winter (and when I have too many projects on the go to get out on it)
I believe it's for green reasons that we're getting it rammed down our throats so to speak, but then I also hear that you get less energy from a comparable amout being burned so you'll have to burn more i.e. less fuel economy. So how is that green.....
Oh but it's ok, premium fuel will still be available. Of of course at it's previum rate!!
Also a lot of rubber (and I think some PTFE) fuel lines will be no good as the ethenol atackes that.
Not sure about aluminium components, but that would be good to hear about as by the time I get around to rebuilding the land rover (Rover V8) i suspect the E10 will be fully roled out!
Also for the motorbike, although that is a more modern engine so Triumph say it is 'compatable with E10' but it does get left stood for some time during the winter (and when I have too many projects on the go to get out on it)
I believe it's for green reasons that we're getting it rammed down our throats so to speak, but then I also hear that you get less energy from a comparable amout being burned so you'll have to burn more i.e. less fuel economy. So how is that green.....
Oh but it's ok, premium fuel will still be available. Of of course at it's previum rate!!
8ob
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I suppose its better to get with the program rather than side step the issue and rehose fuel lines to cope, Gates are already on it https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/ethanol-proof-fuel-hose-by-gates.html
Bob
Bob
Just make sure you get injection hose if you need it.
Its been quite difficult to get genuine Gates hose that resistant enough to our current blend when its installed inside a tank - my Lancia failed to procede a few years ago due to the hose I fitted inside the tank not being the spec it claimed to be - absorbed the fuel, swelled up, rotted and failed . . .
Munkul
Jack of some trades, Master of none
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We had E85 in early to mid 2000's... available fairly readily, and cheaper than petrol. Car people loved it - miracle fuel that you could run far more ignition timing on and make more power, and cooler running too. All you needed was bigger injectors and a decent quality fuel system. Flex fuel sensors made it possible to switch between E85 and regular petrol without any fuss. It was available on any half decent aftermarket ECU.
It died out, because the car manufacturers didn't think it was worth their while to build flex fuel systems into their cars. In spite of a very small cost. The odd fuel station that had it got rid of it, and it became harder and harder to find.
So now we reap what the greedy manufacturers (didn't) sow: a forced change to ethanol for everyone, instead of just those who can make good use of it
It died out, because the car manufacturers didn't think it was worth their while to build flex fuel systems into their cars. In spite of a very small cost. The odd fuel station that had it got rid of it, and it became harder and harder to find.
So now we reap what the greedy manufacturers (didn't) sow: a forced change to ethanol for everyone, instead of just those who can make good use of it
Alan Reynolds
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I'm finding it's causing havoc with two stroke engines.. The brassware quickly becomes dull and covered with a green tinged deposit that accumulates when left for a very short period. The ethanol seems to react with the oil mix and becomes a solid. The picture is from a 125cc catburetor that had a mix of e5 and She'll M. This was the state of the filter after less than an hour of running. E10 or 15 will render these high revving engines useless. I'm thinking of making a rig up to separate it out and sell it.
Alan Reynolds
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Exactly my findings with small race engines and lawnmowers. It's worse now with lawnmower engines where the jets are ECO-fixed at the factory and you can't get them out to clean the thing properly. I've seen jets so blocked solid that I actually thought they didn't have a hole in them. I have to make up micro drills from throttle cable to start breaking through.
agreed, see this more and more, green slime blocking jets etc.. small engines are the ideal case, sitting for extended periods, run for short sessions, then lmeft sitting for weeks / months again. spend a large part of my time on carbs..
Have noted that I see it less on two stroke engines, chainsaws etc, mostly due to the oil, but on 4 stroke engines, this is a fairly major issue. To the point that I typically just change the fuel hoses directly, and clean the carbs almost as a matter of course.
this is this mornings one, off a 16.5 hp tecumseh... see the green everywhere, even on the choke butterfly, the insides the same......
Have noted that I see it less on two stroke engines, chainsaws etc, mostly due to the oil, but on 4 stroke engines, this is a fairly major issue. To the point that I typically just change the fuel hoses directly, and clean the carbs almost as a matter of course.
this is this mornings one, off a 16.5 hp tecumseh... see the green everywhere, even on the choke butterfly, the insides the same......
Why? Is ethanol cheaper?
What is the reason to create it?
strange that I'm finding it less problem on two strokes though, mostly chainsaws etc,. Typically the ones I see are worked pretty hard around here (fire wood) so maybe it's because of that, but will keep an eye them to see, but it's definitely an issue of 4 strokes
Alan Reynolds
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I came across a plastic pick up pipe the other day in a tank that wasn't drawing fuel up. The pipe had swelled to four times its original size and just crumbled when I tried to take it out. Took bloody ages to fish the bits out. The thing was, once it was out of the fuel mix, within a day it returned to the right size.
Alan Reynolds
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Some carb manufacturers have had nightmares with the diaphragms swelling. They have had to research into using thin metal and plastic units to overcome the problem.
