Racing/High Octane/Aviation Fuel in Chainsaws?

[Hexa Fox]

I am thinking about buying this stuff here.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07189738000P

It is ethanol free 94 grade fuel pre-mixed 50:1 and looks like pretty good stuff... Just $50.00 for 2 gallons is still a little steep. However I have a rewards program with them and have a lot of points as I just purchased a zero turn tractor with them. The only difference is my saw calls for 89 ethanol free. Which means this stuff is still a little rich but think it will work out.

 

[Hexa Fox]

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07189738000P
This stuff is still a little rich but do you guys think it will run in my saw okay without any modification?

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Octane rating does not make a saw run rich or lean. Adding alcohol will make it lean, the more you add, the leaner it gets. This is because alcohol doesn't flow through a given size orifice as easily as gasoline will. It is compounded by the fact that the alcohol brings some of its own oxygen needed for combustion. That leaves more oxygen for the gasoline to burn which is a leaner situation.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Get some VP T4 its $60 for 5 gallons here. Its E free 93 octane and you can mix any oil you want in it.


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[VA-Sawyer]

That is only $3.00 per Qt.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Get some VP T4 its $60 for 5 gallons here. Its E free 93 octane and you can mix any oil you want in it.


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Thanks I will take a look at it. Like I said I have reward points from Sears so if the stuff on the link I just posted works okay I am going to buy that and get it shipped to my front door for under $30.00.

 

[rw48]

What about white gas. Like Coleman in a gallon can. Someone told me it works good in lawnmowers and is more pure.

 

[TC262]

Find a small local airport and run av gas. It's high quality fuel and has a great shelf life. It's designed to run in aircooled engines like your chainsaw. That's why it's still leaded, to help it run cooler.

 

[Black Dogg]

When I took the chainsaw course for my logger cert. the instructor told us the best additive for keeping ethanol suspended was "Mechanic in a bottle". It's made for freeing stuck engines and for cleaning up poor running ones from what I understand. I've been using it in all my chainsaws and have noticed marked improvement in power and I also seem to get more cutting done per tank of fuel. The biggest improvement, however, has been in my tractor (an old Satoh Bison) which had a seriuos idle problem no matter how much I played with the carb. Added some MIAB and it's been idling and starting like a champ ever since.
You can buy the stuff at Home Depot, right where all the fuel additives are. I went online and bought a quart size bottle after I found out how good it works. Very economical too, by the way: For regular maintenance you only need one ounce for 5 Gallons.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Find a small local airport and run av gas. It's high quality fuel and has a great shelf life. It's designed to run in aircooled engines like your chainsaw. That's why it's still leaded, to help it run cooler.

Sorry, but that just isn't true. The lead is there to raise the Octane rating. It prevents detonation. It does not aid in cooling. Besides the environmental problems with the tetraethyl lead, it can cause plug fouling problems.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Lead also acts as a lubricant


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[VA-Sawyer]

The lead in gasoline is a lead salt, not metallic lead. It isn't needed to lubricate anything in aircraft engines. A large number of low compression airplane engines are approved to run on unleaded auto fuel.

 

[windthrown]

There are more myths and BS on this thread than I can keep up with. Which is typical when it comes to gasoline...

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Such as?

 

[crotchclimber]

What about white gas. Like Coleman in a gallon can. Someone told me it works good in lawnmowers and is more pure.

White gas stove fuel has an octane rating of about 53 from what I've read online. Not recommended for high compression chainsaw engines!

 

[VA-Sawyer]

People think that the lead lubricated the valves, that isn't quite how it worked. The TEL deposits acted as a coating that kept the valve from welding to the seat every time it closed. When the TEL was removed, the valve would form a miniature weld with the seat. When the cam opened the valve the next time, that weld would tear, leaving a divot on the seat. Over time, the seats would have a very rough surface all the way around. The fix for that was hardened seats. They were made of materials that resisted the welding effect.

 

[groundup]

So here it is from the FAA themselves https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=14754

The lead is used to maintain octane

 

[groundup]

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/avgas-negatives.191031/page-3

Good discussion on the topic

 

[mdavlee]

Alcohol has less energy and an alky carb as to be drilled out. Now nitro added to it doesn't take as much fuel. The higher octane fuel will be richer. Tune the saw to a spec with normal pump gas and then drain it and try canned fuel. The rpm will be a little lower with the richer fuel. Seen it a few times with using canned full for storage when trying to run it later on.

 

[Gologit]

There are more myths and BS on this thread than I can keep up with. Which is typical when it comes to gasoline...

True. That reminds me, I need to stop by the airport tomorrow and stock up on 100LL.