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.