Shell V power/BP Ultimate

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

This would be pinking would it not.

 

No, this would be the exact opposite to 'pinking' which occurs when the detonation is too soon in the cycle. This occurs with fuels too low in octane for the compression of the engine.

Also with old fuel which has lost its octane rating.

 

But you will not hear pinking on a saw like you would in an old car.

 

aye, "pre-ignition"

[TGB]

This would be pinking would it not.

 

No, this would be the exact opposite to 'pinking' which occurs when the detonation is too soon in the cycle. This occurs with fuels too low in octane for the compression of the engine.

Also with old fuel which has lost its octane rating.

 

But you will not hear pinking on a saw like you would in an old car.

Ah, thank you. I wondered if I was talking backwards when I typed it. I stand corrected

Also, I didn't know about octane loss in old fuel. An education just being here.

[GardenKit]

Just read this whole thread with interest. Would it be best to empty fuel tanks they'll not be used for a while, to stop ethanol/moisture content doing it's worst?

 

Yes, but there are better ways.

More on this later when I have time to post detail.

[GardenKit]

Would it be best to empty fuel tanks they'll not be used for a while, to stop ethanol/moisture content doing it's worst?

 

I am not in favour of emptying tanks. I see many machines that have been left empty for a while. Very often I will find the carb diaphragms have hardened and often split, as well as finding dry, powdery residue from evaporated fuel.

 

This has occured because when the diaphragm material was made it contained chemicals to keep it supple and resist hardening, but these chemicals have been leached out by the solvents in the pump petrol.

To some extent those same solvents kept the material soft (whilst very slowly dissolving it)

When the petrol is removed the diaphragms harden and split. Sometimes they will 'rehydrate' when refilled with petrol, but will never be quite the same again, and any residue in the carb can sometimes wash into the jets causing issues.

 

In my opinion hoses an diaphragms should be stored 'wet', but only with fresh petrol, which is difficult to achieve.

 

There are a couple of ways of solving the storage issue.

 

The simplest and cheapest is to add a fuel stabiliser to your petrol. This can extend the shelf life of petrol up to a year.

Several brands are available and in recent tests it was found that they do work to various degrees.

 

My preferred course of action is to use Aspen fuel, as it is chemically pure, contains no solvents and will last up to 5 years, even in the machine. It will not leach the preservative chemicals from rubber or leave residue in the carb. Aspen would be left in the tank even during storage.

There are many other benefits from Aspen, but some find the cost to be a drawback.

 

I am currently evaluating some new products to help extend the life of petrol and combat the effects of petrol, so that I can offer some degree of help to my customers not wanting to use Aspen.

 

The B3C range of products include stabilisers which combat the negative effect of ethanol and lower the burn temperature, as well as extending the life of fuel whilst 'conditioning' rubber and plastics. It also encapsulates bound water, allowing it to pass through the engine harmlessly.

 

B3C also supply 2 stroke oil (fd rated) which is formulated to bond with ethanol, which most oils do not.

 

B3C Tank shields are absorbant pads which you place in your fuel can. They stabilise the fuel as well as absorbing the water. These shields can be used up to 10 times, and if used in conjunction with the Ethanol Shield Stabiliser will offer good protection.

[shavey]

Perfectly put Garden . Just like to add in the U.S. they are having an epidemic of small engine failures due to the higher ethanol content over there .

 

last year T C D brought this up last year on a thread about ethanol on the Dolmar USA website click on dolmar videos there was a ethanol reveiw :thumbup:

[shavey]

last year T C D brought this up last year on a thread about ethanol on the Dolmar USA website click on dolmar videos there was a ethanol reveiw :thumbup:

 

http://www.dolmar.usa.ethanol/overveiw

[GardenKit]

One of todays jobs shows the result of storing a carb with stale fuel.

 

[santacruz]

I now do very little work with my saw probably a galon a month, I use stihls blue oil what ever its called, only because they didnt have the regular red stuff. It mentioned it had a fuel stabilizer in it. Do you think it will give the fuel a shelf life of over a month.

[MATTMOSS]

A friend of mine went to local shell filling station with his motorbike last week and thought he would treat it to a tank of the expensive petrol, a hundred yards down the road and his bike conked out.

After having to have it recovered and the fuel system stripped and cleaned it turns out that they are having to have the fuel analysed to see what it is? It seems to be something similar to turps or paint stripper. He is currently dealing with trading standards trying to recover repair costs. I am sure this is an isolated case and something to do with the garage and not shell, but I bet he wishes he didn't bother.

[Stubby]

A friend of mine went to local shell filling station with his motorbike last week and thought he would treat it to a tank of the expensive petrol, a hundred yards down the road and his bike conked out.

After having to have it recovered and the fuel system stripped and cleaned it turns out that they are having to have the fuel analysed to see what it is? It seems to be something similar to turps or paint stripper. He is currently dealing with trading standards trying to recover repair costs. I am sure this is an isolated case and something to do with the garage and not shell, but I bet he wishes he didn't bother.

 

Be interested in the outcome if you ever find out