Wat are the advantages Of using high octane gas?
- Thread starter LawnBoy97
- Start date
I agree with the ethanol comment. Speaking with a small engine mechanic/friend of mine, he told me he had several engine problems with people using e-10. He has had very good luck in recommending premium in small engines. What stinks is stations are not required to identify fuel containing 10% ethanol or less. All they have to identify is octane rating.
Lots of people think high octane gas is better, as it is marketed as "premium". Make one think if regular gas is substandard junk. Not so. Most people wouldn't know OCTANE if it jumped up and bit them.
Apart from small engines, I had a buddy of mine in the "old days" who insisted on running his 1200 CC Volkswagen on Super Shell. He used it all the time for nearly two years. I told him beware, but he knew better, or so he said.
Afetr the two year time period, the engine ran like crap. We removed it, disassembled it on a piece of plyboard on his mother's washing machine, and found that all the piston rings were stuck in their grooves (almost like welded), the exhaust valves has eroded to the point there was no valve margin left, and the heads had cracked between adjacent exhaust valve seats. This is visual speak for HEAT.
Continental aircraft engines of the C-85, C-90 and O-200A ilk: These were rated for old 80/87 octane avgas, and if that was all that the engine got fed, it hummed along until well over TBO. All I had to do was time mags, clean & gap plugs, and change oil. Once 80/87 wasn't arond any longer, the only avgas to use was 100/130 octane. I can attest to the fact that after about 300 hours of using this stuff, I was removing cylinders (at least one) and replacing intake valves and dressing seats.
If the engine does require, or isn't designed for, hi-octane gas, there is no advantage, and quite a few expensive disadvantages to using it.
Apart from small engines, I had a buddy of mine in the "old days" who insisted on running his 1200 CC Volkswagen on Super Shell. He used it all the time for nearly two years. I told him beware, but he knew better, or so he said.
Afetr the two year time period, the engine ran like crap. We removed it, disassembled it on a piece of plyboard on his mother's washing machine, and found that all the piston rings were stuck in their grooves (almost like welded), the exhaust valves has eroded to the point there was no valve margin left, and the heads had cracked between adjacent exhaust valve seats. This is visual speak for HEAT.
Continental aircraft engines of the C-85, C-90 and O-200A ilk: These were rated for old 80/87 octane avgas, and if that was all that the engine got fed, it hummed along until well over TBO. All I had to do was time mags, clean & gap plugs, and change oil. Once 80/87 wasn't arond any longer, the only avgas to use was 100/130 octane. I can attest to the fact that after about 300 hours of using this stuff, I was removing cylinders (at least one) and replacing intake valves and dressing seats.
If the engine does require, or isn't designed for, hi-octane gas, there is no advantage, and quite a few expensive disadvantages to using it.
LawnBoy97
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Ric
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You can run what ever octane you want and it isn't going to hurt anything. As I said before I use Sunoco 93 octane with ethanol in everything, ZTR's all the stihl equipment trimmers, blowers etc. and have for the last ten years I've been in business and never had any problems with any of my engines Kohler, Honda, Kawasaki Stihl or Echo. Run what ever your comfortable with, if you run the 87 octane stuff and your engine doesn't or isn't running the way you think it should switch to the premium gas and see if there is a difference. I personally think my equipment runs better on the 93 octane. Experiment with the different octane gas and run the one you think runs or is better, as I said you can run what ever octane you want and it isn't going to hurt anything.
djdicetn
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Ric,
I'm really surprised that you run ethanol gasoline in your equipment....you do add Sta-Bil, Seafoam or some type of treatment to offset the ethanol related problems right??? I do agree about less engine/carb/etc. problems with the higher octanes and I've decided to use the mid-grade(89 octane) non-ethanol in all of my small engines(and 125hp Mercury 2-stroke outboard on my boat), cause the premium(93 octane) non-ethanol is just too expensive. I figure the 89 octane(and I add Sta-Bil to all of them) and being non-ethanol should ensure good performance, no fuel-related problems and longevity. Can you not find non-ethanol in your area or why did you decide to use ethanol gas???
Ric
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No, I don't use any type of treatment. The only treatment that my equipment sees is in the Stihl oil, there oils contain a fuel stabilizer or stabilizing features and a mixing agent to aid in mixing with gas or fuel. I don't keep gas over three or four days max..I can buy the 93 octane gas at Sunoco for like 2.79/2.89 a gallon for the first twenty gallons. The nearest Non-ethanol gas station is like 15 miles up the road making it a thirty mile round trip and to me it's not worth the drive and like I said I've never had any fuel-related problems and I've got 700 hrs on the CC 48 and the Toro GS is between 3 and 400 hrs. The only problem that I can remember and I personally never had an issue with was the replacement of the Stihl Gas caps and I replaced all of those and kept the old ones so I could use them if the replacements broke. Unlike so many others I don't have any issues with the ethanol gas. I think a lot of people use it (ethanol gas ) as an excuse or for something to blame for a piece of equipment going bad.
djdicetn
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You have a lawn maintenance business, the gas probably doesn't stay in any of your equipment for more than a week or so and you're lucky to boot:0)
I sure hope you drain the remaining gas out of all of your equipment at the end of each season if you don't add Sta-Bil or Seafoam to treat it. If you don't, you're asking for eventual problems and "we told you so"!!