Sticky needle valves

[chris vickery]

http://www.pure-gas.org/
Check it out for stations without ethanol

[Dave Schindel]

Hi Rob, here in SK. premium fuel has no ethanol, so I just keep a couple cans of premium on hand for all the seasonal engines (or anything that might be sitting for any length of time). Makes a BIG difference.

[rob love]

So here is another one. We have one of the old deuce (M133/M135) here that occasionally goes on a parade or downtown display. Last year it went for a quick run around the base and the fuel pump quit. I brought in a NOS pump I had from home, along with a set of the rubber mounts (4 little rubber cords about 1-1/4 long) since you will rarely remove them in one piece. Cleaned up as required, and everything was fine, with the exception of the little rubber mounts which turned to goo within a night.

Now, 10 months later, I go to start the deuce and do not get the re-assuring whirr of the fuel pump. No start condition. So I go straight to the fuel tank and remove the cage the fuel pump is mounted in.

To get to the fuel pump you have to remove two cuno type filters, which I did, and here is what was greeting me:

[rob love]

Obviously, something is not happy with the new fuel. Last year, when I installed the new pump, the four little rubber mounts turned to goo within a day. To find a suitable replacement, I did some quick tests on various items around the shop, and found that the mil-spec 8 gauge wire worked out alright....it's hypalon coating did not seem to be effected by the fuel. To that end, they are still in good shape, although to remove them, I ran a screw through them and pulled out the wire core. The outer wrap came out in one piece and still in good shape after a year.


I removed the pump, and then proceeded to remove the filter screen from it. Inside again was coated in grey sediment/goo. I removed the bottom of the pump which reveals the impeller, and more goo. Upon a quick cleaning and a little spin, the impeller is free.

I pulled one of the two brushes for the motor, and it was fine.

So I have no idea what was decomposing from the fuel. The goo was only in the pump, and not in the main tank, although it is not super clean either. I'll be cleaning out the tank, run some hot water through, put it all back together and run the Jerry cans into town to pick up 30 gallons of non-ethanol fuel.

The part I am worried about myself is I did the fuel system on my deuce at home about a year and a half back. It ran fine last fall, but mid-winter I went to start it and it did not want to go. Not looking forward to the results there.

If I have to, I can go to an external fuel pump for both until I get some new parts ordered and in. Anyone else with a deuce who is going to try this, note you will have to plug the little bleed holes on the pickup tube or your pump will just suck air.

While it is debatable about the merits of ethanol blended fuel for the environment, I can assure you I am not feeling very "green" right now.