I forgot the name of a recommended E10 gas tank cleaner.

cyclops222

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Put a gallon of E10 gasoline in a brand new 42 gallon tank April 15. Went on vacation. Opened the tank on October 18. Smelled no gasoline fumes. I think sitting in a plastic shed all summer evaporated it all. What steps if any are needed. I will only be filling it with NON E10 from Pennsylvania station.
Thank you.
 

Scott Danforth

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if it was vented to atmostphere, it would have all evaporated by May in such a large tank

Not sure you need to do anything with only one gallon of fuel in the tank.
 

airshot

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No worries, just fillup and go !! People make issues over E10 that are not really there....been using it since it came out...follow simple directions and no issues...not one !!
 

cyclops222

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Thank you everyone. (y)

I just remembered that I DO NOT ever drain out any E10 gas in the riding mower tank. Just close the tank valve. Then run the line and carburetor dry at idle speed. Been doing it for decades. Every winter.
 

airshot

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Thank you everyone. (y)

I just remembered that I DO NOT ever drain out any E10 gas in the riding mower tank. Just close the tank valve. Then run the line and carburetor dry at idle speed. Been doing it for decades. Every winter.
Yep....I do use a stabilizer over the winter and over the summer in my snowblowers. After decades of using E10 fuels, no issues. Have two neighbors into old cars, over 18 cars between the two of them....E10 fuels with stabilizer and no problems.....
 

pgandw

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Problems with E-10 seem to occur in particular places in the US, but certainly not everywhere. Problems seem to be more prevalent in very high humidity areas that have high condensation (and dew) when the temp drops below the dew point (happens frequently in Eastern NC, as my neighbors will attest).

EPA regs regarding gas tanks and motors made more recent motors more susceptible. The size of the motor is also important. My 5hp Honda, even though a 2001 model, has problems with E-10 or not, just because any impurity will clog the tiny passages in the carb. Where my 115hp Suzuki might cough but keep running at reduced RPM if I don't run it at high RPMs on a monthly basis, the Honda 5 would quit and not start until the carb was cleaned again. Even after being run dry after every time it was used.

Older mowers and other small gas engines generally run fine no matter what, but 2020 and newer Briggs & Stratton engines can't be depended upon to start. And automatic chokes make things worse.

I have switched to non-ethanol gas except for the autos. And use Stabil to help. Running an engine at least once a month at higher RPMs seems to make a big difference at keeping them starting and operating as intended.

Note I never had any problems in Colorado, California, or coastal Alaska except that carbureted 2 stroke small engines were hard starters at altitudes above 5,000ft.
 

airshot

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Most E fuel issues start at the supplier...many do not maintain their tanks and equipment so you are buying poor fuel to start. We have a local co-op fuel supply that are very good at maintaining their fuel supplies and equipment. Been using their fuel as have numerous neighbors for a few years and not one issue !! Folks using the big brand name stations have had all kinds of problems......
 

cyclops222

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I just bought 32 gallons of WAWA 0% Regular gas. Busy at all the pumps in Easton, Pa. In those red rounded top tanks. Will test run in March / April. And in October.
 

airshot

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I just bought 32 gallons of WAWA 0% Regular gas. Busy at all the pumps in Easton, Pa. In those red rounded top tanks. Will test run in March / April. And in October.
As with any gasoline a stabilizer should be used for storage over 3 months !
 

cyclops222

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We geezers never needed to use stabilizers in 0% Ethanol. In boats or cars for years. Ethanol strikes fear on the web.
I do not buy that stabilizers are needed in 0 % E gasoline.
 

airshot

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We geezers never needed to use stabilizers in 0% Ethanol. In boats or cars for years. Ethanol strikes fear on the web.
I do not buy that stabilizers are needed in 0 % E gasoline.
Gumout came out in the 60's, to keep gasoline from turning to varnish and clogging up carbs. Used to work for a local outboard repair shop in the early to mid 60's, most of our work was cleaning the varnish and crud out of the carbs of motors. Gumout was created to help stop or slow down that buildup. Used gumout up until stabil became popular.
 

cyclops222

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You are correct about varnish build ups in run dry motors. Carburetors in general would dry out after shutdown due to hot engine.
Then E gasoline was started in gas stations. Loads of Problems as all that old varnish was suddenly dissolved. COUGH COUGH said all the engines. Many did survive the Ethanol gasoline solvent dissolving all the releasing of the varnish.
Oh well. EPA has created a new varnish problem in all Direct Fuel Injection engines. The fuel is squirted only at the cooler intake valve. Leading to sludge build up problems.
Oh well.
 

airshot

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You are correct about varnish build ups in run dry motors. Carburetors in general would dry out after shutdown due to hot engine.
Then E gasoline was started in gas stations. Loads of Problems as all that old varnish was suddenly dissolved. COUGH COUGH said all the engines. Many did survive the Ethanol gasoline solvent dissolving all the releasing of the varnish.
Oh well. EPA has created a new varnish problem in all Direct Fuel Injection engines. The fuel is squirted only at the cooler intake valve. Leading to sludge build up problems.
Oh well.
Another reason to run a fuel conditioner on a regular basis, whether E or non E fuel....
 

Lou C

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Ironically E10 IS a fuel tank cleaner! That’s what seemed to cause the problems, the solvent action of the alcohol cleaned out deposits & varnish left from past use. I have not had problems with E10 in the boat but in small engines I installed a shut off valve and drain all carbs with float bowls, little 2 strokes with cube carbs I just start them once a month…
 

Lou C

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Thinking back when we had to switch from straight gas to e10, about in 2004/5, the only thing I noticed was a red jelly like deposit in my fuel filter, after that each year I have dumped out the fuel into a mason jar when I change the filter in the spring and it always looks like this:gas from boat .JPGgas from boat 2021 season.jpg
I seem to average 6-8 seasons between carb cleanings/rebuilds, might up-grade to the Racor with the metal bowl to get even better filtering than the Sierra or BRP filters I have used for years.....
 

Lou C

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You are correct about varnish build ups in run dry motors. Carburetors in general would dry out after shutdown due to hot engine.
Then E gasoline was started in gas stations. Loads of Problems as all that old varnish was suddenly dissolved. COUGH COUGH said all the engines. Many did survive the Ethanol gasoline solvent dissolving all the releasing of the varnish.
Oh well. EPA has created a new varnish problem in all Direct Fuel Injection engines. The fuel is squirted only at the cooler intake valve. Leading to sludge build up problems.
Oh well.
this new direct injection headache is what has caused me to hang on to my old '07 Jeep 5.7 Hemi, no EFI problems with this beast over 130,000 miles of use. I looked at the Bronco, the 2.3 is direct injected, the 2.7 has TWO (2) EFI systems, one to satisfy the clowns at the EPA, who need to be reeled in, the other to keep that one CLEAN. No thanks I say. Toyota-san is doing the same thing. Oh, how nice it is, to have a properly tuned Rochester Quadrajet on top of my little 4.3 V6, as God and Ed Cole (GM engineer) intended, and I even have a like new Holley 4160 in the garage as a spare....
 
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