Watered-down fuel

[redneksoldier]

Bike has been running a little rough for a while. Smooths out and runs good in the upper RPM with a little popping from the exhaust when engine braking. I just figured it was time for a shotgun or a carb cleaning. Been a couple years since I had to do it. So, as part of the procedure I normally follow, I drained the float bowls into a container to have a look what was in it. Water! Not a bunch, but definitely enough to cause a problem. Dot really dirty, just droplets of water in the bottom. I re-filled the float bowls and drained them again just to see what came out and got about the same amount of water droplets a second time. Of course, I just filled the tank yesterday and it has 16 miles on it. Frustrating. No way to know where I got the bad gas from since I've been having rough running issues for a month or so. Not that I would even attempt to recover any loss, but I would notify the owner/manager in hope that they would attempt to correct the issue. For now, I guess I'll just drain the tank and clean the carbs. I'll run this gas through a separator and use it in my mower.

 

[Traumahawk]

That is the bad thing about ethanol. It ATTRACTS water.

 

[1FK00]

If it were ethanol, the water would be absorbed into the gas - using the occasional tankful of ethanol enriched gas is a good way to clean water out of your fuel system. Just make sure you are going to use it up and not let it sit. It will just absorb more moisture out of the air if you do.

That's all "Heat" was - ethanol you added to your gas yourself.

 

[redneksoldier]

I have several gas stations nearby that sell E0. That's where I buy my gas pretty much every time unless I'm away from home.

 

[vwaxxed]

I have several gas stations nearby that sell E0. That's where I buy my gas pretty much every time unless I'm away from home.

There are a few stations in my area that have ethanol free gas, too. I try to keep a few jugs of it on hand in the shop as well just in case I don't have time to take the trip to the station farther away from the house.

An inconvenience, but it's nice for someone like me whose bike might sit for a little while when i get busy or im riding other bikes instead.

 

[redneksoldier]

There are a few stations in my area that have ethanol free gas, too. I try to keep a few jugs of it on hand in the shop as well just in case I don't have time to take the trip to the station farther away from the house.

An inconvenience, but it's nice for someone like me whose bike might sit for a little while when i get busy or im riding other bikes instead.

That's why I do it, too. Once in a while, ethanol won't hurt anything as long as you don't let it set too long. I might go a few weeks without riding just because I have other stuff going on.

 

[D-Max2012]

Ethanol is the culprit for water in your tank, carbs, and rust buildup inside a non-coated tank.

I've found that one of the biggest problems is the amount of free air space left in a tank for an extended period of time.
The more free volume for air, the more water molecules (in the air) can separate and sink to the bottom of your tank / carbs.
Super refined / distilled oil, aka Gasoline, is lighter than water.

It's called phase separation.

When I plan to let the bike sit for a while (winter storage), I fill up the tank to the neck. So far (4 years and counting), I've gotten minimal phase separation this way.

Also, since most gas stations are selling fuel with at least an E10 rating, and I don't know where I'll have to fill up, I coated my tank to protect against any rust buildup.

 

[redneksoldier]

Ethanol is the culprit for water in your tank, carbs, and rust buildup inside a non-coated tank.

I've found that one of the biggest problems is the amount of free air space left in a tank for an extended period of time.
The more free volume for air, the more water molecules (in the air) can separate and sink to the bottom of your tank / carbs.
Super refined / distilled oil, aka Gasoline, is lighter than water.

It's called phase separation.

When I plan to let the bike sit for a while (winter storage), I fill up the tank to the neck. So far (4 years and counting), I've gotten minimal phase separation this way.

Also, since most gas stations are selling fuel with at least an E10 rating, and I don't know where I'll have to fill up, I coated my tank to protect against any rust buildup.

Thanks. All sound information and advice.

 

[redneksoldier]

Got the fuel tank drained. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Only a few more drops of water came from the rest of the tank. Must have gotten lucky and caught most of it in the float bowls.

 

[redneksoldier]

Tore the carbs apart today. Still spotless inside. Got it back together with fresh gas and heading out for a rip.