jenkinov Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 I have been around motor bikes as long as I can remember.. As a child I was told by my father to always leave petro! In the tank. I had an Excelsior consort and despite long periods stored at my grand parents stable this strategy worked well ....but that was with old petrol and today on both my jeep and the Excelsior in have found the fuel green and petrol tanks rusty Ethanol is hydroscopic so absorbs water.... So the question is should I be running the bikes dry or draining the tanks ..is this the best protective measure moving forward ? Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Signals Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 My own take on this would be to fill them up with such as V-Power fuel. It has E5, so isnt ethanol free, but past seasons have not proved a problem for me. I would not drain/empty the tank as that just leaves a space which is begging to attract a damp atmosphere and cause rust issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 I can only speak from modern experience, a 12 month period of not running of a Briggs and Stratton engine with test hours only. On a horizontal band saw, left 1/2 full of E5 petrol. When I came to start it several attempts proved fruitless. So I drained the tank cleaned out the brown gunge in the carburettor, refilled with fresh petrol and second pull off it went. I think the fuel in the tank was separating into layers of its constituent parts. This is just my thoughts and experience of using modern petrol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonb Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 My experience is limited to my lawn mower, 15+ years old and left with random amounts of E5 fuel in it every winter. Stored in a wooden shed. Always starts quite happily each spring. It has a plastic fuel tank. Never serviced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 I have Robin , Briggs & S. + Honda with metal tanks - I normally just heavily dose at Autumn with Quicksilver stabilizer (Mercury outboards) , if I drain the metal tanks , then I leave cap off to let the petrol vap off and then just give the interior a good blast with the WD40 straw, spring - I just fill with petrol and fire up & go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 This is going to vary by climate due to heat and moisture. You can remove ethanol quite simply from the fuel, if you search YouTube there are a ton of videos describing the process. For me, I’d drain the petrol, run the engine until the carb is dry and coat the inside with something, or fill with a stable fuel like Avgas if you can get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 7 hours ago, Chris Hall said: This is going to vary by climate due to heat and moisture. You can remove ethanol quite simply from the fuel, if you search YouTube there are a ton of videos describing the process. For me, I’d drain the petrol, run the engine until the carb is dry and coat the inside with something, or fill with a stable fuel like Avgas if you can get it. There is so much confliction on removing the ethanol , I had been considering this just for my small engines. Yet there is other opinion on the internet (I don't know how 'expert' those for and against) that when you remove the ethanol - you also remove other chemical additive traces and end up with a "petrol" that will do more damage than if you had let the ethanol remain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMP-Phil Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 Hi Good question, my take on this from States, small tanks drain put in gallon of the non ethanol fuel with some 2 cycle oil then run the engine long enough to get the mix through the fuel system. If possible slush the tank to coat the tank. I've tried the various storage additives, not impressed. On my MVs I've been putting 2 cycle oil for a 100to1 mix drive truck around a little, yes it smokes a little but less than you think. Cheers Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted October 2, 2021 Author Share Posted October 2, 2021 Well interesting no one's suggested dry storage . So I will 'revert to wet storage but with a non ethanol fuel such as BP Ultimate.. It's octane rate is min 97 but up to 99 so just below aviation fuel which starts at 100 octane Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Is there such a thing as non ethanol fuel at any pump these days? Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 6 hours ago, jenkinov said: Well interesting no one's suggested dry storage . So I will 'revert to wet storage but with a non ethanol fuel such as BP Ultimate.. It's octane rate is min 97 but up to 99 so just below aviation fuel which starts at 100 octane Jenkinov According to the BP website, BP Ultimate is E5. I do not think we can get away without ethanol in petrol now unfortunately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted October 2, 2021 Author Share Posted October 2, 2021 Oops I thought high octane was ethanol free ...I will have t o enquire and see if such fuel exists ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpina Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Esso Synergy Supreme+ is still ethanol free in most of the country; if you can find any at the moment! https://www.esso.co.uk/en-gb/fuels/petrol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Well that's good to hear as It's what I've used for my old bikes for years. I wonder how long it will last like that? Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Over 30 years ago , before unleaded - I forgot to drain a Kawasiki generator that was infrequently used. After approx. 3 years I drained the tank , it came out honey coloured and quite thick - I just put new petrol in and tried to start but it would not. I found a small sedimenter bowl attached to the carburettor gummed up with the stuff, I just cleaned it out and it started and ran OK. So - the next stage of deterioration again about 1990 - I was similar lazy with a Honda genny , but old fuel had stood several years + and remaining petrol had gone dry and base of the tank covered with brown granules that looked just like instant coffee. Fortunately I was just able to get my hand in the filler cap aperture and clean it out. It was difficult to remove (scrape off) all so aver a period of weeks I sprayed the inside with WD40 to soften it , after about three application and wipe out with a cloth - I checked the feed to carb , put petrol in and it fired up and ran OK. With Ethanol - I would expect the water problem with aged fuel and tank to rust through. I am now continuing to do a last run of year with a heavy dose of fuel stabilizer , I have three Bar-O-Mix and too much hassle to remove engines to invert & drain, same with lawnmowers etc. that can be drained at tap pipe to carb. tipped over easier to try & drain the carb.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Apart from the water, the Ethanol will eat non treated rubber. If you have fuel lines, seals and pump membranes made before a certain date, it will turn them into a jelly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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