Honda TRX700XX Forum - Club700XX banner

Ethanol in Gas

4K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  1985mustanggt50 
#1 · (Edited)
I haven't seen this posted on here at all, so I thought I would let every one know something I found out last winter. For all of you that have ethanol in your gas, you should be worried if you let your quads/bikes/small engines sit too long. I stopped in a sled shop last winter to get some carbides for my CAT, and was BSing with the guys about anything and everything. They were a small shop, and they had 17 sleds in there I think all with blown engines. They said that it was due to the ethanol seperating from the gas (I guess kind of like how was does if there is air in there and you let them sit for a while). I realize that it is now winter, and I am sure some people aren't riding their quads quite as much, which a lot of people don't ride their sleds in the summer time (unless you ride across lakes like me :)). Anyway, they said that when you run straight ethanol after the gas is used up, that it is like running straight NOS into your engine. I am not up to par that much really and all the workings of engines (I am a NUKE), but I know enough what that means. So they were advertising this stuff, and for the life of me I can't remember, but tomorro when I go race, I will look in my trailer and post again what its called, but it is suppose to either eat up the ethanol (like stabil does to water I think) or recombine it back with the gas. I just thought I would give you all a heads up if you are from a place that uses ethanol like the Northeast. The guy said they were having the same problem with boats as well. I haven't looked at my quad enough to know if there is a simple drain on it (like there are on the bottom of carbs) to drain any out, but I put this stuff in all the time like its a religion. Hope this helps anyone, and if anyone has any questions, I am sure one of the fine people on here that have more of an idea of what it could do can explain it to you.

It is called Startron, and STABIL has a version as well. It is a Enzyme fuel treatment. http://mystarbrite.com/startron/content/view/93/123/lang,en/
 
See less See more
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Sorry Smo0oth, but it is what I heard. And they had tons of sleds in there with blown engines, so apparently if they didn't know what they were talking about, then there is another cause for all the blown engines. As I said, I am no expert on the matter, I was just relaying what I heard, and that wasn't the only place I heard it from. I realize that a lot of today's engines are compatible with Ethanol, otherwise they wouldn't be using it everywhere, but an excessive amount of it I would think could cause damage. Isn't that why they are limited to a certain percentage at the pump? I will have to look it up to see if ethanol will seperate, but if it does, then they could be right.
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Alrighty, so I feel a little dumb. As I said, this was over a year ago when I went to this shop. I called them up, and they said the problem was with mainly two stroke engines, b/c of how ethanol draws moisture, which is what you all were saying. Ethanol is less volatile as stated above, and the problems they were having was that the moisture/ethanol mixture that seperates from the gas (ethanol will seperate from gasoline when it is combined w/ a certain percentage of moisture) will compete with the oil mixed with the gas, therefore the engine wont have enough lubricant, which we know what will happen in that case.
I then asked about the whole NOS thing, as I remember that part, obviously, and he said the only thing he could think of that someone at the shop could of mentioned NOS last year was that they were doing some work to a sled and installed a NOS kit. So now I feel really dumb, as I was getting 2 different things mixed up. He did say though that the enzyme treatment has helped out drastically with the people around them using it. Something about them sending samples in for tests and whatnot.
So, I am sorry for the misguided post above, but it was a year since I heard it, and thought maybe it would help someone out, and that some others would enlighten the rest of us.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top