Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2012 10:23:39 -0600
Reply-To: James Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: James Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: E15 fuel?
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEu+X6oF-UGSkTvvQyRfk3M3m68oNPTEfDWxkQr5wch+46A@mail.gmail.com>
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Don, I have saved many a small engine from the scrap heap by an overnight soaking of the carburetor in carburetor dip. Wash out in the sink, blow dry.
The stuff comes in a gallon can with a parts basket in it. There's a coating of something on top to keep the solvent from evaporating. Truly nasty stuff that smells nasty too, but it works. I have had my can for about 20 years, so long that it had to have a new can to contain it.
You can get it at any good parts store.
Jim
On Dec 27, 2012, at 9:11 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> You really don't want to leave gasoline with alcohol in any fuel system
> for long, without at least treating it with some fuel preservative. I've
> been using Stabil now, which seems to work OK, but I haven't any long term
> storage experience with vehicles using it.
> You would not believe how ethanol gas can coagulate into such a
> tenacious gummy messy substance if it's just left in a tank and fuel system
> without any 'help' I recently revived a couple of our dirtbikes which had
> just been 'pushed aside' for about 6yrs. These had gas/ethanol fuel in
> the tanks (a KTM and a DRZ) and somehow, they were just 'out of sight, out
> of mind) against a Ponderosa tree with covers. I knew I would be
> rebuilding the fuel systems after that kind of dumb neglect but I was not
> prepared for the substance I found in the tanks....It was like hard gel
> that was almost unaffected by any solvent that I found... I had to throw
> away the Suzuki gas tank it was so bad, and replace, not just clean and
> rebuild, both the fuel valves. The carbs took multiple multiple
> cleanings.
>
> Now I am more careful with that crap. If I intend to store any motor
> for longer than a few weeks I always at least put some Stabil in the fuel
> and run it into the carbs or injectors before I shut off the motor. If I
> can, I fill the tank with 'Non-Ethanol' gas, which is available in some
> stations around the Northwest, and make sure to run that into the intake
> system, again with some Stabil in the tanks, too.
>
> I have a friend who's in the motorcycle suspension business. He uses
> Stabil as a solvent for gummed-up motorcycle forks and shocks...I soaked
> those two motorcycle carb parts in Stabil to remove some of the gummy mess
> the ethanol left in there...It sort of works....better than MEK, Acetone,
> or any other nasty solvent I tried at the beginning of my 3 full day ordeal
> fixing my 'storage mistake' this spring...
>
> I wonder if Corn ethanol is any different than Cane-juice like they use
> in Brazil? Or sugar beets, which I am told is very much more effective as
> a fuel source than corn....
