alcohol in the gas

[Rebel]

I was wrong.

For years when people would complain about what ethanol does to the rubber in fuel systems, I just thought to myself, they just are jumping on the bandwagon and complaining about something that does not really happen. After all it never happened to me and where I live they have been putting ethanol in gas for decades now, I have not seen straight gas at a pump in California for at least 15 years, maybe 20.

Recently my riding lawn mower started giving me trouble, stopped running. I could get it to run with starter fluid bu tit would stop when I stopped spraying the fluid in. I found cracks in one section of fuel line and replaced that, still no luck. Then I pulled the tank off today and pulled the other part of the fuel line off, looked good, no cracks but I could not blow air through it. I took a wire and ran it through and got a big mess of black soft rubbery material, nothing else. I am now convince the ethanol softened and melted the rubber in the hose and plugged it. It is not back together yet, I plan on an new filter, air cleaner and all new fuel line. I have the air filter on order.

[jmkjr72]

See its not the ethanol that is the issue it's the fact that the manufactures refuse to use the right get parts. Sense the fuel crunch of the 70s everything that runs on gas in this country should be able to run on e 10 to e 15. The problem is small engine users found a loop hole in the law that they have been using to sell sub par products. As it is any ways the rubber products used in many things today are so cheap that they are lucky to last 3 to 5 years and not designed to run on what is required

[Rebel]

So you are saying that if I use automotive grade fuel lines it should not happen again?

[jmkjr72]

Even though it's over kill I use efi grade auto lines

[crawford]

ethanol real problem is mainly with carburetors it causes rust in float bowl and then rust come loose and clogs up jets and passages if don't believe it open bowl after it's been used a while you then will be a believer. In my area they still sell real gas but it you can't get it get something like stable gas treatment for ethanol is the next best thing. while it's not perfect it works well if use all the time

[Rebel]

Welcome to the forum Crawford.

Yeah Sabi and Seafom both help with gas issues.

[velociraptor]

Natural rubber fuel line and other sub par products create issues like you stated regardless of ethanol as an owner of a small engines and small bike shop ive seen so many motors believe me not one was due to ethanol...EVER and thats all the pumps offer here a small percent. fuel additives ect contain ethanol alot of times as well as many other products some of these before it was in all the pump gas. But never has there been an issue this mainly started due to misinformation and oil companies not wanting us to have a cheaper fuel as less oil needed and being replaced by cheaper corn alch. Any gas dries out a cheap nylon ect line simply by leaving gas in the tank over winter ect something alot are guilty of and never read owners manual warnings of this aside from that. Admin use TYGON line in your yard equipt youll notice a drastic change.

[velociraptor]

Any alchahol will accumulate water if you leave it sitting open for so long biggest offender being nitro methane as used in rc engines and drag strips ect. Dont buy gas if u dont use it within a time frame and dont store a carb full of gas heck even in the 70s they made bowl drain screws for a reason. The onky time i see float rust is again a long period of storage with fuel left in it
And dont use cheap gasket material or fuel line and ur good

[Rebel]

I actually went around to several auto parts places and asked for tygon tubing, they looked at me like a deer in the headlights.

I personally don't like tygon, it is great when it is fresh but it gets hard in a short time, I did use a lot of it on medical equipment years ago.

[velociraptor]

Lol i should admit i never use tygon myself its been recommended alot im guilty of falling for the occasional internet misinformation as well. Honestly as was said by crawford i also use automotive grade fuel line in everything its relatively cheap for me to get as my suppliers. Best way to get a ton is if you have a bunch of junk cars or street bikest to go through lol not that you would but through my dealings i collected a bunch from various work only stuff that was still good no rot ect. Only issue is when thickness of the outside diameter is important. Then i use a blue type line i got from dratv.com ive had it for years not one issue bot even hard still soft but discolored whatever its made with? Is freaking awesome and invincible lol. But on mowers i keep a spool of car fuel line and every year i do a carb and fuel line cleaning, i dont find any issues but its good to due during tune up so everything is fresh at the end of season of before storage of any time longer than a month? Empty the tank and drain the bowl and lines i like to fog the carb as well as the motor with wd 40 or something to prevent rust and drying. Not trying to sound like a know it all honestly i hope i can help as i said i ask alot sometimes to be 100% sure of an engines character by people i trust know about that particular engines history and temperment more than i do. Paper and pen does not tell as much as experience. That being said i do operate a shop i got my first big company contract and i dont think i know everything but even the best should be open to learn as well to be honest. That being said srry for the long post just wanted it clear i want to help not take over lol. Anyways... One trick i religiously do that saves me alot is dont buy gas till you need it and dont get too much only keep it for a month as water ect and u will do fine

[Rebel]

The area I live in is Simi arid, the humid is very low s9 water condensation is not a big problem here, I've only seen water in the carb once.

My problem was literally the rubber melting and then clogging everything.

[velociraptor]

Seen that before but it wasnt from ethanol just use automotive fuel line. As proof when has your vehicle ever melted lines? Lol

[Rebel]

Well I usually ask for genuine manufacturers replacement materials. Said with a yeah right look on the face.

[velociraptor]

Lol heck autozone and advance has a nice selection just tell them the inner dia. Or bring the hose to replace they cut a length per your request and its usually pretty cheap last time i went like a year ago it cost me 3 something for about three ft. Just saying car fuel lines are not replaced yearly heck nvm that sometimes in over ten years ect. They use ethanol every day since there is no pump gas without anymore lately. Just an idea

The water in the gas thing wasnt meant directly at you or anyone ita just one of those chief complaints of ethanol. Its not the best thing in the world even ill admit but heck vs gas prices being even more expensive? Ill go with it.