GAS,CARBS, AIRPLANE FUEL

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Crappy gas last few years has ruined a lot of saws. Everyone knows it. I found 1 station in the county that sells gas that does not have alcohol in it but the delivery driver tells me if the station orders 7,000 gallons and the regular tank won't hold it all, they just drop the hose in the premium tank. Sweet. I've probably gone through 30 pistons and cylinders in the last 1/2 dozen years. Before that I only had to replace 1 in 30 years. Part I blame on the carbs too. A guy at the dealer told me yesterday to put Walbro carbs on my 044's to have fewer problems. I looked today and all 5 have Zama (I always thought they were crap and they keep changing the part numbers) and all my spare new ones in boxes are Zama. Any opinion? Are Zama and Walbros knock offs of each other with interechangable parts as different venders for same stihl models? He also told me he knows a guy that uses aviation fuel in his saw. Any thoughts or experience on that? Thanks guys.
i won't debate the fact that ethanol gas sucks but something else is wrong if you had to replace 30 pistons/cyclinders in 6 years. been running 87/89 octane unleaded in my saws for the last 30 years and have yet to rebuild one.
 
My boss's have been running 87 up to 10% ethanol w/ tractor supply brand oil at 50:1 forever. Even the straight gassed saws still run. But these saws never have the same fuel in them for weeks at a time. Although the new 661c may sit for a month without running it still fires right up and cuts well.
I'm pretty careful to never leave ethanol fuel in my saws for longer then a week. I store them w/ e-free gas, now that I found E- free gas that's affordable I don't plan on ever running ethanol gas in small engines.
 
i won't debate the fact that ethanol gas sucks but something else is wrong if you had to replace 30 pistons/cyclinders in 6 years. been running 87/89 octane unleaded in my saws for the last 30 years and have yet to rebuild one.


I would have to agree. Must be running very lean, robbing it form proper lubrication.
 
I use VP u4.4 in my racing motors for my atv racing bikes for years. Never had a single issue with it.
I have used it in a few saws and it does make more power over pump gas. The down side is it's a leaded fuel.
It' will make your saw run like a champ though.
 
Nothing sits and I am fortunate enough that when there was money enough to do it, I built a heated building. Tools and parts don't sweat and rust with weather changes because it is climate controlled. I don't see how you do it. Motor cycle people, chainsaw people, lawn boy owners all complain about ethanol ruining pistons and cylinders. I only use Stihl synthetic additive and mix it rich and still buy a million pistons and cylinders.

Ditch the Stihl oil and get something that mixes with more than E10. The gas may have a lot more alcohol in it and the oil is separating
 
Why do they even put ethanol in fuel anyway? I understand there trying to stretch fuel but you can't tell me it take less fuel to grow and produce ethanol.
They use tractors that run on fuel to plow and prep the land. Then they use the same fuel burning tractor to plant and maintain the crop. Then they use a fuel burning tractor to harvest it, and fuel burning trucks to transport it to a dryer storage silo. Then use still another fuel burning truck to transport the crop to a processing plant. Then they use power to turn it into ethanol. Once it's ethanol they have to transport it to a place where they blend it with gas.
Seems to me there using more fuel then they get back.
 
Why do they even put ethanol in fuel anyway? I understand there trying to stretch fuel but you can't tell met it take less fuel to grow and produce ethanol.
They use tractors that run on fuel to plow and prep the land. Then they use the same fuel burning tractor to plant and maintain the crop. Then they use a fuel burning tractor to harvest it, and fuel burning trucks to transport it to a dryer storage silo. Then use still another fuel burning truck to transport the crop to a processing plant. Then they use power to turn it into ethanol. Once it's ethanol they have to transport it to a place where they blend it with gas.
Seems to me there using more fuel then they get back.
They put a lot of other garbage in there too.Ever get a hot spring day and have some winter gas blow up into your face when opening the gas cap?
 
I have been having that thought for a long time now. Last night I went to town and bought of Lucas and a bottle of StarTron ethanol treatment. Cost me $28 for the 2. I poured the gas out of my saw back into the saw mix can and added some of each to it and shook it up. There was about a gallon left in my 2 gallon saw mix can. Saw ran awesome. It might be me but it seemed a lot more torquey. I've not had a saw feel like it tries to climb in the air when you gun it in a long time. Gas is crap now. The jag has no issue but not very many miles, only 72k and 15 years old but the nissan stops up catalytic converters like they were donuts.
 
I have been having that thought for a long time now. Last night I went to town and bought of Lucas and a bottle of StarTron ethanol treatment. Cost me $28 for the 2. I poured the gas out of my saw back into the saw mix can and added some of each to it and shook it up. There was about a gallon left in my 2 gallon saw mix can. Saw ran awesome. It might be me but it seemed a lot more torquey. I've not had a saw feel like it tries to climb in the air when you gun it in a long time. Gas is crap now. The jag has no issue but not very many miles, only 72k and 15 years old but the nissan stops up catalytic converters like they were donuts.
Just buy a five gallon can of VP 94 for 60 bucks.
 
Performance shops usually have it.

I don't know there are any performance shops around here but found it in 1 gallon cans at TSC. $19.99 a gallon plus sales tax of $0.0983 so almost $22 a gallon. He says they don't do the 5 gallons because everyone spills it but they can get me a can for $97.
 
In my opinion, ethanol does not burn up pistons. Running too lean on the H needle does. And so does running a saw with the air-cooling passages clogged with sawdust. And so does running with straight gasoline. So long as the oil mix ratio is correct and the carb air/fuel mix is correct a saw will run fine with no damage regardless of ethanol content. Just gotta be sure the air/fuel mix (H needle on the carb) is rich enough to keep the heat under control.
 
I don't know there are any performance shops around here but found it in 1 gallon cans at TSC. $19.99 a gallon plus sales tax of $0.0983 so almost $22 a gallon. He says they don't do the 5 gallons because everyone spills it but they can get me a can for $97.
I pay 60.00 how about some big saw shops my Stihl dealer has 5 gallon cans?
 
In my opinion, ethanol does not burn up pistons. Running too lean on the H needle does. And so does running a saw with the air-cooling passages clogged with sawdust. And so does running with straight gasoline. So long as the oil mix ratio is correct and the carb air/fuel mix is correct a saw will run fine with no damage regardless of ethanol content. Just gotta be sure the air/fuel mix (H needle on the carb) is rich enough to keep the heat under control.

Everyone knows that alcohol breaks down oil films. Everyone knows that you open your H screw till it is rich enough the saw blurbs no load and that is usually smooth cutting loaded. Blurbing cutting is too rich. If the tach shows your rpms too high, you probably are too lean also. Some days I wish the saws were diesel. VP 94 would cost a fortune being I use about 3 gallons a day.
 
I don't know there are any performance shops around here but found it in 1 gallon cans at TSC. $19.99 a gallon plus sales tax of $0.0983 so almost $22 a gallon. He says they don't do the 5 gallons because everyone spills it but they can get me a can for $97.
I see it on amazon 100 dollars ,must be the shipping. Keep looking.
 
Everyone knows that alcohol breaks down oil films. Everyone knows that you open your H screw till it is rich enough the saw blurbs no load and that is usually smooth cutting loaded. Blurbing cutting is too rich. If the tach shows your rpms too high, you probably are too lean also. Some days I wish the saws were diesel. VP 94 would cost a fortune being I use about 3 gallons a day.
If you use that much dont bother be cheaper to rebuild the saws.
 
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