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Alpo

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You normal gasoline-powered generator. Will they run, with no problems, on this gasohol crap, that's all you can find any more?

 

When Michael came for a visit, Sams, which is a half mile away, had their gas pumps working.

 

But my neighbor, who has a generator (and very kindly allowed me to plug my refrigerator into it) made a 30 mile round trip, twice a week, to the beach, because that was the closest station that sold gasoline.

 

I've been told that you should use gasoline in lawn mowers, also. From what I've heard, alcohol ans small gas engines don't like each other.

 

That might just be an old wives tale. Something "everyone knows", like "you can't weld aluminum". <_< I've had many people tell me that one, and I know it's BS.

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Unless you absolutely cannot get it you should never run one with gasoline that contains ethanol.  Especially if you don't run it often enough.  The best is to convert it to run on tri fuel, gas, propane and natural gas.  The conversions are easy enough and propane and natural gas can be stored indefinitively.  I've done two, a 7.5 KW and a 15 KW.  Ethanol containing gasoline is the worst thing for small gas engines.

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#1 gas Not Reg. and a Good Fuel Stayblizer will work Ok .... But #1 with-out Ethanol is better ...

Av gas works .....Keeps things flying ....

 

Jabez Cowboy

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If you use Ethanol make sure you put Stabilizer in the fuel. I was told that You can run ethanol but you MUST use the stabilizer due to the water that ethanol attracts and retains. I was told this by a Stihl dealer and a small engine mechanic. The best thing is not to run it at all but you can use it. You should drain the tank completely occasionally. 

 

This article has some good info. Of course, it is also a sales pitch. <_<

 

https://blog.amsoil.com/how-to-fight-ethanol-problems-in-small-engines/amp/

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My JD lawn mower book says buy the premium grade to prevent damage to the rubber fuel lines.   Plus 1 for stabilizer.      GW

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I only use 91 octane ethanol free fuel in my small gasoline generators. Buy it at the little fuel distributor in nearby town that makes my bulk deliveries.  You can search on the internet for stations that sell it. It is surprising how easy it is to find but you have to look.   All my big generators are diesel.

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30 minutes ago, Happy Jack, SASS #20451 said:

I only use 91 octane ethanol free fuel in my small gasoline generators. Buy it at the little fuel distributor in nearby town that makes my bulk deliveries.  You can search on the internet for stations that sell it. It is surprising how easy it is to find but you have to look.   All my big generators are diesel.

Even in states(PRK)that only sell the ethanol mixed fuel for cars-you can find the ethanol free fuel at small airports.

OLG

 

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We have ONE dedicated pump in town that sells "the good stuff" - Premium with no ethanol. Other places have it, but not from a dedicated hose/pump, so you always get, what, a gallon(?), of whatever the last guy pumped first. 

I keep a couple 5 gal cans around for small engine use - generator, lawn mower, log splitter, tiller, pressure washer, etc.

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45 minutes ago, SHOOTIN FOX said:

Just remember 100ll avgas is corrosive. Use marval mystey oil to mix with avgas to prevent corrosion in your tank.

It's not the tank, as AC use steel and alum for fuel tanks. It's the exhaust and such that might be of concern.

As long as you don't have FI or a 'cat', you're GTG.

MMO is mostly mineral oil with some solvents.

Wouldn't use avgas in any 2-stroke.

OLG

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17 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

As long as you don't have FI or a 'cat', you're GTG.

MMO is mostly mineral oil with some solvents.

Wouldn't use avgas in any 2-stroke.

OLG

Been running 100LL in the moped for years.  It can sit for months without gumming the tiny jets.  The bowl evaporates without leaving a varnish.  Just prime the carb and it starts right up.  No issues with the steel gas tank.  Why do you recommend against it?  What problems should I be checking for?

 

The generator always use to run straight gasoline from the local jobber.  Now that fuel requires stabilizer to last more than a couple months.  We run VP race gas in the generator and all off road engines now.  It doesn't require any stabilizer and is ready to go whenever you ask it to.  Then there is that scent.

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Run the 15% ethanol blend if thats all you can get in an outage.  It will get you through the storm.  Then drain your system and get quality gasoline through it to flush out any remaining ethanol blend.  Do not run the full ethanol fuel unless your generator is rated for it.  

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You can only get 10 % ethanol blended gas where I am, I use Star-Tron additive in all my small engine equipment and my generator. I have never had a problem with the ethanol based gas damaging the plastic fuel lines since I started using it. Here's a link...

http://www.starbrite.com/category/star-tron-small-engine

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I've been using 10% ethanol gas doped with StaBil stabilizier in my fourwheeler, dirt bike, weedeater, chainsaws, etc. for several years with no issues. Just don't forget the stabilizer. 

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Had my generator some 15 years now and run it 3x a year. Use that 10% ethanol always treated with StaBil. Never a problem with any of my machines. Now the boat motor I use ethanol free premium and the mechanic told me to also use the marine StaBil in it because he has begun seeing problems with engines that use ethanol free fuel.

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Alpo, If there is a WaWa's near you they sell non-ethanol gas. Usually about .25 cents higher than regular. I don't know about north Florida but they are everywhere in central Florida. If you store it for any length of time though, use a stabilizer.

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A quarter? Hell, I'd put that in my truck.

 

There's a station about a mile from me, that sells gasoline. It's normally about a dollar a gallon more.:o

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I run my small engines on midgrade and it usually has ethanol at 10-15%.  I also keep a small amount of Premium ethanol free around.  Small engines are run dry if they are not going to be used again in the next month.  Stabil goes in anything that can't be run dry and isn't used daily.  I've rebuilt a carb and replaced another where I did not follow this practice.

 

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1 hour ago, J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE said:

I run my small engines on midgrade and it usually has ethanol at 10-15%.  I also keep a small amount of Premium ethanol free around.  Small engines are run dry if they are not going to be used again in the next month.  Stabil goes in anything that can't be run dry and isn't used daily.  I've rebuilt a carb and replaced another where I did not follow this practice.

 

Even when you run the engine 'dry'. There's still some fuel left in the carbs bowl.

OLG

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I forgot to mention the I ran a brand new lawn mower for 5 years in Oregon using 92 octane 10% ethanol gasoline and always used stabilizer in the fuel with zero problems. The mower never saw “real” gas. It was used at least once a week for 6 months out of each of the 5 years. It still runs like a champ.

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2 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Higher octane gas. 91 or 92 nowadays. 

 

Don't know why I didn't think of high test gas......DUH.

 

Thanks Pat, now I feel like a DS. :blush:

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