Don't use ethanol-gas mixture in your small engines. Just blew up my Stihl 044 today. Heard not to use it in any small engines. One day to late. Moderators, feel free to move this if you want but thought it would reach the most people here.

God Bless, Louis

Damn! Not the Farm Boss!!!

I wouldn't use that crap in anything!

In certain parts of the country it is added to prevent your gas from freezing as plain old gas isn't up to the challenge. Curious what led to the blow up as E85 might do it, but the lower percentage ethanol mixes typically work fine, but just cause corrosion and eventual phase separation if left unused for too long...

quote:

Originally posted by bobhanson1:
In certain parts of the country it is added to prevent your gas from freezing as plain old gas isn't up to the challenge. Curious what led to the blow up as E85 might do it, but the lower percentage ethanol mixes typically work fine, but just cause corrosion and eventual phase separation if left unused for too long...

Interesting................they do not use ethanol in our gas in Alaska and it doesnt freeze

But people do add ethanol (the red Heet containers) to their fuel if they suspect it is contaminated with water as water and gas will not mix. But water will mix with ethanol and then this mixture can be burned. But to much ethanol is a no no in anyones book.

I personally experienced -63F and gas didnt freeze. Am guessing if they add ethanol to gas to keep it from freezing it is most likely watered down.

Bob, don't mean to step on your post but ethanol is not added to gas to keep it from freezing, it is added because it is subsidized by the Govt.as a commodity for the farm interest. The amounts posted at the pump may or not be accurate. A check kit from your local small engine dealer will reveal the amount of alcohol your fuel has in it and you will be suprised. Bad, bad news for small motors from weedeaters to boat motors. Local gas here has upwards of 28% at times and this stuff not only eats fuel lines, it does not mix with oil well and causes piston melts in 2 strokes such as chainsaws....Russ

quote:

Originally posted by youngoutdoors:
Don't use ethanol-gas mixture in your small engines. Just blew up my Stihl 044 today. Heard not to use it in any small engines. One day to late. Moderators, feel free to move this if you want but thought it would reach the most people here.

God Bless, Louis

And I will add my Tip of the day
WEAR PROTECTIVE CHAPS when using a chainsaw. After seeing the kevlar chaps demonstrated I am a firm believer

quote:

Originally posted by hillman:
Bob, don't mean to step on your post but ethanol is not added to gas to keep it from freezing, it is added because it is subsidized by the Govt.as a commodity for the farm interest. The amounts posted at the pump may or not be accurate. A check kit from your local small engine dealer will reveal the amount of alcohol your fuel has in it and you will be suprised. Bad, bad news for small motors from weedeaters to boat motors. Local gas here has upwards of 28% at times and this stuff not only eats fuel lines, it does not mix with oil well and causes piston melts in 2 strokes such as chainsaws....Russ

Hillman,

As snowwolfe noted, ethanol binds the water that's in all gasoline and prevents it from freezing and subsequently freezing your fuel lines. Adding a small amount of ethanol to gasoline also reduces the freezing point of gasoline (very basic liquid chemistry taught in any high school...) Ethanol is a joke as a fuel especially based on a govt. mandate. However it does serve a useful purpose in gasoline as noted above-it also makes gasoline burn more efficiently as it is an oxygenator. MTBE is the other common petroleum based oxygenator in use in fuel and it has a host of toxicity issues. No question ethanol damages steel motor parts as that's the same reason they can't ship it via pipeline...just saying it does have a place in gasoline for a couple different reasons and there aren't many alternatives to it at present that are as cheap (courtesy of the govt.) or as safe for us in terms of environmental accumulation.

Bob, to get gas to freeze, hell would have to freeze over first...Russ

Russ,

You are correct except that gasoline is not "pure" and has all kinds of other things in it including water which will make it functionally freeze in the -40 to -60 F range especially in a fuel line... Move to the northern US and go to any auto parts store and see how many sell items to thaw/unplug frozen gasoline lines...

Bob, I do live in the cold climates and the stuff people buy to thaw out their fuel lines in gas motors are mostly hype. If you have that kind of contaminate in your fuel, you have better be getting it from another source. Heet is a common additive sold to southern folks when they come up here in the fall when the temps are around 20. In other words neither gasoline or diesel have water in it as a norm and alcohol is bullsh@t other than a subsity...Russ

Russ,

You are simply not correct. Gasoline and diesel both contain a minority amount of aromatic hydrocarbons (more in diesel since it's less refined) which by their nature make them attracted to water since they have a magnetic charge associated with them. The majority of hydrocarbons in gas/diesel are straight chain hydrocarbons and don't like water. All fuels have a water tolerance associated to them in that the water will be dissolved until it reaches a high enough percent that it separates. This dissolved water is what makes the gas lines freeze at low temps. Gas/diesel that have sat longer in a storage tank or vehicle tank will have a higher water content from absorbing ambient moisture in the air in addition to what is left when it is refined (it's too costly to remove 100% of any unwanted substance, water included.) It's simple chemistry and impossible to avoid no matter what the internet says. Look up water separators for diesel engines and you will understand that yes water can and does mix with gasoline and diesel.

Yes I understand about fuels being hydroscopic but as I stated if you live where I do when it is cold you had better be buying your fuel from a source that does not have much moisture in it's tanks. I have lived and worked in cold climates for over 50 years and have never had a fuel line freeze or had the need to add alcohol to fuel. Yes diesel motors have a seperator and they will accumulate moisture, but is normally less with winter fuel

quote:

Originally posted by youngoutdoors:
Don't use ethanol-gas mixture in your small engines. Just blew up my Stihl 044 today. Heard not to use it in any small engines. One day to late. Moderators, feel free to move this if you want but thought it would reach the most people here.

God Bless, Louis

I use premium gas in my stihl saws seems to help. I seem to use less to cut more

My Honda generator will take 10% ethanol and no more .

What about if you added this stuff called "Sta-bil" to the gas? If I have to use ethenol gas in my outboard motor, I add it.

Sounds like the "Dry Gas" we religiously put in our tanks in the winter 60 yrs ago. Then a few years later we had pin holes in the gas tank.

As I understand it, dry gas, like STP gas treatment, was just a blend of some sort of alkahol which would mix with any water in the gas and would then mix with the gas. I used it for years w/o a problem. This sta-bil stuff, I've used for years in my farm eq that was going to be set up for a while. Same deal with my outboard motor.

Ethanol in chainsaw fuel is NOT the issue

The Issue is using chain saw Mix oil that is not ethanol compatible

AD