Thoughts on the ethanol free gas

[floatingRyan]

The gas stations in my area have started selling 91 Octane ethanol free gas. What are thoughts about using that in a two stroke? They say to use 87 octane in the manual. Good, bad, or indifferent just curious to see what your thoughts or experience was.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[jammin777]

ive been running 87 octane ethanol free in my ski. much better and 2 strokes like it much better. ethanol is a moisture magnet not good especially for the marine environment. and worse during storage unless you add marine stabilizer.

 

[floatingRyan]

any issue with the stuff in my area being 91 octane though?

 

[Bnelson]

any issue with the stuff in my area being 91 octane though?

Nope, it's the only thing I run in mine.... The 91 really won't help you any, but it definitely won't hurt. It's the ethanol free part where your really gaining, as mentioned above, out two strokes don't like it... [emoji15]

 

[CReynoldsMIZ]

My local BP right down the street sells 87 Ethanol free

 

[68ragtop]

Interesting. Everything in my area has become E10 including premium. I have two filling stations that I can get ethanol free 91, but its way out of the way. I have a filling station that is 1 mile from my house that converted to ethanol 2 years ago, I was not happy. Like everyone else said, its garbage. Bad news for engines that sit extended amounts of time because it is hydroscopic & pulls moisture into the fuel, then turns it into jelly like goo that plugs up everything. Absolutley hate the stuff for recreation & small engines.

I hope there is a chance we will head back to ethanol free fuel around here again, but now there are billion dollar industries that produce the ethanol. They have gained some serious power in feeding us what they decide is best. The bigger they get, the more power they have. So I doubt its going away.

Other than that, I have no opinion at all.....

 

[racerxxx]

Lol, you guys worry too much.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk

 

[68ragtop]

Lol, you guys worry too much.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk

So you haven't been burned yet? I have some pictures from a weed wacker I repaired for a friend last year. The crap was like gelatin in the carb bowl. I think I hate the reason we have it, more than the stuff itself tho. Its all about the $$

 

[Mickirig1]

Thank the EPA ! It's a "Cleaner Fuel".

 

[Mike99]

I read somewhere on this site, that the 91 octane may not be the best choice for these engines. The reason is the exhaust port timing is based on a 87 octane fuel. 91 octane fuel burns slower, so it may result in fuel left burning as the exhaust ports opens. It may cause the engine to run hotter, and have less power.

I like the idea of ethanol free fuel, but around here, it's mostly 91 octane...

Mike

 

[racerxxx]

So you haven't been burned yet? I have some pictures from a weed wacker I repaired for a friend last year. The crap was like gelatin in the carb bowl. I think I hate the reason we have it, more than the stuff itself tho. Its all about the $$

Just get into the regiment of using stabilizer and forget about it. And most weed wacker oil has it in it already.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk

 

[Bca8ball]

I plan my fill ups in my supercharged truck around going 10 miles out of the way for ethanol free fuel.
However, I am protecting a high performance 521+ HP engine and supercharger.


I have been running 87 octane (E10) without a thought in my 155hp Sea-doo boat. Strange when you think about it; I run over 6k rpms in the boat 100 times more often than the truck. Thankfully, neither sit for long periods.
I suppose it is all about the investment/risk. I paid less for the used boat than the cam and supercharger in the truck.

I will certainly run some stabilizer during the few winter months that I don't use the boat. However, I will still take it out fishing except for sub 50 degrees.


Ethanol (E5 then E10) has been in fuel for many years; the rule forcing gas pumps/stations to declare/post that it is there is what changed. There are many stations still being fined due to their lack of compliance.
The real issue is that the ultimate plan is for E15 and it will be forced on us at some point.
There is resistance lead by auto and engine manufactures and they have been able to lobby against the saturation of E15. But don't be fooled, they are only doing so because they are worried about their powertrain warranties.
The EPA combined with the economics of corn farming aren't going away without a fight...most don't even know the fight is going.
Ethanol is clearly worse for engines and fuel systems, plus carburetors hate it; largely due to the small float bowls.

Just a few:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/07/auto-makers-warn-new-ethanol-mandate-could-damage-cars/
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/25936782/...-ethanol-damaging-small-engines/#.U89GBE0g-Bc
http://www.fuel-testers.com/list_e10_engine_damage.html

 

[Krispy]

Personally I run 90 octane ethanol free (highest alcohol free fuel available near me). I do have to drive a bit out of the way but it is worth it to me.

For me the decision is made by determining what fuel was most common during the time that the engine was designed/developed. In the case of most of our engines and fuel systems that was ethanol free.

However, I have a car with a 400+ hp LS based engine, it was designed with ethanol in mind, (up to E10) and runs its best when running higher octane. This is do the the fact that the engine can detect pre-detonation (knock) and pull timing to protect the engine.

This is best illustrated with my friends Honda Aquatrax. It has a turbocharged engine, that wants to run on the same high octane fuel. In the mornings, fresh out of the no wake zone his ski is several MPH and several hundred RPM quicker , than the same trip back in the after noon. Like the LS above the Honda senses knock (due to higher air fuel mix temp) and pulls timing, resulting in less power and speed. In his Aquatrax he runs the highest octane he can find 93 (with ethanol).

In short, if I could find 87 octane ethanol free I would use it, but at this time the best I can do is "REC 90" and it seems to be working fine in my carbed applications (seadoo, lawnmower, chainsaw etc)

 

[68ragtop]

I have no problem burning it everyday drivers. Its not in there long enough to matter. But sometimes my toys end up with the same fuel in the tank a year later. The Egas will go bad, just a matter of when. I have a couple of older cars that have fuel that gets really old. I mix some fresh fuel each year, & also try to keep the tanks with about 5 gallons in them. One of the cars is a future restoration project. I have owned it for 11 years & still has the same fuel in it from the previous owner. It just sits in storage. Just moved it a week ago, it started right up. No doubt that gas is bad, but if it was ethanol fuel it probably wouldn't have even run.

What probably makes me crabby about the whole thing is we are force fed the ethanol stuff. Between the heavy equipment that needs to run to make it, & the trucking that it takes to move it all over the country, its hard to believe the bottom line is any better. Not a drop of it goes in the pipe lines. its all transported over the roadways. I have heard that the push for E15 or higher has been going on for some time as well.

Personally I think all of this equipment & trucking involved should have to run 100% of there own product if they really want to say its all about renewable energy. Quit burning all the fossil fuels to make this world saving product.

 

[LouDoo]

I feel that in the Seadoo's that the cheaper ethanol gas works fine, they go through gas so fast it really doesn't make any difference.

However at our lake most of the Marina's sell 91 octane ethanol free, which is what I use in the boat. The reason I do is the boat stays at the Lake year round on the water (on a boat lift). I will generally fill the boat 3-4 times a year. Ethanol free is at a $1.00 premium a gallon.

Lou

 

[Strizzo]

the stations around here used to only sell E10 in the regular gas, and the 89 and 91/93 were non ethanol. now the EPA doesn't allow them to differentiate and say one is or isn't (at least in Tx). I run premium in my skis because i notice better performance and i think that the "top tier" companies like shell, exxon and conoco either don't use or use less ethanol in their higher grade fuels. i used to get 87 at the gas station down the road for my yamaha VXR 650 boatanchor, and the station on the lake only sold 91 octane. even with that junker motor, i could tell a difference in performance with the higher octane fuel.

 

[JJinSC]

87 + Marine stabil is cheaper than ethanol free 91 (premium) all year long. No use to waste your money unless it gives you peace of mind. Heck, I ride mine often enough that I do not even treat the 87 until it get's late in the season. At that time, my rides start getting further apart and I am starting to prepare for off season by increasing dosage. Last tank gets recommended quantity of marine stabil per gallon for storage during winter. I have been doing this in my Weed eater and Lawn mower also ever since I learned about the affects of ethanol and have had no issues.

If your fuel lines have been replaced and your carbs have been clean. Save your money and run the 87 ethanol 10% and treat either every tank or every other tank (dependent upon how much/often you ride). It won't hurt a thing. If you don't ride much and the gas sits in your fuel system for a long time, then the extra cost of ethanol free wouldn't be that much of an issue. Just my .02

 

[LouDoo]

87 + Marine stabil is cheaper than ethanol free 91 (premium) all year long. No use to waste your money unless it gives you peace of mind. Heck, I ride mine often enough that I do not even treat the 87 until it get's late in the season. At that time, my rides start getting further apart and I am starting to prepare for off season by increasing dosage. Last tank gets recommended quantity of marine stabil per gallon for storage during winter. I have been doing this in my Weed eater and Lawn mower also ever since I learned about the affects of ethanol and have had no issues.

If your fuel lines have been replaced and your carbs have been clean. Save your money and run the 87 ethanol 10% and treat either every tank or every other tank (dependent upon how much/often you ride). It won't hurt a thing. If you don't ride much and the gas sits in your fuel system for a long time, then the extra cost of ethanol free wouldn't be that much of an issue. Just my .02

IMO, Perfect answer.

Lou