I was reading the manual for my new blower.(yes I read the manuals)
It had a warning not to use gas containing methanol (Wood alcohol) but said Gasohol which contains ethanol (Grain alcohol) is OK.
Any body know why why one is bad for an engine and the other is not?
Don’t Funny cars run on methanol?
Is it just a pollution thing or does methanol eat up engine/carburetor parts.
Will using premium gas give me any benefits?
Engine is a Tecumseh “snow king” winter engineered engine.
Any Body got any snow yet!!!???
Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
Replies
Need a place to practice???
Come on down... Been snowing on and off since the last week of August...
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
Premium gas won't give any benefits. The only thing "premium" about it is that it is slower to combust which is necessary for high compression engines to avoid knocking. Your engine is designed to run on regular, so that's what it will run best on.
When you put your engine away in the spring, don't neglect putting in gasoline stablilzer and follow the summerizing procedure for the engine. You can get away without doing it for a few years, but eventually you'll gum up the carburetor.
No snow here, yet. It's been the longest summer I can remember in northern New York.
My Honda blower says to store for the summer, drain the gasoline and change the oil, doesn't mention any stabilizer. It's been 10 years and it starts in less than 2 pulls after storage. The question is would draining be enough?
Another question. I have a chain saw which I have not used for 10 years and the gas and oil have been sitting in there since. I don't think there is much gas in there by now. Just procrastination on my stupid part. What do I do now? Does the engine need an over haul, Thanx.
Tom
I did not drain the gas in mine, which may have lead to the problem. If Honda says to drain the gas (and, I suspect, run the engine till it stops) then that should be sufficient for their engine.
I don't know enough about engines to give you a good answer to your second question. At a minimum I would dump what's left and start with fresh. As to whether more should be done, I can't say.
Mr T.
"It had a warning not to use gas containing methanol (Wood alcohol) but said Gasohol which contains ethanol (Grain alcohol) is OK."
Ethanol containing fuels are hydroscopic, just like those that contain methanol. They MAY contribute to fuel system corrosion because they absorb moisture from the air..
"Don't Funny cars run on methanol?"
Some do (top alcohol class), most Nitromethane, but not ethanol.
"Will using premium gas give me any benefits?"
No
From what I understand, fuels oxygenated with ethanol are pretty much a midwest thing, and all you can get here (Wisconsin). I don't think any have significant amounts of methanol. If you have a choice, don't use them, but if you don't, what are you going to do anyway?
BTW, running ethanol only, would require twice the fuel ratio in and of itself. Within EFI the computer (on a car or truck) can compensate for a 10% blend. On a carborated engine, you need to rejet for optimal performance.
Jon
Waynel5, Jon,
Well said, ITA.
Mike
Edit: Waynel5, octane level is not the only difference, tho.
Edited 9/27/2003 3:22:33 PM ET by Mike Gabriel
Funny cars (top fuelers, at least) run on nitromethane. Biiiig difference. Nitromethane is a high explosive, i.e. it doesn't need oxygen to go kablooey.
did
Blah, yada, whatever, Hi how are you today
Now that M.T. has this down pat WTB that it'll end up in the snow blower.....
Now sense with taking a moments of extra time to get the snow cleared....
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
Is it just a pollution thing or does methanol eat up engine/carburetor parts.
As I recall methanol mixes with water and gas it destroys carburetor parts.
if you have a gas tank that is a few years old and you never use ethanol and you start using it. The ethanol will devolve the varnish and gunk and it will plug up the fuel filter and carb.
The ethanol also suspend water in the gas and also will keep it from freezing.
By the way just saw a gas station that is now selling 89% ethanol. It seem some of the new cars can operate on that now.
Ok,
Is dry gas eth or meth?
Is dry gas a misnomer?
I will be using up all my old gas before winter and only fresh reg. unleaded with stabilezer will be going into My Baby!
Any reccomendations on stabilizers?
I have some Briggs&str. left, about seems to work good for the Chainsaw and weedwacker gas. (40-1?mix)
Any coments on this spring storage routine?
1) Turn of gas
B) drain float chamber
III) run carb dry
)) Pour ~1 tsp oil into sparkplg hole
Five) pull start cord (with ignition off ) to lube piston rings and valves.
6) bring "baby" into living room so she doesn't get lonely all summerMr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
Mr T,
"Is dry gas eth or meth?"
Neither, it is isopropanol. ABSOLUTELY NO reason to use it if running gasohol. They still sell it in places like where I live 'cause people buy it not knowing any better.
"Any comments on this spring storage routine?"
Fill tank, add stabilizer, run for a minute, turn off, (marine fogging oil down spark plug hole if your anal) done.
One problem with draining the tank/float bowl is that the gaskets start to dry out. For short term (winter storage) IMO better to leave the gas in.
Jon
"By the way just saw a gas station that is now selling 89% ethanol. It seem some of the new cars can operate on that now."
Fred,
You did mean 11%, Right?
Jon
check that
http://www.eere.energy.gov/state_energy/technology_cases.cfm?techid=8
I was on my way to my brothers and I saw a pump at gas station in North Dakota so I asked. It also seem Minnesota is also putting in pumps.
A friend of mine about 8 years ago went to Brazil and he told me at that time all the cars there ran on 100% alcohol it was made from sugarcane.
How much do they charge for the 89% relative to straight gasoline?
Tom
Methanal is corrosive to many fuel system parts in ordinary engines. funny cars use oart specifically formulated to resist corrosion by it, and still must replace them often as it causes much seterioration.
You engine is designed to run on 87 octane and should perform well using that. There is theoretically no benefit from running higher octane (performance-wise) although the mid (89) and premium grades often have more detergents in them that act to keep the carb passages/needle and seat/ and combustion chamber clean. A few people I have run into claim the engines run and idle better with premium--try it and see if you notice a difference.
A good stabilizer for the gas is important in an engine that sees periodic use as gas can begine to deteriorate after a couple of weeks (although cold temps retards that rate of deterioration). Many ise Sta-bil since it is the best known and most popular. One you might want to try is Sea-foam, sold at NAPA stores, Wally World, and other places. It is a stabilizer and cleans combustion chamber deposits as well. Inespendive and works very well.
Just remember SNOW is a four letter word! Froman avid boater's perspective!
for a while in the early 80s I was running lots of chainsaws ( tree company). Any way after a while all the homelite saws fuel lines melted, the pickups in the tanks droped off and the line to the carb just melted into goo. Blocked the final filters in the carb and caused big headaces. That was after the oil embargo and the local area was adding ? to the fuel methenol? ethenol? but that may have been the reason for the warning.
Clay Schoelpple