dispensing of premium fuel

[disney]

Greetings, most of my 2 cycle engines spec a minimum of 89 octane, and I know fuel loses octane as it ages/degrades so I usually buy premium, except I have come to realize that if the pump has a single nozzle for all grades, then the (presumably) lower grade would have to be flushed before I actually get any premium. does anyone know where the switching valve is located? Is it up at the pump, or down at the tanks?, it could make a huge difference in the amount that would have to be flushed to get the good stuff. Yes, I know you can add stabilizers to fuel, and I suppose octane boosters, but I would just like to buy one actual gallon of high test and be done. I have started pump into the car first, but how much expensive stuff do I really need to 'waste' in the car first?

 

[mjonesnh]

Usually I put 1 gallon in the truck before I fill my 2 gallon can for my 2 stroke mix. Think 1 gallon would easily purge what was in line of lower octane.

 

[CincyFlyer]

Don't worry about a few pennies! I never fill less than a couple of 5-gallon cans, and I'm usually filling up the EcoBoost vehicle at the same time, which I always do first. And I use Sta-Bil (even though I use gasoline so quickly it's likely not needed.)

 

[ray66v]

Look for Ethanol free, "boat gas", in your area.

It's higher octane, and stores better.

It turned out, I could buy it at two places within 20 minutes of me.

 

[CincyFlyer]

Look for Ethanol free, "boat gas", in your area.

It's higher octane, and stores better.

It turned out, I could buy it at two places within 20 minutes of me.

In my neighborhood, it's not "higher octane". In fact, E85-mostly ethanol-has a pump octane rating over 100.

 

[TractorGuy]

Look for Ethanol free, "boat gas", in your area.

It's higher octane, and stores better.

It turned out, I could buy it at two places within 20 minutes of me.

MOST of the ethanol free gas around here is 87 also. There are a few stations selling 93 but they are few and far between in our area. I just use the 87 ethanol free in my small stuff and it seems to work fine.

 

[ericm979]

The EPA has tried to make it illegal to dispense less than four gallons. Apparently they think it takes that much to get the correct mixture from a blender pump. I can't find what the actual remainder is or how close the EPA thinks is correct. I use a five gallon can, put fuel stabilizer in it and pour it into a 1 gallon can to make premix.

87 octane with ethanol seemed to work fine in my two stroke equipment but Stihl recommends 89 octane so I switched to premium. Gas without ethanol is hard to find here.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I can get ethanol free regular gas or premium ethanol free at a couple of stations within 12 miles of my house. Shell premium is ethanol free is about $1.40 per gallon higher than regular 87 with ethanol and really I find no difference in the performance of any of my engines whether car, motorcycle or weed eater. Any gas that I think may not be used in a month gets Stabil in it but otherwise nothing is added. Toward end of mowing season I start cutting back on my storage amount so I don't end up with a bunch of fuel to have to pour into my truck or leave in the mower tank.

Winter storage gets double dose of Stabil in the tanks and so far I have not had any issues doing that.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I buy NO E gas for all of my small engines.

These days I won't use anything else in them, and ALL of my small engine problems have went away!!...

I like to have some fuel around, so I have one 15 gallon dispenser and maybe fill a couple cans too. IF the power goes out or ect., it's handy to have gas around, plus I use a small generator quite often here for all kinds of other things too...

The station I go to, the premium is NO E fuel, so I put the first gallon or so in my truck, then fill all the containers I brought...

SR

 

[ray66v]

MOST of the ethanol free gas around here is 87 also. There are a few stations selling 93 but they are few and far between in our area. I just use the 87 ethanol free in my small stuff and it seems to work fine.

I haven't bought any recently, so I don't remember the exact octane.

But, it's 89, or 91 at my stations.

Last time, it was about .30 more a gallon than regular unleaded.