Fuel and alcohol

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
The funny thing is that weedeaters seem so prone to this, yet I'll let
my lawn mower sit for an entire season with fuel in it and it always
starts on the first pull. Never any problems, hot start, cold start,
etc. However, the weedeater is very, very sensitive to anything when it
comes to starting.

My experience has been that the smaller the engine, the more susceptible it
is. Also, the two-stroke engines seem to me to be worse than the
four-strokes, possibly because the fuel has oil mixed in and so has more
stuff left over to gum things up after the volatile fuel components
evaporate (I don't know if your weed cutter engine is a two-stroke, but it's
a good guess that it is, while likewise most lawnmowers have four-stroke
engines). Or possibly just because they are generally smaller engines.

I have had trouble getting a four-stroke engine started after a long
storage, with some rough running initially, but eventually things smooth
out. It's only been with a two-stroke engine that I've had to get the thing
serviced, it got so gummed up after sitting too long.

The fuel stability issue may well be something to watch with an airplane,
especially one that doesn't fly often. I haven't heard of it causing huge
problems, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Still, my main point is
that I doubt that it's the alcohol in the fuel that is responsible for the
"so much damage" the original poster was talking about...more likely, it's
just letting any fuel sit around too long, alcohol or not.

Pete