Lawnmower 2cycle and 4cycle fuel

[Greaser73]

Hi,
Many years ago I have taken a small engine repair course as a hobbiest I remember a discussion on using gasonline without ethanol being better for your lawnmower. I am currently restoring a vintage Clinton engine era.1950's lawnmower which I will mix fuel at 32:1 and was wondering if I could get a a little bit of a edge by using a premium gasoline ;V power and if it really matters at all in how this engine will run.
Thank you for your time.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Lawn mower engines are low compression, low performance relatively speaking ... so doubt you'd notice any difference from using a premium gasoline.

 

[Kamele0N]

+1
Only exception is if OPE equipement is tuned...like high end chainsaws etc...

 

[Kamele0N]

+1
Only exception is if OPE equipement is tuned...like high end chainsaws etc...

 

[andyd]

I wouldn't use 32:1 on an old engine that uses bushings or ball bearings instead of needle bearings. Stick with 16:1

 

[Kamele0N]

With nowadays oils...I think that you are over reacting with 16:1 here

 

[Burt]

Sounds like you think there is less ethanol in premium gas. I doubt it as ethanol is an octane booster. If this is a just for fun restoration, you can buy pure gas mixed with oil in the hardware store. It is expensive though.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: Burt
Sounds like you think there is less ethanol in premium gas. I doubt it as ethanol is an octane booster. If this is a just for fun restoration, you can buy pure gas mixed with oil in the hardware store. It is expensive though.

Yes, the presence or absence of EtOH in any grade of gasoline is dependent on the station and local custom. Some areas only offer high octane E0 whereas other stations might have any or all grades available.

Unless of course you live in an EPA non-attainment area as I do, then none of the grades are E0 even at the marina. Once you are out of our specific 5-county area however, they seem to favor only 91 octane E0 around here. But there are stations that have 87 as well.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: Greaser73
Hi,
Many years ago I have taken a small engine repair course as a hobbiest I remember a discussion on using gasonline without ethanol being better for your lawnmower.


Get yourself a bottle of Ethanol Shield. Home Depot and Lowe's both sell it. When I bought my new pressure washer they included a small bottle of it with the unit. They recommend it, as do many small engine manufacturers. (My pressure washer has a Kohler engine). Small gas engines are not as tolerant of Ethanol based fuel as automobile engines are. This stuff supposedly keeps the Ethanol from causing corrosion and other problems associated with Ethanol based fuels.

 

[SOHCman]

Originally Posted By: Burt
Sounds like you think there is less ethanol in premium gas. I doubt it as ethanol is an octane booster. If this is a just for fun restoration, you can buy pure gas mixed with oil in the hardware store. It is expensive though.


Many premium fuels DON't have ethanol but you have to research. I buy premium 91 octane ethanol free fuel from country-mark, and you can also get ethanol free from boat marinas.

Carb engines DO run better on ethanol free fuel, and run for longer on the same amount because there is more energy potential without the ethanol.

You will also never have to deal with a gummy carb, I have been able to start easily with 2-3 year old fuel in mowers and a carbed farm truck. Don't try that with standard pump gas. It's even more important for 2 strokes.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: Greaser73
was wondering if I could get a a little bit of a edge by using a premium gasoline ;V power and if it really matters at all in how this engine will run.


V Power is 93 octane E0.

You should be using E0 in all OPE especially older ones that will probably not tolerate ethanol. It will not perform any better but you will get better fuel efficiency than E10.

EDIT: I use V Power for OPE because it is the only E0 gas I have found.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: maxdustington
V Power is 93 octane E0.

You should be using E0 in all OPE especially older ones that will probably not tolerate ethanol. It will not perform any better but you will get better fuel efficiency than E10.

EDIT: I use V Power for OPE because it is the only E0 gas I have found.

Maybe, maybe not. It is locally dependent. Any grade may or may not be E0 depending on the station and region.

And the whole older equipment doesn't tolerate E10 thing mystifies me. Here in Southeastern Wisconsin we have had only RFG for nearly 25 years and somehow my OPE has managed, including a 28-year old lawn mower that I'm not always careful to drain at the end of each season. I just don't see it being the boogy man some people seem to think it is. My 19-year old snow thrower and equally old garden tractor also seem to be running just fine as well, and I never use any kind of additive or stabilizer.

 

[philipp10]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: maxdustington
V Power is 93 octane E0.

You should be using E0 in all OPE especially older ones that will probably not tolerate ethanol. It will not perform any better but you will get better fuel efficiency than E10.

EDIT: I use V Power for OPE because it is the only E0 gas I have found.

Maybe, maybe not. It is locally dependent. Any grade may or may not be E0 depending on the station and region.

And the whole older equipment doesn't tolerate E10 thing mystifies me. Here in Southeastern Wisconsin we have had only RFG for nearly 25 years and somehow my OPE has managed, including a 28-year old lawn mower that I'm not always careful to drain at the end of each season. I just don't see it being the boogy man some people seem to think it is. My 19-year old snow thrower and equally old garden tractor also seem to be running just fine as well, and I never use any kind of additive or stabilizer.


I have to agree with you. I personally believe what happens is, some fuel systems are leaky...ie they let in air which evaporates the fuel in the carburetor bowl leaving a gummy mess. Then said owner takes it apart, cleans it and re-seals it and blames it on the ethanol. I personally have never drained my OPE's and yet in 35 years, never seen this "ethanol boogy man they speak of". Kind of like never having seen Sasquatch.

 

[SOHCman]

Originally Posted By: philipp10


I have to agree with you. I personally believe what happens is, some fuel systems are leaky...ie they let in air which evaporates the fuel in the carburetor bowl leaving a gummy mess. Then said owner takes it apart, cleans it and re-seals it and blames it on the ethanol. I personally have never drained my OPE's and yet in 35 years, never seen this "ethanol boogy man they speak of". Kind of like never having seen Sasquatch.


No offense, but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

I'm glad you have been so lucky with your OPE.

 

[philipp10]

Originally Posted By: SOHCman
Originally Posted By: philipp10


I have to agree with you. I personally believe what happens is, some fuel systems are leaky...ie they let in air which evaporates the fuel in the carburetor bowl leaving a gummy mess. Then said owner takes it apart, cleans it and re-seals it and blames it on the ethanol. I personally have never drained my OPE's and yet in 35 years, never seen this "ethanol boogy man they speak of". Kind of like never having seen Sasquatch.


No offense, but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

I'm glad you have been so lucky with your OPE.


but you have to ask the question, "why does it NOT happen to all people using ethanol"? Put it this way, if everyone used gas with ethanol, but only 10% have a problem with this gumming up, why do the other 90% NOT have the same problem? If it was the ethanol, wouldn't everyone have the same problem? They don't....and I suspect its because of the varying condition of the equipment's seals.

Ethanol gets messed up when moisture is present. If you have a true sealed system, no exchange of air and moisture can happen, so no issues. I don't understand what is so difficult to understand here. If I put ethanol based gas in a truly sealed can.....it should last forever.....and I have seen it happen for years on end.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: maxdustington
V Power is 93 octane E0.


Not around here it isn't. And I'm willing to bet not in California either. I just visited a Shell not that long ago, and the Premium pump had a "10% Ethanol" sticker right on the side of it. There are only 23 filling stations in the entire state of Arizona that sell non Ethanol gasoline. Only 2 in Phoenix. And it's expensive. And that includes the one's that sell racing fuel. And some of that can cost upward of $10.00 a gallon.

https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?printable&nocopy=true&stateprov=AZ

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Originally Posted By: Greaser73
Hi,
Many years ago I have taken a small engine repair course as a hobbiest I remember a discussion on using gasonline without ethanol being better for your lawnmower. I am currently restoring a vintage Clinton engine era.1950's lawnmower which I will mix fuel at 32:1 and was wondering if I could get a a little bit of a edge by using a premium gasoline ;V power and if it really matters at all in how this engine will run.
Thank you for your time.

Use E-0 gas if you can get it. If not, try to find a place that sells aviation fuel, it's called 100, LL, (low lead), it will store for years, a little pricey but you don't need that much. Remember, when that mower was new, all gas had lead. E-10 will do a job on that carb.

 

[SOHCman]

Originally Posted By: philipp10
Originally Posted By: SOHCman
Originally Posted By: philipp10


I have to agree with you. I personally believe what happens is, some fuel systems are leaky...ie they let in air which evaporates the fuel in the carburetor bowl leaving a gummy mess. Then said owner takes it apart, cleans it and re-seals it and blames it on the ethanol. I personally have never drained my OPE's and yet in 35 years, never seen this "ethanol boogy man they speak of". Kind of like never having seen Sasquatch.


No offense, but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

I'm glad you have been so lucky with your OPE.


but you have to ask the question, "why does it NOT happen to all people using ethanol"? Put it this way, if everyone used gas with ethanol, but only 10% have a problem with this gumming up, why do the other 90% NOT have the same problem? If it was the ethanol, wouldn't everyone have the same problem? They don't....and I suspect its because of the varying condition of the equipment's seals.

Ethanol gets messed up when moisture is present. If you have a true sealed system, no exchange of air and moisture can happen, so no issues. I don't understand what is so difficult to understand here. If I put ethanol based gas in a truly sealed can.....it should last forever.....and I have seen it happen for years on end.


Luck of the draw I suppose, in addition to a thousand variables that could differ between one user and the next.

Storage and water absorption are only a couple of the issues, ethanol can literally attack seals, fuel line, plastics, etc. Strides have been made to improve materials, but his is a huge deal for older equipment and people who don't subscribe to the throw-away consumer culture.

Few things are more frustrating than a tank full of red chunky failed ethanol fuel, and the work that follows.

 

[beanoil]

Ugh, E10, the bane of old equipment.
I'm currently replacing, again, the petcock on an old moped. NOS Yamaha petcock 4 years ago, and it's toast, literally eaten away. Granted, when it was made they never heard of ETOH except for Miller, Schlitz and PBR, but....
The new whiz bang aftermarket petcock is nylon.
And this ped will get a steady diet of VP SEF or C9 from this point on.

 

[jakewells]

i use regular 87 with out problems and don't use stabil my equipment always starts and runs fine. i don't see the need or hype in premium at the pump or canned fuel sold in stores.