Going to experiment with VP premixed fuel

[21bangbang]

This is a carb that sat a few months with ethanol fuel.
My good friend, and tenant owns a carb shop (carbs r us?) and gets these in all day long. Ethanol has been a boom for his business. I asked about stabil too. He says while it helps, its not a cure all. The above is inevitable with time. Pulling in moisture is just bad.
Thats not even a bad one. Ill grab a few more pics tomorrow of some real bad ones. Hes the guy that turned me on to VP for all my small engines and ive never looked back. If you can swing the cost id use it. At least in my high dollar stuff.

 

[Seandonato73]

I agree it's great if your only going through a minimal amount. I just burn through too much to justify the cost, and other then the dbxl run everything all year. Most people would be better off this way imo.

 

[crucialRC]

This is a carb that sat a few months with ethanol fuel.View attachment 59705
My good friend, and tenant owns a carb shop (carbs r us?) and gets these in all day long. Ethanol has been a boom for his business. I asked about stabil too. He says while it helps, its not a cure all. The above is inevitable with time. Pulling in moisture is just bad.View attachment 59705
Thats not even a bad one. Ill grab a few more pics tomorrow of some real bad ones. Hes the guy that turned me on to VP for all my small engines and ive never looked back. If you can swing the cost id use it. At least in my high dollar stuff.

Sorry but 21, but I believe these pics are BS. Those look like junkyard carbs.

 

[21bangbang]

Sorry but 21, but I believe these pics are BS.

?‍ believe as you wish, but thats what ethanol does.

Sorry but 21, but I believe these pics are BS. Those look like junkyard carbs.

Thats a rebuild from the year before. Give the ole google a try and check out ethanol rotten carbs. That white crust is a tell tale sign. Otherwise ethanol free fuel varnishes.

 

[crucialRC]

?‍ believe as you wish, but thats what ethanol does.

Thats a rebuild from the year before. Give the ole google a try and check out ethanol rotten carbs. That white crust is a tell tale sign. Otherwise ethanol free fuel varnishes.

I hear you @21bangbang but if I didn't have a 67 and 80 classic in my garage I would believe you but I have my own proof. My classics sit in the garage for the majority of the time. Both with fuel from the year before. Carbs look brand new still and both start up with zero problems. Big block 461 chevy and 406 chevy. Both with 91 octane BP fuel and fuel stabilizer. My carbs look nothing like that.

 

[21bangbang]

I hear you @21bangbang but if I didn't have a 67 and 80 classic in my garage I would believe you but I have my own proof. My classics sit in the garage for the majority of the time. Both with fuel from the year before. Carbs look brand new still and both start up with zero problems. Big block 461 chevy and 406 chevy. Both with 91 octane BP fuel and fuel stabilizer. My carbs look nothing like that.

Dunno man, do you start em often? Have you broke the carbs down and looked at the internals? Im in his shop daily, and its a steady flood, and they all have the white crust, all of em. Or do they never start thus never introducing fuel into the carbs? ?‍ its no made up story. Carbs r us in thomaston CT. Call him up and ask about it, hes a cool dude and loves to chat.

 

[Seandonato73]

I wasnt going to say anything about those carbs, but the ethonal doesn't reach that high in the carb. The fricken choke plate is frozen up. Theres some weather related stuff there too. I'm not saying it's all that, but that thing looks like it's been hit with salt water or something. I can go crank up Andy of my old carbed trucks with no issues fuel sits in them for a while. All get stabilized and not had issues.

Dunno man, do you start em often? Have you broke the carbs down and looked at the internals? Im in his shop daily, and its a steady flood, and they all have the white crust, all of em.

You don't take stuff apart that works.
Not saying I don't believe you, but i got stuff that sits automotive wise outside and never had issues like that.

 

[crucialRC]

Dunno man, do you start em often? Have you broke the carbs down and looked at the internals? Im in his shop daily, and its a steady flood, and they all have the white crust, all of em.

I try to start them every other week. Sometimes longer periods in the winter. Im soft in cold months ? I know ethanol is bad if it sits for longer periods in small carbs maybe but I just don't think its that serious. Guess it's just me. I just started a 2 stroke echo blower I haven't used since last fall. Started right up. ??‍

 

[21bangbang]

I wasnt going to say anything about those carbs, but the ethonal doesn't reach that high in the carb. The fricken choke plate is frozen up. Theres some weather related stuff there too. I'm not saying it's all that, but that thing looks like it's been hit with salt water or something. I can go crank up Andy of my old carbed trucks with no issues fuel sits in them for a while. All get stabilized and not had issues.

You don't take stuff apart that works.
Not saying I don't believe you, but i got stuff that sits automotive wise outside and never had issues like that.

?‍ the shits not made up guys, its well known ethanol is just plain bad for carbs and any seals. Been well known for over 10 years. You can ignore it, or pretend it wont effect your stuff, but thats just not reality. I don't know anyone who works on vehicles that doesn't curse it. You can slow its effects, but if you think you're stopping it?‍ good luck I guess.

 

[crucialRC]

?‍ the shits not made up guys, its well known ethanol is just plain bad for carbs and any seals. Been well known for over 10 years. You can ignore it, or pretend it wont effect your stuff, but thats just not reality. I don't know anyone who works on vehicles that doesn't curse it. You can slow its effects, but if you think you're stopping it?‍ good luck I guess.

I'm not ignoring it but just don't think it appears as quick as your buddies are making it out to be.

 

[21bangbang]

I'm not ignoring it but just don't think it appears as quick as your buddies are making it out to be.

Fire up one of your cars then let it sit, doesn't take long. Take a few min and read some articles online about it, consumer reports has a great article on it. Crust isn't the only issue. Less power, significantly hotter exhaust, and in general poorer running conditions. I found it rather interesting. Not trying to shill vp, or get everyone off pump gas (i use it too). But I won't use it in my expensive toys that burn negligible fuel.

 

[Seandonato73]

Idk man. I'm a mechanic, and I have 2 uncles that are auto and boat mechanics. Cant say i hear them complaining about carbs like they once did. There are other factors that affect absorption rate as well. Let alone not all gas has the specified % of ethonal in the fuel. There was testing done around here to prove the amount is 10% or under. I've heard of places having much higher % then posted.

 

[Polar_Bus]

Here's an accurate pic of what I've seen first hand as far as ethanol gunk inside carbs. I've also seen it much worse as you end up with a thick green gel type spooge that clogs all the jet passageways. The ethanol fungus is also corrosive to aluminum. Seandonato73 makes a good point , if you continually roll fuel usage you won't have any Ethanol issues. It's only a problem (and a big one) if the ethanol sits for more than 4 months or so.

 

[21bangbang]

Here's an accurate pic of what I've seen first hand as far as ethanol gunk inside carbs. I've also seen it much worse as you end up with a thick green gel type spooge that clogs all the jet passageways. The ethanol fungus is also corrosive to aluminum. Seandonato73 makes a good point , if you continually roll fuel usage you won't have any Ethanol issues. It's only a problem (and a big one) if the ethanol sits for more than 4 months or so.

Agreed. Im not sure the issue disappears with steady use, but imagine it greatly reduces it. Just left carb shop and he said different states have different ethanol rules, so that could explain the discrepancy. In CT, all pump gas has ethanol, even premium. I guess thats not so everywhere. I also asked again about carb in pic. Its a rebuild from last spring, but the jeep doesn't move all winter. So perhaps 6 months of sitting.

I wasnt going to say anything about those carbs, but the ethonal doesn't reach that high in the carb. The fricken choke plate is frozen up. Theres some weather related stuff there too. I'm not saying it's all that, but that thing looks like it's been hit with salt water or something. I can go crank up Andy of my old carbed trucks with no issues fuel sits in them for a while. All get stabilized and not had issues.

You don't take stuff apart that works.
Not saying I don't believe you, but i got stuff that sits automotive wise outside and never had issues like that.

The fuel comes in right at the top where those inner circular pieces are. How would ethanol not be a part of that fuel?
Also I did say I offered him up to have his brain picked, incase anyone was curious enough to call his shop. His name is Kurt and will happily explain everything far better than I can. The guy is a 3rd generation carburetor guy, and gets poop from all over the country to work on. From boats to Rolls Royce. He's what id consider a authority on carbs. We all know im no mechanic. Im just parroting what he teaches me. But the man has worked on more carbs than perhaps a handful of other people in the country. I have zero reason to doubt anything he says.?‍

 

[Seandonato73]

Like I said I'm not doubting what your say, or your mate I've just never seen one that bad.

 

[21bangbang]

Todays morning drop off to the carb shop.

Unsure how long it sat, but the white crust on these is some of the worst ive ever seen. Far more damage than any varnish issues in my experience. ?

 

[Seandonato73]

Do people seriously not take care of their stuff wtf.

 

[1Coopgt]

Sorry but 21, but I believe these pics are BS. Those look like junkyard carbs.

I agree . That carb has been exposed to water or salt water. Ethanol wouldn't do that . My motorcycle would never run if that were the case. My motorcycles sit for 6 months through the winter and I've never seen that. I've seen Aluminum exposed to Salt water and it looks just like the pics. We do water and salt water exposure testing to our radios (Military testing). That carb was probably on a car that was in a flood down in New Orleans during a hurricane. Or came off a car in a junk yard .

 

[cbaker65]

It doesn't have to be salt water to start the corrosion on aluminum ,it can start just with the right amount of moister & oxygen
in a dark areas with out exposure to natural sun light!

I use to work at are local aquatic center were the pool was made out of aluminum ,the pool use to be painted with a special
rubberized paint but hd to change it do to enviromental issues ,it was then painted with a acrylic water base paint ,after
they did ,then we started to get bad corrosion called itralisis.

When I pressure washed the pool every year ,the paint will flake off ,an what was under the paint was algae & corrosion ,so
the paint would crack because the metal flexing ,an would allow the right amount of oxygen & moister to get in between
the paint & metal causing the corrosion to start!

When we had to change are inlet grid on the bottom for safety laws ,I got a big piece that they cut out ,I kept
the piece an that is what I make my parts out of for my Baja ,the aluminum is about 60 years old!

 

[Basher5iveT420]

It’s real because I read it online ?