Listed in the next paragraph below was something I pulled quickly from the internet, I am no mechanic or Engineer, I have been a Fixed Operations Director for many years supervising up to 15 new car dealerships, mechanical shops, body shops and parts departments... All the shop managers and technicians are complaining about the damage ethanol is causing in car engines, even the ones designed to use ethanol fuel, we are seeing the need for injectors being cleaned every 15K. It is causing drive-ability problems to some degree, our field service engineering has agreed. I even use a fuel additive in my wife's 2011 vehicle along with ethanol free fuel just as a precautionary action.
Here’s what happens: In smaller engines, ethanol can create a chain reaction of events that end up clogging valves and rusting out small metal parts — including, crucially, carburetors.
“When you mix ethanol with your fuel, you’ve now put a chemical substance in there that’s going to attract moisture, which is going to promote a quicker deterioration of the fuel that you have,” said Bob Magnotti, owner of Magnotti’s Small Engine Service in Roanoke, Va.
In effect, said Doug Ryms, a mechanic at Como Mower Service in Columbus, Ohio, “the alcohol actually dissipates the oil. So on a two-cycle engine, you’re lubricating the engine, but the oil is being pushed away, so it’s actually not lubricating the engine.”
That creates a gummy residue, called shellack, that clogs filters and hoses. And it does no good to follow the rocking-chair wisdom that says you’ll be fine if you drain the tank before you gas it back up.
“People will tell you you can take the gas out of them and it won’t happen, but it’s the residue that does the damage,” Mallisham said.
I do know the above statement is referring to older small engines and two cycle engines not designed to run on ethanol. The service manager at the Can Am dealer that I purchased from stated they were seeing lot's of issues in twin engines caused from ethanol and to try and get ethanol free fuel or use the additive. So far I have complied and feel it has it's positive benefits. To each his own I guess but for me it's ethanol free or an additive to remove the ethanol.
