[ale] [OT] - Ethanol-free gas in the Atlanta area?

[Ken Cochran]

I'm surprised there hasn't been mentioned on this list
(until now :) that ethanol gasoline is most efficient at
a different air-fuel ratio (umm, it needs to be richer
I think).  I've always found it to run poorly (if at all)
in carbureted engines or even very old fuel-injected ones
(i.e. pre-early-'90s engines that can't adjust their fuel
mix ratios accurately/electronically).  And we really can't
adjust the carburetors to compensate because the mixing jets
are/were usually factory calibrated & not adjustable (except
maybe for idle).  Examples are *any* kind of outdoor power
equipment (mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, older (carbureted)
outboard motors, older (carbureted) inboard marine engines,
and of course antique vehicles.  Ethanol gasoline works ok in
modern fuel-injected engines (albeit with decreased effiency
- they adjust themselves to enrich the air-fuel), and as
has been mentioned on this list, used enough that the fuel
"flushes through" & isn't stored for very long.

Also, I don't believe I've seen *any* metal fuel system
component (other than a fuel-injector itself) on any vehicle
made since the mid-'90s (probably before, too).  I might
speculate that this material change was for weight & lower
manufacturing cost but there's also corrosion resistance
(ethanol gasoline is corrosive to metals from what I've seen).

Thought I'd toss that out I guess...  :)

-kc

> Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 07:56:57 -0400
> From: Michael Potter <michael at potter.name>
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
> Subject: Re: [ale] [OT] - Ethanol-free gas in the Atlanta area?
>
> +1 Sta-bil
>
> On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 6:28 AM, Sean Kilpatrick <kilpatms at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > **
> >
> > Yes, absolutely. Gasoline mixed with ethanol degrades quickly (think
> > weeks, not months.) The ethanol causes crud to form in aluminum carbs and
> > rots out the rubber fuel lines in small engines, especially two-strokes.
> > The carbs on these engines MUST be drained dry after each use to prevent
> > damage. I speak from bitter experience. :(
> >
> > The solution is simple: use ethanol-free gasoline and add Sta-bil to the
> > gas. A treated 2 gallon tank will last all summer.
> >
> > Sean
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > On Friday, September 20, 2013 02:48:11 am Jeff Hubbs wrote:
> > > But is ethanol-free worth going out of one's way for for use with
> > > lawnmowers and/or 2-stroke lawn equipment, especially when such
> > > equipment sits idle for a few weeks or months at a time?
> > >
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> --
> Michael Potter
>   Tapp Solutions, LLC
>   Replatform Technologies, LLC
> +1 770 815 6142  ** Atlanta ** michael at potter.name  **
> www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpotter