First experience with bad fuel

[blsnelling]

For all the talk around here about bad fuel, I'd never experienced it.....until tonight. I'm in Findlay for the weekend, and my BIL brought over the 046 I gave him last year, so that we could put a roller chain catcher on it. I thought I'd tune it while we were at it. The saw started fine. I warmed it up and went to tune it. It revved up fine, but the RPMs wouldn't settle down. It started out way too rich, then went lean, then rich, and just back and forth. He hasn't hardly used the saw at all since I gave it too him, so I immediately suspected the fuel. He hadn't used the saw since January, so the fuel was about 4-5 months old, bought at a Marathon here in Findlay. So we dumped out the fuel, and dumped in new fuel. Viola. The lean surges where totally gone. It was now way rich but held it's RPM nice and steady. I leaned it out to where it needed be and it stayed there like it should.

My explanation is that the fuel had picked up moisture. When that moisture hit the carb, it replaced fuel, causing the saw to go lean.

I personally put my lawn OPE up in the fall, get it out in the Spring, and put it right to use. I've never had a fuel related problem. So this was a learning experience to me. It was kind of cool to see what bad fuel can do, and then replace it and see the saw go back to running perfectly.

So, was there potential for this fuel to have caused damage to the saw had it been used? Had I not tuned the saw, I'm not sure my BIL would have caught it, and I'm just curious if something like this has the potential to burn up a saw.

 

[RAMROD48]

For all the talk around here about bad fuel, I'd never experienced it.....until tonight. I'm in Findlay for the weekend, and my BIL brought over the 046 I gave him last year, so that we could put a roller chain catcher on it. I thought I'd tune it while we were at it. The saw started fine. I warmed it up and went to tune it. It revved up fine, but the RPMs wouldn't settle down. It started out way too rich, then went lean, then rich, and just back and forth. He hasn't hardly used the saw at all since I gave it too him, so I immediately suspected the fuel. He hadn't used the saw since January, so the fuel was about 4-5 months old, bought at a Marathon here in Findlay. So we dumped out the fuel, and dumped in new fuel. Viola. The lean surges where totally gone. It was now way rich but held it's RPM nice and steady. I leaned it out to where it needed be and it stayed there like it should.

My explanation is that the fuel had picked up moisture. When that moisture hit the carb, it replaced fuel, causing the saw to go lean.

I personally put my lawn OPE up in the fall, get it out in the Spring, and put it right to use. I've never had a fuel related problem. So this was a learning experience to me. It was kind of cool to see what bad fuel can do, and then replace it and see the saw go back to running perfectly.

So, was there potential for this fuel to have caused damage to the saw had it been used? Had I not tuned the saw, I'm not sure my BIL would have caught it, and I'm just curious if something like this has the potential to burn up a saw.

We have a couple at the shop right now, that I am convinced that's what happened....1 weekend a year warriors are the best!

 

[blsnelling]

We have a couple at the shop right now, that I am convinced that's what happened....1 weekend a year warriors are the best!

So moisture in the fuel, caused the saws to run lean, and led to them burning up?

 

[Miniburbs36]

That's a pretty nasty situation, I know an older guy who is all over the whole ethanol craze and how it wrecks saws.

He runs straight gasoline he gets up in maine, do you think that ethanol can hurt a brand new saw if you start from the beginning using like 10% ethanol gas?

I just got a husqvarna 346xp and did some great stuff to it, check this out if you have extra time;

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=138611

~Thanks

 

[blsnelling]

10% alcohol fuel absolutely will not hurt the running of a chainsaw. The key is to tune it with the fuel you're going to use. If you tune if for pure gasoline, and then begin to use fuel with alcohol in it, then you're going to have problems. Fuel with alcohol in it will run leaner that pure gasoline.

Durabiliy of the rubber components in the fuel line with alcohol in the fuel? Now that's a different ball game, and not a good one.

The biggest issue seems to be with storability, rather the lack there of. The alcohol in the fuel draws moisture, and there in lies the problem I experienced tonight, or so I believe.

 

[J.W Younger]

I been noticing this sinclare station with a no ethanol sign on my way to the fast food joint, so I picked up a gallon friday.The only pump with no alchol on it was the mid grade at 2.66 a gal. I tested it and mixed a jug but have not ran any yet.
This is the first pump gas that has tested neg for alchol in the last year, including 93 grade.

 

[blsnelling]

The only gasoline I can buy without alcohol is 100 octane unleaded race gas. But, as I mentioned, I've yet to have a problem. It might be about to start though. This fuel came from Findlay, and I live less than 150 miles straight south righ on I-75.

 

[A10egress]

Hum.... so even the higher octane fuels are all blended with 10% ethanol now? I was told ( way back) that the "premium" grades did not have the ethanol...


Ill do a search, sorry, i am sure this has been hashed out before.

 

[blsnelling]

What we have in the Franklin/Middletown are is less than 10%, but it all has some in it.

 

[Miniburbs36]

Yea, I try and run my saw empty when I am done using it, or time it right, it seems to stay good that way.

Before I had a husqvarna 257, and it tended to bog down after a week of sitting with a full tank.

I don't think the ethanol will be a problem, but over time it may effect the rubbers like you said. In that case, we replace em.

 

[rms61moparman]

Now isn't that funny?

I was reading one of my Stihl owners manuals the other night and it specifically stated to ONLY run low octane gasoline as the higher grades contain benzol which would damage the fuel system and the saw!!!


Mike

 

[RAMROD48]

So moisture in the fuel, caused the saws to run lean, and led to them burning up?

Can I prove it? No...but the saws are "blown" and the gas I took out was semi stale and had what looked to be water molocules in it....

 

[komatsuvarna]

Ive been running less than 10% ethanol for 2 years. Its all i can get anymore. I havent had a problem with it yet, but ive herd of many local, or there just blaming it on the ethanol. It may help to buy gas at a busy place. Im sure that if alcohol can draw moisture in a chainsaw or gas jug that it can in the convience store tank too.

 

[rms61moparman]

A lot of that depends on the turnover rate of the station.

Some stations will turn over 5000 gallons of gas in a day while others won't turn that much over in a week.
The longer it sits in a vented underground tank, the more moisture it will draw.


Mike

 

[Nitroman]

Now isn't that funny?

I was reading one of my Stihl owners manuals the other night and it specifically stated to ONLY run low octane gasoline as the higher grades contain benzol which would damage the fuel system and the saw!!!


Mike

Can you check that, did they actually state "benzol"?

Thanks.

 

[rms61moparman]

Can you check that, did they actually state "benzol"?

Thanks.

I did and yes it actually states benzol.

 

[Justsaws]

I did and yes it actually states benzol.

How old is that manual? What tool is it for?

 

[tree md]

I've actually experienced this twice in the past 2 or 3 months. First time I was using a friends 064 to stump a large tree and it surged like you mentioned. It kept bogging out and I had trouble keeping it running. Dumped the gas and it ran fine with a fresh tank. The second time was with one of my own saws. I had some medical issues that I had to deal with and had to let my saws set for only 3 weeks. The first job I did after I recovered I experienced the same thing with my own saw. I went and mixed a fresh tank, dumped the gas out of all of my saws and viola, problem solved.

FWIW, we have a huge craze here of all the gas stations putting up signs saying only 100% gas sold here, no ethanol so this was straight gas.

 

[CWME]

Not saw related but topic related.

My BIL left fuel in his lawn mower over the winter in his dirt floor basement. It is really damp down there. Well his lawn mower wouldn't run. Pulled the fuel tank and carb off it for him. The carb bowl was FULL of water.

Fast forward to yesterday. Pulled out my 25hp merc outboard. In going through it to get it ready for a fishing trip I pulled the fuel filter/water separater. The bowl was half full of water. Now the last tank of the year I had run stabil in it so this collection must have been over the summer while it was in use.

Hoping that my 17' Chaparell doesn't have the same issue. I have been treating all the fuel that goes into it to be safe.

 

[roncoinc]

I just had a saw have fuel problems after TWO WEEKS..
i think a combination of things tho.
conditions that fuel container was stored,old gas from station and saw storege contributed to major temp fluctuations resulting in condensation and water accumalation..