Modern Gas

[flatfoot77]

I would like to know you guy's are doing to your fuel systems to combat the effects of todays gasolines in our older trucks that were not designed to run on this stuff, I know you can make the carb. achohol resistant but what about all the rubber fuel lines. Thanks

[special-K]

How do you make the carb alcohol resistant? I ponder the phase separation problem often. It really sucks. I know of no additive that will stabilize fuel for more than a short while,when it comes to a vehicle that doesn't run through a tank of gas every few months. My tow truck sits with a good bit of ethanol junk in it right now. I had to rebuild the carb. Now it runs,but I can tell the fuel is bad. It's hard to get running,doesn't make power and the exhaust burns your eyes. I have a whole bunch of additive in there. I'll have to drain that crap (how do you even dispose of old gas properly?) and my solution is to only keep a small amount in the tank. At least then when it goes bad you aren't wasting as much. The problem is,no matter how much I keep i there,it will have to sit through the winter. I'm worried about what sits in the carb.

My solution?...
I'm seriously thinking about using small amounts of Cam2 in any vehicle that is just sitting. Isn't that alcohol-free? Or maybe aviation fuel? Those fuels are expensive,but I only need a couple gallons and at least you can use "all" of it and not dump most of it because it barely burns anymore.

[GRX]

{nm}

[Dunenutt]

Gates green hose seems to hold up well to the alcohol.

Av gas, or a race gas will keep very well for storage. Actually running your truck on it would cost a fortune. I have left my toys sitting for a year with Turbo blue, or Sunoco 110.

[Beat68CST]

Kinda like a do on all of our quads and dirtbikes, turn the fuel petcock off and let it idle til it dies. Then you don't have to worry about the carb.

[mrein3]

Here is what I do:
In the summer my truck gets more regular use so I don't do anything. All my engines have modern valves and guides and whatever else my rebuilder said I needed to do to combat unleaded gas.

What special-K is talking about - phase separation - you have to deal with constantly. My truck gets a plow installed and both tanks filled in early November every year. That gas isn't used up until the end of March. For those tanks full I measure out the correct amount of Sta-bil (read the label and use the long term storage mixture). Pour it in after you get to the gas station and pour your gas on it so it mixes good. ONLY use non-oxygenated (ethanol free) gas in this mixture. Non-oxy is more resistant to phase separation and Sta-bil claims they combat phase separation. On my truck I then make sure I run a gallon or two out of each tank so I know the stabilized gas is in all the lines and most importantly in the carb bowl.

Each state is different but I know that here in Minnesota if it doesn't say non-oxygenated, it DOES contain 10% ethanol. The non-oxy comes in premium only and costs more but a couple pennies per gallon in my opinion is way better than rebuilding a carb.

I'm no expert but after numerous free implements given to me because they don't run any more I have observed that all the bad effects occur in the carb bowl. I don't know how many Briggs-n-Scrappem carb bowls I've dropped, cleaned, clean the needle and seat, fresh plug, and I got a free running lawn mower. (Or snow blower or chain saw or weed whip or ...)

So long story short, treat the gas. Then make sure that treated gas is in your carb before you let it sit a while.

Oh and speaking of small gas engines, I only run non-oxy in ALL of them ALL the time. Three outboards - all non-oxy. Three lawn mowers - all non-oxy. Chainsaw, snowblower, powerbroom, weed whip - all non-oxy all the time. I NEVER deal with gas issues. Ever. And I'm pretty sure it is because I always fill my jerry cans with non-oxy.

[flatfoot77]

Thanks Mrien3 in the Wash DC area there is only 10% ethenhol what i did when I put it away for winter was put Amsoil gas stablizer in it while i filledI it up , I bought the truck already restored so I'm repairing some things, thanks for the tip on the Gates Green Hose.

[68shortstep]

On yesterdays day-long Barret-Jackson: "OMG, How can there be that many people out there with that much $$$$" to blow show," there were ads several times for Sta-Bil's Ethanol Fuel treatment-stabilizer product.

Don't know if it's any good or not, but they were sure trying to convince folks that it was, to handle just these sorts of problems.

[blkcorvair]

visit pure-gas.org to see if there are any ethanol free gas stations near you. Unfortunatally not near me. I used to run my Race car on Avgas. But I was informed that the 100LL (Low Lead) still has way more lead in it than even leaded race fuel and can cause deposits and engine damage. Never found out if this is true or not and I sold my Race car before I heard this so it never mattered to me. There was a time I ran avgas in my lawn equipment because I was just so sick of killing small engines inside a year or two. But I didnt think breathing all the leaded gas smoke would be to great either. Now I just grin and bear the crap fuel we have. Sure like to see some real good solutions!

I can tell you my truck ran the same on the original fuel from 1993 that smelled like varnish as it did on the first tank of high test. Thats impressive!

[kcfirstbuild]

Gates has whats called Barricade gas line now. Its approved for use with leaded and unleaded gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, e-85, 100% methanol, ethanol and gasohol fuels.

[stsalvage]

I have hear about this problem But with new car's and trucks running the same fuels they have new hoses to keep form the new fuel eating the hoses they have that blue liner inside the hose.

Now about the new gas I know of a few old farmers that still have some of the lead additive that they use and I know Canada and Mexico you can still buy it like the old R12 in Mexico.

I like the peacock idea dose work cus on lawn mowers they say to do the same thing.So i think that's a grate idea But for most of us OLD PEOPLE you need to put something on the dash to say turn PEACOCK ON for fuel Dummy.

Whe ever said use the Peacock thank you My 1971 and 1972 will love you long time

[hjewell2]

Originally Posted by special-K

How do you make the carb alcohol resistant? I ponder the phase separation problem often. It really sucks. I know of no additive that will stabilize fuel for more than a short while,when it comes to a vehicle that doesn't run through a tank of gas every few months. My tow truck sits with a good bit of ethanol junk in it right now. I had to rebuild the carb. Now it runs,but I can tell the fuel is bad. It's hard to get running,doesn't make power and the exhaust burns your eyes. I have a whole bunch of additive in there. I'll have to drain that crap (how do you even dispose of old gas properly?) and my solution is to only keep a small amount in the tank. At least then when it goes bad you aren't wasting as much. The problem is,no matter how much I keep i there,it will have to sit through the winter. I'm worried about what sits in the carb.

My solution?...
I'm seriously thinking about using small amounts of Cam2 in any vehicle that is just sitting. Isn't that alcohol-free? Or maybe aviation fuel? Those fuels are expensive,but I only need a couple gallons and at least you can use "all" of it and not dump most of it because it barely burns anymore.

Yep thats what I do. I put in 110 octane 2 gal for the winter . with 4150 carb I push the rear pump before starting to m/t rear float bowl to chase in 110 fuel and sits all winter.

[chipflyer]

Just to note, when you rebuild your carb buy the kit from Cliff Ruggles. He is the only person that I know of (there may be others) that sells the inlet needles and accelerator pump seals that Ethanol won't destroy. The kits bought at Napa. Oreilly and others will not have the good seals and it won't be long after your rebuild that it will need to be done again if you have to use today's crappy gas.

[mpotts64]

I run no ethanol in everything, all the time. We have 4 vehicles that are daily drivers and we always use no-ethanol. I have checked the mileage and I get about 70-80 more miles per fillup which is about another 3-4 miles per gallon. Yeah, it is about .15 a gallon more but it way more than pays for itself in the mileage. All of my concrete grinders and small engines, nothing but no-ethanol, the ethanol gas is really bad on small engines. I put a completely rebuilt engine in the old brown '68 truck, new everything. It started running really badly at about 600 miles, rebuilt the carb and checked the pcv valve, there was about an 1/8" gunk laying in the bottom of the pcv valve. That is when I went to no ethanol in everything. It turned out to be I needed to run a 12 volt wire to the new hei, I forgot when I put the motor in it. When I take the concrete grinders out I take 10 gallons of gas with me. When I travel, I still take 5 gallons of no-ethanol to pour and mix with the crap you buy now in case I cannot find any.

[mud.man.rj]

Even when driving a car/truck now and then the fuel still breaks down into varnish goo sooner than it used too. I always keep a carb kit on hand and every so often put a new kit in. Never did this most of my life, used to let fuel sit for a few years when it had lead in it, not now, sucks the stuff they pawn off on us. With today's technology you would think there would be a better solution. I know cool fuel breaks down a lot slower than warm fuel.

[chipflyer]

Not sure how it is where everyone else is but in Kansas Ethanol was labeled on the pump when it showed up and almost everyone I know would avoid it like the plague. A couple years ago laws were changed here and now the pumps are NOT labeled
so you can't avoid it even if you wanted to.

Jeff

[no moa]

I deal with this everyday in the marine industry. Last week I had to clean 2 outboards out that had phase separated fuel. (I'll Post pics tomorrow). I also am changing my fuel lines to outboard fuel line, it's us coast guard approved for ethynol fuels. I've yet to have it come apart.
I run my cars (except the TA) 2-3 times a month to keep the fuel moving. And I add a little av gas. Seems to work so far.
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[special-K]

Fuel stabilizers are a good thing,and I use them. But,they only extend the life a few months. When you run an engine occasionally you move deposits out of your bowl,but through the carb,and replace the fuel in the carb with the same phase separated fuel. It does help to run it but the longer that same gas is in your tank the worse. The problem is with vehicles you can't start for a long time for one reason or another. All my life that never mattered,unless something sat a crazy long time. This crap now is shamefully ridiculous crud that you really don't even want in your carb.

[no moa]

Here is some phase seperation.

We put startron in every boat, everytime we fuel it up. Seems to be working ok, the boats i have to fix are the ones that sit for a couple months on trailers and did not use a treatment.

[bobs409]

I can't believe our officials force this stuff on us! I HATE politicians!!!!


I'd like to make them drink it!


I'm very surprised no one on this forum has mentioned about the ethenol tax credits ending. Congress let that expire so no more 6 million of that tax payers money going to fund it.

Of course, that will probably only drive the cost at the pump even higher for us!

[RenoKeene]

I've got a drum of 76 110 octane that has been sitting for about 8-9 years, how do I check this to see if it is any good?

[Dunenutt]

Originally Posted by RenoKeene

I've got a drum of 76 110 octane that has been sitting for about 8-9 years, how do I check this to see if it is any good?

I'd call 76, and see what they think.

You could run your lawn mower on it for a Loooooong time

[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by Dunenutt

I'd call 76, and see what they think.

You could run your lawn mower on it for a Loooooong time

It still looks good....and smells wonderful! Makes the weedwacker turn about 12,000 rpm.

[umwtnt]

Sta-Bil is the additive I used at work on all our small engine needs and we have had zero problems, even on units that sit for six months. I also use it in everything I own. Todays gas has a shelf life of about 30 days so you need to use something.