Carnage photo of years of ethanol use (sarcasm)

[The_Eric]

Was doing fall maintenance the other day and noticed a fuel leak coming from the shut off solenoid on my 700hr Deere L110 (17.5HP Kohler Command single) and decided that I'd better fix it.

Not too bad after years and years of indiscriminate fuel use (mostly E10) just parking it in the garage after last mowing (sometimes I doll them up, sometimes not and just wait for spring). The carb has been apart twice, both times to fix a sticking needle from debris.

After reading all your posts about winterizing and fuel preservation and so on, I've started feeling a bit guilty and decided to treat my OPE to some CRC Marine fuel stabilizer

While I'm at it, I'm replacing the starter too as it's been extra draggy lately and after a tear down inspection, the upper shaft bushing is TOAST!

 

[Rand]

Wow thats bad!

 

[wag123]

Actually, it doesn't look too bad. I have seen FAR worse. Purchase and use E0 if you can find it.

 

[atikovi]

Looks good to me. What carnage are you referring to? The alcohol in E10 is supposed to absorb moisture and reduce rusting of steel parts in the fuel system. Seems like a good thing.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

That actually doesn't look terrible. If you want bad I should have taken pictures of my little HF generator after it was under water and never got cleaned. That was a bad looking carburetor.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

Maybe I am missing something here from your photos. I have to agree with the others that I think your carb looks clean. We all know that Ethanol can be corrosive, but it is not as corrosive as letting water sit in the bottom of a fuel bowl or fuel tank for an extended period. The worse thing that I have seen ethanol do to a fuel system is swell rubber O rings and gaskets that were not compatible with it's use.

Please reply and let us know if there is another problem called out in your photos that we may be missing.

 

[kschachn]

I think what’s missing is the sarcasm.

 

[Rand]

I think what’s missing is the sarcasm.

Yeah, That's what I thought too hence the ""

Carnage is rotted off fuel lines in the fuel tanks for my 40 year old tractors.
I try to use ethanol free in my house tractor.. at my cabin we go through too much gas considering its 5.49$ a gal vs 2.99
and that tractor has had e10 for 20 years now.

 

[atikovi]

Carnage is rotted off fuel lines in the fuel tanks for my 40 year old tractors.

Not because they are 40 years old? OK.....

 

[The_Eric]

I think what’s missing is the sarcasm.

Lol, yeppers. I should have ended with /sarcasm, though I did edit the title to better reflect the intent of the post.


Maybe I'm just REALLY lucky or others have bad luck? I read and hear all sorts of horror stories and never once (until this year) have treated my fuel. Most years I park them in my unheated garage with E10 and fire them up in the spring

 

[brianl703]

Most years I park them in my unheated garage with E10 and fire them up in the spring

Leave it parked out in the yard so it gets rained on. You'll probably have a different result.

 

[JohnnyG]

That actually looks really good! Of course, I can't see any fuel lines. I've seen those thin aluminum fuel bowls have holes completely eaten through and leaking. The entire kit (Part #13) is about $15.00. That includes both gaskets and a new bowl.
I just did my neighbors last year. I also told him that if he wanted to, he could coat the inside of the fuel bowl with a slow set epoxy to prevent further corrosion.
As far a hardening of the lines, I'll agree. Both ethanol and heat attack the rubber after many years and they need to be replaced.
40 years is excellent service.

 

[The_Eric]

Leave it parked out in the yard so it gets rained on. You'll probably have a different result.

You know, I actually did that one year - had no extra room in the garage so it had to hibernate outside. But generally, I agree... Don't store OPE outside, uncovered.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Good to know. I have the same engine in my old Deere L110 with only 380 hours but it has had a rough life and I suspect that the engine will outlive the rest of it.

 

[Rand]

40 years is excellent service.

Did you conflate 2 posts my 300 series are 40 years.. (now have 4 in the family)
his L110 isnt 40 years.

Probably going to go out and mow the leaves shortly.. with my 316 it was apparently repowered(new onan short block at least) before I bought it.

 

[JohnnyG]

Not sure if I conflated the posts, but I may have confused the original post with Aktovi's and your reply.
Anyway, the things in my post remain true.

 

[The_Eric]

Good to know. I have the same engine in my old Deere L110 with only 380 hours but it has had a rough life and I suspect that the engine will outlive the rest of it.

That Kohler has been a champ. Maybe not the most powerful engine, but dead bang reliable and never uses a single drop of oil. My only complaint about it is the hyd lifters will randomly collapse after use and chatter like mad at the next cold start up. I even tried replacing them with new Deere parts (looked suspiciously like a small lock Chevy hyd lifter - even the same OD).

Before I knew about the TT K46, I abused it and didn't service it, so now it growls and whines even though I've serviced it twice, so I know it's not long for the world.. Other than that, I've put tires on it and replaced the fuel line and fuel tank cap. A few other odds and ends like a seat to keep the better, fairer half happy is really all it's needed.

 

[Exhaustgases]

That looks brand new, I've had way worse.

 

[jeepman3071]

I use E10 in pretty much everything, since the only alternative in my state is the canned fuel. If you store equipment inside and run the carbs dry before long term storage you will have no issues. Marine fuel stabilizer also helps.

The most common factors I see with damaged carburetors from ethanol are:

-machine is stored outside in the elements
-fuel is not stabilized
-carbs are stored with fuel in them
-the fuel is at least several months old

 

[The_Eric]

Well its all back together and running beautifully. The new starter works like a dream! Better than the day I brought the mower home in fact - sometimes the starter would crank the engine over, but sometimes it would engage, but stall, requiring me to bump it a few times with the key. They replaced the solenoid under warranty (maybe twice?) so I just chalked it up to a defective compression relief.

Well as I said earlier, I got curious and tore into the starter and found the top bushing was shot... Egged out... Like throwing a hotdog down a hallway. So who knows what caused that starter to be a dog since day one, but I do know that $50 Amazon unit turns this engine over like a champ! I wished I would have pursued it earlier.. oh well.