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Boomer 87

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What are your opinions on 100 octane leaded aviation fuel. I've ran it for about a year with no adverse affects. Anybody run it longer with any issues?
 
You're holding a running engine with the exhaust mere feet from your face breathing lead - but of course it's your health.

Other than that there is no need for the octane and there are no valve faces or seats for the lead to cushion.

What benefits or issues were you expecting?
 
I live in the corn belt I can't get anything but ethanol fuel, ethanol is hard on carb parts and fuel lines
 
I aggree completly with @Chris-PA , I prefer alcohol to lead in my lungs. And how fast is the deterioration really on e10? If you use your saw regularly and have a constant fuel turnover and donot hoard year old fuel/mix, you can probably expect with brand new "rubber" parts at least a 10 year lifespan under good conditions. Of course if you leave your fuel out in the rain, in non certified fuel containers, donot empty and run dry the saw during prolonged storage time, etc. then "bad" things will happen earlier.

Of course it would be quite interesting if you could have a blood sample taken to check for lead levels. Of course before and after using your saw and after prolonged time so that we know how the accumulation levels are!

And all this stupidity because of fear of ethanol.... and not wanting to finace his neighbors....

7
 
Well, ethanol is not good on aluminum engines, or carbs, or much else. In Oregon the damage to marine engines was instant and extensive with the advent of E10 gas. IMO its a poor excuse for fuel (at any level, including saving the planet or peak oil) and is the result of a well funded corn lobby. The EPA wants to increase the level of ethanol in fuel now as well. As a direct result of marine engine damage, Oregon allows E0 super gas now, but it is a buck more a gallon. I use E0 myself. E10 will not kill an engine in dry conditions, and I use Stabil anyway to keep the octane up (probably the most common problem with chainsaw/2-stroke gas is loss of octane over time with unstabilized gas). Stabil will also absorb ~some~ water in E10, but not much.

As for using leaded AvGas, I would never use it. Saws are not designed for 100 octane (they are designed for US mid grade 89). The lead does nothing good in the saw engine, but it expose you to TEL lead in aerosol form, which you will absorb into your bloodstream. Lead is a neurotoxin, and any lead, ANY LEAD in your system will cause you physical harm. So it is up to you, but I would never use AvGas in a saw. Engine ethanol exposure is better than personal lead exposure in my book. Best of the 2 evils.
 
I'd never consider using leaded fuel in a saw. Like the others have pointed out, there's no valves to cushion, and the exhaust is right in your face. Breathing in lead is the best way to get it into your bloodstream.
 
VP has five gallon pails of no ethanol, high octane you can get. either two stroke mix or just plain good gas. Heck, you can even order it off of walmart online. Ya, expensive, just depends on how much you cut. I wouldn't use the avgas today, but like most of the boomers (and some olders) here, we all breathed our share of leaded fumes back in the day. Today, we don't have to.
 
I didn't intend on starting an argument, was just curious if anybody else used it, I'm trying to keep 35+ saws all running and yes some of mine sit for a long time, at which point I drain and run dry those saws. The fuel is actually only 96 octane according to the man at the airport. What I liked it the fact the batches are always the same and consistant I've found from the automotive industry pump gas can be different from batch to batch,and the shelf life is a long long time comparatively, I was looking to see if there was a physical detriment to the equipment over time not if inhaling the exhaust fumes are bad. As I already knew that,i also don't run my stuff everyday like some of you just in the winter months for feeding the stove.
 
I didn't intend on starting an argument, was just curious if anybody else used it, I'm trying to keep 35+ saws all running and yes some of mine sit for a long time, at which point I drain and run dry those saws. The fuel is actually only 96 octane according to the man at the airport. What I liked it the fact the batches are always the same and consistant I've found from the automotive industry pump gas can be different from batch to batch,and the shelf life is a long long time comparatively, I was looking to see if there was a physical detriment to the equipment over time not if inhaling the exhaust fumes are bad. As I already knew that,i also don't run my stuff everyday like some of you just in the winter months for feeding the stove.
Boy some of these people can be real jerks. All I seen was an honest question. I ran 100ll
my saws for a couple gallons. But switched back to 93 non e. If yoir saws are tuned for ethanol gas your running and you keep fresh fuel I don't see a problem.
 
I have been running 100LL in my saws and trimmers since they started the corn fed gas. Stores great, MUCH better than non-corn, I mean more than a year mixed if it is capped and stored properly, maybe multiple years? It still smells fresh as just mixed after a year. No performance gain and sometimes mucks up a plug, just a scratch to clean the surface and good to go. Have had no issues with fuel or lubrication issues for many years.

I'm only cutting for my own cordwood now so not too worried about lead. Would not use it to clean parts like we did as kids with pump gas. I mix up a batch and store it in 1-gal coleman fuel cans. Unmixed it is claimed to last many years.

Recently a station local started selling 93 non-corn and I've been using that in all my other equipment. They all died from E10 with material that looked like mucus inside the carbs/fuel system with some aluminum parts rotted/corroded. These are things that ran for 30-40 years in some cases without a fuel related glitch: large and small tractors, tillers, hand mowers, generators, cars/trucks,...... It will also eat magnesium (cases).

Will go back to 93 non-corn if I need to mill with a saw or prolonged cutting. Will still keep a few cans of 100LL mixed for storage reasons. Even without the ethanol I don't trust pump gas to be of the quality of 100LL.

P.S. I remember the good ole days, when I could drive the 68 Camaro up to the airport pumps, filler up, then do a smoke show for the attendent. They had the green AV gas ( 115 octane) back then you could cut 1/3 with pump and still run 12:1 compression.
 
Ethanol is highly corrosive to aluminum parts and certain rubber compounds, that's why vehicle manufacturers use special orings and gasket compounds and injectors to prevent problems on their flex fuel vehicles, I see the effects of ethanol fuels everyday and I also use aviation fuel to prevent it. As well the leaded fuel helps lubricate things without coking up the piston with excess burned oil it's all around better for the saw. That's why when I pull a saw out of a barn that hasnt been started since it had leaded fuel put in it I can wash out the tank put in fresh fuel and it will almost always start and run. And there is no way that it's any worse for you than smoking cigarettes or smog in the cities. That is all.
 
Mad professor , I would of loved to been there back in the day, hot rods on every corner, open header big blocks long duration camshafts,just awesome! I always wanted to run some 100ll I'm my 70' big block nova. Sold her before I gotta chance
 
maybe i'm silly but i drive about 25 miles out of the way to buy 93 non-alcohol gas for my 2-cycle mix
i don't really have access out here to the 100+ stuff
i like to think that i'm doing the right thing (for the equipment) by not running ethanol through my 2-cycle engines
and maybe i'm too old or just don't give a s**t anymore, but i agree completely with @astnmacgto
the toxins in the air are already killing us, so i would not worry about lead in the gas
and yes i remember (like the mad professor) the days of high compression engines with none of the anti-smog paraphernalia holding them back
and drag races on the two lane state highway in front of our farm house at 2 am
anyway . . . back to the subject
what about the detrimental effects (if any) of leaded gas on the carb and cylinder of a 2-cycle engine?
 
maybe i'm silly but i drive about 25 miles out of the way to buy 93 non-alcohol gas for my 2-cycle mix
i don't really have access out here to the 100+ stuff
i like to think that i'm doing the right thing (for the equipment) by not running ethanol through my 2-cycle engines
and maybe i'm too old or just don't give a s**t anymore, but i agree completely with @astnmacgto
the toxins in the air are already killing us, so i would not worry about lead in the gas
and yes i remember (like the mad professor) the days of high compression engines with none of the anti-smog paraphernalia holding them back
and drag races on the two lane state highway in front of our farm house at 2 am
anyway . . . back to the subject
what about the detrimental effects (if any) of leaded gas on the carb and cylinder of a 2-cycle engine?
My dad liked what you had to say bird colonel. He said he remembers the saturdays when they headed north to the "drag strip" and all the cops patrolled on the south side haha
 
I use none ethanol gas.90 octance.they call recreational fuel here in Michigan.
It ends up being about $1.00 more and varies between 89 and 90 octane at my station in Michigan, they sells it as their premium pump option. It's all I use and have zero issues

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
I seem to remember a website, puregas.com or something like that. This site told of all the places in your area that sold pure gas, meaning no ethanol. Those places were typically marinas and air ports. Marinas selling pure gas made me think, can you still get unleaded gasoline that doesn't contain ethanol? That would be the best of both worlds. I mean, that's the way it was for a long time.
 
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