E-85 fuel in new Carb?

Gary Lewis wrote

...no more than 10%.

That's what the sticker on the pump says, but it's not precisely true.  The ethanol that the gas companies buy isn't 100% pure - it's "denatured" (so that it's not drinkable EverClear/moonshine) by adding something noxious &/or toxic (usually gasoline).  So it depends what they use & how they calculate their percentages if it's really 10%, or something close to 10%.

Ewww! that makes me want to run clear gas in my truck!

We have a station here that has a stand alone tank and pump. You don't get a half gallon of whatever was pumped last. Not too big a deal if you fill up a truck, but I like it for the motorcycles I used to have. And the lawnmower.

It's spendy though, going to have to check the price and do some ciphering.

Our stations that sell 100% gas usually have a separate hose for it.

And, it is spendy, but the cost of repair should be figured in as well.

Gary, exactly! I have had to replace or resurrect extensively small engine carburetors, some of which approach vehicle carburetor prices. Since lawnmowers, garden tractors and other similar items are seasonal usage it means they sit for several months. Most newer equipment will have plastic fuel tanks, but the carburetors are metal with a few exceptions so the small amount left in the carburetor can still destroy it.

Fuel hoses are another problem area, older fuel hoses were made for pure unadulterated gasoline and the 10% ethanol will attack the rubber and cause it either get so soft it leaks or pieces flake off causing at best clogged filters, at worst ruining the carburetor.

For anyone leaving old Ethanol fuel in their occasionally used vehicles, I suggest reading up on Ethanol Phase Separation. From what I have read, this starts to occur at about 90 days creating water and corrosive compound deposits in the tanks.

A gasoline antifreeze is a remedy for the water separation, and octane booster is a remedy for the degradation of the octane level due to Ethanol Phase Separation.
I’m using the HEET product for the water, it tested well over others in one study.

I would suggest if you can’t get Ethanol Free fuel, then leave your tank as empty as possible when not using it.

vjsimone wrote

I’m using the HEET product for the water...

HEET is 99% alcohol.
Red (isopropanol) http://fais.build/PDF2/SDS/ISO%20Heet.pdf
Yellow (methanol) https://www.wsc.edu/download/downloads/id/132/heet_gas_line_antifreeze.pdf

This TSB & those in its caption contain a LOT of relevant info:



When my old (~2001?) riding mower quit running after a decade, I found the factory fuel line swollen shut.  I replaced it, and it swelled shut again in a year (aftermarket hose).  So I switched it to hard nylon tubing, and it has been running for another ~6 years.