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Post by Chrissy on Aug 3, 2013 13:38:50 GMT -5
Something we learned just recently about the Ethanol Gas that you get and using it for your Weedeaters, Chain Saws and other 2 cycle Engines. Robbie just got his weedeater out of the shop this week. Well when we put it in the shop it was to fix the primer bub, the Pull Cord and to service it. Then we get a bill saying it is more than what we were told. I asked why was the bill so high? They then told us that the carburetor had to be rebuilt. Now this puzzled me and I asked the guy why did it need rebuilding. He asked Robbie if he had been having problems cranking it and he didn't think much about it and just thought it needed new filters and a spark plug. Come to find out this Ethanol Gas is messing up the carburetors in the small 2 cycle engines. The service guy explained that they do not get hot enough to burn the Ethanol therefore it is messing them up. If you have equipment that uses these burn the rest of the gas and oil mixture then get some Gas that doesn't have Ethanol in it. I went to the web to find out more about it and sure enough it was on the web. fuelschool.blogspot.com/2009/02/ethanolgasohol-problems-with-2-cycle.htmlHere is another good article about it. www.brighthub.com/environment/renewable-energy/articles/122743.aspxShocking but the truth. Always the gov't trying to put more money in their pockets. |
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Post by aRMY83 on Aug 3, 2013 16:39:06 GMT -5
Thanks Chrissy for sharing this and those links. I for one, many years ago, serviced 2-cycle equipment from string trimmers to concrete cutter saws, excluding boat motors.
With that exception of 'concrete cutter saws', I would first and most important, let the customer know, that the cost of service and or repair to their equipment can out weigh the price of buying a new one.
Just to give you an idea of cost, allow me to input this:
Average cost of 2-Cyle String Trimmer (curved shaft) - $104.99
Average cost of 2-Cycle Leaf Blower - $119.95
If any of the above, let's say needs a carburetor (Walbro, Zama), that price alone would be right at $28.00, just for that part, not to mention the price of labor to remove/replace it. To rebuild those carb's would be (parts - $12.00 and labor - $15.00), which would be close to just buy a new one and replace.
That Ethanol thing is interesting, but it was not out when I was doing service to the 2-cycles, so can't confirm or deny anything.
Just maybe Bob can enlight us both on this Ethanol thingie.... hello Robert.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2013 18:20:29 GMT -5
Nice to know about the ethanol, Chrissy. I bet not everyone knows that.
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Post by flashgordon on Aug 4, 2013 8:22:42 GMT -5
Yes Chrissy, ethanol plays havoc on ANY fuel system! I've been in the automotive/truck repair industry it seems like my whole life.  rON nailed it. At work we often scrap saws, string trimmers, leaf blowers and the like due to the fact that the cost of repair out weighs the cost of a new one. Plus we look at the history of repairs and at a point, you must cut your losses and decide its more cost effective to replace a piece of equipment rather than repair. Now for any of you who still mix gas and oil for your 2 cycle equipment, I wouldn't! That is unless you can find ethonal free gas for your mix. As you found out Chrissy, ethanol destroys 2 cycle fuel systems and combustion parts after time. I only use store bought gas/oil mix that contains NO ethanol. The product I use is called TruFuel 50:1 for all my 2 cycle equipment....see here; www.trufuel50.com/default.aspxIt comes in 32 oz. cans and lasts for years because it contains no ethanol and has stabilizers added. It costs about $5.50 a can at Menards but often they have it on sale for around $4. There are other brands out there that Home Depot, Lowes and other stores carry and they are all about the same. I just buy TruFuel because our Menards is close. Hope this helps! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2013 14:49:13 GMT -5
Thanks for that explanation, Bob. Tom says he has been told 32/1 was good, but I told him what you said about 50/1.
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Post by flashgordon on Aug 8, 2013 18:14:30 GMT -5
Thanks for that explanation, Bob. Tom says he has been told 32/1 was good, but I told him what you said about 50/1. 32:1 is heavy in oil and if your 2 cycle piece of equipment is say newer than 10 years, 50:1 will be fine but a 40:1 pre-mix is also available if you want. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2013 18:28:29 GMT -5
Bob, I think the problem is the age of the equipment owner. I think most of the equipment is newer than ten years, but Tom might be stuck in a mindset from years past. He did look interested when I told him what you posted. But he never listens to me where his "stuff" is concerned. But this is important to me because he has the grandsons over here a lot working in the yard. He is sort of the main male influence in their life, and he has been teaching them about how to care for the tools, the gas/oil mixture and so forth. Including safety issues, like removing the sparkplug from the lawnmower when you want to clean the blades after a mowing. I'm glad for this conversation, because he needs to get a bit more modern. Tom is a mechanical engineer and knows a lot about how the gizmos work, but that was then and this is now, he will be 73 in a few weeks.
Thanks for the feedback, Bob.
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Post by flashgordon on Aug 8, 2013 19:22:55 GMT -5
Bob, I think the problem is the age of the equipment owner. I think most of the equipment is newer than ten years, but Tom might be stuck in a mindset from years past. He did look interested when I told him what you posted. But he never listens to me where his "stuff" is concerned. But this is important to me because he has the grandsons over here a lot working in the yard. He is sort of the main male influence in their life, and he has been teaching them about how to care for the tools, the gas/oil mixture and so forth. Including safety issues, like removing the sparkplug from the lawnmower when you want to clean the blades after a mowing. I'm glad for this conversation, because he needs to get a bit more modern. Tom is a mechanical engineer and knows a lot about how the gizmos work, but that was then and this is now, he will be 73 in a few weeks. Thanks for the feedback, Bob. JJ, I like Tom already even though we've never met. Him being a mechanical engineer. I look up to folks like him and rON. One can always learn so much listening and watching them do what they do. It's sad to think that many kids these days don't have that great exposure to people like Tom and rON who have so much to share and offer in life. Guess I'm old school as I always watched my Dad and grandparents with such interest. And now that I'm older I've learned from their values and way of life that I try to live it to this day. But with Tom and rON being so influential in their grand kids lives, those kids will grow with good values, morals and will remember those days forever. Sorry, got off subject..... Myself included, we guys often take shortcuts. Nothing can go wrong right? But the grandkids will be fine and will learn so much from Tom and rON. You, me or anyone else can't tell Tom how or what to do when it comes to "mechanical" things. It's the way us guys are programmed. Right or wrong, its the way we are. We'll build things and they'll break, we'll get hurt but that's the whole learning process. So if Tom wants to use 32:1 mix, god bless him and that's ok. Hell, I still change the oil in the cars at 3,000 miles......did I mention I'm old school? Take care JJ.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2013 19:50:56 GMT -5
Tom has been a blessing with the boys, Bob. He has shown them how to remove the dirt from a shovel before hanging it back up, how to wait if the mower didn't start immediately so it 's not flooded, about lug nuts on tires, how to hammer a nail straight, everyday stuff. The other day they were talking about stripping a screw and how to get out if anyway.
The parents of the boys got divorced almost ten years ago and the father is... well, sort of useless is the kindest thing I can think of to say. The other granddad was pretty savvy, but he died some years ago.
Now, speaking of mechanical engineers, they can get tagged for weird things. Tom was in the Air Force and was in charge of Air Force One at the airbase in Mass when Kennedy was alive. When Tom got sent to Nam, he did a number of things, like getting the morgue air conditioned, then, he got a new job. Drilling water wells for the locals. I'll never forget my reaction, I was like, What? "What do you know about water wells?" He wrote back, "Nothing, but I'm an engineer." That was the mentality of the commanding officers. Somewhere around the house I have a photo someone took of him conferring with some local folks at a well site carrying a rifle. Not one of my favorite images.
Yes, Tom is old school, and I'm proud of it, Bob. He has old school values, like take care of your tools. I think you are right, the exposure these boys have had will help them through life. But in one way, he's 'new' school. Tom and I both taught our daughters many things. We were united in wanting our daughters to know how to be able to rely on their own intelligence and not need to be rescued. They know how to wire a lamp and how to unplug a vacuum cleaner, etc. I have a feeling you and your wife have raised your daughter the same way.
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Post by flashgordon on Aug 8, 2013 20:11:51 GMT -5
Often, we'd fall and pick ourselves up, scratch off the dust and learn from our mistakes. We were told that "we" screwed up and learned from our mistakes. It wasn't "someone" else's fault, it was ours!
We didn't talk back, we listened. We spoke when spoken to and we respected our elders. We weren't the first in line for dinner, we were the last.
We said "please" and "thank you".
If we wanted money for candy, we mowed lawns and shoveled snow.
We learned so much from just the simplest things our elders taught and showed us.
I have the utmost respect for people like Tom and rON who served our country. They gave us our freedom we have today. Many gave the ultimate sacrifice and those will never be forgotten but we are blessed to have people like rON and Tom in our lives!
Laurie and I are very fortunate to have the daughter we do. We raised her like we were raised and that shows in her way of life.
It's very hard for the both of us to be so far from her.......very hard!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2013 19:32:38 GMT -5
You were raised like me, Bob, and my children. Sadly, it isn't passing down to the grandchildren like I would like it too. They are polite, in many ways, but in little things, not so much. Tom will speak to one of the grandchildren to get their attention and will get a "yeah" in response. I did get harsh one day and tell a grandson, "Please don't say "yeah" to your granddaddy, say, "Sir." My husband and I will still say 'sir' or 'ma'am,' it's bred into us. I hear my husband say, "Thank you sir (or ma'am)" when he receives help on the phone dozens of times a week.
I am very proud of my husband's service to the US also, Bob, thank you very much.
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Post by SkyFire on Aug 13, 2016 21:59:29 GMT -5
Definitely cannot beat learning from the school of hard knocks and I have met a few children out here who have said "Hello Sir" as I went past, so some do still exist.
As for learning about cars, I learnt quite a bit first with my brother's car, (an old Morris Major) then when we had two taxis to look after, our own and a leased one. Also cannot forget the old open wheeler hill climber and dads old GT Cortina which was a competition car, (motorkhana & hill climbs) and a normal road car.
One day we blew a piston in the cortina, so after getting home we swapped the engine out with the spare engine, after rebuilding it on the dining room table. We had about an 1" of newspaper, 1/4" aluminum sheet, then another 1" or so of newspaper. Then installed the new engine and dad drove the car to work the next day. Still have that old engine with its blown pistion, along with a gearbox and rear axle.
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Post by flashgordon on Aug 14, 2016 7:29:47 GMT -5
Great story SkyFire, thanks for sharing it.
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