Non ethanol gas for generators

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

is there a place to purchase gas without this ethanol stuff?? So far, the places we are stopping for fuel all seem to have it(????)

arrival should be tomorrow so we would like to have some gas before we arrive.

[Trailer Trash 2]

I believe most gas stations all sell there gas with ethanol mixed in, I hate it, it does not last as long as the earlier gas did.

[bncinwv]

Carol,
Not sure why you need non-ethanol gas. I use the 10% ethanol in my Honda 2000 as well as the Kipor 3000 and have never had a problem. If you are going to leave gasoline in the generator for any extended period of time, there are products (Startron, etc.) that will keep the ethanol from undergoing phase separation. Just my observations and curiosity??
Bingo

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Al was concerned, he was told over and over while we were in Gulf Shores NOT to run gas with "E" in it in your small engines because the "E" can desolve the plastic parts in small engines.

Any other feedback, greatly appreciated.

[SlickWillie]

Ethanol in fuel has been wrecking havoc on marine engines down here on the coast. Even running the new additives, it still works on the hoses and such in the fuel system. I've known guys that have had multiple carb rebuilds. I read somewhere the other day that the auto manufacturers, boat manufacturers, and small engine builders had filed a suit against the government to try and stop adding ethanol to fuel. You might check for stations in your area that carry pure gas here. http://www.buyrealgas.com/

[bncinwv]

Excerpt from Kipor manual:

Gasolines containing alternate fuels
If you decide to use a gasoline containing ethanol or methanol, be sure its octane
rating is no lower than the specification. Do not use a blend that contains more
than 15% ethanol. Do not use gasoline containing methanol that does not also
contain co-solvents and corrosion inhibitors for methanol. Never use gasoline
containing more than 5% methanol, even if with co-solvents and corrosion
inhibitors.

Excerpt from Honda 2000eu manual:

FUEL RECOMMENDATIONS
This engine is certified to operate on regular unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane rating of 86 or higher.
Never use stale or contaminated gasoline or an oil/gasoline mixture.
Avoid getting dirt or water in the fuel tank.
You may use regular unleaded gasoline containing no more than 10%
Ethanol (E10) or 5% Methanol by volume. In addition, Methanol must
contain cosolvents and corrosion inhibitors.
Use of fuels with content of Ethanol or Methanol greater than shown
above may cause starting and/or performance problems. It may also
damage metal, rubber, and plastic parts of the fuel system.
Engine damage or performance problems that result from using a fuel
with percentages of Ethanol or Methanol greater than shown above
are not covered under warranty.

As stated, I have never had a problem and both generators are three years old.
Bingo

On edit: Will is correct with respect to older boats, I don't think the ethanol affects newer models. My 2007 actually stated that 10% ethanol will not affect the fuel systems and engine. 15% is a different animal, that is the gist of the lawsuits from what I have read. As always, this is not presented as advice or even as a recommendation, just letting you know my experiences

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

AH HA!! All this is about what we understand and read on the net.

THANKS BINGO for typing all that good stuff from the manuels. Al says, THANK YOU too! LOL

[bncinwv]

C'mon Carol, you know it is simple cut and paste. I found it all on-line (I was at work and the manuals were at home!! Shhhhhh!!)
Bingo

[Carl n Susan]

Five years of CA/OR/AZ/WA gasoline (with ethanol as dictated by the season) in my Honda generator and outboard motor and nary a problem. But I *ALWAYS* use the highest octane available.

[noneck]

I'll add a bit to Bingo's input... When preparing to store your generator as Bingo input additive to fuel tank, start up generator to allow stabilizer to mix and flow through carb, then turn off fuel source and let engine stall gets fuel out of carb. One more thing I do is to write on a piece of that blue painters tape the date I did this and apply it to the gas cap. That way I don't repeat the task more than once.

[Rondo]

Good move Chuck! I do the same as you when I winterize the mowers, trimmers and all other small engine tools! I even dump some in the tractor since I don't use it that much in the winter and running them out of fuel from the lines and carb gets gas and additive out of the line and no gumming takes place!

[HamRad]

We've used our Honda 2000 for about 6 years without any damage from using the 10% ethanol gas mixture and have had no problems. If the rubber and or plastic was going to fall apart it certainly should have done it by now.
HamRad

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Thanks again for all the feedback and comments. Al read them all last night.

See some of you later today when we jump OFF the grid and join the MOC circle at "Q".

[simonsrf]

quote:Originally posted by Carl n Susan

Five years of CA/OR/AZ/WA gasoline (with ethanol as dictated by the season) in my Honda generator and outboard motor and nary a problem. But I *ALWAYS* use the highest octane available.

"DITTO"

[ols1932]

Have had no problems with gas/ethanol mixture in our Honda 2000i since it's purchase in 2004; except when I had old gas. I didn't adhere to Honda manual which recommended Sta-bil mixed with gas to prevent the "varnish" build-up in the gas when stored.

Orv

[sailer]

If you buy gas at a marina they have no ethonal or go to ace hard ware or west marine and buy the additive but put in 2wice what the call for, it works here in FL ,,,sailer

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Thanks Sailer, are there any marinas in "Q"??

We are using the 10%, Al thanks you all again for your responses. New generator, $$ $pent, hard to think you are gooking it up first time out. We can (or have been able to) purchase gas without the "E" in Michigan.