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ETHANOL BAD NEWS FOR SMALL ENGINES With many regions of the country subjected to air quality issues, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated the development and deployment of oxygenated fuels. The oil industry came up with two oxygenates - Methyl Tetra-Butyl Ether (MTBE) and ETHANOL - to blend into gasoline to meet this requirement. MTBE was found to contaminate ground water supplies so it was phased out in favor of ETHANOL. Subsequently, air quality legislation that Congress passed in 2005 and 2007 mandated that fixed minimum amounts of biofuels be blended into gasoline, 7.5 billion gallons in 2012 and up to 36 billions in 2022. Because of these hard minimums, refiners will have to increase the amount of ETHANOL blended to meet these goals. What's the problem with ETHANOL? Prior to the introduction of ETHANOL, the primary concern regarding gasoline was stale gas left in fuel tanks and engines. With the introduction of ETHANOL, a myriad of other problems related to gasoline have surfaced in off-road engines, among them being: Because ETHANOL is an oxygenate, it degrades the octane level of the gas much more quickly. ETHANOL is a solvent that can lead to the breakdown of rubber, plastic, fiberglass, aluminum, bronze, and copper components, especially at higher ethanol concentration levels. ETHANOL is an hygroscopic alcohol, meaning that it absorbs water. Water is prevalent in all gasoline and can come from sources such as the atmosphere (rain, humidity, and condensation from hot/cold heat variances), sprinklers, and water present in gas station storage tanks. While the hygroscopic property of ETHANOL of an by itself is not bad, when too much water is introduced to the gasoline/ETHANOL mixture, a process called phase separation occurs, where the ETHANOL/water molecules physically separate from the gasoline and drop to the bottom of the tank. Problems can occur if this ETHANOL/water blend sits in the engine for an extended time after being fed through the fuel system or if the engine is run while the fuel pickup sits in the phase separated ETHANOL/water mixture layer. Because ETHANOL is an alcohol, and especially when it is mixed with water in phase separated gasoline, ETHANOL repels oil, washing away the lubricating properties of oil in the combustion chamber. This causes engine overheating and seizures, and is especially prevalent in two-cycle engines. How can you tell if an engine has been affected by ETHANOL? Engines that have been affected by ETHANOL will exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: Water found at the bottom of the fuel tank. Hard to start, rough running, wide engine speed variances. White residue in the combustion chamber caused by the corrosion of metal components within the fuel system. Hardened rubber and plastic components, including fuel tanks, tubes, hoses, gaskets, seals, and diaphragms. Leaking fuel tanks, especially if these fuel tanks are made of fiberglass. Clogged fuel filters and carburetors. Seizure or score marks on the exhaust side of the piston Manufacturers are now recommending using 89 octane gas in units and in 2-cycle products, 2-cycle oil with a synthetic blend to handle the extra heat caused by ethanol. |