Guest Flacko9091 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Today I found a Phillips 66 station about 10 miles from me that sells 90 octane non-ethanol gas. I had a 1/2 tank of 87 octane 10% ethanol crap gas, so I filled up with the non-ethanol gas. My final fuel mix is somewhere around 5% ethanol. During the 10 mile drive home, I noticed an improvement in the smoothness of my engine at idle. Even after plugs, wires, delco coils, oxygen sensor, cleaning the throttle body with seafoam, techron in the tank, new fuel filter I've always thought my idle seemed kind of rough.The new fuel blend seems to have smoothed it out. Cost for the non-ethanol 90 octane gas was about 90 cents per gallon more, but I'm happy with the results and I'll have less of a chance of the ethanol damaging the rubber parts in my fuel system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 for non-ethanol gas availability in your area, check: http://pure-gas.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 thats what i run but only 40 cents more here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HuevosRanchero Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 it's 80c per gallon more here. I've been using mid grade with the appropriate shot of Lucas Ethanol treatment and that seems to have worked well for me in the old Iron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flacko9091 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Do you know if the Lucas treatment does anything to help protect the rubber components like the pulsator in the fuel tank? I'm worried more about that than corrosion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raleets Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Thankfully, they don't sell ethanol laced gas in Michigan. Just the good stuff!!Regular is $2.44 today and on the way down since the refinery in Whiting, INwent back into production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HuevosRanchero Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Do you know if the Lucas treatment does anything to help protect the rubber components like the pulsator in the fuel tank? I'm worried more about that than corrosion.Can't really say if it does or doesn't. I like most Lucas products but have yet to see a study for these Ethanol protectors.. Have to be careful with standard type fuel additives as they may add alcohol to the fuel and make your E10, E10+ The main reason I went for the Lucas over the Stabil brand was that you can buy a large bottle which is measured out by ounce and they suggest 1 ounce per 5 gallons. So I buy one big bottle and use it when I fill up the old cars. Just seems less wasteful than dumping a bottle per car...(Mustang only has like a 12 gallon tank...Obviously the Reatta tank is enormous and so is my 26 gallon Ranchero tank. I put a new summit carb on the Chero a few years ago..and so far havent had any degradation I can detect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flacko9091 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I wonder if your Summit carb already contained ethanol resistant rubber components? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ductune Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Thankfully, they don't sell ethanol laced gas in Michigan. Just the good stuff!!Regular is $2.44 today and on the way down since the refinery in Whiting, INwent back into production.When did Michigan go ethanol free? Last night?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raleets Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Unless I'm going blind, there's NO notice of ethanol on any of the pumps at my corner station in Flint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raleets Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 OK, my bad, there is E85 in Michigan.However, I have not seen any posting on the pumps at any of the stations I buy from in Flint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HuevosRanchero Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 I wonder if your Summit carb already contained ethanol resistant rubber components? one can only hope! It has been a great carb in every way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ductune Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 OK, my bad, there is E85 in Michigan.However, I have not seen any posting on the pumps at any of the stations I buy from in Flint.After I posted I started wondering as I too haven't seen any ethanol labels recently. I guess they passed a law awhile ago to only require an ethanol label when it's over 10%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flacko9091 Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 (edited) Ya I looked at the website that lists the non ethanol gas locations and there were only about 20 in Michigan and most were at marinas as you'd expect. I would have been surprised if all of Michigan were selling non-ethanol gas...I live in west central Indiana and there are a couple of stations within about 10 miles of me.Go to that pure-gas.org site for a state by state list of non-ethanol gas providers. Edited September 1, 2015 by Flacko9091 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhclark Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 IIRC, Ohio has no mandatory labeling at all. Most pumps are marked "up to 10% ethanol" though.I filled the Wildcat up today (about half a tank) at the closest ethanol free pump near me, a local tool rental spot. It was $3.60 compared to $2.29 around the corner.I'm not sure it was worth it. I didn't notice that it idled or ran any different, but I'm looking forward to starting it in a few days and seeing if it cranks over quicker. At that price, the startron? or lucas ethanol treatment is much cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flacko9091 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I'm more concerned about damage to rubber pieces that are buried down in the fuel tank. That's the main reason I'll pay more for non ethanol. The jury is out whether or not any of the fuel treatments help prevent that...Anyone that knows for sure please chime in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Passed a non-ethanol station on my way to Ar - "up to 10%" (at least 9%) was $1.89/gal. No ethanol was $2.49/gal. Pay 30% more to get 10% better MPG ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 It's not just about the better MPG's, it's about using non-ethanol fuel is so you can prevent damage to the components that are sensitive to ethanol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Personally I think the worries about fuel system damage from alcohol are overblown in the media in regard to our cars. Unless you have owned yours since new and know what has been in the tank, it surely has had ethanol in the tank. Many of us, at least in the north, have added fuel deicers and other additives, which may consist primarily of some form of alcohol. That said, I often use the mid-grade in my cars, not for the mileage but for a balance of mileage vs cost. Many stations only have two different grades underground and the mid-grade is a blend of the two. I have verified this at a couple of local stations. This reduces the ethanol percentage to approx. 5% and the added cost is sometimes zero or very minimal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I have some yard and stationary engines that I have mistakenly left ethanol laced fuel in them for a few months repeatedly. One leaked fuel at the carburetor and another the carburetor got irreversibly damaged. I know what's been in their tanks since they were new. I didn't need media hype to confirm such issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I think the small engine manufactures were lagging behind the car manufacturers in changing over to alcohol resistant rubber parts in the fuel system. The biggest problem was the inside of old rubber fuel lines, rubber o-rings and other rubber parts deteriorating if the fuel had alcohol in it. The inside of rubber fuel lines would flake off tiny pieces and clog jets, and other orifices, in the carburetors. It was a huge problem for 2 cycle engines, especially outboard engines, because not only were the engines starving for fuel when the jets stopped up, they were also starving for oil (mixed in the fuel) that lubricates the cylinders. I had a 140hp Evinrude engine seize up, ruining the engine, because of a blocked main jet in the carburetor due to a rubber line deteriorating inside. Most newer engines have fuel lines that aren't effected by the alcohol. If you have any doubts you should change old fuel lines if you are going to run an ethanol blend gasoline As for our Reattas... I have had mine for 8 years. I drive it mostly on the weekends and it sometime sits for weeks at a time in the winter. It has never had anything but 10% ethanol gas in it. I've never had a fuel related problem. I buy Shell gas usually or some other brand name gas when I fill up. I would much rather have a good brand of an ethanol blend gas than a cheap, no name, 100% pure gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 No doubt some older engines, especially two-strokes and really almost anything carbureted more than a couple years old may have issues. I know I have had my share as well. I was only commenting on relatively modern fuel injected engines such as ours. Gasahol has been around a long time, 40'ish years or so but in limited distribution. The Federal mandate for 10% is five years old but it has been in common use for longer than that. I certainly cannot guarantee nothing could be harmed by alcohol but have operated mine with gasoline laced with toluene, xylene and acetone at various times with no apparent ill effects. As always your results may vary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flacko9091 Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 2 seater...i think you're luck to consistently find higher octane non-ethanol fuel. Most of the stations in Indiana have 10% ethanol even in the premium fuel except for a few brands like countrymark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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