87 octane with ethanol OR 91 octane ethanol free

[den052]

So for proof of my knowledge of fuel systems, I am a Master Certified Car and Heavy Truck mechanic, certified in all areas of vehicle repair. Work on everything from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Freightliner.

I can assure you that ethanol is not good especially for 2 cycle engines in chain saws and etc. My Stihl chainsaw has a plastic gas cap that is getting exceedingly hard to screw into the tank because the threads (complete gas cap), have swollen from ethanol and it turns very hard.

Stihl sells a fuel with no ethanol for use in their chainsaws and weed whackers. It is about $8-9 dollars a QUART. A gallon would cost about $32.00

However a small airplane mechanic and I got to talking about ethanol in gasoline. The FAA will not let ethanol be used in aircraft fuel systems. So Aviation Gas (AVGAS), does not contain any ethanol. Come to find out, the general public can buy AVGAS too. Theres no restriction. He said all you have to do is go to a local airport, and ask someone where the pumps are to get it. Where I live, you just drive to the airport and insert your debit card in the pump and pump it into an appropriate container. It is about $5.00-$5.50 a gallon based on my location at the present time, but contains no ETHANOL. They apparently don't mind the public purchasing it either at that price per gallon.

It also has the unique ability to be used 2-3 years after you put it into a storage container and is just as potent as when you put it in (it doesn't get stale). So if you use your equipment seasonally, you don't need to purchase Stabil or drain your equipment. Many people would balk at the price being $1.00 to $2.00 more per gallon, but $25 worth would power a lot of chainsaws or mow your lawn all summer long at that price. Just like the old days with no ETHANOL.

 

[phcaan]

So for proof of my knowledge of fuel systems, I am a Master Certified Car and Heavy Truck mechanic, certified in all areas of vehicle repair. Work on everything from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Freightliner.

I can assure you that ethanol is not good especially for 2 cycle engines in chain saws and etc. My Stihl chainsaw has a plastic gas cap that is getting exceedingly hard to screw into the tank because the threads (complete gas cap), have swollen from ethanol and it turns very hard.

Stihl sells a fuel with no ethanol for use in their chainsaws and weed whackers. It is about $8-9 dollars a QUART. A gallon would cost about $32.00

However a small airplane mechanic and I got to talking about ethanol in gasoline. The FAA will not let ethanol be used in aircraft fuel systems. So Aviation Gas (AVGAS), does not contain any ethanol. Come to find out, the general public can buy AVGAS too. Theres no restriction. He said all you have to do is go to a local airport, and ask someone where the pumps are to get it. Where I live, you just drive to the airport and insert your debit card in the pump and pump it into an appropriate container. It is about $5.00-$5.50 a gallon based on my location at the present time, but contains no ETHANOL. They apparently don't mind the public purchasing it either at that price per gallon.

It also has the unique ability to be used 2-3 years after you put it into a storage container and is just as potent as when you put it in (it doesn't get stale). So if you use your equipment seasonally, you don't need to purchase Stabil or drain your equipment. Many people would balk at the price being $1.00 to $2.00 more per gallon, but $25 worth would power a lot of chainsaws or mow your lawn all summer long at that price. Just like the old days with no ETHANOL.

Thank you for that information, I am glad to know that I can purchase fuel that I can store and use through the year, I will go to the airport and check this out.

 

[Pochie]

So for proof of my knowledge of fuel systems, I am a Master Certified Car and Heavy Truck mechanic, certified in all areas of vehicle repair. Work on everything from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Freightliner.

I can assure you that ethanol is not good especially for 2 cycle engines in chain saws and etc. My Stihl chainsaw has a plastic gas cap that is getting exceedingly hard to screw into the tank because the threads (complete gas cap), have swollen from ethanol and it turns very hard.

Stihl sells a fuel with no ethanol for use in their chainsaws and weed whackers. It is about $8-9 dollars a QUART. A gallon would cost about $32.00

However a small airplane mechanic and I got to talking about ethanol in gasoline. The FAA will not let ethanol be used in aircraft fuel systems. So Aviation Gas (AVGAS), does not contain any ethanol. Come to find out, the general public can buy AVGAS too. Theres no restriction. He said all you have to do is go to a local airport, and ask someone where the pumps are to get it. Where I live, you just drive to the airport and insert your debit card in the pump and pump it into an appropriate container. It is about $5.00-$5.50 a gallon based on my location at the present time, but contains no ETHANOL. They apparently don't mind the public purchasing it either at that price per gallon.

It also has the unique ability to be used 2-3 years after you put it into a storage container and is just as potent as when you put it in (it doesn't get stale). So if you use your equipment seasonally, you don't need to purchase Stabil or drain your equipment. Many people would balk at the price being $1.00 to $2.00 more per gallon, but $25 worth would power a lot of chainsaws or mow your lawn all summer long at that price. Just like the old days with no ETHANOL.

Hi. Thank you for the great information. I am only 10 miles from a local airport so I will check it out. I bought gallon of Seafoam and put a dose in each gas container when I get home. The AV gas would be good to use as the last fillup in the Fall. I have been draining all my machines and running them dry but this may be an easier solution. Have a good day.

 

[Tom59]

So for proof of my knowledge of fuel systems, I am a Master Certified Car and Heavy Truck mechanic, certified in all areas of vehicle repair. Work on everything from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Freightliner.

I can assure you that ethanol is not good especially for 2 cycle engines in chain saws and etc. My Stihl chainsaw has a plastic gas cap that is getting exceedingly hard to screw into the tank because the threads (complete gas cap), have swollen from ethanol and it turns very hard.

Stihl sells a fuel with no ethanol for use in their chainsaws and weed whackers. It is about $8-9 dollars a QUART. A gallon would cost about $32.00

However a small airplane mechanic and I got to talking about ethanol in gasoline. The FAA will not let ethanol be used in aircraft fuel systems. So Aviation Gas (AVGAS), does not contain any ethanol. Come to find out, the general public can buy AVGAS too. Theres no restriction. He said all you have to do is go to a local airport, and ask someone where the pumps are to get it. Where I live, you just drive to the airport and insert your debit card in the pump and pump it into an appropriate container. It is about $5.00-$5.50 a gallon based on my location at the present time, but contains no ETHANOL. They apparently don't mind the public purchasing it either at that price per gallon.

It also has the unique ability to be used 2-3 years after you put it into a storage container and is just as potent as when you put it in (it doesn't get stale). So if you use your equipment seasonally, you don't need to purchase Stabil or drain your equipment. Many people would balk at the price being $1.00 to $2.00 more per gallon, but $25 worth would power a lot of chainsaws or mow your lawn all summer long at that price. Just like the old days with no ETHANOL.

We have a Sunoco dealer here that sells race gas - 110 octane about 6.00 a gallon. You can also buy barrels of 114 octane-118 octane - but need to transport 55 gallon drums.

I could not agree more. I've even mixed them with excellent results. Ethanol is bad news. I've also had gas caps hard to get on - didn't even think about the fuels? The new engines run special fuel lines, special injection - carbs, special computers.....and different metals for engines just to run it in cars and trucks. Hence the term flex fuels. Pumps are different - beefed up.

Why do they do all that to run ethanol if its good for the engine or fuel components. Corrosive - you betcha.

 

[BKBrown]

Check to see if any local stations carry ethanol free gas -- Ethanol Free Gas Stations

 

[iMower]

I am just an old street machine builder who used to buy higher octane AVGAS to run in supercharged cars that I built and drove around on Saturday night. You know what the car looked like, shiny paint, chrome wheels, and a GMC 6-71 supercharger sticking out of the hood with a couple of Holley carburetors topped by a sharp looking air cleaner. The classic beauty of a 3 inch wide timing belt with Goodyear and the Wingfoot Logo printed on it is a fond memory. The cop sitting next to me at a traffic light watching the Goodyear logo as it flashed by on the belt still makes me laugh to myself. The point of all of this is that when you put your foot on the floor, the intake manifold pressure went up to 22 pounds and the car moved instantly. Using anything less than AVGAS with this effective compression ratio caused severe engine knocking and would destroy the engine quickly. Our local airport was kind enough to sell me that wonderful gasoline, with the caveat that it be put into approved gas cans/containers, not a motor vehicle, since there is no road tax on AVGAS. Therefore, when you go to your friendly local airport, be sure to take proper containers that are in good condition. It is perfectly legal since you are not using it on the road and they will appreciate your business.

I no longer have the car, but I have the memories and my gas cans, which I use to fill my generator (4 stroke Generac) and 2 cycle Stihl and Echo tools. I have still been using Stabil in my generator AVGAS. Can anyone confirm that you do not need Stabil in AVGAS used in generators in long storage and how long it will last? It is important that my generator starts when needed, with no hassle.

 

[BKBrown]

I don't know if you NEED to ad Sta-Bil, but it will help keep condensation from making water in the bottom of your tank. I use the marine formula (blue) and my weed eater, chipper, and chain saws do not have problems after storage. Sta-Bil won't hurt anything and it is cheap insurance.

 

[iMower]

Thanks for the reply BK. How long have you stored the fuel and had it survive? I usually get 5 gallon containers and rotate the fuel for the generator through the mowers, which keeps the age down to one season. However, I would like to keep gas in the generator so I could start it as soon as the power fails. Since I bought the generator, the power has not failed for over 5 minutes. I think that is a Murphy's Law corollary, that is, if you do not own a generator the power will fail for hours in the dead of winter, if you buy a generator your power will be solid forever.

If I thought it would last a year, I could keep the generator filled and ready. That is why I thought Stabil with the quality of AVGAS mentioned in this thread would make that possible. I could then drain the fuel in the spring and use it in the mowers.

 

[djdicetn]

Thanks for the reply BK. How long have you stored the fuel and had it survive? I usually get 5 gallon containers and rotate the fuel for the generator through the mowers, which keeps the age down to one season. However, I would like to keep gas in the generator so I could start it as soon as the power fails. Since I bought the generator, the power has not failed for over 5 minutes. I think that is a Murphy's Law corollary, that is, if you do not own a generator the power will fail for hours in the dead of winter, if you buy a generator your power will be solid forever.

If I thought it would last a year, I could keep the generator filled and ready. That is why I thought Stabil with the quality of AVGAS mentioned in this thread would make that possible. I could then drain the fuel in the spring and use it in the mowers.

The Stabil(red) Fuel Stabilizer states that it will keep gasoline fresh for up to 12 months if added per directions.

 

[BKBrown]

The last poster is correct. The fuel should last a year, but personally, I would change it out and use the older fuel when there is not a threat that you may need the generator. Fresh fuel in the generator is something I would prefer to have. We have a whole house propane generator now, but the gas generator that we did have was kept full of fresher fuel.
I would check the available web sites that will help you find ethanol free gas and also add the Sta-Bil for something like a generator.