ethanol treatment & generators

Denny & Jami wrote:

Adam-12 wrote:

Denny & Jami wrote:

mockturtle wrote:
My mechanic suggests I use an ethanol treatment in my fuel tank to counteract the effects of ethanol on my generator and I have found this to work very well. It had been running a little rough even though I just had the carb cleaned. However, it gets expensive with a 55 gallon fuel tank. Is there any other solution to this problem? (I am not a mechanic).

Here is my solution; First change where you are buying gas to make sure that that's not the problem. Stop using treatments because they are not necessary with 10% ethanol, ethanol is a good cleaner and it will remove any dirt or moisture from your system but that crude has to go somewhere so it has to be burned making it run rough until it'a all gone. Also remember that all the crude that's in the stations tanks also will get cleaned out and you will end up burning it also. I've been running my generators, lawn mowers, outboards, trucks and cars for years without any problems. We have burned gas in 49 states and the only state that has was worse than Washington for quality is Alaska with Oregon and California right behind. We have also stored our car in our garage for two years with a full tank of 10% ethanol with no problems, we just got back after 8 months this time and it started right up and ran just like it did.

If you start using ethanol in a car or truck that has never had it before it will rough and the mileage will drop because it'a cleaning out your system.

Denny

1). Most places now only have E10 gasoline.
2). It is a well documented fact that Ethanol is NOT a problem free fuel. On the contrary, ethanol ATTRACTS MOISTURE (water). Water in an internal combustion, air aspirated engine is BAD.
3). Ethanol produces varnish almost four times sooner than non-Ethanol contained fuels.
4). Ethanol does "clean," by removing any and all oil based solution that's in gasoline. It also drys/cracks many plastics and rubber hoses, gaskets and liners.
5). E10 formulated gasoline has a documented record of being 10% LESS efficient in complete combustion, than non E10 fuels. This means that with E10 based fuel, ones's MPG's go DOWN by 8-10%.

About the only good thing E10 based fuel does, is burn cleaner. However, there is a big sacrifice to that benefit. ie. less MPG's; accelerated moisture and varnish damage to an engine and/or its components; and higher Maintenence or repair costs with older engines.

A fuel supplement that is petroleum based, does in fact help prevent E10 fuel damage and accelerated wear, due to a complete lack of any lubricating qualities.

I've been running 10% for the last 25 years in both my play and work trucks and cars for a total of well over 600K miles (I never really keep track) without one problem. The V10 truck I just traded had 129K miles on it and 100K of that was pulling our trailer and it had no engine or fuel problems at all same with my last work truck at 100K when I retired, our 12 year old GM car has also had nothing but E10 from new same thing no problems even after sitting for 2 years with E10 in the tank. I've changed between E10 and straight gas pulling our trailer and there was no difference in mileage. I have never run any kind of a fuel supplement of any kind and never will.

Denny

A little history about ethanol any why it screws up engines....
Ethanol fuel has been around for decades. I know old cars made by Ford were modified to run on part ethanol, part gasoline. Hence the old "moonshine engines" history came from.

That being said, not until the early 2000's did modern car manufacturers start designing engine components to run on Ethanol mixed gas (specifically E10). When lead was forced out, MTBE replaced it. When it was discovered that MTBE contaminated ground water and is a highly dangerous carcinogen, "they" decided to find a cure all.

During winter months, an oxygenated fuel was required to keep CO2 emissions down. So, good old alcohol (ethanol) was brought back into the mix to meet this requirement. Well, with new cars since the 80's came fuel injection (replacing carburetors en masse) and new plastics and reformulated rubber (hoses, gaskets etc). The problem was/is is that the modern day components of an engine never caught up with the mass production formula of ethanol based fuels once again. The alcohol was damaging plastics, drying and disintegrating petroleum based gaskets and rubber hoses and producing varnish in fuel injectors. This was all a result of not the ethanol itself, but the attraction of WATER brought on by the alcohol.

Have you seen the "flex fuel" labeled cars on the road???? That's to run E10, (E15 is coming) E20 and E85 formulated gasoline. The car companies have been modifying engine components to handle to effects of alcohol formulated fuels for the present and future.

Now, just because YOUR cars haven't had any ill effects to E10 gasoline, doesn't mean nobody else has. It's like saying just because you've never had chicken pox, therefore nobody else will get it.

There are many factors associated with E10 fuel problems. Those variables are: Gas station fuel tank contamination by region; refinery process and quality control by region; temperature fluctuations; humidity levels; poor fuel storage environment; and mostly miniscule water accumulation within one's own fuel tank.

You've never had ethanol fuel problems, well good for you! I suggest you also buy a lottery ticket. The fact however is that more people have had engine problems (as listed earlier) in most modern day engines since the heavy introduction of ethanol fuels in the early 2000's. (Specifically around 2005 and later).

Auto makers admitted that E10 fuels were also less fuel efficient, but that's another topic. I've never had Tuberculosis, but I would never tell people that they won't get it either. Stating that you've "stored your car" with E10 fuel for "two years" and with no ill effect whatsoever is just pure luck. Suggesting to people not to take precautions and preventative measures with this******fuel is just unwise and unfair.

Denny, you're just one of the lucky ones with that stuff, that's all.