Apparently there are 3 more available at the moment if anyone is interested? I would imagine these are fairly easy to get hold of in Aus but I never thought I would get one here.
Wow a black one and that one isn't clouded or yellowed. They come in at least two lengths. They are really practical but not that necessary. That E10 muck dissolves them and blocks the fuel line filter as well!
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
I agree, not that necessary but they are practical and I really like the idea. Apparently these are genuine so a nice touch if someone is doing a full factory restore.
What is E10, is it a fuel additive? I have read on here that something dissolves them but I'm not sure what it is. I take it they last ok if just used with a regular 2 stroke mix nowadays.... or has something been added to our modern fuel that they don't like?
Hi Alan, Yes, they're not that rare and they pop up every now and then, on machines you'd least expect them on, although they are a nice touch on a factory restore. E10 is regular unleaded with 10% ethanol added to it. It is not friendly on older rubber and plasic parts found in all of our machinery fuel systems. Cheers, Ted
OK, I appreciate that the following will not be of any use to you guys but if it helps any UK enthusiasts, I got the following from the Esso website:
What is the ethanol content of your fuels?
The majority of unleaded 95 Octane petrol sold in the UK contains up to 5% ethanol as required under the Government’s Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO).
There is currently no requirement for renewable fuel (such as ethanol) to be present in super unleaded (97 grade petrol).
Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland). We would therefore advise anyone who has concerns about the presence of ethanol in petrol to use Synergy Supreme+ – providing they do not fill up in Devon or Cornwall, the Teesside area or Scotland.
This is the info currently available but it could (and probably will) change if Brexit dosent get a move on..!!
I'm relieved that there is a way to avoid the insidious stuff up that way. I have seen first hand what 10% does to those prisms and the resultant mess it leaves at the bottom of the fuel tank. Avoid at all costs.
We are fortunate in Australia that bowsers are labeled E10 for any fuel with any Ethanol present and we also have 91, 95 and 98 octane petrol available, all without ethanol. Hope that doesn't change, otherwise you can kiss the Victa two stroke goodbye.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
G'day folks, Yep, the E10 stuff is very unfriendly to these Victa gauge caps, as well as other small engine fuel system parts. Wouldn't expect E5 to be much better.
As Mowerfreak says, here in Oz, all grades of pump petrol may have 10% by volume of ethanol added - but by law this information is supposed to be displayed on the actual bowser, as an 'E10' decal. Doesn't mean that it always happens though...
Alan, it appears that nearly all of the 95 octane petrol sold in the UK is 'E5'; i.e. it contains 5% ethanol. So you may have to go to a fuel company brand 98 octane Super grade to get ethanol-free petrol.
At least the situation is not yet as bad as it apparently is in some areas in the US, where the easiest option for ethanol-free is pre-packaged [and much more expensive, though longer shelf life] small engine fuel!
Cheers, Gadge
"ODK Mods can explain it to you, but they can't understand it for you..."
"Crazy can be medicated, ignorance can be educated - but there is no cure for stupid..."
At least the situation is not yet as bad as it apparently is in some areas in the US, where the easiest option for ethanol-free is pre-packaged (and much more expensive, though longer shelf life) small engine fuel!
What a nightmare. You have to treat your Victa as just another costly hobby like a radio controlled plane or train set. Go to Hobbyco to fuel your lawn edger. Yikers!
G'day Alan, This may have been a factor, as unleaded petrol first came on the market here in 1985, and leaded petrol was finally phased out in 2002. Ethanol was never added to leaded petrol here, but in the early years of unleaded, there was no applicable fuel standard, and some of the blends were well over 10% ethanol.
The Victa prismatic fuel gauge was first offered in the 1970-71 model range, in the Corvette 2 and then new VC160 models only. As far as I can determine, the last Victa model to feature the prismatic fuel gauge was the Powerplus self-propelled, one of the last of the full crankshaft 160cc models, in the mid 1980's.
So it would be no surprise if many of the older mowers were not economically repairable, after an encounter with ethanol blend fuel. The cheapskate's way of avoiding this problem was to just break off the gauge, close to the cap. Intact gauge caps are rare here, for this reason.
Cheers, Gadge
"ODK Mods can explain it to you, but they can't understand it for you..."
"Crazy can be medicated, ignorance can be educated - but there is no cure for stupid..."
Wow..... All news to me, melted prism caps could be another reason why so many of the older Victas bit the dust then..??
When the cap is just above the fuel exit filter and the prism melts like taffy all over it, forming a seal, many owners presume total failure of the machine due to a simple case of fuel not being able to get to the engine! Little do they know that an $8.00 replacement fuel tap assembly screwed in to the tank, and replacing of the offending cocktail of ehtanol and petrol, with the pure stuff will have it running again.
