Anyone having trouble with engines small and large after running craponol through them?

[KungPOW]

It eats fibreglass fuel tanks (used to be common in the marine industry), thus it caused a spat of repair/retrofit issues where I work.

The stuff will disolve many of the rubbers and plastics found in fuel systems that are not designed for it.

Did Al Gore kill your swamp buggy?

[lithos]

Anyone having trouble with engines small and large after running craponol through them?

Nope!

Ah, Japanese engineering.

[Wheatfield]

My little two stroke yard engines don't like the stuff one little bit.

[X Man]

Everything is running fine here on it [max 10% ethanol]. Really old L&G tractors,modern lawn tractors, 2 stroke weed wackers, the cars.

I don't like the stuff because it's inefficient to produce and use [lower MPG] but I think the horror stories are overblown.

Regards,
Mike

[Peter Zack]

Nope but then it's a Honda.

So I'm guessing that sentence was designed to get the latest rumble started. I'll add a little fuel to the fire -so to speak. Ethanol is a fools game. It takes as much energy to produce as it saves and considering the fertilizers and other crap used to produce the crops required, the net pollution gains are a wash. That's not to mention the trees cut down in Brazil's rainforest to grow corn. Trading one valuable, air cleaning vegitation for one useless one.

OK I didn't start this thread to weigh in on the demerits of producing ethanol. A buddy of mine has been having trouble with some of his smaller engines and I was watching a news report on it just before I started this thread.
A lot of the small engine repair shops and even a few auto repair shops where going on about how much this stuff is costing in repairs. About what it does to fuel lines and what not. It keeps messing up my idle speed motor in my pickup and every 2 weeks or so I have to pull the thing out and clean the gunk out of it.

And Peter, one of the shops they interviewed was a Honda dealer so they aren't immune either.

[Peter Zack]

Oh I know it's really a stupid idea from all angles. Hard on engines and rubber parts or seals (of all motor types/brands). No net environmental benifit and causes food prices to rise.

Another well thought out decision by the green movement. I say build as many nuclear plants as we can and power everything from them. Mixed with wind and solar power, we'd be fine.

Oh I know it's really a stupid idea from all angles. Hard on engines and rubber parts or seals (of all motor types/brands). No net environmental benefit and causes food prices to rise.

Another well thought out decision by the green movement. I say build as many nuclear plants as we can and power everything from them. Mixed with wind and solar power, we'd be fine.

Even those are not really environmentally friendly however. About the least destructive is wind. And I have doubts about that.

But again, it's not the environmental side this thread was about. It's about the motors and the damage done. (Sounds like a good title for a Neil Young song)

[Peter Zack]

Well I think it's pretty clear that unless the engine and all it's parts have been retro fitted for this fuel, then you will have issues at some point. Even then you'll be changing fuel filters a lot.

You know, I've seen a lot of stations down here changing out tanks. Wonder if it's mandatory changeouts or ethanol problems. (Most tanks have to be switched every few years just seems to be quite a few lately)

[Blue]

Oh I know it's really a stupid idea from all angles. Hard on engines and rubber parts or seals (of all motor types/brands). No net environmental benifit and causes food prices to rise.

Another well thought out decision by the green movement. I say build as many nuclear plants as we can and power everything from them. Mixed with wind and solar power, we'd be fine.

There are ways to produce ethanon and methanol (even more detrimental on seals) than food sources. DC just pushed the corn because that is what a lot of whiskey during the prohibition days were made from. That's what the song Rocky Top is singing about . . . "so people keep their corn in a jar."

The mpg and horsepower issue is also something of a straw argument because cylinder head compression can be increased to take advantage of the higher octane rating. Most street engines are tuned for 93 at best or a compromise.

However, ethanol still emits CO2 and would still be subjected to carbon trading which will be the "new money laundering."

There are feasible sources of ethanol and bio- diesel which could be pursued. However, they and natural gas will not be pursued by the current non-scientific/non-engineering clowns since they are jacked into electric cars, wind machines and solar cells.

[LMRacing]

The Ethanol blend fuel will destroy a two stroke motor. The ethanol breaks down the two stroke oil and there for your not getting the proper lubrication. I ran a mix of pump gas and race fuel to cut down the ethanol content some on my jet skis. I ran pure race fuel to brake the motors in when I rebuilt them.

It doesn't matter what brand/style motor you run, the ethanol will aid the breakdown of vital rubber seals and parts in your motor. Valve seats, fuel line, gaskets. Its a good idea in theory, but not a good practice. Im sure fuel prices would be less right now if it weren't for the ethanol mix.

[Venturi]

Kansas used to be "The Bread Basket of the World". You couldn't spit without hitting a wheat field out in western KS. Now driving out west on I-70 all you see are fields of ethanol. Sad.

[DanLoc78]

Let's go Biodiesel!!!