Ethanol Free Gas

[Greg57]

After doing some research, I decided that the consensus as well as the logic was compelling enough for me to pay the slight extra expense and use non-ethanol fuel in my 2024 CC LT50 [despite the CC dealer advising me to just use regular unleaded upon purchase]. Just curious what some others here do. Do you go out of your way to use ethanol free, or do you trust E10 for these small engines that are stored for winter? Or do some of you just switch to ethanol free in the late fall before storage?

[Red Dave]

Originally Posted by Greg57

After doing some research, I decided that the consensus as well as the logic was compelling enough for me to pay the slight extra expense and use non-ethanol fuel in my 2024 CC LT50 [despite the CC dealer advising me to just use regular unleaded upon purchase]. Just curious what some others here do. Do you go out of your way to use ethanol free, or do you trust E10 for these small engines that are stored for winter? Or do some of you just switch to ethanol free in the late fall before storage?

I used to use E 10 in everything year around, but then I had a bad experience with the carburetor of a brand new Cub Cadet snow blower about 5 years ago when the carb corroded with E 10 in it over the summer. The manual said that E 10 was OK to use, but the dealer told me to only use non-ethanol because of their experience with E 10.

When I bought my ZT2 last summer, the salesman (who used to work in their shop) told me to use E 10 all summer, but switch to non-ethanol for the last few fill ups in the fall so that the E 10 is flushed out for winter storage. He advised against leaving E 10 in the carb over the winter. That manual also says that E 10 is OK to use. The Cub Cadet dealer disagrees.

BTW, I have used (and still use), E 10 for 25+ years in my 57 year old 125 and my 58 year old 123 year 'round with no ill effects so far. Also my 85 year old Farmall B has used E 10 for many years without problems. And I don't drain either the gas tank or the carburetor on any of them over the winter.

The older equipment seems to be more tolerant of ethanol than the newer stuff. Doesn't make any sense to me, but that is what seems to work.

[Graflex45]

Originally Posted by Red Dave

I used to use E 10 in everything year around, but then I had a bad experience with the carburetor of a brand new Cub Cadet snow blower about 5 years ago when the carb corroded with E 10 in it over the summer. The manual said that E 10 was OK to use, but the dealer told me to only use non-ethanol because of their experience with E 10.

When I bought my ZT2 last summer, the salesman (who used to work in their shop) told me to use E 10 all summer, but switch to non-ethanol for the last few fill ups in the fall so that the E 10 is flushed out for winter storage. He advised against leaving E 10 in the carb over the winter. That manual also says that E 10 is OK to use. The Cub Cadet dealer disagrees.

BTW, I have used (and still use), E 10 for 25+ years in my 57 year old 125 and my 58 year old 123 year 'round with no ill effects so far. Also my 85 year old Farmall B has used E 10 for many years without problems. And I don't drain either the gas tank or the carburetor on any of them over the winter.

The older equipment seems to be more tolerant of ethanol than the newer stuff. Doesn't make any sense to me, but that is what seems to work.

There was a somewhat heated back and forth I put my 2 cents into as a younger collector and was very hand wavy dismissed when someone posted that my state of NY was eying plans to get rid of ethanol free gas eventually (haven't kept up with where that went, only I still see it available for now.)
A very mechanically simple engine like a cast iron Kohler or B&S will work happily on ethanol gas. Before tetraethyl lead was patented as as gas additive the petroleum companies experiments showed ethanol blends could combat knocking and work great as fuel, they just couldn't patent that because it was too simple and not a novel enough development.
You just have to replace any rubber or other polymer fuel system components that ethanol attacks and make sure the carb is properly adjusted to the gas youre putting in it so its not running too rich. The great advantage of ethanol gas is the alcohol makes residual water in the tank dissolveable in the gas so it passes through and is vaporized, not building up in the carb bowl or filter until it causes a problem. (water removal additives are just methanol or ethanol to make the water dissolve into the gas)
Newer engines corroding from ethanol gas can be put down to simple cost cutting. cheaper aluminum or other white metal alloys that corrode terribly from the moisture. maybe thoroughly clean them so there are no residual cutting lubricants or machining residues that might accelerate corrosion?

[Road_Clam]

I've had zero Ethanol issues over the past 20 years as long as I use my goto additive on my equipment that may see extended storage. This stuff WORKS.



https://shop.starbrite.com/products/...te-gas-formula

[green407]

Originally Posted by Red Dave

The older equipment seems to be more tolerant of ethanol than the newer stuff. Doesn't make any sense to me, but that is what seems to work.

I think the older stuff tolerates it better because they were made of high quality materials, unlike the Chinesium of today.

[Ozcub]

The plastic and rubber tubing do not like Ethanol , you can tell by the smell as they deteriorate
Oz