Ethanol: Your Small Engine Worst Nightmare

I am sure at some point, you have heard someone saying how horrible Ethanol is for your engine.  Ethanol has become more common the last few years, starting in the Midwest states and now seems to be everywhere, and whether we like it or not, it seems as if it is here to stay and is going to be used a lot more.

Ethanol is absolutely terrible for small engines.  Why just small engines and not just all engines?  Because the automotive industry is worlds ahead in ethanol technology and lawn and garden companies are trying to play catch up.

What does Ethanol do?

The worst thing Ethanol does, it attract water.  Not only does it attract water, it sucks it through your fuel lines and gaskets, causing them to swell and deteriorate.  So not only are you pulling in a non-flammable substance into something that's whole purpose is combustion, you are destroying the engine components that are vital to operation.  Secondly, small engines still have carburetors, as do older vehicles.  Ethanol will also destroy your carburetor.  The quickest that I have seen this happen, is in one tank of gas.  The ethanol separates from the gas (phase separation , attracts water, and clogs fuel jets within the carburetor, and can cause your needle valve to stick.  Third, it lowers that octane of your fuel, so 87 Octane, is now more around 84 octane.  Finally, related to the octane rating, Ethanol causes lean running conditions. Lean, means hot, which mean a whole world of engine problems.

So, what can you do?

Small engine manufactures have begun advising everyone to use AT LEAST 89 octane fuel.  Now, this still have Ethanol in it, but it is still better.  It will start at a higher octane, so as it sits and degrades, it will still have a high enough octane to not cause damage to the engine.  There are also multiple Ethanol treatments and Fuel stabilizers available on the market today.  The two that I work with the most is K100 and Restore USA's fuel treatment.  These Ethanol treatments prevent phase separation, and maintain a higher octane level over longer time spans.  Do not use Sta-Bil, I have seen engines come in that have run fine for years, and then the operator has added Sta-Bil, concerned that his engine will stop working.  The reason I know it was Sta-Bil and not Ethanol is because it discolors the gas as well as the fuel filter, and will gum your carburetor.

Are there still stations that sell ethanol free gas?

Sure are, they are rare and far between, and becoming further in between a lot quicker, but there are still a few out there. If you are filling up at an unfamiliar station though, pay close attention to what the pumps say.  Why you may ask? Because the stations that I have seen that have E85 available, are not very well marked, and putting E85 into a non Flexfuel vehicle, let alone a small engine, will ruin your engine.

The picture shown is what ethanol combined with Sta-Bil will do to a carburetor.