Bad Gas

[BarnyardEngineering]

I'm in California, no ethanol free gas anywhere close, and the biggest problem I've run into with our ethanol gas is eating older fuel lines. I run stabil in smaller equipment and will drain everything if it's going out of service for a while. If it gets regular use, gas/moisture corrosion isn't an issue. With tractors, etc., the key is draining the fuel system if it's not in use for a while, and being mindful of the last fill. If the gas is going to sit in the tank for 6 months, get it out and use it in something else. The ethanol attracts water, and older tanks/carbs are notorious for condensation as well. Bad combos.

Just did a quickie rebuild on a Marvel TSX-603 again last night after doing it about a year ago. Why? Because the owner decided to use old gas, leave it in the tank, line, carb, and it ate through top of the old fuel line at the carb inlet, which also allowed water into the carb as well. Discovered a bunch of gooey rubber all the way to the seat, and the inlet passage and bowl had a nice rusty finish to it, along with a proper water/rust line. He's off to buy new fuel line and filter today. Hopefully everything is now good.

Diesel is also a problem. Lubricity just isn't there anymore since 2005ish ULSD. I run Stanadyne lubricity formula in anything pre-2010ish. I haven't done enough research into the renewable diesel or B5/20 blends, so I can't comment there. My truck and tractors aren't new enough to handle the blends. I just run diesel #2 with Standyne.

Newness has nothing to do with being able to "handle" biodiesel blends. If anything the older the machine is the BETTER it will "handle" the blended fuel. Biodiesel is supposed to replace the "lost lubricity."

 

[scootergmc]

I

Newness has nothing to do with being able to "handle" biodiesel blends. If anything the older the machine is the BETTER it will "handle" the blended fuel. Biodiesel is supposed to replace the "lost lubricity."

Cummins says B5 max for my truck, nothing more. You're saying it is safe and better to to run in older diesel systems?

 

[m16ty]

All gas will go bad in a relatively short period of time, but it does seem that gas with ethanol has a shorter shelf life. I stay on top of it and keep fresh gas or add Sta-bill if the engine is going to be sitting awhile, and I haven't had any problems with E10, but I do know some people have had problems with the ethanol attracting moisture.

I just flat out don't like ethanol, but I do run E10 because ethanol-free is quite a bit more expensive. There is less BTU in a gallon of ethanol than a gallon of gas, so it doesn't help your fuel mileage by running it, and I do think it goes bad quicker if you don't treat it.

As a side note, I've ran diesel that was over 30 years old. Truck ran fine but smoked more than normal. Also, I had a propane tractor one time that could sit for 2-3 years, put a hot battery on it and it would fire up like it was just running yesterday.

 

[E.B. Haymakin']

What is up with the gas now days. I have a 65 ford F 100 That has been sitting for 5 or so months. The carb has green stuff in the float bowl, and the jets were plugged with the stuff. Carb cleaner doesn't cut it. This is gas in California. Diesel seams to be ok. How is your fuel? Stan

Terrible on the Gulf Coast.

 

[montidale]

What is up with the gas now days. I have a 65 ford F 100 That has been sitting for 5 or so months. The carb has green stuff in the float bowl, and the jets were plugged with the stuff. Carb cleaner doesn't cut it. This is gas in California. Diesel seams to be ok. How is your fuel? Stan

I only use non-oxygenated gas on my tractors, my old 50 Ford pick up and all my two-stroke engines. The ethanol gas always seems to screw up my fuel tanks and carburetors. Every time I go through a tractor, I have to boil out the gas tank and rebuild the carburetors because of ethanol gas. It leaves kind of a greenish yellow powder in the carburetors. And gas tanks. Same thing goes for my diesel engines. I go to the next town over at Cenex, and by off-road diesel. It cost about the same as road diesel, because there is no road tax on it. Bio diesel in Minnesota Winters is bad news. I run the diesel in my skidloader And my John Deere X754 mower with no issues. I have a 720 John Deere diesel that had used biodiesel. The gas tank is just full of crud. The guy that repairs my radiators guarantees he can boil it out and get it clean. I just have to get around to it.

 

[mdm1]

We can get n87 and n91 easily. Run 87 in everything but car and truck. Had problem with ethanol gas once. Don't care to try again. But I don't use 100's of gallons either

 

[chris142]

You need to be using E-91 gasoline, since you do not use your pickup every day. E-91, no ethanol? 91 has a long shelf life. Pickup, tractor and any small engines will start faster and run better. Gas will stay fresh longer. Try to find some and give it a try?

You cant buy gas without ethanol here.

 

[chris142]

I recently got a tank of weird gas in my jeep. We assumed that someone had some e85 left over and out it in the underground tanks. My jeep lost power and got 9 mpg on it.

 

[DoubleO7]

You cant buy gas without ethanol here.

where is here?

 

[1948CaseVAI]

You cant buy gas without ethanol here.

Then I would not live there. I don't csre about the ethasnol so much as I care about refusing to obey some rules.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I



Cummins says B5 max for my truck, nothing more. You're saying it is safe and better to to run in older diesel systems?

I am. There's nothing in older mechanical all-metal diesel fuel systems that the bio can affect.

Older diesel engines were once popular for waste vegetable oil conversions. Not so much anymore since brewing biodiesel is a big profitable industry now, and getting free oil from restaurants is just about impossible from what I've heard. Biodiesel is just vegetable oil that's been processed to remove the glycerin, the part that gums up the works when it gets cold. Bio has excellent lubricity and the exhaust smells like french fries.

 

[chris142]

where is here?

Calif

 

[Russ from MN]

I recently got a tank of weird gas in my jeep. We assumed that someone had some e85 left over and out it in the underground tanks. My jeep lost power and got 9 mpg on it.

The jeep we had didn't get much better mileage than that, but that was an 81 Cherokee, back in 82. but it was a nice vehicle!

 

[Bruce from Can.]

We can only get gas without ethanol from an airport,as aviation fuel. Equipment like garden tillers or lawn mowers that will sit for 6-8 months either need to have gas stabilizer mixed into the fuel tank, or drain out the fuel tank before storage. I couldn’t even get my tiller to fire on last year’s gas. After I drained the tank and put in fresh gas, it fired right up.

 

[Gwalk]

I have an old tiller at least 20 years old. Never drained gas over winter in Illinois and it always starts on first or second pull. Never cleaned carb.

 

[chris142]

Then I would not live there. I don't csre about the ethasnol so much as I care about refusing to obey some rules.

Pretty tough to leave a home you have lived in for 50+: years

 

[chris142]

We can only get gas without ethanol from an airport,as aviation fuel. Equipment like garden tillers or lawn mowers that will sit for 6-8 months either need to have gas stabilizer mixed into the fuel tank, or drain out the fuel tank before storage. I couldn’t even get my tiller to fire on last year’s gas. After I drained the tank and put in fresh gas, it fired right up.

Airports here wont sell fuel to an outside person. I walked in with my gas can and was told to walk out.

 

[caterpillar guy]

I call BS on the gas business with only one tractor that runs on gas and I have never bought ethanol free gas for my saws and never have had a problem with them and the saws set from spring when wood season is over till fall when it starts again. One of them might get used for some storm damage clean up once in a while. Other than that no starting all summer. I use the same tank for tractor gas as for the saw. I would expect some rust before fuel problems since the tank was a used tank when dad got it 60 or so years ago. and we still use it for gas. Currently there is no filter on any of our fuel tanks before the tractors or what have you. Engine filters have to do it all. For gas and diesel fuel. Buy clean fuel and keep it clean. I think buying in cans is the biggest dirt problem you can have. I see then tossed in the back of pickups all the time with and without spout caps on. Then everybody cries about fuel problems. mostly expensive ones like injection pumps and carburetors.

 

[Texasmark]

You need to be using E-91 gasoline, since you do not use your pickup every day. E-91, no ethanol? 91 has a long shelf life. Pickup, tractor and any small engines will start faster and run better. Gas will stay fresh longer. Try to find some and give it a try?

I agree and can tell the difference from 87 Octane especially in my small equipment and my 115 HP Merc. 2 stroke outboard. Yeah I understand octane rating and engine performance but there must be some additive that 91 has that 87 doesn't.......it performs differently.

 

[TomA in CA]

The only way to buy ethanol free gas here is at the hardware store for $6 a quart.