I've had ethanol fuel really screw up carbs on sleds. In the cold it creates white flakes that plug up everything. In my particular case there was no long term damage but that could easily happen if you run lean because something is plugged.
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Ethanol-free fuels
- Thread starter TK4
- Start date
TK4
Well-known member
Ethanol separates (denatures) from the gasoline and gums up the small jets and passageways in carburetors.
Trials
Well-known member
It gives them herpes.
Never heard that one before.Yes,it'll be fine.
Trials
Well-known member
There are no internal chambers in an EFI throttle body, the injector squirts atomized fuel into the intake port after the throttle body and almost directly on the intake valves. But there are other plastic and rubber components inside the fuel loop portion of the fuel injection system, such as the fuel pump and those may or may not be adversely affected.
Anything built in the last 10-15 years or so is going to be just fine with ethanol fuel.
Much of the drama and such you hear and read online is from years passed when ethanol was first introduced into engines that were not built to handle it, and yes, it could damage fuel lines, gaskets, seals, etc. But things have changed and now they are built to deal with it. Unfortunately the old stories and drama still persist.
The bigger issue is storage - read up about phase separation. As long as you're burning a tank of gas through your bike in 2-3 weeks then you'll have no problems, but if a tank of gas lasts you months, then put ethanol free in. This is more important in the winter storage period, along with stabilizer.
Much of the drama and such you hear and read online is from years passed when ethanol was first introduced into engines that were not built to handle it, and yes, it could damage fuel lines, gaskets, seals, etc. But things have changed and now they are built to deal with it. Unfortunately the old stories and drama still persist.
The bigger issue is storage - read up about phase separation. As long as you're burning a tank of gas through your bike in 2-3 weeks then you'll have no problems, but if a tank of gas lasts you months, then put ethanol free in. This is more important in the winter storage period, along with stabilizer.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
Not everything. Many small engines (lawnmowers, chainsaws, whipper snippers) are still not equipped for Ethanol and may never be. The problem for them is the tiny passages in carbs cannot be protected from the corrosive nature of water that's ever-present in ethanol blends.
Same for smaller MCs. Modern seals, floats, tanks and fuel lines are compatible, you still have corrosion issues in bike carbs.
A side note on Stabil: By mistake I filled one of my bikes over the winter (20l) and added the prescribed amount of Stabil. When I opened the petcock this spring to drain off the bottom fuel, about 2 oz of water cocktail came out before I hit gas!
Trials
Well-known member
They say it starts losing octane before it even gets in your tank anyway so aim high.
imho If you are using it in competition it's worth the extra $ if not, then how long before you need to burn it.
That VP stuff that smells like paint thinner has a good shelf life if you keep it in a sealed container.
imho If you are using it in competition it's worth the extra $ if not, then how long before you need to burn it.
That VP stuff that smells like paint thinner has a good shelf life if you keep it in a sealed container.
Water isn't just part of ethanol gasoline, it's not "Ever present" - it gets introduced through phase separation. The key for small engines is not letting it sit very long in the tank, and further to that, trying to reduce or eliminate large temperature swings that will cause the fuel tanks to "breathe" (exhaust through the day if left sitting in the sun or a hot shed, and then draw damp moist air back in later on when the temps cool) excessively.
Filling up a chainsaw or lawnmower for example (something that only gets used occasionally and may sit for long periods between uses) with an ethanol fuel..and then shoving it in a closed shed exposed to direct sun all day long is a recipe for this - that hot gas tank sucks in the cool damp evening air every night when it cools down and then the ethanol separates the water out of it before the cycle repeats the next day.
This is one of the biggest reasons small engine shops will suggest non ethanol fuel - basically, it ages better without phase separation issues.
See again, phase separation. This is why at the end of the season it's important to burn out all the ethanol gas and refill with non ethanol. A motorcycle fuel tank breathes all winter long with every temperature swing..and if you've got it full of ethanol fuel (or even partially mixed with premium after not getting rid of all the ethanol fuel) that can often be the result.
My manual said PON(I believe equal to m+r/2 in North America). If I read correctly, RON91 about the same as PON or m+r/2 87.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
Almost. Ethanol contains 5% water, you can't distill alcohol to any higher concentration so that water is mixed with the gasoline. It stays in solution (does not separate) because E10 can hold concentrations of water up to 0.5% in solution. Phase separation happens when additional water is absorbed bringing the water concentration above .05%. Above 0.5% water separates and sinks to the lowest point in the fuel system -- the carb bowl in gravity fuel systems.
Tip: when storing a small engine that has used ethanol gas, place cling wrap over the filler to prohibit breathing and water absorption.
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