Premium Gas

[Hammermechanicman]

Y'all are lucky. It's illegal for gas stations to sell E-0 here. Have to go to a marina or racetrack and pay $5+.

You can take cheap E10 and use water to remove the ethanol. Kinda a PITA but you get better gas.

 

[BPierce]

You can take cheap E10 and use water to remove the ethanol. Kinda a PITA but you get better gas.

Yes, but the marina is just 20 miles away. Here in the middle of nowhere, 20 miles is next door. I usually try to make the first tank of the season gasoline. After that, they get pump gas and then they're all ran empty and then fogged at the end of the season.

We use water and graduated containers to measure alcohol content. Get a few cases a year of poor drivability that turn out to be twenty to thirty percent alcohol. Always fun to have a newbie bring you a fuel sample in a styrofoam cup, though.

 

[dougand3]

Octane ratings....Husqvarna states 90 (RON) (Europe). That translates to 86.5 (R+M/2), which is the rating you read on a US pump.

 

[Heinz W]

I guess I'm fortunate in that the station I use, the only one selling E0 90 in my town, has a separate pump. Have had no trouble with the starting and performance of my equipment since I switched.

 

[cruzenmike]

Yup, if your station uses a "common" hose for all the blends. Luckily our stations have a separate hose for the 91/non-ethanol Octane. Today's price for Premium is $1.70....$1.35 for 87 octane....and the prices may drop even further in coming weeks. Some places in Missouri are at $1/gal for 87 regular....that's about the Only good financial news lately.

The gas station that I get my E0 from has a separate dedicated pump about 50 feet from the others. It is very common for snowmobilers and boaters to trailer equipment right up to the pump and fill their machines. Back in the day you would see dedicated hoses at Mobile and BP for their three grades of fuel but within the last 10-15 years around here, all stations went to single hoses. I think the only one that we have around here with a dedicated hose for E10 is the 94 Octane sold at Shell.

 

[7394]

When ever you use the nonethanol fuel, please remember to do this. Before pumping any fuel into your gas can puta gallon or two into your car. Why? With today’s one hose pumps you have no idea of what the person before you used. You may end up with a half can of ethanol fuel in your can, because that is what is left in the line back to the transfer point. Your car won’t know the difference, but your small engine will.

That is a fact. I run 100% gas in my truck also, so it gets the nozzle first, them my gas cans.

 

[cpurvis]

Hard to do when you're on a motorcycle that needs Premium. It would be interesting to know just how much of the previous grade of fuel you get when switching from regular to premium.

 

[TonyPrin]

We all recognize the advantages of E0 versus E10 but I've never heard of E0 improving carb. performance. What is it about non-ethanol gas that would lead to carbonator cleanout after a month's use? The same applies to premium versus regular; higher octane usually doesn't translate to performance improvement by itself.

 

[cruzenmike]

We all recognize the advantages of E0 versus E10 but I've never heard of E0 improving carb. performance. What is it about non-ethanol gas that would lead to carbonator cleanout after a month's use? The same applies to premium versus regular; higher octane usually doesn't translate to performance improvement by itself.

I don't know about a "month" but the issue is that Ethanol is harmful to the rubbers found in carburetors and fuel systems. Have you ever wondered why not all vehicles are capable of running E85? It's not just the computer that has to be capable of adjusting for the increased octane, but he fuel system components in E85 are completely different (materials) to handle the added ethanol.

So, while virtually all engines intended for regular unleaded, containing some small amount of ethanol, should be fine, it does not mean that the machine WONT have some small adverse effect over time. This is why most engine manuals for small equipment specifically direct consumers to use a fuel additive that combats the harmful effects of ethanol.

 

[TonyPrin]

I don't know about a "month" but the issue is that Ethanol is harmful to the rubbers found in carburetors and fuel systems. Have you ever wondered why not all vehicles are capable of running E85? It's not just the computer that has to be capable of adjusting for the increased octane, but he fuel system components in E85 are completely different (materials) to handle the added ethanol.

So, while virtually all engines intended for regular unleaded, containing some small amount of ethanol, should be fine, it does not mean that the machine WONT have some small adverse effect over time. This is why most engine manuals for small equipment specifically direct consumers to use a fuel additive that combats the harmful effects of ethanol.

I understand what you say and agree but that doesn't mean switching to E0 will undo anything caused by E10 - as far as I know. The OP suggested that E0 isn't just less harmful but will also undo E10 damage.