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“Ethanol has inherent properties that can cause corrosion of metal parts, including carburetors, degradation of plastic and rubber components, harder starting, and reduced engine life,” says Marv Klowak, global vice president of research and development for Briggs & Stratton, the largest manufacturer of small engines.
Does ethanol cause engine problems?
Boatyards and marine engine dealers warn that gas blended with ethanol can cause motors to stop working, ruin rubber components in the engine’s fuel system and damage engine parts. The gas softens rubber components in the engine, some of which may dissolve and gum up the system.
Why is ethanol free gas better for small engines?
Ethanol will start to absorb water over time, leading to poor engine performance. E10 gas absorbs up to 50 times more water than standard gasoline. Ethanol is also an excellent solvent. Simply put, it will dissolve plastic, rubber, fiberglass and much more, potentially causing serious problems to small engines.
Does ethanol clog a carburetor?
Ethanol acts as a solvent in older engines and can dissolve old gum and varnish deposits from the gas tank and fuel lines. These deposits can then clog the very small orifices in the carburetor.
Does ethanol affect engine performance?
In addition, ethanol has higher evaporation heat, octane number and flammability temperature therefore it has positive influence on engine performance and reduces exhaust emissions. It was also found that ethanol–gasoline blends allow increasing compression ratio (CR) without knock occurrence.
Is ethanol hard on small engines?
“Ethanol has inherent properties that can cause corrosion of metal parts, including carburetors, degradation of plastic and rubber components, harder starting, and reduced engine life,” says Marv Klowak, global vice president of research and development for Briggs & Stratton, the largest manufacturer of small engines.
Does ethanol clean your engine?
That’s because E85 contains a high amount of ethanol, up to 83%. Ethanol is an excellent cleaner. It clears the engine, fuel lines, and fuel injectors of deposits. It’s common for deposits to build up in the combustion chamber, fuel lines, fuel injectors, and a few other places within the engine.
Will ethanol free gas hurt my lawn mower?
In automobiles, ethanol fuel won’t do much harm to your car’s engine. However, when you’re using gas with ethanol mixture in your outdoor power equipment, like lawn mowers, chainsaws, trimmers and leaf blowers, you run the risk of engine damage and incurring costly repairs.
What is the best fuel for small engines?
What is the best small engine or lawn mower gas? Clean, fresh, unleaded. A minimum of 87 octane/87 AKI (91 RON); If operating at high altitude, see below. Gasoline with up to 10% ethanol (gasohol) or up to 15% MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), is acceptable.
Can I put ethanol in my lawn mower?
It is perfectly safe to used ethanol-blended fuel (E10) in your lawn mower and other equipment powered by a small engine. Blending ethanol in our fuel supply helps improve air quality and reduces America’s dependence on foreign oil.
Will ethanol gas hurt my carburetor?
Many of the critical components of a carburetor, such as the main body and float bowls, are die-cast from aluminum or zinc. When these materials are exposed to ethanol or the water often contained within ethanol, it creates a corrosive combination that can lead to carburetor malfunction and potential failure.
Does ethanol-free gas gum up?
Compared to traditional gas blends like E10 that have 10% ethanol, non-ethanol gas lasts much longer. If stored properly, ethanol-free gas can last up to six months. It is not as likely to succumb to oxidation or evaporation.
Does ethanol harm rubber?
Because it is an alcohol, ethanol dries out the rubber components in a fuel system. This leads to cracking and brittle fuel lines, floats, seals and diaphragms.
What are the pros and cons of ethanol?
Ethanol. Pros: Reduces demand for foreign oil, low emissions, high octane, and can potentially be produced from waste materials; existing cars can use 10-percent blends (called E10), and more than 8 million cars already on the road can use E85. Cons: Twenty-five percent lower fuel economy on E85 than gasoline.
Does ethanol make more power?
Ethanol fuel may give you more power, but it has a lot of extra quirks you need to consider. To start, ethanol fuels have about 33% less combustion power, which means you have to burn more fuel for the same amount of power.
Does ethanol make your engine run hotter?
Myth: Ethanol makes your engine run hotter. Fact: There’s a reason many high-powered racing engines run on pure alcohol. It combusts at a lower temperature, keeping the engine cooler. Fact: Ethanol actually keeps your fuel system cleaner than regular unleaded gasoline.
Does ethanol Damage 2 stroke engines?
When left untreated, the ethanol blended into most gas can damage 2 cycle engines. In this FAQ, Toley McGettigan, Horizon’s National Sales Manager for Power Equipment, describes the problems ethanol causes over time and offers a simple solution that can keep the engine in your 2 cycle power equipment running properly.
Does ethanol cause fuel decay?
When fuel contains a high amount of ethanol, the gasoline will begin to decay because of the oxygen in the blend. Since the ethanol is hygroscopic, it absorbs water from the air, causing the fuel blend to separate. Making matters worse, using a high-ethanol fuel may violate a boat or power equipment owner’s warranty.
Is ethanol treatment necessary?
Classic Cars – Yes! If you have to run standard E10 or E15 in your classic car, it is a good idea to treat that fuel with an ethanol treatment to help protect the fuel system from ethanol damage. So in this case, yes, you do need an ethanol treatment if you have a classic car.
