My First Experience with the Ethanol Problems in Fuel.

[James E Vining]

OMG this just    me off something terrible, I always buy approx. 4 Gallons of gas at a time for my Mower, Ryobi Expand-it Power head unit ( One unit but with attachments I have a Weed eater, Tiller, Edger, and could add 3 more things)
Anyway I always add Sta-Bil  ( I believe the brand name) Fuel Stabilizer and I add 3 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil  for upper cylinder lube and  I am using Normal unleaded not E-85, but I believe the ethanol is more then 10% or is in it year round now instead of just winter time.
A few days ago my Mower started acting up Started running lean to a point where to finish lawn I had to run full choke (thank god I only had about 15 sec left of cutting to do)
I took my carb apart ( it has metal Bowl, Aluminum Body and plastic floats) it had major rust inside it and the tank ( Which is metal also)
I could not believe how much rust I found in this thing. There is no way it can get water in it, I run it once a week in summer and 2 times a week in spring/winter when lawn grows fast.
I keep my bulk gas in the 5 gallon can (mixed with Stabilizer and MM oil) then transfer it to a 1.5 gallon can to fill with and I keep both covered out of rain.
The engine on the mower is fairly new, so the only way I can figure this out is either The gasoline now has more Ethanol then it used to or somehow water is getting in the fuel from the Station or refinery.
I am just so irritated by this as I spend good money on products to keep my items in good shape and to see this happen with all the precautions I take and the stuff I have added to the fuel is ridiculous.
I am curious if anyone else has seen this reaction in their vehicles or gas powered equipment??

[GONMAD]

Hi James, YES we have a very big problem with the high sucrose gas.  What I've discovered is that the crap sticks to the floats & weighs them down causing elevated fuel level & running BARELY if it hasn't cut off already from clogged passages in the carb. I recently had a problem with that garbage getting past two fuel filters & into one side of the carb & required an overhaul in the rest stop on my doorstep of my rig. More than aggravating when it's almost a hundred degrees outside. My brother & I are looking into ethanol separators for our equipment. There are a few on the market now & the prices are coming down as well. Do a Google search for the separators & you'd be surprised how many others with the same problem. Try using Sea Foam additive. It's real popular down here in Florida. Wish you well  C YA! GONMAD

[DonD]

Good stuff Seafoam but remember it's naphtha, light oil and ALCOHOL!.   

[JDxeper]

Sta -bil works by forming a film on the surface of the fuel. If the surface film gets disturbed it is no longer effective.  IE shaking or pouring the fuel from the container.  I us Starbrite additive.  It is mixed with the fuel.

[cncsparky]

All my stored gas, for mowers etc. is always non-ethanol gas with Stabil added.  I'm lucky and have a non ethanol pump very close.  Its a blender pump, so you can get any blend 10,15,20,40,85% etc you want but it will dispense pure gas out of a separate nozzle. 

Check here for pure gas pumps near you.

http://pure-gas.org/

[mnoyes]

i found ethanol free gas in my home town but it costs 1$ more than the premium....ouch!!!!!! N:(