alpinecrick
ArboristSite Operative
Unfortunately, the only gas available out here in the Rocky Mountain colonies is 10% ethanol blends.
What makes ethanol blends less desirable for long tern storage?
Casey
Ethanol Laced Gas
- Thread starter slabmaster
- Start date
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Unfortunately, the only gas available out here in the Rocky Mountain colonies is 10% ethanol blends.
What makes ethanol blends less desirable for long tern storage?
Casey
lectrocrew
ArboristSite Operative
My 081C always rans a little lean on 87 octane but runs fine on 100 unleaded or 110 leaded. I think the higher octane fuel burns a little longer on the power stroke and may even have power potential that gets waisted in the form of incompletely burned fuel out the exhaust in a stock compression motor. Since theres no converter to ruin with the incompletely burned fuel, I see nothing harmful about running it other than a possibility of not making any more power with the high dollar stuff or even possibly making more power on a lower octane fuel. Bet you didn't expect me to say that.Trigger-Time said:
I'd like to run my saw on a dyno to see what any power output difference is with different octane fuels, and if there is a difference, what octane is best for my stock compression.
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alpinecrick
ArboristSite Operative
My 91 and 96 GM pickups lost about a 1 MPG between summer (no ethanol) and winter (10% ethanol). But starting in the late 90's or so, Colorado went to ethanol blend year 'round. Consequently, I've never had a chance to compare my 03 GMC.....
Not to hijack, but I run a couple of 1970's vintage Mcculloch's--I'm wondering what unleaded and/or ethanol blends do to them?
And does going to premium gas help the saw that much? (I know I've run premium in the past, but it's been a long time ago).
Casey
alpinecrick
ArboristSite Operative
My 081C always rans a little lean on 87 octane but runs fine on 100 unleaded or 110 leaded. I think the higher octane fuel burns a little longer on the power stroke and may even have power potential that gets waisted in the form of incompletely burned fuel out the exhaust in a stock compression motor. Since theres no converter to ruin with the incompletely burned fuel, I see nothing harmful about running it other than a possibility of not making any more power with the high dollar stuff or even possibly making more power on a lower octane fuel. Bet you didn't expect me to say that.
I'd like to run my saw on a dyno to see what any power output difference is with different octane fuels, and if there is a difference, what octane is best for my stock compression.
I wonder if higher octane helps saws at altitude? Midgrade definitely helps my pickups go up the hill easier--it clearly delays my shift points, too--on some regularly traveled stretches, I don't even have to downshift with midgrade, where I would have to downshift with regular.
Casey
Jim Mesthene
ArboristSite Operative
Chevron says this about storing gas with ethanol:
But what do they know....?
This is what Stihl says about ethanol blends:
But what do they know....?
It degrades the fuel/mix, corrodes Al and Mg, and rots fuels system rubber parts.
z4lunch
If I ever get back to Waterloo again, I will find the study that was published by the DOE, included Ford and Chevy Flex and non Flex fuel vehicles and various ethanol blends up to e85 if I recall correctly. I came across it on the Soytech web sight probably a year and a half ago.
They made no effort to explain why, they just reported their findings.
As noted, I have driven a lot of miles on the 10% blend and keep pretty good records of my mileage (record miles & gallons every time I fill the tank), in my experience driving conditions including traffic and wind make a much greater difference in fule economy than the fuel blend.
I do not use the E10 fuel in my OPE as they are not used enough to avoid problems with condensation and corrosion. I use it whenever possible in my Explorer and Ranger. Last weekend running up to Baraboo I was able to get over 21 MPG and that includes the runs through the hills getting there and back, best I have ever recorded is around 23 MPG on an interstate run from Waterloo to St. Joe, MO which is all level ground.
Mark
If I ever get back to Waterloo again, I will find the study that was published by the DOE, included Ford and Chevy Flex and non Flex fuel vehicles and various ethanol blends up to e85 if I recall correctly. I came across it on the Soytech web sight probably a year and a half ago.
They made no effort to explain why, they just reported their findings.
As noted, I have driven a lot of miles on the 10% blend and keep pretty good records of my mileage (record miles & gallons every time I fill the tank), in my experience driving conditions including traffic and wind make a much greater difference in fule economy than the fuel blend.
I do not use the E10 fuel in my OPE as they are not used enough to avoid problems with condensation and corrosion. I use it whenever possible in my Explorer and Ranger. Last weekend running up to Baraboo I was able to get over 21 MPG and that includes the runs through the hills getting there and back, best I have ever recorded is around 23 MPG on an interstate run from Waterloo to St. Joe, MO which is all level ground.
Mark
t613
ArboristSite Operative
I tend to disagree with the "professionals" on this one too. I run a 1994 Escort 1.9L engine around CT and get around 32-33 MPG highway. On the trips in recent past while driving through NY state, I would always see right at or over 40MPG. Same speeds, driver, roads. I believe NY has since gone to ethanol also, but it'd fuel ROCKED with the old MTBE.
The problem with marine engines, as I have learned, is two fold. Any older boat tank made of fiberglass, the ethanol would melt the resin and send it through the fuel system...OUCH! You can imagine the fuel system issues from that.
And, as the boat sits in the water with say, a 1/2 tank of fuel, as the tank "breathes" during the heat of the day and cool of the night, the humid air entering the tank would drop it's moisture in the tank where the ethanol was more than willing to absorb it. That's what causes the problems in the newer (plastic) tank boats. Alcohol can absorb it's own volume of water. Keep in mind that a vented 100 gallon tank is nothing for a typical 23 footer (50 "gallons" of air expanding/condensing with moisture-ridden air with the half tank example).
Stay away from it if you can in boats or anything that sits for any length of time. That's my policy and zero ethanol related issues in the years since CT made the switch to alcohol.
Good luck! Tim
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I compute my MPG EVERY time I fill up. Summer mileage is (±19.5) 1 to 1.5 MPG better than winter (±18). This study wasn't paid for by the ethanol industry... or reported by someone working in the industry! Kind of like Bush economics!!!
lectrocrew
ArboristSite Operative
Is that mileage in your Explorer or Ranger? What year is your Ranger? Is it E85 Flex Fuel. My Ranger is a 99 3.0 liter V6 5 speed manual and it is E85 Flex Fuel which is what the majority of Rangers were that year and some others. I have always run 87 octane which probably is 10% Ethanol, I haven't even looked at the pump to see. I'm much less picky about fuel for for the Ranger than I am fuel for my high performance engines. Actually I don't know of a station that supplies E85 around here other than ~50 miles away. I have gotten ~17-18 mpg combined city / highway driving each time I've checked it.
I'm in danger of revealing how old I am but... I remember grass fires caused by vehicles fitted with catalytic converters when the technology was new. One of the by products of converting hydrocarbons is HEAT. Am I the only only one that wonders about the logic of mounting a heat generator in contact with an air cooled engine? Another is vaporized hydrochloric acid. Lose the cat... run 100LL available at your neighborhood airport.
Stihl mufflers with a white dot are cats too!!! SHHH that is a secret!
Stihl mufflers with a white dot are cats too!!! SHHH that is a secret!
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lectrocrew
ArboristSite Operative
I believe the first were around 75, and I'm sure the 76 Ford Torino 460 CID Police Interceptor cruzers were cat equipped. That's the year a boy drowned in a cow pasture pond near my home. The police car was left running in the pasture and caught fire. It was an eventfull day for this 16 year old. Does that make you feel any better there Lou lol?
Lakeside53
Stihl Wrenching
Erick
Addicted to ArboristSite
slabmaster said:
That's what I'm gonna have in the morning.
slabmaster
ArboristSite Guru
The problem is that alot of the ethanol gas has more than 10% ethanol in it.Unless you test it ,you really don't know what you are putting in your saw.Some gas stations are paying big money these days for damage to customer engine failures when taken to court.I know of some that have payed out thousands of dollars in damage just last year.BEWARE!
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To me it would seam that I would want my fuel to take the water that condensed through the system instead of letting it settle to the bottom of the tank.
How many of you use heat? Or Iso Heat?
How many of you use heat? Or Iso Heat?
Lakeside53
Stihl Wrenching
Erick
Addicted to ArboristSite
Could this drop in mileage be because you let the car warm up in the winter whereas you just get in and drive in the summer????
Lakeside53
Stihl Wrenching
nope... This is Western WA... the difference between October and September is often just on the calendar. All that changes is our gas. My truck hates the winter gas.
Ole Farmerbuck
Addicted to ArboristSite
This has prob already been answered but can the gas stations sell gas with up to 10% alcohol without telling us its in there. I was told by a gas station manager that they can.
