straight gas vs 10 ethanol for portable generator

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SMR

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The generators are coming today, there is station down the road that sells straight gas, is that a better option?  I dont know if I can get it again after we leave the area. Manual says min 87 octane and up to 10% ethanol. Thanks
 
Gasoline that is not watered down with ethanol is always better for any engine.  Often real gas is hard to find and priced high, so your manual gives you the information you need.  Do not store an engine or gas can for long periods of time with the government subsidized stuff in it.  See https://www.pure-gas.org/
 
It will work fine on 10% ethanol (gasahol), but the pure gasoline has a bit more energy per gallon and can be used if you want to pay the price.

As lynnmor, don't leave any gasoline in the generator for extended storage periods - it will evaporate from the carburetor and may gum it up. Drain fuel and run the carb and tank dry
 
Thanks, it's only a few gallons so another dollar for straight gas. When I had a house, I had a 5500 watt genny for the 2x a year the power would go out. I always kept the tank full and used Seafoam as a stabilizer,  I would also run the carb dry and every 3 months would exercise the genny. Always started on the second pull and was 10 years old. Also followed all the maintenance guidelines per the manufacturer.
 
Another storage tip is to pull slowly on the starter rope until you feel resistance.  This means the piston is on the compression stroke and both valves are closed so the cylinder is sealed instead of being open to the atmosphere.  Honda recommends this in the EU1000i manual.
 
Today's emission standards have really screwed up small motor carburetors to meet the standards, this includes carb'd outboard boat motors down to chainsaws. Part of the problem is e10, especially in boats that sit with fuel in their tanks for longer periods. The use of e10 alcohol absorbs moisture and water begins to form in a tank, it's probably more complicated then that but the results are a big issue  and the bigger the tank the more of a problem. Keeping the tank full helps, using a fuel conditioner really helps. Going back to the carburetor, the small jets in today's carbs are small and it doesn't take much to clog them up. I have taken the carburetor off my boat's kicker motor to clean it from sitting during the winter, man those jets are small. I started using Stabil in the boats, it has made a difference in keeping the fuel system clean.  I also use Sea Foam intermittently in every thing I have that uses gas. I always tell myself that this winter I'm going to run the boats motors for a few minutes every couple weeks, but time gets away and I forget and get busy or something. Use the gas that you can get easily, the carb is still going to have small jets, plus  all the gas today is craap anyway, just start it from time and use a fuel conditioner,,,gregg
 
For anything that is going to sit for a while (more than several weeks) fill the tank and use only alcohol free fuel.  I left a honda goldwing at my sisters for 9 months in her garage.  Just prior to storing it I ran the tank near empty and filled with alcohol free fuel.  Then added the recommended amount of stabil.  It started easily 9 months later.

Even more extreme, due to an accident I left a 13hp trail mower outside for 2 years and it started right up.  My experience is alcohol free gas plus stabil is good for at least a year.  the stabil needs to be added immediately after the fill up.

Stabil currently has a product that claims it is ok for alcohol polluted fuel but I have not tried it.

I used to drain carbs by shutting off the gas and letting the engine eventually stall but learned the hard way that some carbs will still have a small amount of fuel left in the float bowl that will turn to crud and cause problems. Now I only drain if the storage is for more than a year and in that case I make sure the float bowls are drained by removing the plug in the bottom.
 
I used to use Stabil, I took my genny to get an oil change and maintenance  (courtesy of a customer who borrowed it)and ask why it was running so rough the last few  times I used it,  he said there was a carbon build up and recommended  Seafoam, after a few uses it ran smoother. I started using it in all my power equipment and everything just ran better, even the snowblower that would sit for 6 to 8 months.
 
This thread reminded me to run my Honda.  We haven't been out RVing since February so 5 months without regular use.  However, I did start it once or twice and let it run for maybe 1/2 hour.  So after maybe 10 pulls, it started.  That's pretty much the way it's been since new if I haven't used it for a month or two.

As far as gas goes, I've never given any thought to the type of gas.  Always use regular and for the most part, it has added ethanol.  After 9 years it still runs pretty good. 
 
I asked because it is available by me, soon as we travel again I probably won't see it. ? 
When I would exercise my genny I would put a load on it 2 space heaters.
 
Broke Boater said:
Today's emission standards have really screwed up small motor carburetors to meet the standards, this includes carb'd outboard boat motors down to chainsaws. Part of the problem is e10, especially in boats that sit with fuel in their tanks for longer periods. The use of e10 alcohol absorbs moisture and water begins to form in a tank, it's probably more complicated then that but the results are a big issue  and the bigger the tank the more of a problem. Keeping the tank full helps, using a fuel conditioner really helps. Going back to the carburetor, the small jets in today's carbs are small and it doesn't take much to clog them up. I have taken the carburetor off my boat's kicker motor to clean it from sitting during the winter, man those jets are small. I started using Stabil in the boats, it has made a difference in keeping the fuel system clean.  I also use Sea Foam intermittently in every thing I have that uses gas. I always tell myself that this winter I'm going to run the boats motors for a few minutes every couple weeks, but time gets away and I forget and get busy or something. Use the gas that you can get easily, the carb is still going to have small jets, plus  all the gas today is craap anyway, just start it from time and use a fuel conditioner,,,gregg

How does water form in the tank?

The problem with boat, and small engines is that they  are made from material that is inferior to what car engines are made from. 
 
PJ Stough said:
How does water form in the tank?

The problem with boat, and small engines is that they  are made from material that is inferior to what car engines are made from.

Fuel tanks are often vented so you don?t pull a vacuum while using up the fuel. The air that replaces the fuel has moisture in it. Temperature changes cause it to condense.
 
Lynx0849 said:
Fuel tanks are often vented so you don?t pull a vacuum while using up the fuel. The air that replaces the fuel has moisture in it. Temperature changes cause it to condense.

Correct and that has nothing to do with ethanol in the gasoline.
 
There was a test run with higher Alcohol content that did not go well for the E-I think 15 may have been higher engine.
But I would tend to believe that modern engines are built and 'Tuned' For E-10   

A major issue on SMALL engines it the lack of a computer. Thus unless you are really good at adjusting the difference between Pure gasonline and E-10 may.. matter.

ALas. I'm not sure how it matters but I'm thinking E-10 is a touch "leaner" and this in an OLDER engine not re-adjusted will cause excessive heat and possibly some misfires.
 
Condensation, there's moisture in the air, it absorbs water 50% faster then non ethanol fuel, the ethanol can cause phase separation in the tank in short it's a big problem that doesn't need to exist by completely eliminating the use of ethanol fuel ANYWHERE. Marinas offer ethanol free gas at their pumps to help keep boat owners from suffering from ethanol gas issues. Also you have to replace fuel lines that are approved for ethanol fuel, it will flat out dissolve a gas line that doesn't have the correct liner. It is a solvent that can loosen crud in a fuel systems, the tiny jets in the primary circuit of a emission approved carb are more susceptible to these particles. A carb'd motor on small engines be  outboard motor or a weed trimmer doesn't need a EMC, computer, to run the fuel system, the ecm if equipped can control timing on that engine, so good clean fuel and maintaining/ using the motor is the best practice. To the OP, use your E10  pump gas , shy from E15 if offered in your state, some Stabil will work great, start it, run it routinely, and you'll be fine as far as fuel goes,,,gregg
 
Broke Boater said:
Condensation, there's moisture in the air, it absorbs water 50% faster then non ethanol fuel, the ethanol can cause phase separation in the tank in short it's a big problem that doesn't need to exist by completely eliminating the use of ethanol fuel ANYWHERE. Marinas offer ethanol free gas at their pumps to help keep boat owners from suffering from ethanol gas issues. Also you have to replace fuel lines that are approved for ethanol fuel, it will flat out dissolve a gas line that doesn't have the correct liner. It is a solvent that can loosen crud in a fuel systems, the tiny jets in the primary circuit of a emission approved carb are more susceptible to these particles. A carb'd motor on small engines be  outboard motor or a weed trimmer doesn't need a EMC, computer, to run the fuel system, the ecm if equipped can control timing on that engine, so good clean fuel and maintaining/ using the motor is the best practice. To the OP, use your E10  pump gas , shy from E15 if offered in your state, some Stabil will work great, start it, run it routinely, and you'll be fine as far as fuel goes,,,gregg

To my knowledge, gasoline does not absorb water at all.  Gasoline with ethanol will absorb water.  So which would you rather have in your gas tank, water and gasoline, or gasoline with ethanol that absorbed the water?  If you have enough water in your ethanol blended gasoline to cause phase seperation, you have bigger problems than just ethanol blended with gasoline.
 
PJ Stough said:
To my knowledge, gasoline does not absorb water at all.  Gasoline with ethanol will absorb water.  So which would you rather have in your gas tank, water and gasoline, or gasoline with ethanol that absorbed the water?  If you have enough water in your ethanol blended gasoline to cause phase seperation, you have bigger problems than just ethanol blended with gasoline.

I'm glad you said it so I didn't have to. We used to add alcohol to our fuel in the winter time to blend the fuel and water, so it would pass through our engines. Now alcohol get blamed when the real problem can't be found.

Richard
 
PJ Stough said:
To my knowledge, gasoline does not absorb water at all.  Gasoline with ethanol will absorb water.  So which would you rather have in your gas tank, water and gasoline, or gasoline with ethanol that absorbed the water?  If you have enough water in your ethanol blended gasoline to cause phase seperation, you have bigger problems than just ethanol blended with gasoline.
What I've always heard is water causes rust and corrosion but parts have to be exposed to air to rust. And because gas floats on water then rust and corrosion cannot form in the tank because the water is not exposed to air. Gasohol is one reason gas tanks are now plastic. But when storage is over then alcohol needs to be added to mix the water with the gas to get rid of it. When looking inside the fuel bowl of a carb it is obvious if ethanol has been used for extended periods. There is white corrosion coating everything from the water dissolved in the gas.
 
House Husband said:
I'm glad you said it so I didn't have to. We used to add alcohol to our fuel in the winter time to blend the fuel and water, so it would pass through our engines. Now alcohol get blamed when the real problem can't be found.

Richard

Anyone remember what we all put in our gas tanks in winter if we lived up North to get the water out of the gasoline? Yup, Heet.  Yellow bottle is isopropyl alcohol, Red is methanol. Both are alcohol, and both absorb the water in gasoline to avoid gas line freeze up. Ethanol does the same.
 

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