Score!

[RWalls]

So I originally bought a broken $200 ryobi generator, figured out the low oil switch was broken, resoldiered it and viola! Well I doubled my money on it when I sold it and bought a brand new (3 year old) honda eu2000 today. Guy used it once and left gas in the carb. Took the carb off and got the jets cleaned, fired right up. So I got about $300 in the honda that retails $1200.
744

[1moretoy]

Now that's trading up my friend. Good deal.

[OSFG]

It's amazing how modern ethanol infused gas gunks up a carburetor. I tore apart my sons motorcycle carb this last weekend end...It looked like molasses inside of it. I spent 2 hours soaking it and cleaning every part...put it back together....gave her a few kicks and vroooom...but then had to replace the dry rotted inner tubes...The old adage is true...shit breaks in the parking lot.

[Inor]

The old adage is true...shit breaks in the parking lot.

So do we sir; so do we...

[Smokin04]

I break others in the parking lot. LOL!

[rice paddy daddy]

Ethanol is the biggest boon ever to the small engine repair shop.
There's a gas distributor located in town who also sells to the public, he's got a couple of pumps as well as the big stuff. He sells non-ethanol (aka Marine Grade) for about 50 cents a gallon more and I run all our small engines on it. Chainsaw, brush trimmer, post hole auger, lawn mowers, generator, etc.
50 cent/gal may sound like much, but not when I had to have the whole carb replaced on my Husky saw for $85 because of ethanol.

[RWalls]

I get a fuel around here called rec 90. 10 cents more than premium and is minimum 90 octane. You should really try to only use it in any small engine or carbureted engine. Also use pri-G in your fuel, helps for LTS. That's important to me as I store 50 gallons of gas.

My next course of action with this geny is to search for a propane kit that still allows use of gasoline. Anyone know any?

[1moretoy]

Lowes sells a premixed non-ethanol fuel. It comes in cans with special screw off lid that make it easy to poor into those small tanks. The best thing about it...it's not gasoline so it can sit for a long time and not go bad. Burns much cleaner too. No smoke.

[Pauls]

Alcohol evaporates without leaving anything behind - no residue at all. The gunk in the fuel system is the additives in the gas aside from the ethanol. The problem is not the ethanol, it is the gasoline that is made differently. They are using cracking towers to make a bigger percentage of gas from the crude oil and in doing so there is more of the longer chaine hydrocarbons in the gas. If you simply add Sta-Bil or similar additive to your gas it won't gum up for more than two years. The manufacturers used to use a stabilizer in the gas but there is more profit if they don't add it.

The alcohol is added to raise the octane rating - in place of the tetra-ethyl lead that was added before. Tetra-ethyl lead was poisoning the worlds population with environmental lead levels over 30% higher than "normal". Every year it was used the lead levels increased in the air, on the ground and and in our food. It took over twenty years to "get the lead out" and move to a better additive. The only other additive to increase octane ratings was more poisonous than the lead - so now we have ethanol in our fuel.

[Infidel]

You know it's funny the only time I have issues with fuel is in 2 stroke motors. I always stabilize my fuel but it doesn't seem to help in the 2-strokes. I ended up having to rebuild the carb on my weed whacker this spring due to it. The lawn mower and snowblower I've had no fuel issues with, seems not adding oil to the fuel helps it last longer at least at my house. The ethanol based fuel is hell on gas lines too, especially the old rubber ones like they used in my father's old Husky chainsaw.

-Infidel

[OSFG]

Alcohol evaporates without leaving anything behind - no residue at all. The gunk in the fuel system is the additives in the gas aside from the ethanol. The problem is not the ethanol, it is the gasoline that is made differently. They are using cracking towers to make a bigger percentage of gas from the crude oil and in doing so there is more of the longer chaine hydrocarbons in the gas. If you simply add Sta-Bil or similar additive to your gas it won't gum up for more than two years. The manufacturers used to use a stabilizer in the gas but there is more profit if they don't add it.

The alcohol is added to raise the octane rating - in place of the tetra-ethyl lead that was added before. Tetra-ethyl lead was poisoning the worlds population with environmental lead levels over 30% higher than "normal". Every year it was used the lead levels increased in the air, on the ground and and in our food. It took over twenty years to "get the lead out" and move to a better additive. The only other additive to increase octane ratings was more poisonous than the lead - so now we have ethanol in our fuel.
Damnit to hell....there he goes again....one of these days I'm gonna understand what ur saying and prove you wrong Paul.....One of the days!

[Smokin04]

Don't worry Mike...I got ya.

http://jalopnik.com/5043482/ethanol-in-gasoline-reportedly-wreaking-havoc-on-small-engines

http://highlandstoday.com/news/agri-leader/2008/jun/22/problem-ethanol-ar-311037/

http://atvsinacadiana.weebly.com/ethanol-issues-in-small-engines.html

There's about a million more.

[Pauls]

Even in those articles they explain that the ethanol cleans the tank, lines and carburetors of all the crap that has built up from use with non-alcohol fuel. Alcohol does mix readily with water - even in gasoline so it is important to drain the carb, lines and fuel tank for storage over the winter. It helps to "mist" the engine with oil for storage periods too. just keep in mind it is not the alcohol that does the damage - it is the water and additives in the gasoline.

If you have a fiberglass tank get rid of it! Ethanol will disolve the resin in the fiberglass and you will have a bigger problem than just a leaking tank.

The manufacturers could get rid of the "water damage" by using a different metal in their carbs. Aluminum reacts with even the smallest amounts of water to form aluminum oxide. That is the white powder that builds up in carbs that sit over the winter with fuel in them. The fuel doesn't "cause" the problem but the water in the air does. Aluminum just sitting on a shelf will corrode the same way just from the moisture in the air. As soon as aluminum oxide forms it pulls more water from the environment and more oxides are formed pulling even more water. The cure would be to use a different metal to build the carbs or to plate or anodize the aluminum to protect it from the moisture. Short of that you can use oil and Tolulene to get rid of any moisture and protect the parts while in storage.

[Sparkyprep]

I use only Rec 90 fuel in my boat, due to ethanol issues. It's a little more, but it has saved me a lot in repairs and maintenance.

[Pauls]

Since there is no such thing as leaded gas anymore I would rather use the E-10 than the now banned other additive (I can't remember the compound name - I should look it up and memorize it) but I rememberthat it generated more poison of a more lethal nature than even lead.

Use what works for you or use the maintenance required to use the E-10.

[Just Sayin']

I work on small engines everyday both 2 and 4 stroke varieties. Gasoline, with or without ethanol, will cause you problems if you let it sit in your weedeater, lawnmower or chainsaw for more than a month or two. I've seen and used all kinds of fuel stabilizers over the years, and yes, they do help. But if you are not going to use whatever lawnmower, tiller or other gas powered tool for more than a month, the simplest thing you can do to avoid a costly repair is to empty the fuel tank and then run it dry. Drain the fuel tank, start it up and run it until it quits. Both Stihl and Husquavarna now have ethanol free premixed fuel that they say will keep after extended periods, but running it dry always works.

Or just leave the gas in there, it's job security for me.

[Ordnance21]

Nice, Good job

[Montana Rancher]

So I originally bought a broken $200 ryobi generator, figured out the low oil switch was broken, resoldiered it and viola! Well I doubled my money on it when I sold it and bought a brand new (3 year old) honda eu2000 today. Guy used it once and left gas in the carb. Took the carb off and got the jets cleaned, fired right up. So I got about $300 in the honda that retails $1200.
744

Nice Job, not only can you make $$ pimping out your skills, but you are learning or have learned how to survive SHTF

Bravo!

[RWalls]

Ok guys, got about two hours run time on it, great little geny, beats the crap out of that ryobi.

[Just Sayin']

I work on both 2 and 4 stroke lawn and garden equipment, as well as motorcycles every day. Gas, even stabilized gas goes bad rather quickly, and my best advice is if you aren't going to run it within 30 days, run it dry before storing. I've got a 20 year old Poulan chainsaw that has never had a carb problem, because it always gets run dry. Trimmers are a different story, because I've left the gas in them thinking that I'll trim in two weeks, and get lazy for a couple months, and then either have to rebuild or replace the carb. There is a tiny check valve in the Zama carbs, that if it won't hold vacuum, it won't rebuild for those of you who are adventurous.

Stihl and Husquvarna both have premixes that they claim can be stored in the handheld equipment over the winter and won't break down, but since this is the first year they've been out, I'm still out on that claim. The synthetic oil pre-mixes do seem to make a difference in the amount of gunk that I see in the motors and carbs though.

[Montana Rancher]

So I originally bought a broken $200 ryobi generator, figured out the low oil switch was broken, resoldiered it and viola! Well I doubled my money on it when I sold it and bought a brand new (3 year old) honda eu2000 today. Guy used it once and left gas in the carb. Took the carb off and got the jets cleaned, fired right up. So I got about $300 in the honda that retails $1200.
744

So now after the Bravo which is well deserved, lets talk about fuel storage as a genny without some honey will not help you at all.

Personally since I rely on propane for my genny I have 16x 5 gallon cans of 91 octane (premium) gas with Stabil added on a 2 year rotational system. I keep that for my 1000w Honda generator for emergencies and running my 2x stihl Chainsaws and my Honda ATV.

Did you figure this into your plan?