This trick will keep your small engines running! How to make ethanol-free gas at home
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- Today I'm demonstrating how I make ethanol-free gas in my home shop, using no special tools or equipment. I can't believe I didn't start doing this years ago!
If you have small carbureted engines around and are constantly frustrated by gummed up carburetors, give it a try. You don't even need the big clear jug to make it work. When I was first trying the technique, I used a regular one-gallon water bottle.
As always, if you have any suggestions for improvement, let me know! I'm all ears.
I saw a guy add some food coloring to the water and it made it super easy to see the actual line.
Thank You for the Vid! Here in central Texas, 90 Octane Non-Ethanal fuel available @ about + $ .50/gal above regular, separate hose dispensed. After replacing 2-cycle carbs in weed -wackers and some mowers and resourcing on YT, I figured out ETHANOL was the problem and after eliminating it from ALL small motors, almost 4 years ago, I'v had NO fuel issues with carbs or fuel lines. .
That's not a bad price, if you're just buying enough for the small stuff. I wish I could buy it from the hose. I was convinced to try making it by all the anecdotes I was reading of bigger landscaping companies swearing by the stuff, especially for the small 2-strokers.
In Texas it’s $1 more a gallon
Roger that
@@thehacksquatchit’s around $1 a gallon more and it’s got its own hose at my gas station in MS. I buy enough of it and getting much better life out of my small engines and carbs than before. But I like this vid a lot, and will give it a shot just to ease my mind and be sure I’m not paying an extra buck a gallon for nothing!! Thank you!
I have been using Sea Foam added to my gas in all my small engines, and the gas can sit all winter and still be good come spring. Sea Foam stabilizes the gas and it also keeps the carburetor nice and clean.
I've heard using Sea Foam too often can wear out your piston rings and cause excessive cylinder wear. It's good for removing carbon buildup, but that also means it attacks oil. It's kind of like going back to the break-in stage of the engine's life and re-seating the rings. Might improve compression slightly on a really old engine. But just use a fuel stabilizer.
@@DFPercushI'm sure about that, I have a 10 year old Toro weed eater that I have kept sea foam in all year round and all my small engine equipment has it too. I haven't had any compression loss in any machines. Maybe they put too much in and saw it smoke, and decided the rings were bad. It will smoke white when you add more to do a good cleaning.
Don't let seafoam sit in a gas tank for more than a few months. I helped a relative of mine tune up a Harley motorcycle that he inherited from his dad when he passed.
His dad put seafoam in the gas tank and it sat for about a year before we looked at it, the paint inside the gas tank had peeled off and required a complete draining of the tank and injectors as well as a whole new tank..
I can see this with its cleaning abilities as it is does it while engine runs ,it works.Stabil didnt live up to its purpose either,now what?
@ChrisReparationslul The paint inside the gas tank? There isn't paint inside of Harleys or any gas tanks. It's possible that someone tried to seal the tank because of excessive rust..
I would use a priming pump on a solid wand and tip the jug on its side to make a low spot. Slug the water from under the fuel until you get raw gas into your container, then you have eliminated the risk of contamination. I had to slug off a boat tank that got water through the tank vent. Let it sit for a couple hours and when I pumped off the bottom I pumped just enough that I got a water/gas line in the secondary container.
Nice I use a glass 5gal Beer Carboy and I run it. I use 4.5 gallons gas to 1/2 gal of water. Plus I add some food coloring to help distinguish the separation layers. So
Much cheaper to do it this way. Ethanol free gas is barely available and if it is it a very long ride for like 15$/ gallon. I’ll separate my own all the time so easy!
Food coloring, great idea! I'm surprised I hadn't tried that yet, good tip. Thanks. I'll bet the carboy has a better bung than these water containers, too.
NO use two cycle oil to give it some color and help with top cylinder lubrication!!
One teaspoon per 5 gallons is all you need.
Around $1 more a gallon than what I burn in my car….but it does add up quickly!!
Pretty smart! If you marked a line where the water is before adding gas, you should be able to see the increase from the ethanol. Also, I was today years old when I realized you can just squeeze the fuel stabilizer bottle to fill the measured part lol! Always hated those things
How in the world were you using the stabilizer bottle before? Lol
@@theamaturepro I gave up on the measured portion and just free poured, like I do my liquor lol!
@@kootenaycat Is there any other way? Only reason to measure is greed 😂
loosening the cap on the measuring side helps
I have blended gasoline for years.
There are several components blended to make it. Since in this method, you are removing the ethanol. That is why you lose some octane.
MTBE was used to blend 93 premium. And replaced by ethanol.
Just in case anyone was curious.
Reformate, Light Strait run (LSR), Alkaylate, Normal Butane, and MTBE/Ethanol are the components.
just add a small amount of octane boost.
Ron Small Engines in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Perfect. Thanks for sharing. Now, we do up to 10 carburetors daily on small engines. 95% of the damage we see is not from ethanol in gas, or ethanol and water mixing with each other, then with gas, to create the acidic gel that corrodes the carburetors and plugs the jets. 95% of gummed up carburetors have varnish, a natural part of gasoline. Dark brown, sticky, and quite hard when dry. Varnish will also go and coat valves and valve stems leading to sticky valves. Valves have to be taken out, and cleaned with sandpaper to remove this varnish.
That’s interesting, I certainly see many videos and discussions of people dealing with the gel, and I have seen it on some engines that have been sitting for a long while, but the overwhelming problem here is water contamination. It happens so much faster than gas varnishing up. I wonder if it’s a difference of climate? It seems like Honda and Honda clones especially have a hard time staying dry.
@@thehacksquatch Honda and clones were the first to offer the more fuel efficient OHV engines that have narrower fuel passages and jets in their carbs. L-head engines same engine cc size consume more gas, and have wider fuel passages and jets that gum up much later.
@@thehacksquatch we have a colder climate. Southern states are warmer. Warmer air holds more moisture. I suspect that gives more water in the air to condensate from temperature drops during the night and seasonal changes. I advise people to keep the gas tank full, as much as the manufacturer will permit. Lesser air abive the gas in the tank, lesser the moisture to condensate. Ethanol sucks water out of the air because it is an alcohol. Alcohol and water mix perfectly. Once together, water and ethanol can interact with gas - that creates this gel. Gel "granules" are white, about 1/16th of an inch long. This gel is acidic and corrodes carburetor metal especially the aluminium alloys, the gray colored parts. Once there is no liquid gas remaining, this gel dries out too. It becomes white and powdery. We recover a lot less of this. Varnish sticks hard and is hard. Sandpaper will create thick hard lines inside the fuel bowl over varnish. A little more sandpaper, the varnish will disappear. However, to remove it from inside the fuel passages, we use chemical methods that dissolve varnish. Our $275 ultrasonic machine lies unused. We use Chemdip by Berryman. I get it from Buffalo, N.Y..
Thanks for all the input, I love hearing from people who wrench professionally and have a more refined perspective than us hobbyists.
I keep my tanks full at least, learned that lesson the hard way! I'd always been shy of using sandpaper on carbs unless they're already rusty, just out of concern for the plating on the metal bowls. Berryman's seems to do a great job for me though, it's great stuff. Have you ever tried it in the ultrasonic? I know some guys swear by it, but maybe it's unnecessary.
AIso, never put 2+2 together that all my pushrod engines seem to hardly ever have carb problems. This makes way too much sense. Despite all the neglect and sitting around, my snowblower in particular is a champ runner with L-head Tecumseh.
As a former fuel tanker driver, I can share a little secret, that many gas stations would rather keep quiet.
Your ethanol free gas, and even your higher octane fuels, are dependent on the correct fuel being delivered into the correct storage tank.
For instance, we had one Shell station owner who would purposely over order 87 octane gasoline, so that the overage would have to be dumped in his mid-grade tank, or even his premium tank
He was basically selling 87 fuel as mid or premium fuel, pocketing the ill gotten profits.
My point, you cannot be absolutely sure that the fuel you are paying extra for (higher octane or ethanol-free) is truly what it purports to be. I'd say be cautious of stations with owners willing to cut their customers.
I watched one of Chickanic's videos just yesterday where she tested this theory, and found that even the "ethanol-free" contained something like 5% ethanol at a few stations around her. Good knowledge to have. That was really surprising to me but I guess most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference in ethanol or octane unless their engines start having trouble way down the road.
I believe this 100, I mean, why should we think our ethanol or non ethanol gas would be the only thing we’re not being lied about in America!! Thx for the proof, though!
Beat video I’ve found so far. Easy and straight to the point. No unnecessary confusion . Thank you bro!!! I’ll be doing the same thing tomorrow for 15 gallons. Great Video over again!!!👍
I’ve always added some food coloring to the water,,makes it easier to see
An I the only one fascinated by how the siphon was started? Does that work? Just shaking the tube?
Nice. I've also seen this done the other way round where you draw the water (and ethanol) off the bottom of the container. This was in a sort of giant filter funnel where the mixture was made elsewhere then poured and left to settle before the water drawn away. Then the fuel back into its container. Great video and presentation, plus plenty of helpful comments. It's what YT is for!!
Great video! I despise ethanol gas in my small engines!!
This video is my favorite one so far, informative and FUN!
Chemistry and playing with fire! What's there not to like? Glad you're digging it bro 🤠
Thanks for a logical "solution" to this problem.
Been doing this for over 5 years
Works great 👍
Fashion a valve on the top of the bottle then let the mixture settle with the container inverted and just drain off the waste instead of siphoning.
It would create disturbances from the air coming up that way, re-mixing the fuel.
@@planetoftheabes9351 Adding a vent at the other end with a cap would work.
My water jug is suspended permanently upside down in my lab with a hose coming out the bottom.
Thanks, man ive .lived in the forest for 20 years .beyond running the small moter items I use constantly. And them I store for a session. I'll give it a try. I think I understand. But a little trial and air never hurt anybody.
What's trial and air?
@@paddyglennyTypically, they're large zeppelins found in countries where judges get to determine where they have court.
@@travistucker7317 🤣🤣🤣👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Trial and air .means take a chance and give his advice a try .
Great video . The only thing I would change is ditch the stabil . I have run across many small engine carbs that had stabil in the fuel and then sat longer than expected . The fuel had evaporated and the red residue left behind from the stabil was a complete pain to clean out . Seafoam works much better .
I will definitely make the switch to Seafoam as per several suggestions in this thread. Good to know!
Taryl fixes all did a long-term study. Found stabilizers didn't work. I don't think seafoam is marketed as a stabilizer.
@@gadasavideos8564 no it's really not a stabilizer but it helps keep things from gumming up and makes it easier to get things going again without major scraping and cleaning .
@@stevebondeson2852 yes. I actually make up a mix which is supposedly like seafoam
I found that one part ATF works great for long-term storage
Great information, thank you for sharing your time and knowledge.
Personally I use old 1 gallon wine jugs with a valve attached to the opening. After shaking the water fuel mixture I invert the jug. After it settles I simply open the valve draining the ethanol water mixture out. The valve also has a vent tube allowing ventilation.
I've been a mechanic for over 30 years and the introduction of ethanol is one of the most destructive things to engines.
Ethanol is corrosive to most rubber and plastics. It's not efficient (E85 = 85% as efficient as gasoline). It takes more than 1 gallon of fuel to make 1 gallon of ethanol.
So we pay more per gallon at the pump and we loose efficiency mpg.
Ethanol corrodes engines so maintenance and vehicle production cost increases.
Ethanol (corn alcohol) bonds with water to separate.
Again thanks for your content.
i only use ethanol free gas in all my small engines. i learned from experience. i have never made any but Buc ee's in Texas City has it in 87 and 92 octane.
Buc ees for the win
My trick for long term storage of small engines is to empty the fuel tank & then purge the fuel system with 2 stroke oil. When i’m ready to use the machine again, I just add straight fuel & cycle the primer bulb, the 2 strike oil that was in the carburettor then mixes with the fuel.
So far it has proved 100% reliable.
Nice technique, I'll bet that would keep carburetor corrosion down quite a bit for long-term storage.
Brilliant
How do you get the oil throughout the fuel system?
@@sbrunner69press the primer bulb. It'll fill the lines and carb
@@АлакПатрова ah makes sense thanks for the reply!
So glad i can get this out of the pump. Run all my cars on it. I also keep 50 gallons, with stabil, in 5gallon cans on hand that i cycle through to keep fresh emergency gas. Even with stabil we couldnt do that with ethanol garbage gas. Good video for emergency E-Free. Thank u.
Thank you for the look over your shoulder. I was waiting patiently, to see your process. When you started with the water, the light came on. This is an easy method to reverse the additive process. I have purchased ethanol free gas at a couple local( north- east Ohio) stations, but never looked at the real cost per gallon. This might be something to remember when times get a bit sketchy. Thanks again.
Good vid! Cool you still have that og tank for the 90. Good mentioning that octane gets lowered. I use toluene as an octane booster. Seems to be the most effective. It’s what all the drag racers use, I got a big can of it for free from my older neighbor who used to race. I’ve got a 71 olds 455 with 13:1 compression with iron heads that I put a splash in. 1 cup of it is enough to get 91 to not detonate running 34 degrees full lock so it must be doing at least 2 points of octane.
Well like what you did , I can get ethanol free gas here is BC Canada but its the next town away from me. Thanks a easy way for me to get good fuel without the longer drive, thanks so much.
Which gas station sells it?
No stations in Canada sell ethanol free fuel as of late 2023. Lots of people are still buying Shell 91 or Chevron 94, incorrectly believing that it's still ethanol-free.
Good info. I was worried about our vintage small engines especially ones with aluminum tanks.
Been doing this for years, never had a carb gum up . Many engines start first pull after storage . Food coloring makes it easy to see water . I decant into 1/2 gal milk jugs . If your a doubter , measure water , than measure what you didn't pour off as clean Gas . I use Regular Gas . As for old engines , the leaded Gas cushions the valve seat after first tankful, good for the life of the engine
where are you gonna get leaded fuel?
you can still by the lead additive. racer tend to use it .@@jamesmedina2062
Leaded fuel has not been available for 20+ years. Yes it did help valve seats but needed to be used continually, not just a tankfull!!!
@@gordbaker896 it is currently available at airports and has no approved substitutes projected for many years going forward.
For extra pure low octane ethanol free gas you can pull the last bit of water out from the end product by adding a little anhydrous calcium chloride to the fuel, mixing, and decanting once the solids settle :)
Exellent. may try it. I need this for a 1970 norton commando fiberglass fuel tank
Good to know a back up incase my local ethanol source decides to kick the bucket. Seems to get harder and harder every year. except the last town I lived in they suddenly added non ethanol to all the stations. it was strange and I miss being able to drive 10 minutes for my non ethanol instead of 40 lol.
Thankfully about one in five gas stations in my area have ethanol-free, including Costco, and they even have it on a separate nozzle. It's only about 5% more expensive, which is nearly how much increase in fuel efficiency it gives anyway. I use ethanol-free in absolutely everything I own, and I keep an extra twenty gallons on hand at home as reserve.
P.S. I subscribed in an effort to help you get to 1K. It takes time, I know, but dang you're getting close. I hit it last summer finally.
Where does Costco have E0? Thank you
@@danfeckeHawaii. Big Island specifically, not sure about the others.
Thanks for the support! I’m floored by everyone’s thoughtful comments and engagement. Checked out your channel, you’ve earned yourself a sub! Love that you post a wide variety of diagnosis/repair, which is my aim as well.
Additionally, you can go take a hike. I wish I had the access to quality and cheap fuel half you guys apparently enjoy!
I use only non-ethanol 90,but here it is about 30% more,$4.80 to $3.50.
I can offer a suggestion that I do. I use Aviation 100LL in all motorcycles & other small engines without O2 sensor’s. You don’t need to stabilize it. I started one bike that sat for 8 years without any issues it started almost immediately. You’ll pay a premium for it but I doubt you’ll ever go back. These engines love a little Lead! best of luck
That’s a cool trick! I had no idea it was that good. Someday I’ll make some aviation friends and skim off the supply
@@thehacksquatch It’s very easy to get this fuel. Just go to any airport with a gas can and buy it. It’s illegal to pump directly into a registered vehicle with tags!! Hence the need to bring a can. I’m guessing current prices $6.00 a gallon good luck
Today I learned! My impression was that you had to have *the hookups* for them to stoop to that level. I'll have to give that a roll next time I head over there.
The vintage-class jetski and snowmobile racers love that stuff.
@@thehacksquatch the exhaust smell is one of my favorite things. you’ll know it ain’t ethanol basted crap
@@lefin1027 Thomas Midgley Jr must be your hero.
Fortunately, in Montana pumps dispensing no-ethanol premium, and even high octane no-ethanol race gas, can be found at gas stations in many communities across the state.
Thanks so much. You can also transfer the left overs to a taller thinner cylinder and let it settle again. You'll get more depth
Thanks for sharing your knowledge about this.
water jugs are made out of PET, they will slowly degrade when in contact with gasoline.Usually geting britle. So if you use it multiple times it just might split in one point when shaking.
#2 recycle is Hdpe
I use milk jugs ... no problems
@@paule.maurice1521 washer bottles or detergent. Milk jugs work but they are definitely on the thin side for handling gas. Maybe it's the seams.
Shhh. Don't tell him facts, like the fact that 10% ethanol actually helps REMOVE small amounts of water from your fuel system and keep it clean.
Key word slowly.
I have used 87 ethanol gasoline for years in my Lawnmowers, generators, weed eaters, chainsaws etc and never a problem. Just run it dry before the off season. 3rd generation mechanic and engine builder.
I am so lucky to have a station near by that has ethanol free 87 octane at the pump for only 30 cents more than the 10% ethanol.
Got to watch out for Kwik trip, they have it in 91 octane but it's about 80-90 cents more!
Which the irony is it was implemented to make gasoline cheaper by adding a filler (Thanks goverment!), only the ethanol is more expensive to produce than gasoline but all the fuel companies did was keep the same price since it was subsidized (yay wasted tax payer money!) and pockets all the money and still charges more for the cheaper non-ethanol gasoline.
I don't know why I haven't thought of this before... I use water to check ethanol quantity on vehicles. Great point about losing some octane when removing the ethanol too!
Sweet thanks. I'll try it.
Great share and great explaination of process. Luckily, i have a Sunoco close by that sells ethanal free. Definitely makes a difference on the 2cycles and small 4 cycle engines. Even my 25 hp ferris runs better on it, which kind of surpised me. I also keep the stabil storage in my gas year round. Never an issue getting the tiller that hasn't run for 6 months to start. It always make me shake my head when i'm filling my cans with ethanal free gas an someone else pulls up at another pump and starts filling their can up with 87 unleaded with ethanal. They're the ones complaining about replacing their equipment every couple of years.
Excellent explanation of the shift in octane rating. Though Briggs and Stratton is 6.5:1 compression, most small 2 strokes have a higher compression ratio and require the higher octane rating!
If you use an ice tea type of glass bottle with a spigot you can separate the water phase easily.
A good seperation column or a funnel can help.
I've heard of using this method to get water out of gas too.
Rocking the crocks. Nice.
#1 shop/camp shoe on the market! I regret to inform that I'm now back in work boots due to the snow level.
That is really cool! I use av gas as a storage fuel too. But if I use reg fuel I add MARINE grade CRC or Sta bil. Its more concentrated. Ithe gummies really suck when customers bring stuff in after equipment sat over the winter. They said it ran fine when I parked it! lol
I would definitely use Seafoam it actually works way better than fuel stabilizer and yes always run Super. Thanks for the video 👍
Nice! Great presentation. Your channel is definitely going to grow.
Thanks for watching! I have a lot of fun putting these together. I only regret not starting sooner!
Years ago you used to be able to get hand-held filters that let petrol through a mesh that was so fine it kept water (higher surface tension) back. This was because older diesel engines, boats tractors etc didnt like ater in the fuel. Anyay, such a filter would oet him get all the fuel out of the coller bottle.
Ah, so that explains how the Mr. Funnel works. I figured as much but was suspicious and haven't tried one myself. I know some old hands and aviation guys swear by them.
I am VERY fortunate, I can purchase NON-ethanol gas down the street. I run it in ALL my vintage motorcycles.. and lawnmowers.. with the staybil.. I’ve not had issues and all my rubber parts are still soft..
With non-ethanol gas, the one who pump before you might wanted ethanol gas. You will alway get a small amount of ethanol, thats why you can buy ethanol % tube tester or you can put gas in your car for the first to clear the ethanol.
@@Jagensfurie separate hoses at my fuel depot.
While this is great to know it's also good to know how to have a better chance to find ethanol free gas at the pump. For those who live in areas where it's hard to find try looking for gas in areas close to recreational lakes. They will be much more likely to have some ethanol free pumps due to increased demand from boaters. And if a station near a lake doesn't have any they might be close enough you can ask around and someone will probably know. So if you pass through an area like this on occasion it might be worth planning ahead to bring a spare 5 gallon fuel can with you.
add a squirt of premium two stroke oil to the gas to give it some top cylinder lubrication.
Does not matter how much water you use because it does not mix with gas and will combine with the ethanol. I use the same water jug you have but mine is mounted upside down with an opening in the bottom and a hose mounted to the bottom. I add octane boost to my processed green goblin fuel.
Works great for the last five years in my Riding lawn mower. 30 minutes is plenty of time if you have a hose at the bottom and you blow air into the mix. I don't waste my money on stabil. But your young and still learning and its been good to tune you up.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'm always looking to improve the system! Indeed, it's in an experimental phase for me and I like tinkering to figure out what works best.
Around here at the race shops you can get 112 octane leaded fuel and its great to store the engines with. Starts first pull every time but damn its like 15 a gallon.
There is a guy here Wales here in the U.K. who runs his 70 year old Triumph tiger cub ,on modern E10 gasoline . It’s a small engine with a small carburettor , he left the bike for almost a year & it fired up first or second kick . The bike has standard valves & seats & guides , built to run on leaded fuel back in the 1950 ‘s . I left a 2004 carb fed Honda 125 Innova step thru ,for over a year with the modern Ethanol 10 % unleaded fuel , & it started after two pushes on the starter button . This Ethanol in fuel is not as bad as it’s made out to be, if the tank is metal & the correct type of fuel pipe is fitted . Carbs needed cleaning out periodically anyway no matter what fuel was used, it’s all part of maintenance & servicing at specific mileages .
Same here, several off road clubs in Devon and Cornwall have been running E5 petrol on 1970's/80's and 90's 2.25 and 2.5L Land Rovers and V8 3.5/3.9 Range Rovers since 2008 and E10 since 2021, never had a single problem with any of them, ever.
What ethanol gets to is the fuel lines themselves. Which then flushes the gunk it makes into the rest of the system. If there is a good fuel filter in line, you can get by it. Also if the carburetor in question happens to drain itself (some do, not by design but just incidentally) then there is no issue either. Ethanol absolutely ruins older outboards because of all the fuel lines going everywhere
@@sprolyborn2554 Who gives a sh💩t about outboards they’re for boats , not for motorcycles ?
I have 5 weedeater, two boat carbs, a lawn mower, three ATV’s and a generator that says differently. It would have been 4 atvs since all four are the same but I decided to run non ethanol race gas as a control to see and it still runs fine. As for cleaning, what solvent is better than quality gasoline?
@@dgoodman1484 Only a deranged philistine would use gasoline ( petrol ) for cleaning purposes .
We use the same principle at my work to get water out of biodiesel.
They make fuel filter funnels that would allow you to get all the fuel out. I'm glad I can get ethanol free fuel at many gas stations nearby but this is good backup plan if I ever need it.
Being a truck driver I have developed a hobby on the highway and that is collecting fuel containers that have been left on the roadside or blew out of the back of a truck. my pride and joy is a 6 gallon racing jug that has no epa bullcrap valve nozzle bullshittery. when you close the openings in this can it is air tight.
Everyone seems to love those VP-style cans and I'm definitely going to upgrade when I feel the need some day. I've been drooling over the Ai13 aluminum spouts for them too, seems like that's the money setup.
I been using VP94 ethanol free but man it gets expensive! Im going to make my own I had no clue it was this easy as ethanol is water soluble who knew 🤷🏻♂️ We have 93 premium in my area so that will probably end up with 90 or so. 🤘🏽
If this is truly a viable method for removing ethanol that doesnt have adverse effects, I am very greatful. I will definatly look into this more. In my area the difference between ethanol free and premium is considerable. So this would be a better option even though ethanol free is available. Thanks for the video.
Edit. Now that I think about it I believe the ethanol free gas is a much lower octane than premium in my area. So not only will it be cheaper but net a higher octane than what I can purchase.
Use a Mr Funnel, it will retain the water. I don’t know if ethanol will pass thru though. Thank you for this video.
I label all my (many) metal gas cans - we were separated at birth, Hacksquatch - keep up the good work!
If I had a nickel for every time I poured premix/bad gas where it shouldn't have been, before I wised up...
What metal gas cans do you find work best? I haven't seen a design yet that compels me to swap out my trusty Blitz's.
4 years ago I ran my 5hp Briggs out of gas after getting my wood in, that was the first time I did that in 20 years, the following year I filled with fresh gas and it ran like crap, I'll never run engine out of gas again!!!!!!
The following summer I took carb all apart and replaced everything that was replaceable, washed out fuel tank and put all back together, now that 1992 Briggs wood splitter runs like new. Now when done I run some Stabal in the gas and call it good.......
Interesting video. In Australia, we 98 premium available at the pump, no ethanol, or 91 with 10% ethanol. I run premium in everything motorised I own, I do add fuel stabiliser for the things that don't get a lot of use.
Running premium in anything that doesn't absolutely need it (like a boosted car 4example) is just a waste of $ and it reduces your power and mileage. You essentially want the lowest octane you can get away with without detonation, I use 87 and remove the ethanol to run in my ported chainsaws giving around 85 octane and never had a problem with detonation and they run faster to boot
@@JoshNoss the lowest octane I can buy is 91, with or without ethanol, if I use this in my older motorcycles, I get "pinging"
@@wisecampmotorcycles8258 ah that's right in Australia your octane ratings are different, think your 91 is equal to my 87 here in US. motorcycles do typically need a higher octane. Chainsaws not so much
@JoshNoss I agree but I can only get ethanol free in premium.
@@gadasavideos8564 yeah same here for me, it's 90 octane e-free but if that source were to close-up I'd just take regular 87 and remove the ethanol from it using water extraction.
Add a couple of drops of food colouring to the water and shake it up, then add petrol/gas, makes it very easy to separate out the water after standing.
I also have a cone shaped vessel with a tap at the bottom, even easier than syphon.
Yep, that's what I do.
The water technique used to remove the ethanol is referred to as extraction with solvents. Polar ethanol is pulled into the aqueous layer. The more times you do it, the purer your end product. Every extraction will remove half of the ethanol. So, you still have around 5% ethanol left in the gasoline after your extraction.
That can't be true. I only say that because with an excess of water, you have plenty of filter 'material to pick up the etoh... I guess the way to tell would be to take a sample of the fuel, read its density and see what % etoh is there after 2 washes. Tuner guys do this all the time to see how what percentage is in their e85 since it isn't consistent.
@@kleetus92 Really? Things go from high concentration to lower concentration, until equilibrium is achieved.
@@TiborRoussouKinda true. IF all things are equal yes, but when you put an excess of water in, it will take proportionally more alcohol than less water. Not sure what a saturated solution of etoh and water looks like, but i'm pretty sure this isn't it.... yet...
@@kleetus92 Dude, know any chemistry?
@@TiborRoussouyeah, been 35 years though.
Removing the alcohol cut the octane number lots.
I remember doing the math, it lost to much octane to use safely.
This is correct, higher octane ethanol is added to lower octane gasoline to make the advertised pump numbers. Removing ethanol, lowers total fuel octane. Small engines generally want higher octane fuel.
You can add back octane with Boostane or similar product-
our lowest octane here is 91 (we refer to as standard), then there is a enthonole blend to 94 octane (so many older cars cant use it), after that we have two premium ratings 95 and 97 octane.
different rating system, same gas.
If you fit at cap with a tap, you could invert the container while it separates over night and then drain the water out the bottom into one container and then the clean ethanol-free fuel into the fuel tank. No siphon. No drawing fluid near where the separation occurs.
If/when I upgrade to a container that inspires more confidence in cap sealing ability, such as the carboy that someone else suggested, this is definitely the route I'd go. Fewer penetrations and an elegant simplicity.
Yeah a giant seperatory funnel basically.
Just mix E10 100:1 with Amsoil Saber. It stabilizes fuel better than anything as far as I'm concerned and no 4 stroke is going to mind that small amount of oil. I used the same can of E10 for 3 years with no issues and I never drain carbs on anything.
That's the first time I've heard of it, thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.
Mr Funnel brand makes filters that stop water from passing thru. That could help with the bottom dregs.
In Europe Shell, BP and Esso still sell ethanol-free 93 octane premium 👏
Using a diesel tractor bowl water trap approch with a spigot like a radiator drain, would allow you to drain the water/ethanol first
You know, I think I actually have one lying around that I could use! Great idea.
Thanks, I build custom mopeds. This will help.
When you pump your premium gas pump a gal or two into your vehicle otherwise you get a gal or two of what the last guy pumped. Your jerrycan could end up with half regular. My premium is still ethanol free so I am careful.
@@Bobo-ox7fj In my experience in many parts of the US, different octane levels of gasoline all share the same nozzle. Diesel is always a different nozzle, which is also slightly larger. Not sure about high-ethanol fuel, never used it and haven't paid attention. Ethanol free is sometimes a separate nozzle, and sometimes the same as 10% ethanol gas.
@@Bobo-ox7fj there is a separate nozzle for diesel. Gas has one with selector buttons. Some of the old ones have pumps that just pump one.
Super Useful thanks!
I just shut the fuel off and run the float bowls dry over the winter. Pulled a generator out of the shed that had been sitting for 11 years that this had been done to and added fresh gas and it started on 3rd pull.
love my ethanol for my small engines, it keeps the water out . and just have the caps that work for closing the vent.
I’m fortunate to have a station that offers non-ethanol super, but if that changes I’ll have to do this. Mainly gets used in model airplanes, weed wackers, chain saw… Nice video.
Well worth the extra price when using on small engines
Fortunate to say the least! I'd buy there exclusively just to keep them in business.
You must have a decent size plane to take gasoline...I didn't even realize they were readily available! I figured the power/weight was way less than nitro making them infeasible for most builds. What are we talking, like a 10-12 foot wingspan? I'd be too nervewracked
@@thehacksquatch Over the years brushless motors and Li-Po electrics have gotten more affordable and have broken into giant scale.
At the same time electronic ignition and pumper style carbs have made gasoline more feasible, not having a heavy magneto (or back in the early days points, coil, and heavy battery). Gas engines have gotten more affordable, and available in smaller sizes.
Back in the day Nitro eliminated the need for an ignition system, but fuel has become insanely expensive, and of course cover the model in oil.
I have a 110” Rascal powered by a 30cc gasoline single, a 12’ wingspan Telemaster with a 60cc flat twin. For me I kind of enjoy engines (still fly some nitro) and having several sets of batteries or dragging a generator to the field to charge (in order to do several flights) would be expensive and a hassle.
In aerobatic competitions airplanes with 120-170cc gas twins were quite popular.
Thanks for the reply! This is really interesting to me as an RC (mostly) car guy. I’m still young but remember drooling over the Baja 5B when it was released. Seemed like they were putting those 28cc Zenoahs in everything and I figured that was the defacto standard.
Even back then getting nitro was tough for me as I have no road access and can’t get it airmailed. Every family road trip I’d come back hauling a gallon as my entire supply.
There’s something romantic about flying fuel though. I imagine a gasser flat-twin sounds amazing, and is such a cool scale look.
I learned from another video to be sure that the hose on the pump for the non-ethanol gas is a separate hose than used for the other gas. If not, the first few seconds of pumping is whatever the last customer bought.
THANK YOU for this info!
You can also turn the jug upside down and purge slurry out
A big ass separatory funnel works great for this
Brilliant !!! Thank you so much.
Stabilizer is awesome stuff 👍👍👍
The slurry that's left "I drop off at our local recycling center." Also known as "dump it on some gravel or blackberry bushes."
Thanks for the info! I hate using ethanol in my mower. I've had this mower for 20 years, and it runs like new. I don't know if using non-ethanol as much as possible helped, but I'm not changing now.
Jerk. Clean drinking water... wars are fought over it and you're f-u-c-k-i-n-g it up for us all. "thanks".
If you freeze the water / ethanol mix, you can separate the water from the ethanol. Also, could you make a video of your decanter process? I would like to see how it’s done.
I switched from Sta-bil to Seafoam for gas stabilizer. Learned it from boat motor mechanics. It leaves a light oil film on the inside of the carburetor, tp prevent varnish. Over the 10 yrs using Seafoam as a stabilizer, never had a starting problem since. 1 oz per gallon.
Great tip, I'm certainly not brand-loyal! I can imagine it would help with bowls rusting on cheap carburetors as well.
Seafoam is petroleum distillates
Your brother Bam Bam is a monster
Thank you for the knowledge... For your small engines thats going to sit long, I run it dry and add transmission fluid to the fuel line to keep the carburetor in good condition... When you're ready, you fill the tank with gas, and it will dilute the atf in the carburetor... With this you can leave it for a long time, preventing from it gumming up.
Once mixed and settled, have you tried freezing it over night to make it easier to remove the gas without the water?
It would have to be pretty damn cold to freeze ethanol water mix.
I was informed ethanol cut octane 2-3 points not raised it. In NY State the only non-ethanol pump gas is 90 or 91 octane and is, at some stations, close to $1 a gallon more than 87 E-10. For my small engines I just use that.
90-91 becomes 93 when ethanol is added.. I think it's like 100 or so.
depends on how octane is measured like others say but ethanol does help prevent preignition and knock at higher levels but there is less energy density requiring richer AFR
No ethanol free in my area. I'll give this a try. Thanks for the vid.
If you have a local airport you can buy 100 octane avgas, stuff will keep many years if in a well- sealed container. Be prepared for sticker shock though...
Very excellent job on that bro. !!!!!!
Thanks for the great video!!
I read somewhere that this method in not perfect. Gasoline is a mix of many different chemicals. Many of these (and not only the ethanol) are actually water soluble. For instance alcohols, ethers, amines and benzene. The gasoline you end up with are missing a lot of the chemicals that should be there.
I have read this too and confirmed with a petro engineer
Don't confuse the folks here with facts... they prefer their witchcraft methods.
I had no idea. Thanks for the info
Been doing this for years. I turn the container upside down and drain off the water and slurry. Use a petcock to stop flow.
I took in your knowledge and thank you.One thing my expierence is Stabil caused more carb issues than it helped.Its claim to maintain fuel keep fresh during storage.I was not impressed with its performance is putting it mildly.
I am learning from the comments that this is the case. I appreciate the tips and am certainly not brand-loyal! Will be trying K100 and Star Brite in the future.
Add a petcock to the jug bottom (a tap)and bleed off the water and cloud layer. Then it is just gasoline with quicker pour.
The water fountain bottle is a good choice.
As the the premium 91 or the regular 87...the thing about most deliveries is the base gasoline is the same the oxigenator (ethyl alch) is added in higher percentage to achieve 87 or 91. Typically starting with 86oct AKI, 3% alch additive brings it up to 87. 10+% brings it up to 91.
So for many budget brands the premium has 3 or 4 times the alcohol. Notice the sign says UP TO 10% or 15%. Yes I was a chemist in a petroenergy company.
Mid grade 89oct is typically the delivery pump mixing the two inground tanks...like a box of chocolates for Forrest
...you never know what you'll get.
Additives after separation can reintroduce alchohol or benzene to your "pure" gasoline. Find out what the octane booster or syabilizer contains.
The traditional way to "dry gas" that has water in it was to add alchohol. Stations do it all the time if the delivery truck finds water contamination. They just dump E85 in the ground tank, wait, then fill.
Thank you for the insightful and knowledgeable reply. If I'm understanding you right, does that mean it's a waste of money starting with premium gas, since what you're paying for is a higher alcohol percentage which will be removed by the addition of water?
@@thehacksquatch in some cases yes. Probably in most cases today. You will see more volume separated, because there is more alcohol.
Try a test with a 110cc column or graduated tube...or measuring cup for the gas you are buying. Put 100cc of gas and 10cc of water. The amount of water and cloudiness above 10cc is the separated water and alcohol.
If the white band is 3cc then it is 3% if 9cc it is 9%.
You can do it with oz too or just 100 millimeters of height on the same diameter tube/glass
I am curious enough where I think I'll pick up a graduated cylinder for exactly this purpose. Since we're on an island, I doubt there is a significant difference between gas "brands." I think it all comes up on the same fuel barge biweekly. Would love to confirm.
@@thehacksquatch your method is as good or better than buying 87 Oct Non Eth at a pump for just small engines...where 5gals will do you for months.
1) it is cheaper and fairly easy. Non eth is often 50c to $1 higher /gal than E10 87oct
2) any pump that shares a nozzle for E10 and 100% gas pumps a quart to a gallon of ethanol through the pump manifold before you get the good stuff. Only use a place that has a seperate pump or at least separate pump hose
3) non eth gasoline stored in the ground tanks can get water in it. Since non alcohol gas has zero ability to "absorb" water into the burn mix you get water bubbles...which won't burn. Your method is to inspect separated gasoline and not suck the water.
Only time in 10 years I have gotten noticeable water in my gas was a 100% pump gas in my Honda motorcycle. I was stumbling down a hill on reserve and she died. I removed the hose and let out almost a cup of water. Purged the carb and away she fired.
You can also get water in vented gas tanks over weeks in cold humid climates were temps flux wildly. If you get frost and dew...your vented tank will too.
Boy howdy do I know about the risks of condensation in tanks firsthand! I try to keep all (especially metal) small tanks full at all times. We have the absolute worst weather possible here for keeping gas dry. I cross my fingers every time I switch the reserve lever on a petcock, hoping I'm not sucking the mud out. Such is life with older machines.
The first year I had my snowmobile, I left the tank fairly empty and left on vacation, only to find a half-inch-thick layer of ice on the bottom of the tank blocking the pickup. I took it a lot more seriously after having to remove that tank and bring it indoors to thaw!
Very good I've seen this somewhere befor 👍😎
Look for "recreational vehicle fuel" or "racing fuel" pumps. Gas stations near large bodies of water will offer ethanol free for boats. The local oil supply company may offer it also.
Don't need high octane above 87 unless the engine has high compression; complete waste.
I live in the middle of the corn belt Indiana / Ohio; so if I can find it, then anyone can.
My fuel mileage increases dramatically when I travel out of the corn belt.