What caused this?

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Ethanol is hydroscopic. Water is the villain and ethanol is the catalyst. Iowa/nebraska/& midwest farmers give us this poison that should only be drank and not used to kill our machines.

We've had this for quite some time and 6 years ago I had 1 chainsaw and today I have 61 (plus more trimmers and blowers) all given to me from early ethanol death.
http://atlanticgreen.com/images/Blowers_Saws_Trimmer_stats.xls
Most die from plastic and rubber damage/deterioration. A little metal corrosion is sometimes evident due to the water absorbtion. I have gotten most of them running again. I don't need so many saws but the education is very solid...I can see a lot of the Brits @ NOC (some here too) still seem to be in the beginnings of the in ethanol learning stage.
In the 90's, I went to cargill in Eddyville Iowa to work on the ethanol production instrumentation for the corn milling plant. I can still see it there today on google earth...with railroad tracks running right to your nearest (spark ignition fuel) distribution center. :mad:
 
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I don't use Ethanol laced fuel in any bikes and have no trouble starting bikes that have not run for a year or two. My boys have on a few occasions bought eth fuel for my bikes. Taps leak,tank liner fails,plugs die,paint peels ,tanks rust. Stay clear of it. You don't have any problems with eth?, you won't have problems ,till you do.
 
This is really a politcal issue and the votes from the corn farmers will make sure that the current situation will continue as there is an
upcoming election.
This sort of thing is hardly limited to farmers, the defense and space industries are up to their necks in it. And as long as politicians
are in bed with all this little will change.

...and if you live where I do there is no straight fuel on offer so you live with it.
 
I use the Fillup app on my phone to record the mileage when gassing up as my memory is good but short. I usually fill around 100 miles which usually has me at 3 liters left in the tank. Don't know how low until reserve. I've hit it but not when tracking it... The app also records liters and cost. Averaging at close to 54 mpg this season. Also have a Veglia speedo in the 'box'es O parts' which has a trip odo. Tried it but its not calibrated properly and doesn't have an rubber cap on the bottom.
 
Bernhard said:
Or are these cheap far eastern fuel taps?
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Well I think you are right, the float bowls were full of stuff. What fuel there was in them had turned into a brackish smelly mess and there was a gray (aluminum) almost mud like deposit in the bottom. The drain plug at the bottom was almost full of it on the right side. Cleaned the bowl main and pilot jets. I should have drained the tank and bowls BEFORE my knee surgery!!!!
Going to put some gas in the tank and slosh it around and drain it before trying to start the old girl up. She has had a hard life so far. She had been stored in a shed in Phoenix for 20+ years that I know of, before that she was in Michigan (Michigan title). Found that she had an oil leak from the left cylinder to head stud where the drilled and tapped hold had broken into the pushrod tunnel. I think that is why she only has less than 4000 miles on the clock.

John in Texas
 
norton bob said:
I don't use Ethanol laced fuel in any bikes and have no trouble starting bikes that have not run for a year or two. My boys have on a few occasions bought eth fuel for my bikes. Taps leak,tank liner fails,plugs die,paint peels ,tanks rust. Stay clear of it. You don't have any problems with eth?, you won't have problems ,till you do.
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I used to work for the City of Phoenix in the parts dept. The motor officers were told to only fill up their bikes at the city pumps due to the ethanol destroying the tank liner of the KZ1000 bikes they used. It would eat up the liner of the tank and deposit into the main jets, the mechanics kept a bank of carbs repaired and ready to swap out.
John in Texas
 
N0rt0nelectr@ said:
I used to work for the City of Phoenix in the parts dept. The motor officers were told to only fill up their bikes at the city pumps due to the ethanol destroying the tank liner of the KZ1000 bikes they used. It would eat up the liner of the tank and deposit into the main jets, the mechanics kept a bank of carbs repaired and ready to swap out.
John in Texas
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My fastback tank melted into the carburettors/inlet manifolds and got onto the inlet valves enough to make me start losing compression
I was truly gutted and I miss that extra gallon the fastback had over roadster tank I now have
 
I too had the gray mud in my fuel lines and lower screens. It was similar to caulking compound. It was blocking the banjo fittings on the bottom of the carbs. I changed the lines after this happened twice. The gray mud was not in the petcock screens so probably was not from the tank itself.

I was using some Tygon yellow fuel lines and saw that I had some leftover hose in a plastic baggie. It was soaking wet and sticky just being stored maybe 2 years. There was water in the bag. I replaced my fuel lines with some fancy hose from Motion Pro (p/n 12-0057 for 3 feet). No more mud problems. I drain the fuel out completely every winter.

Russ
 
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