Fuel stabiliser

[sandspider]

It's normally the Texaco hi octane stuff I use. I've started adding b & s fuel fit to it, not had problems so far, though nothing has sat for too long yet.

[Dan Maynard]

Hmm interesting about Texaco will look in to that if I can.

 

I have been buying less at one time but maybe need to look at stabiliser again to compare the hassle of going to an Esso station, there are half a dozen in Peterborough so all not lost.

[AJStrees]

How does the ethanol free fuel compare to aspen? 

[Macpherson]

55 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

Hmm interesting about Texaco will look in to that if I can.

 

I have been buying less at one time but maybe need to look at stabiliser again to compare the hassle of going to an Esso station, there are half a dozen in Peterborough so all not lost.

 

Hi, Stihl HP super has fuel stabiliser as part of it.. but I add the recommended amount of ' Ethanol Shield ' as I have done for years just to be sure, I've never had any probs.

 

In particular where I am many of the engines I work on are outboard motors rather than saws so moisture related Ethanol problems are more prevalent / severe / catastrophic, so I just never trust pump fuel regardless what is claimed by the supplier.

 

 

[john87]

For anyone that does not use their machines much, why on earth would you want to mess about buying fuel, then adding oil, then adding stabiliser stuff [that may or may not work] when you can just buy a can of the alkylate stuff and tip it in??

 

Stihl say that petrol starts to mess up after 60 days even WITH their stuff in it..

 

For years, STIHL, as an outdoor power equipment manufacturer, has been battling the ongoing challenges that come with using today’s gasoline in our handheld outdoor power equipment. Gasoline contains hundreds of additives that can have adverse effects on our equipment. One of those additives is Ethanol, which poses the largest problem in our equipment and we needed to find a solution. That solution is called MotoMix^® and Moto4Plus. It’s an alkylate fuel which has been formulated by STIHL to run specifically in our machines. What’s special about it is that it doesn’t contain any of the harmful additives that gasoline does since we are able to pick and choose what goes into it. The benefits are a five year shelf life for new unopened containers, and two years once the container has been opened. This means that these fuels are good for two years in the entire fuel system, including the carburetor, with no negative effects.

 

Ethanol blended gasoline today starts a process called Phase Separation within thirty days of purchasing it and sixty days when using STIHL’s mix oil since it contains fuel stabilizer. The ethanol in the fuel is hygroscopic which means it is attracted to moisture and will bond at a molecular level. Phase Separation describes what happens to gasoline containing Ethanol when water is present. When gasoline containing even small amounts of Ethanol comes in contact with water, either liquid or in the form of humidity; the Ethanol will pick-up and absorb some or all of that water. When it reaches a saturation point, the Ethanol and water will Phase Separate, actually coming out of solution and forming two or three distinct layers in the tank.

 

Phase Separation can happen in underground or aboveground storage tanks, in equipment fuel tanks, and even in the gas can in your garage. When this happens, it can lead to serious and even catastrophic engine problems, without warning. When this Phase Separation occurs, there will be an upper layer of gasoline with a milky layer of Ethanol and water below it, and then in many cases, a third layer of just water at the bottom which is where the fuel pick-up is in our machines.

 

Ethanol is a strong, aggressive solvent and will cause problems with rubber hoses, o-rings, seals and gaskets. These problems worsen during extended storage when significant deterioration will take place. Hoses will delaminate, o-rings will soften and break down, and fuel system components made from certain types of polymers will either soften or become hard and brittle, eventually failing. Fuel system components made from brass, copper and aluminum will oxidize to the point of failure. Most of these materials can be found in our carburetors and fuel system.

 

When using MotoMix^® and Moto4Plus, these issues are eliminated, therefore saving you time and money. It also burns cleaner which is beneficial to the operator, as well as, the environment

 

john..

[Macpherson]

10 hours ago, john87 said:

For anyone that does not use their machines much, why on earth would you want to mess about buying fuel, then adding oil, then adding stabiliser stuff [that may or may not work] when you can just buy a can of the alkylate stuff and tip it in??

 

I take your point and agree with you for anyone who runs just a couple of saws, but there will be a lot of folk like myself who have many 2 and 4 stroke engines and using Alkylate for the whole fleet would not be financially viable just as draining down fuel systems after every use would be totally impractical.

 

I need to go to a machine that's not been used in a while [ often a long while ] and know that it will run as it did when last put away... I'm talking about everything that has an IC engine, cement mixer / whacker / quadbike / outboard /. winch / motor bike that doesn't get much use, and on and on..

 

I'd say that after using fuel stabiliser for at least 10 years that it definitely works, at least the 2 that I've used, Ethanol shield and Briggs and Stratton Fuel fit both of which I'd have to say exceed the claims made on the bottle in respect of how long they keep the fuel usable.

 

Diesel engines also need protected from their fuel if not used regularly as was discussed on another thread recently.

 

What I think is frankly insane is that fuels now seem to be deliberately designed to harm engines, which was never the case before.

And from the point of view of someone who's made a lot of money repairing these machines I could only imagine the immense cost of Ethanol damage on a global scale.

 

Anyway I'll be pulling out my rotovator in a few weeks and I'm confident that it'll start with the fuel that's in it after being not used for a couple of years.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Stere]

Husqvarna XP Power 2 alkalyte  is  abit  cheaper  than aspen.

[Muddy42]

On 14/03/2023 at 01:57, john87 said:

For anyone that does not use their machines much, why on earth would you want to mess about buying fuel, then adding oil, then adding stabiliser stuff [that may or may not work] when you can just buy a can of the alkylate stuff and tip it in??

 

Stihl say that petrol starts to mess up after 60 days even WITH their stuff in it..

 

For years, STIHL, as an outdoor power equipment manufacturer, has been battling the ongoing challenges that come with using today’s gasoline in our handheld outdoor power equipment. Gasoline contains hundreds of additives that can have adverse effects on our equipment. One of those additives is Ethanol, which poses the largest problem in our equipment and we needed to find a solution. That solution is called MotoMix^® and Moto4Plus. It’s an alkylate fuel which has been formulated by STIHL to run specifically in our machines. What’s special about it is that it doesn’t contain any of the harmful additives that gasoline does since we are able to pick and choose what goes into it. The benefits are a five year shelf life for new unopened containers, and two years once the container has been opened. This means that these fuels are good for two years in the entire fuel system, including the carburetor, with no negative effects.

 

Ethanol blended gasoline today starts a process called Phase Separation within thirty days of purchasing it and sixty days when using STIHL’s mix oil since it contains fuel stabilizer. The ethanol in the fuel is hygroscopic which means it is attracted to moisture and will bond at a molecular level. Phase Separation describes what happens to gasoline containing Ethanol when water is present. When gasoline containing even small amounts of Ethanol comes in contact with water, either liquid or in the form of humidity; the Ethanol will pick-up and absorb some or all of that water. When it reaches a saturation point, the Ethanol and water will Phase Separate, actually coming out of solution and forming two or three distinct layers in the tank.

 

Phase Separation can happen in underground or aboveground storage tanks, in equipment fuel tanks, and even in the gas can in your garage. When this happens, it can lead to serious and even catastrophic engine problems, without warning. When this Phase Separation occurs, there will be an upper layer of gasoline with a milky layer of Ethanol and water below it, and then in many cases, a third layer of just water at the bottom which is where the fuel pick-up is in our machines.

 

Ethanol is a strong, aggressive solvent and will cause problems with rubber hoses, o-rings, seals and gaskets. These problems worsen during extended storage when significant deterioration will take place. Hoses will delaminate, o-rings will soften and break down, and fuel system components made from certain types of polymers will either soften or become hard and brittle, eventually failing. Fuel system components made from brass, copper and aluminum will oxidize to the point of failure. Most of these materials can be found in our carburetors and fuel system.

 

When using MotoMix^® and Moto4Plus, these issues are eliminated, therefore saving you time and money. It also burns cleaner which is beneficial to the operator, as well as, the environment

 

john..

I do use motomix in 2 strokes and find it works well,but this esso fuel is for my old quad

[sandspider]

Can motomix go straight into a machine that has been run on normal 2 stroke? Does it risk the same rubber parts / hose breakdown as when switching to Aspen?

[Dan Maynard]

6 hours ago, sandspider said:

Can motomix go straight into a machine that has been run on normal 2 stroke? Does it risk the same rubber parts / hose breakdown as when switching to Aspen?

Yes, it's effectively the same stuff, so you can use it but same risk.