E10 blend issues?
 

http://jalopnik.com/5043482/ethanol-...-small-engines

It appears that the E10 blend might be causing issues with small two-stroke engines. Since the rotary is a two stroke in some ways, especially in terms of lubrication, I'm wondering if perhaps the E10 fuel is contributing to the issues we've experienced.

Interesting. Is anyone besides me old enough to remember "Drygas"? A can of denatured alcohol. You'd add it to your gas in the winter. The idea was based on gas and water not mixing with each other, while alcohol and water do. Adding alcohol would let condensed water blend with the gas, rather than hang around as droplets that could mess things up.

You'd think E10 would be a good thing in this regard. :)

Ken

Maybe FP+ in the gas mixture can help combat the ethanol?

Isn't E10 federally mandated now? Can you even get it gasoline with MTBE (as opposed to ethanol) anymore?

MTBE has been banned. Whether E10 is a mandate, I don't know. It has been in use, in my area, for quite a while.

Ethanol is NOT federally mandated, but the federal government subsidizes it use with rebates to the oil companies based on amount used.

High pollution counties in VA are required to provide E10 only fuel, but I think ethanol use policy is state controlled and varies by individual state rules.

All the gas I've seen in US for the last 10 years was E10 (there is always a small sticker on the gas pump mentioning it)... I lived in OH, PA and NJ. I usually run BP or Shell gas. I don't know if you can find gas without 10% ethanol, maybe you can, but I never looked for it.
The only warning I've seen was on the use of ethanol vs methanol - I guess some gas could contain methanol which is more corrosive and could also harm the catalyst (as per the Chrysler car owner manual I had 6 years ago). This is why I paid attention to the sticker at the gas pumps ;o)
On the RX8, I ran premix since new, for the last 4 years... no big deal, one extra step once a week at the pump ;o) I have a small 3oz. bottle I fill at home with 2/3 FP60 and 1/3 non-additive motor oil.

if you look iin your owners manual E10 can be run in you rx8 but if you dont want any ehtanol in your fuel like me i use shell v power and its 100% ethanol free

Except in areas in which it is state mandated to run E10.

While the Shell stations here in Fredericksburg are Ethanol-free, all of the ones in counties north of here up into DC all have E10 as it is required by the state as they are high pollution counties.