high octane fuel concern

[Amvcane]

That 100LL is wonderful stuff. Never goes stale from age . Never deteriates plastic, rubber or metal.

X2 on that. I’ve been using it for years in all my 2-stroke and small engines. No nasty odor left behind either when it evaporates. When I’m cutting wood with the chainsaw it smells just like I’m at the historic races at Watkins Glen.

 

[ccsial]

I use premium no ethanol fuel in my quads, motorcycles, and all small engines. I have for years with no problem. I just hate ethanol.

I run 100LL in my airplane.

 

[fried1765]

I use premium no ethanol fuel in my quads, motorcycles, and all small engines. I have for years with no problem. I just hate ethanol.

I run 100LL in my airplane.

The problem is ......

NO ETHANOL automotive fuel (premium or otherwise) is BANNED in some states!

THAT is when 100LL becomes the BEST option for no ethanol!

 

[CincyFlyer]

Heh heh... technically true. Folks just assume that higher octane means better, cleaner, faster... I mean... it costs more so it HAS to be better, right? ;-)

Back in the late 80's I bought a new JD 175 Hydro that was miserable to start right from new. I contacted the dealer and their recommendation was to make sure I was running "Hi Test Gas". Ahhh... right. It turns out the choke rod was misadjusted and the engine was only getting half choke.

Around here all grades of gasoline have the same Ethanol content. I run non-Ethanol in all my small engines but unfortunately the only grade available is 91-octane so that's what I use. It costs around $0.50 more per gallon than Ethanol-laced Premium.

Not necessarily true. Detonation, while usually unwanted, has little to do with ease of deflagration (ordinary burning). A liquid can be difficult to light on fire, but easily detonate, and vice-versa. It is noted that many high-octane fuels contain less energy per mass, but the difference is trivial.

 

[3Ts]

I was told by a small engine mechanic that if I store gasoline I should use premium and a fuel stabilizer. He explained the reason for premium is that the octane rating degrades over time and if it gets to low, the engine won't run on it. I store gas for 1 year +/-.

 

[Dave M7040]

Just wondering if high octane fuel (91 and 94 octane) will damage the 2 and 4 cycle motors. We live in a cold climate and was suggested to run high octane fuel in the winter so the motors will start easier.

The octane issue is misleading and not the reason for the advice to use high octane in small engines.

The addition of ethanol to gasoline is very hard on older small engine carb and fuel system parts. Automobile fuel systems had to be redeigned with materials that would not breaak down when in the presence of ethanol.

Sometimes, high octane fuel has less or no ethanol.

The addition of ethanol is often legally binding on producers and the pumps will say "may contain up to 10% ethanol."

Aircraft engines, like small engines, are high performance designs particularly 2 stroke outboard motors.

Here is the advice in the aviation community:

Never burn fuel that contains ethanol in your airplane. Learn how to test for ethanol in fuel, what to do when you can't find ethanol free gasoline, and the damage ethanol can cause to your aircraft.

Testers to allow you to see the % of ethanol are cheap and there are many do it yourself videos on youtube.

Ethanol test kit for percentage of ethanol in gasoline | eBay

There are gasoline additives specifically designed to stop ethanol damage in small engines.

Dave M7040

 

[swines]

I can't get gasoline without ethanol in it where I live. I've been using either Torco 100UL or VP Fuels T4 in my chainsaws, trimmer, and lawn tractor for years. Both fuels are 100 octane. While the canned fuels are expensive, it's a lot cheaper to run expensive fuel than have engine problems from ethanol. After rebuilding more than one carburetor from ethanol gas gumming up, my time associated with cleaning fuel systems and frustration with power equipment not working properly make the additional cost worth the money.

 

[Dave M7040]

I can't get gasoline without ethanol in it where I live. I've been using either Torco 100UL or VP Fuels T4 in my chainsaws, trimmer, and lawn tractor for years. Both fuels are 100 octane. While the canned fuels are expensive, it's a lot cheaper to run expensive fuel than have engine problems from ethanol. After rebuilding more than one carburetor from ethanol gas gumming up, my time associated with cleaning fuel systems and frustration with power equipment not working properly make the additional cost worth the money.

Swines
The small engine repair shops in my cold Canadian area recommended this additive to prevent ethanol problems.

Star brite Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - Concentrated Gas Formula

Star brite Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - Concentrated Gas Formula | FortNine Canada

My advice to friends and family is to use this additive at the start of a piece of equipment's operating season and then as the season ends to switched to the "canned" fuel so the engine has this on board when idle and when starting the season.

If you get one of the methanol testers I suggested in a previous post, you will find as I did that sometimes the high octane fuel which has been ethanol free suddenly has ethanol in it.

Dave M7040

 

[swines]

Swines
The small engine repair shops in my cold Canadian area recommended this additive to prevent ethanol problems.

Star brite Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - Concentrated Gas Formula

I started trying out ethanol fuel additives in 1999. I've tried about every additive for ethanol fuel, including the Star Tron additive, and for my use, none of them work to my satisfaction. In 2007, I finally decided to make my life simpler and changed to the Torco / VP fuels. They work and I don't have to fiddle around with running the equipment out of fuel, refueling with a canned fuel, running the equipment to circulate the new fuel, etc. etc. I have eight different pieces of equipment and I prefer to make my life easier by simply using high grade fuel all of the time.

However, I'm sure other people will appreciate your information on the Star Tron additive, and wouldn't mind the additional time and work involved with using the type of fuel regimen you've described.

For the "use aviation gas" people - the local fixed base operator (FBO) will not dispense av gas into a container to take it off of the airport. The reasons are more complicated than it's worth going into on this forum, but I understand the policy and why they don't want to sell gas "retail." It's their business and their policy and I'm not going to argue with them about it.

 

[Richard001]

I started trying out ethanol fuel additives in 1999. I've tried about every additive for ethanol fuel, including the Star Tron additive, and for my use, none of them work to my satisfaction. In 2007, I finally decided to make my life simpler and changed to the Torco / VP fuels.

I have been repairing small engines as a hobby for about the last 20 years. Sometimes I get an engine with the carb so full of crap, that I have to actually scrape it out of the bowl. When the customer comes back for his machine, I ask if he has been using a additive in his fuel. 99% of the time, the answer is yes.

I see no useful purpose of the additives. As far as I can tell, it does not have any beneficial effect. But I do know that they do a great job of gumming up carbs.