Engine Fuel Stabilizer?

[Ric]

Mid to premium gas shortens the life of small engines from what I was I told.

The section below is out of one manufacturers manual and I sure you'll find it in others, and if for some reason the Mid-grade gas in your area has a lower than 89 octane rating then you need to switch to premium gas. I think it's pretty much known that most engines, lawn equipment, car or truck will most always run better on higher octane gas.


Use mid-grade unleaded gasoline with a
minimum octane rating of 89 (R+M/2)
and no more than 10% ethanol content.

Fuel with a lower octane rating may
increase engine temperatures. This, in
turn, increases the risk of piston seizure
and damage to the engine.

 

[exotion]

I've definately seen a difference in 87 vs 89 in all my equipment and my vehicles lol so I use 89 with 10% ethonol in everything

 

[davbell22602]

This is out of one manufacturers manual and I sure you'll find it in others, and if for some reason the Mid-grade gas in your area has a lower than 89 octane rating then you need to switch to premium gas. I think it's pretty much known that most engines, lawn equipment, car or truck will most always run better on higher octane gas.


Use mid-grade unleaded gasoline with a
minimum octane rating of 89 (R+M/2)
and no more than 10% ethanol content.

Fuel with a lower octane rating may
increase engine temperatures. This, in
turn, increases the risk of piston seizure
and damage to the engine.

But do any of gas companies recommend using 89/mid grade instead of 87 regular in small engines? I heard some use the Shell Vpower before. Around its 87, 92, and Vpower. Im going to Shell tomorrow Im gonna have to check to see if regular is 87 or 89 now that its mentioned.

 

[Ric]

I've definately seen a difference in 87 vs 89 in all my equipment and my vehicles lol so I use 89 with 10% ethonol in everything

I use premium in everything including the truck and I know the mowers run better and my truck actually gets better gas mileage with the premium. When the wife purchased her Mini Cooper they told her at that time to run the premium gas, that it was the best thing she could do for the engine.

 

[Ric]

But do any of gas companies recommend using 89/mid grade instead of 87 regular in small engines? I heard some use the Shell Vpower before. Around its 87, 92, and Vpower. Im going to Shell tomorrow Im gonna have to check to see if regular is 87 or 89 now that its mentioned.

The section out of the manual in the other post came out of a Stihl Manual it's all they say run 89 or higher octane in all there products. 2 Stroke and 4 Stroke.


FS 110, FS 110 R


This engine is certified to operate on
unleaded gasoline and the STIHL two-
stroke engine oil at a
mix ratio of 50:1.
Your engine requires a mixture of high-
quality gasoline and two-stroke air
cooled engine oil.
Use mid-grade unleaded gasoline with a
minimum octane rating of 89 (R+M/2)
and no more than 10% ethanol content.

Fuel with a lower octane rating may
increase engine temperatures. This, in
turn, increases the risk of piston seizure
and damage to the engine.

The chemical composition of the fuel is
also important. Some fuel additives not
only detrimentally affect elastomers
(carburetor diaphragms, oil seals, fuel
lines, etc.), but magnesium castings and
catalytic converters as well.

This could cause running problems or even
damage the engine. For this reason
STIHL recommends that you use only
high-quality unleaded gasoline!

Gasoline with an ethanol content of
more than 10% can cause running
problems and major damage in engines
with a manually adjustable carburetor
and should not be used in such engines.

 

[LoCo86]

Just how much gas do you guys buy at one time. Are y'all filling up 55 gallon drums or 5 gallon tanks? When you know it's the end of the season and you're working on your last day on your last property why would you fill the tank up all the way full. Enough to complete the property and let the rest burn through until out of gas. I mean are times that tight where you have to hold onto less than a gallon of fuel by adding stabilizer to it that cost the same amount as the fuel you're trying to save. Just dump it out if it's in the equipment or if it's in a gas can add it to you're truck. You can always go buy more gas.

 

[Carscw]

Just how much gas do you guys buy at one time. Are y'all filling up 55 gallon drums or 5 gallon tanks? When you know it's the end of the season and you're working on your last day on your last property why would you fill the tank up all the way full. Enough to complete the property and let the rest burn through until out of gas. I mean are times that tight where you have to hold onto less than a gallon of fuel by adding stabilizer to it that cost the same amount as the fuel you're trying to save. Just dump it out if it's in the equipment or if it's in a gas can add it to you're truck. You can always go buy more gas.

That would make to much sense.
My problem is I never have enough gas. Worst thing I ever did was show the teenagers how to take gas out of a mower.
My mowers always need gas but their ATVs are always full.

 

[Mike88se]

If you'd asked me 2 years ago I'd have said no to stabilizers and such. Now I believe. I don't use any higher than 89 octane though. And I'd never use premium in a vehicle unless it was necessary. The higher your engine's compression is the higher the octane required to prevent pre-ignition and holy pistons. For lower compression engines premium is a total waste of money. It isn't even good for the engine. If your manual calls for premium then by all means use it. It isn't going to affect the engine performance much if you used 89 (mid grade) octane though. You'd need a dynamometer to see the difference. The knock sensor would cause the ECU to tweak the timing slightly to prevent detonation. Higher octane gas burns "cooler." That's great for a high compression or turbocharged/supercharged engine.
I'd imagine everyone here knows why you use premium gas in a high compression engine. The reason you don't use high octane gas in a vehicle that doesn't need it is that your engine doesn't burn all the fuel in the combustion chamber and it just gets blown out your exhaust. You're wasting money. Doesn't matter to me if you believe or not. Other myths I learned from years on car forums and playing with high performance cars. Seafoam is worthless for cleaning carbon deposits. When people seafoam their cars and see all that smoke they believe that's dirty stuff burning off of the internals. It isn't. It isn't even the right color smoke for that. It's just the smoke from the oil carrier in the seafoam burning... not carbon deposits. I have no idea if it has any effect on small 4 cycle engines when added to the gas. I'm sure it doesn't hurt small 2 cycle engines since it has so much oil in it but I don't know that it helps. Seafoam is just light oil and a solvent... naptha IIRC.... could be ether, that is supposed to be the active ingredient. You can buy a quart of naptha for less than 10 bux.
Cold air induction kits Guys in lime green Hondas love these despite the fact that their factory setup was better. Maybe it's the shiny pipe and kewl colored hose
Never trust a butt dyno

 

[Ric]

Just how much gas do you guys buy at one time. Are y'all filling up 55 gallon drums or 5 gallon tanks? When you know it's the end of the season and you're working on your last day on your last property why would you fill the tank up all the way full. Enough to complete the property and let the rest burn through until out of gas. I mean are times that tight where you have to hold onto less than a gallon of fuel by adding stabilizer to it that cost the same amount as the fuel you're trying to save. Just dump it out if it's in the equipment or if it's in a gas can add it to you're truck. You can always go buy more gas.

Between the 5 gal cans and my truck I can buy up to 50/55 gallons at one fill up. I can burn as mush as 25 gallons of gas including 10 gallons or more of mix in a week in just the equipment during peak season. My problem with the end of season thing is that never happens, I always need and have gas on hand and all my equipment stays full. As far as the truck goes it will burn anything, it doesn't matter what you use. I do know it like all my equipment runs better and uses less gas with the premium and as far as adding gas to the truck, that's a little easier said than done with the new vehicles because a gas can wont work and using stabil and all that crap is a waste of money.

 

[tybilly]

That would make to much sense.
My problem is I never have enough gas. Worst thing I ever did was show the teenagers how to take gas out of a mower.
My mowers always need gas but their ATVs are always full.

that's funny.lol them little turkey buzzards...I always use stabil and stabil ethanol block and have had no problems,i had 2stroke gas treated with stabil sitting since October,filled up my saw the other day started first pull and ran like a mutha