Brushcutter fuel issue

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Sun Jun 04, 2023 10:34 am

I was using my Brushcutter which is a 50cc powerful machine with an Oregon blade that really cuts and demolishes anything in its path. I was using it to mulch down shrub cuttings at my son's house when it suddenly started faltering and died. My gut told me it was fuel starvation and I got it running again but only by tilting it over to one side, my theory being to get the fuel deep at one end of the tank. This got it going but as soon as it went uprght it slowed and failed. I deduced it was a fuel filter not letting enough fuel by. We finished mulching using his mower, I had a spare filter at home so I started mucking about with it. I had to remove the tank and fuel lines grommet into the tank to replace the filter but after checking it over I found the cause, the fuel line had split right inside the grommet,where it could not be seen. I was pulling it down to check and it snapped. I immediately realised why the tilt had helped as the split was under the fuel level and it could draw enough to run, as soon as it was upright it sucked air through the split and failed. New fuel lines and grommets are on their way from China for £4.55.

I am putting this up in case it might help someone with similar problems with a small engine. The E10 petrol does seem to cause problems for filters and carbs. For winter layover I squirt carb cleaner in the fuel inlet and run it, it actually works quite well. Having said that I had to replace a strimmer carb but for £11 it is not worth mucking about trying to repair.

DWD

mikew1972 · Post by **mikew1972** » Sun Jun 11, 2023 8:17 am

Most of my garden machinery runs lean and hot on E5 and even worse on E10 even with the fuel screw backed right out though fewer and fewer small engine carbs even have a fuel screw these days.
The answer is to wash the fuel to remove the ethanol. Everything runs just as well as it used to on washed fuel. It's quick and easy to do:
Fill a clear (see through) container, a 2L pop bottle will do with 10 or 20% water, yes water! Fill it up the rest of the way with fuel but leave a good few inches at the top and put the lid on. Give it a REALLY good shake for 30 seconds. Leave to stand for 10 or 20 mins and pour off the washed fuel being careful to leave the water now mixed with the ethanol behind in the bottom. Job done.
I pour off the last bit of fuel into a separate jar and chuck it back in next time as you can't get the last bit poured off without getting a bit of water in it this way no petrol is lost.
I pour the water / ethanol mix onto weeds in the path. Works as a great weed killer.
The alternative is to buy very expensive ethanol free petrol for garden machinery in cans.
Loads of videos on YouTube, just search for "remove ethanol from petrol"

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Sun Jun 11, 2023 8:58 am

I must confess I saw that ethanol cleaning method last year but in fairness, I was too lax to do it. I now see the sense in doing it and I will have to have a go at using your pop bottle separation method Mike, I will report back in due course.

DWD

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Mon Jun 12, 2023 7:59 am

I had a go yesterday but I put premixed two-stroke fuel in the pop bottle by mistake as I was not wearing my glasses...doh. However, after a few minutes, the light green petrol and two-stroke oil separated from a white ethanol and water mix and I carefully decanted the fuel from the waste into a fuel jug. I poured the mix into my newly repaired brushcutter and it fired up with no problem. I used it for about ten minutes with no issues so I think it worked. I will save a few 2 litre bottles so I can cleanse a 5 litre can of petrol. I usually mix up a batch of 2 stroke and keep plain petrol for the mowers and chipper. Of course, the meanness in me started thinking I am losing 10% of a gallon each separation and I wondered if I started the season off on E10 and around August run on the purefied petrol so that should clear through the fuel systems for winter layoff?

DWD

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Mon Jun 12, 2023 9:19 am

A further thought was the disposal of the water/ethanol residue. I am not happy putting it to ground, is there a proper way to dispose of it?

DWD

mikew1972 · Post by **mikew1972** » Mon Jun 12, 2023 3:21 pm

The method works fine with premix as the 2 stroke oil stays dissolved in the petrol.
If you start with E5 you loose a bit less volume but it costs a bit more. 6 of 1, 1/2 a dozen of the other. E5 or E10 runs leaner so you have to ritchen the mixture by nearly 5 or 10%. What you gain you loose! (Because by weight petrol mixes with air about 13:1, ethanol about 6:1 in an internal combustion engine. In a car with a computer controlled engine the computer adds more fuel to compensate and you get less miles per gallon - it's another of those modern scams we're all subjected to with the aim of appeasing the just stop oil nutters and making the government more tax revenue and at the same time encouraging farmers to grow less food on their land (The ethanol is made from cereal crops grown by farmers instead of the food they would normally grow on the land, normally wheat corn) that not many people realise!) Either way a lot cheaper than ethanol free petrol for garden machinery and older engines bought in a can.
Yep, I have a can of straight petrol for 4 stroke and another with premix in for all the 2 stroke stuff too.
Water and ethanol both evaporate and do not pollute the ground and in any case my local authority no longer collects used oil and says just to put it in a sealed container in household waste which goes to landfill. Better to use it for SOMETHING? It works for killing weeds in the path. I think most people who do the separation just pour it down the drain! Maybe one of the YouTube videos has a way to make use of it but i haven't seen any. An engine degreaser maybe?
The US is already on E15. Only a matter of time until it's the norm here too...

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Mon Jun 12, 2023 5:52 pm

Thanks for that Mike, very clear. I suppose I was worrying unnecessarily about the ethanol spoil, I have lots of places to use it for weed control and your point about evaporation is key. I must admit it is an easy process to remove the ethanol and on balance, i think the cleaner fuel will be more beneficial over winter inactivity.

Thanks for your help

DWD

kellys_eye · Post by **kellys_eye** » Sun Jul 16, 2023 11:31 pm

You can purchase raw alkylate fuel from the better garden appliance places - the likes of Stihl and other 'big' makes have their own-label versions but pure alkylate is also available 'unnamed'.

It's not exactly cheap (£15 for a 5 litre bottle IIRC) but using it just ONCE cleans all the varnish deposits that E5/E10 fuels tend to leave behind and makes the machine run better. It's even advised that you LEAVE the fuel IN over the winter (most recommendations are to drain the equipment of fuel) as the akylate stuff prevents rust deposits forming and keeps water out.