Modern gasoline/vintage Suzuki

msvatora · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 4:21 pm Post subject: Modern gasoline/vintage Suzuki

Finally got my 71 Suzuki t250 up & running. Had to run down the street with my father in law helping push. Anyway, I'm wondering if modern gasoline will mess things up. I'm not talking about using e85, just the average gasoline ethanol mix most places have. If so, is there anything I can do?

jayel · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 5:18 pm Post subject:

shouldn't be a problem the manufactures were aware of the move to blended fuels by the 70's ethanol will wash out any varnish in the tank carbs ect. put on new fuel lines with a fuel filter (briggs and stratton) lawn mower filter will be fine 2 stroke will run fine on reg. gas

Rizingson · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 6:43 pm Post subject:

If you leave it in too long without use and no stabilizer, you'll be cleaning carbs every year.
Today's ethanol blends only have a "shelf life" of about 3 months. The old leaded fuels would burn after 3 years (stink like hell but still not plug everything up).

KirkN · Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 8:00 am Post subject:

I'll echo very strongly what jayel said - the ethanol will dissolve varnish that has happily lived in the nooks and crannies for years and years and send it on thru the rest of the system, clogging carbs every step of the way. So, make every effort to clean the tank before you go much further.

Otherwise, what they said...

Smile

JG122 · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:32 pm Post subject:

sta-bil is supposed to have a treatment/additive coming out this month, that will address this...

http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/default.aspx

Bikegeezer · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:16 am Post subject:

mopehead440 · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:31 pm Post subject:

Stu.....Marine formula helps on ethanol, but the "ethanol formula" is new, and is not fully released to all retail outlets. They are advertising it big ime on Barrett-Jackson daily. Should be on all shelves quickly--Look for yellow label!

MR.CHocko · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:55 pm Post subject:

Looks to me that it is the marine fomula in a different bottle.

H2Lou · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:24 pm Post subject:

thanks...good to know. Cool

JG122 · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:13 pm Post subject:

yes, I was referring to the yellow label formula...

Bikegeezer · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:09 pm Post subject:

MR.CHocko · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:55 pm Post subject:

Easy it is called money. Package the marine formula in a different label bottle and you will make more money. For the same amount of money you can buy a bottle of seafoam and it will do everything the marine formula does.

rdaystrom · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:16 pm Post subject:

I used Sta-Bil before but have switched to Star Tron. It uses enzyme technology to cure ethanol problems, stabilize the fuel, and eliminate water among other benefits. One bottle treats something like 128 gallons. It's available everywhere. I bought mine at Wal Mart on the aisle with the marine products. I like it but you guys try it for yourselves. It's made by Star-brite, a company that's been around a long time Here's a link to the product website.
http://mystarbrite.com/startron//content/view/100/136/lang,en/

Bikegeezer · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:17 am Post subject: Consumerism Rant

Okay, I bought a small bottle - enough to treat 48 gallons of gas. The stuff may work. But right now, after visiting the link above and reading the claims and testimonials, I feel like a gullible moron. I write consumer articles intended to alert folks to this kind of marketing and keep them from getting suckered. Like I said, the stuff may work. And I'll find out over time what it does or doesn't live up to. But if I'd read their website first, I'd have never bought it.

Stu

Rizingson · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:06 am Post subject:

For most of the members of this forum, the real test is, will the bike start and idle after winter storage. Most any fuel stablizer will allow this without much todo. For someone to use an additive to "attempt" to clean jets, bowls, filters and tanks is the epitomy of lazy and will only guarntee that you or someone you pay to do it will be cleaning the fuel system sooner than later. EVERY bike I purchase that I believe has not been run in more than a year gets the carbs, tank, petcock etc. cleaned manually before ever attempting to start. That's just an automatic "given". I run a stabilizer year-round just for the fact that most of my bikes will only use one tank or less through it in any given summer. If I had the chance to start and ride once or twice a month and used more than a tank a year I wouln't bother with any treatment. The only meaningful way to test Star Tron would be to leave it in a wet carb for 2 - 3 years and see if the bike would still start up and idle when put back in service. If so I might be interested, however if I plan to lay up a bike that long I'll drain the entire fuel system including bowls prior to storage.