[ajgross]

Jason, if you like the auto relief valves, swap them. The autos are a direct replacement for the manual ones. In fact, you can't buy new manual ones from cub cadet anymore. if you go to buy a new one, you will get the autos. It'll cost you a small fortune, but that's what you will get. You can always look on ebay or talk to one of the used parts guys about purchasing a tunnel cover for the 1250 that has the manual relief valve flapper in it. The early style QL's came with manual type valves, so those tunnel covers are out there.

As far as the gas/ethanol topic goes, I don't believe it's the ethanol in the gas that's causing all the problems. I think it has to be in the additives. I'm turning 36 in a few months so I guess you could say I've been driving for 20 years and I remember a sticker on all the gas pumps around my area that said "This Fuel Contains 10% Ethanol" from before I got my drivers license. I can't figure out why everyone thinks the ethanol was just added within the last couple of years. It's been in the fuel in Indiana for over 20 years and counting. It was my understanding that the ethanol was added to absorb the condensation that naturally occurs when storing gasoline so that when you filled your car up, you didn't get a tank full of water. The water loaded ethanol could then be burned in the engine and shot out the exhaust pipe. I remember when water in the fuel was a big problem back in the 70's but after they started adding ethanol, that problem has almost disappeared. There is absolutely no way to store and transfer gasoline to the gas station without getting some sort of condensation getting in it. It's impossible. There has to be something added to the gas to absorb the water.

just my two cents.

AJ