EPA emissions requirements and Ethanol fuel. How much of your equipment is ruined?

[Fox Landscape Services]

I only use pure gas and have been for quite a while. Ethanol blended gas messed up every small engine I had. Hopefully, these stations will be able to continue to sell pure gas without the government stepping in.

[Terry Metro Lawn]

Originally Posted by Fox Landscape Services

I only use pure gas and have been for quite a while. Ethanol blended gas messed up every small engine I had. Hopefully, these stations will be able to continue to sell pure gas without the government stepping in.

LOL! When was the last time the government DIDN'T step in?

[whoopassonthebluegrass]

Ethanol is the only option available here now.

Bought a new Stihl trimmer back in May. By August, the primer bulb had already hardened, cracked, and failed.

I never get more than 2 years out of any handheld anymore. And, quite frankly, that 2nd year is often problematic.

[whoopassonthebluegrass]

Originally Posted by GrassGuerilla

I've heard (no proof) that the ethanol blend is not very precise. One batch of E-10 may be 5% ethanol, another batch may be nearly 20%. Purely heresay, but it does explain the occasional meltdown of plastic/rubber.

This is not heresay. There was an article in ?Landscape Digest? (a Moose River mag) where they were discussing the threat of 15% ethanol. It was in that article where a guy down in the south had been testing ethanol fuel for years - and found wildly erratic percentages (from 5-20%). I'm too lazy to look up the article, but that really struck me when I read it and I've retained it since.

[RussellB]

I'v seen several commercials for a TV show where they supposedly go out hunting for Bigfoot after reports of numerous sitings. I am now afraid to venture into the woods. That said, I have never experienced any issues with ethanol fuels.
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[Richard Martin]

There is something you can do to help your larger equipment like mowers. Part of the problem with ethanol enhanced fuels is it eats rubber. If you're having a problem with it eating your fuel lines you can do one of 2 things.

1: Buy high quality, American made, fuel injection hose. These hoses are made to resist the alcohol. They do a much better job of it than a regular hose and a much better job than a Chinese manufactured hose.

2: You can use an even better hose than that though. I've been using EFI nylon fuel line when I can. It is a hard nylon tubing. It's inside size is .275" or slightly larger than 1/4". You have to heat it up to bend it into the shape you want and to slip it over fuel fittings. I've had no failures of this line so far and it's good for at least 20 years or so. You can buy it here: http://www.ronmorrisperformance.com/..._and_Fuel_Line

[Terry Metro Lawn]

Ethanol also affects the o-rings and seals in the carburetors. There's an upgrade for the Kawasaki engines. I'n not too sure about the rest.

ETA: "Viton" o-rings resist damage from ethanol.

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

C'mon small engine manufacturers, get your technology up to date renewable fuels aren't going away.

[CL&T]

It's not just a matter of making fuel system components resistant to ethanol, that can be done. It's the separation and water absorption that occurs in ethanol fuel that is causing damage also and that is not something that any vehicle or equipment manufacturer can do anything about. You can't make an engine run on water and crap. The only way to solve this is to vote the clowns out of office. Then this renewable fuel nonsense will go away.

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by CL&T

The only way to solve this is to vote the clowns out of office. Then this renewable fuel nonsense will go away.

Renewable fuel isn't going anywhere. We can vote these clowns out and another set of clowns gets in. America doesn't have the balls to put someone into office that doesn't think like the rest of the clowns.

I can tell you right now the choice is coming down to Romney or Obama. They're one in the same. There might be slight differences in how they destroy America but just as sure as the day is long, they will both do the wrong thing.