# Lawnmowers, Gasoline and Rubbing Alcohol



## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Riding mower simply refused to remain running a couple of days ago. Towed it to neighborhood small engine fix-it guy. He said it was an accumulation of water and gunk in the tank. Said what he does with his is when it is low, he adds a couple of ounces of 91% rubbing alcohol. Theory is it mixed with water enough to burn. Sounds reasonable but... What say you?


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## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

Ken Scharabok said:


> Riding mower simply refused to remain running a couple of days ago. Towed it to neighborhood small engine fix-it guy. He said it was an accumulation of water and gunk in the tank. Said what he does with his is when it is low, he adds a couple of ounces of 91% rubbing alcohol. Theory is it mixed with water enough to burn. Sounds reasonable but... What say you?


Isopropol alcohol (91%) is what is used to remove moisture in gasoline to prevent gas line freeze up here in the frozen tundra. I have also used it to start small engines after the fuel in the tank had turned to varnish (with fresh fuel in the tank, of course). I would squirt with a hypodermic needle into the spark plug hole. Blow some air into the hole. Put the plug back in. Attach the plug wire and pull the cord. It'll run for a bit (enough for the fresh gas to be pulled from the tank into the carb. Then it'll run on the new fuel.

Good Luck!


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## fixer1958 (Dec 12, 2005)

Alcohol absorbs moisture, therefore allowing it to burn, not great, but burning non the less. 
Get a mason jar full of fuel/gas and pour a 1/2 oz of water in it. and watch it ball up in the bottom.
It does the same thing in the carb in front of the main jets and for some weirdness doesn't ever want to be pulled through under normal operation.

If you ever suspect water/debris in the fuel, you can run it full throttle and choke the crap out of it. Do it a few times and see if it improves. If not, look elsewhere for a problem or the fuel is worse than you thought.


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

I genearly loosen the bowl on the carberatior and let the water drain out.


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## Beeman (Dec 29, 2002)

Some parts of the fuel systrem might not be compatible with alcohol. I add Sta-Bil to gas if it's going to sit for any period of time. You should not have water in any gas. Another thing to do is install a fuel shut-off and shut the fuel off while the mower is running to allow the fuel bowl to go empty when storing the mower.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

This used to be common practice around here. Gasoline stations sold a gasoline additive named "HEET." HEET was pure methanol, I believe. The company offered another product called "ISO-HEET" which was isopropyl alcohol. It's purpose was to dissolve water into the gasoline. 

These products kinda went by the wayside now since most of our regular gasoline now has to oxygenated with 10% (15%??) ethanol.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Cabin Fever is right. Except in extreme situations, dry gas is no longer required. THe other suggestion of just draining the carb bowl is all that is needed for most other cases.

An extreme situation would be something like leaving a metal gas can vented in a humid area, where the day/night temperatures vary a lot. That can pull a lot of moisture out of the air.


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## kruizeag (Jan 10, 2009)

I'll let the inner nerd in me come out. Alcohol does not disolve water, it is attracted to the water and therefore carries the water molecule with it. Alcohol burns hotter than gasoline so it will "burn" the water molecule when it burns in the combustion chamber. That bond is why you have to pee so bad when you drink beer or other ethal alcohols. It goes right to the moisture in your body- ie bladder. Chemical compound is ETOH. 

A good tear down of the carb and cleaning it out, allowing it and the tank to air dry will work too.


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