GAS: Regular? Premium? Ethanol?

[jonyyuma]

If you still have doubts about Ethanol fuel..then slide over to read at Yamaha outboards web site. They have a Great section on ethanol fiuel and its bad natures to boats?? Myself I am glad they haven't upped our fuel above 10 % ethanol. I can still find plain gasoline in a few stations..

 

[Bird]

The manuals for my Toro ZTR and its 15 hp Kohler Courage engine call for 87 octane "or higher". A fuel stabilizer/conditioner is also recommended. Ethanol up to 10% is approved, but no other alcohol blend or more than 10% ethanol are approved. As I've mentioned earlier in this thread, I used the mid-grade (89 octane) with Stabil and Stihl HP Ultra 2 cycle oil in my 2 cycle engines. I use the same gasoline with Stabil, but without 2 cycle oil in the Toro.

 

[joshuabardwell]

If you still have doubts about Ethanol fuel..then slide over to read at Yamaha outboards web site. They have a Great section on ethanol fiuel and its bad natures to boats?? Myself I am glad they haven't upped our fuel above 10 % ethanol. I can still find plain gasoline in a few stations..

Having lost two carburetors to ethanol before I learned my lesson, you don't have to convince me. I use Sta-bil in all my 2-stroke engines, and bleed all my 4-stroke, non-fuel-injected engines dry using the fuel cutoff when I'm done using them.

 

[Tollster]

Get the highest octane you can get, the premium will last the longest and give you the most effecient use on a two stroke engine

Keep your pre mix out of the sun, and tightly sealed. Ethenol is a hygroscopic,therefore it will attract moisture, not goodfor any engine,this is one of the reasons you want premium,it sours less quickly,has less ethenol, and gives your two stroke the most perfomance.

 

[mjonesnh]

No way in heck its 12 to 1 in a turbo or any usual car.

Have 2012 Ford Focus with 2.0 direct fuel injection. Compression is 12.0:1

 

[Richard]

We have a friend that is a pro arborist. Real tree doctor, not just trimmer.

His take is, these little motors are 10,000+ rpm machines; run them on good premium and a high quality mix. They are, like little race motors.

I agree with this.

Put it this way...... how expensive is it really, to fill your 2 or 5 gallon tank with premium?

I used to have a Maico 490 dirt bike. I would drive an hour away to get aviation fuel at a small airport to use it instead of pump gas for the car. I could tell a noticable difference in the pulling power of the engine and the "blubbering" that regular gas could cause it to do.

I figured since I was already getting the good stuff, I'd use it in all my 2-stroke engines and used it for my chainsaw and string trimmer. They might use fuel, but they don't use THAT much fuel.

Today, I don't have the bike anymore but I'm still retentive on using as high octane as I can find.

2-strokes love octane

 

[scrappy isb67]

No way in heck its 12 to 1 in a turbo or any usual car.

I was off a little bit, i looked again and found 10.3 spec for compression ratio. But my point is that just because an engine is turbocharged does not mean it has lower compression ratio.

"The cooling effect of directly injecting fuel into the combustion chamber lets VW get away with a high-for a turbocharged engine-compression ratio of 10.3:1."
2006 Jetta 2.0 turbo

and you can also somewhat limit detonation by timing the injector pulse to just prior to ignition. you can't have detonation without fuel present
Back on subject, I have run ethanol ALL my life and NEVER had any issues. In my current small gas engines I use premium because that is what the chainsaw needs it. one less can and less confusion! as it is I have 3 cans, a 2stroke gas, a 4stroke gas, and a diesel.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Put it this way...... how expensive is it really, to fill your 2 or 5 gallon tank with premium?

Maybe sixty cents a gallon more expensive? If regular is $3 a gallon, sixty cents is 20%. So every sixth time you fill up your tank, it could be free. How many tanks do you go through in a season? The real question is, are you spending that 20% extra on something other than peace of mind. If peace of mind is worth 20% to you, that's your prerogative.

I figured since I was already getting the good stuff, I'd use it in all my 2-stroke engines and used it for my chainsaw and string trimmer. They might use fuel, but they don't use THAT much fuel.

If the convenience of not having to keep up with another fuel can is worth 20% to you, that's your prerogative too!

2-strokes love octane

Why? The whole point of octane is to resist pre-detonation, right? If the engine is not designed to take advantage of high octane gas, I can't see what advantage putting high octane in is going to give you. I keep asking this question, and people just keep kind of saying, "high-octane good!" without really responding to the question.

this is one of the reasons you want premium,it sours less quickly,has less ethenol

No disrespect, but every source I can find says that E10 gasoline has 10% ethanol by volume, regardless of grade. Do you know different?

 

[JoeBuyer]

I use 89 octane ethanol free gas. I started the 89 octane because I also read my Stihl manual and just use it across the board. There is only 1 ethanol free local station at the farm store but it really isn't that much more expensive, maybe 10 cents a gal.

 

[Tollster]

People will continue to tell you that and with some continual research you will find that 2 stroke engines where developed to run on high test gasoline. They do not have valves and burn fuel on every stroke, I actually run aviation fuel in all my saws. The only engines I know of that do not make the most of premium fuel are those less than 10:5:1 compression, unless it is a turbo model.



I actually have to look hard in my area,but with a web search of non e10 premium gas on google I got quite a few hits.


Here are some good threads to read up on,then follow up with the husky ethanol challenge,you may win something there.

Ethanol Free Premium Coalition

Husqvarna: Take the Ethanol Challenge!


I too like Richard Raced and rode dirt bikes for 40 years and learned a lot about 2 strokes, (Not including my Kawasaki 3 cylinder 2 stroke H2 roadbike) I also ran avation fuel, Cam2,and powermist in my racing machines on race day, I recall doing a little test for my own budget back than. With regular high test,I could grab 4 gears in 50 yards,but when I ran the Av gas,it was 6 gears in fifty yards. Now in this day and age and the rising issues thay have with ethanol deterating carb seals, breakdown of premix,combined with the water absorption, I personally have made it a point to do what is best for my engines,as well as take less effort of of my aging body and buy the highest octane I can find in my local area.
I am sure you will be able to skate by with lesser quality fuel, how long I don't know,as I refuse to do that test,but a quick google of "ethanol and two strokes" simply tells me there aremore troubles with it than not.
Don;t sweat the respect thing, we are all about helping one another out, thats the reason you post questions here,and this subject will have many a various answer. I just wanted to share with you what I have learned in 40 years of two strokes,and never loosing one,and I aim to keep it that way.