Use Of Premium Fuel

[55Bfred1752]

☺️The owners manual for my recently acquired 1955 Buick Super with the 322 cu. in. engine recommends the use of premium fuel. How does the octane rating of premium fuel in 1955 compare to the 87 octane in use today/ Also, will the octane requirements of the engine be met  if 87 octane is used with the addition of a readily available octane booster additive?

Edited October 5, 2018 by 55Bfred1752 (see edit history)

[dmfconsult]

I’ve typically used at least 91 octane in my cars (which are newer than your 55). Lower octane seems to cause some pinging in my lower compression 350 in the wagon. Mostly though I use 94 octane here as it comes ethanol free which is more important to me given I don’t get to drive a lot of miles. 

 

The high compression big block in the Electra though likes 92 or above!

Edited October 5, 2018 by dmfconsult (see edit history)

[Beemon]

Try 87 and see if the engine knocks under load (going up a steep hill, etc). If it does, you can retard the ignition if you can, or go to 91.

[60FlatTop]

Everything I own rarely sees much over 3,000 RPM on acceleration so I just put regular in them. But I always go to the same Mobil station and never run around price shopping, so what I put in is consistent. I hardly ever take more than 10 gallons to top off, Even if gas was 10 cents cheaper I wouldn't get really excited about the ten extra dimes.

 

My '05 truck has knock sensors and I get a consistent 20 MPG. Seems fine on its diet.

 

The 12 cylinder has some pretty sophisticated controls and the book says if you put low octane gas in it you will have to buy a lot more. So that one gets fed from the high test pump, 91 maybe. All around driving average on that one is a hair over 15 MPG, not bad for a 4800 pound car, better than my Wife's Tahoe. It will do over 20 cruising.

 

I don't do any WOT driving. I think half throttle or less gets me around. Probably depends more on the nutsy right foot syndrome that anything else.

 

When I was a kid I remember reading an article about chauffeur training. It said the final test was driving with a full glass of water on the dash and not spilling any. I took that to heart way back then and have always driven like that. About 20 years ago we went out to dinner with a friend in his late model Rolls-Royce. He uses the gas and brake like binary switches. We got home and I asked her how she liked the ride in the Proper Motorcar. She said "It is really not as smooth as your Buicks." That right foot syndrome again.

 

Buy quality gas at the same place and drive with a touch of class. You'll be good at your chosen pump.

[avgwarhawk]

My 54 with 264 V8 I run the lower octane without any issues. 

My 60 401 V8 I run the premium.   She'll clickity clack with anything other then premium.  

[old-tank]

Like all of my 55's yours will run well on 87 octane with no additives.

[Thriller]

Welcome!

 

Like Doug, locally premium contains no ethanol so that is what I run.  I don’t even try going lower generally.  When I’m travelling, I typically use mid-grade...if I’m south of the 49th, it’s still less expensive than our highly-taxed fuel and I’ll burn the ethanol without it having a chance to sit for any length of time and cause issues.

 

[dmfconsult]

I think it also depends on where you live and drive.  I think I fall in to the category that is discussed above, no WOT and generally take it easy on the old cars.  However, I happen to live somewhere that has lots of hills and mountains, so the cars will get a workout just hauling their heavy butts up those hills... that's where I hear the pinging.  With the higher grades, I don't get any.  Every Chevron in these parts has non-ethanol 94 octane, and yes it's more expensive, but for the miles I drive it doesn't work out to much over the year. 

Edited October 6, 2018 by dmfconsult (see edit history)

[dei]

My '58 Special has at least 140,000 miles on it and has never been opened up and still put regular in her during the summer which doesn't offer to ping but have not put my foot into it either.  

Having said that, I did put shell 91 octane in it the last recent fill up and after an 88 mile round trip noticed she seemed to be a bit more responsive on the throttle.

My imagination? Maybe but it was one of those humid cool days and I always felt that made a difference too. 

 

Was told by a well known Cadillac collector around here that Shell high test does not have the ethanol in it and will not evaporate as bad when storing cars over the winters.

His collection has quite a collection of V16's which he says are all kept up and driven as regularly as he can so figure his experience is trust worthy.

 

I must say he has a '58 Special convertible also so again, his experience counts for something.

[NTX5467]

In "the old Research Octane" ratings, in 1957, "Ethyl" was 97 Research Octane rating, typically.  That would mean that some "premiums" might have been 95 Research Octane as others maxed-out at 97.  By about 1960, "Premium" was closer to 100 Research Octane.

 

What's on the pumps is "Pump Octane", which is the average of Research Octane and Motor Octane.  The Motor method generates lower octane numbers, with Research being higher numbers . . . for the same fuel being tested.  Typically, you can add "4" to the Pump Octane to approximate Research Octane.

 

Ethyl was 97-100 Research Octane.    Regular was usually 94-95 Research Octane    Sub-Regular was more like 91 Research Octane.  All before "Low-Lead" came out.  Taking the lead out usually resulted in Research Octane of about "2" less than fully-leaded fuel.  

 

In 1974, Premium was 94-95.5 Pump Octane.    Regular was 91-92 Pump Octane (later termed "Mid-Grade" by some).    Sub-Regular was 89 Pump Octane.  Decrease these low-lead numbers by "2" and you tend to get what we have now.  87/89/91-93, "Regular", "Mid-Grade", "Premium", respectively.

 

Higher elevations means less effective cylinder pressure (thinner atmosphere), so less octane is needed.

 

In general, just like in prior times, it's a "Try and see" situation.

 

Many current octane boosters usually have some sort of alcohol/ethanol in them to raise the fuel's octane a few numbers.  Best to fine the fuel that works best and use it!  If clattering persists, then something like Berryman's B-12 in the gas tank prior to a "two-tank" length trip might work best in getting the combustion chambers cleaned out of carbon deposits.  NOTHING works instantly, as many imply.

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[dmfconsult]

49 minutes ago, dei said:

My '58 Special has at least 140,000 miles on it and has never been opened up and still put regular in her during the summer which doesn't offer to ping but have not put my foot into it either.  

Having said that, I did put shell 91 octane in it the last recent fill up and after an 88 mile round trip noticed she seemed to be a bit more responsive on the throttle.

My imagination? Maybe but it was one of those humid cool days and I always felt that made a difference too. 

 

Was told by a well known Cadillac collector around here that Shell high test does not have the ethanol in it and will not evaporate as bad when storing cars over the winters.

His collection has quite a collection of V16's which he says are all kept up and driven as regularly as he can so figure his experience is trust worthy.

 

 

 

You can get Shell 91 non-ethanol around here to Doug, but it is the same price as the Chevron 94 non-ethanol, so I go with the Chevron!

 

I will also add a few ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil to the gas in the 67 to provide some top end lubrication from time to time.  This may or may not work, but I figure it may replace what lubrication leaded fuel provided back in the day.  If it doesn't do anything, I really haven't lost anything!

Edited October 6, 2018 by dmfconsult (see edit history)

[dei]

2 minutes ago, dmfconsult said:

You can get Shell 91 non-ethanol around here to Doug, but it is the same price as the Chevron 94 non-ethanol, so I go with the Chevron!

 

We don't have Chevron Gas Stations here in Ontario Canada and I think 94 non-ethanol / unleaded was last seen at the Sunoco Stations quite a few years ago.

[dmfconsult]

2 minutes ago, dei said:

 

We don't have Chevron Gas Stations here in Ontario Canada and I think 94 non-ethanol / unleaded was last seen at the Sunoco Stations quite a few years ago.

 

That is a pity and I did notice that when we were in Ontario over the summer. 

[SpecialEducation]

It’s been touched on, but I’ll hit it again. Stay away from ethanol. There are 2 major issues with it:

 

1.  It will degrade your soft parts.  You’ll buy more fuel pumps if you feed it moonshine. 

 

2.  Ethanol is hygroscopic. It will absorb water out of the air, which will separate out of the gasoline and settle at the low points. Older cars weren’t as corrosion resistant, and the more the car sits, the more this becomes an issue. As I’m betting your ‘55 is not your daily driver, it’s more likely to be mixing up a little scotch & water when you’re not around. 

 

 

[1937-44]

 It would be nice to stay away from ethanol fuel. However I don't think it's worth driving an hour and a half out of my way every time I want to purchase gas.

[Beemon]

Well I've been driving my car daily and I'm still using the same fuel pump. I've never had an issue other than a once in a while fuel bowl boil during a heat soak. I can understand only driving the car during the summer, but then you would just need to drain the tank during the off season and purge the lines to the carb, then during the on season drive up and get 5 gallons and be on your way in your classic. As long as you continue to drive, it shouldn't be much of an issue. There's a lot of scare hype for ethanol fuel and I have had almost zero of the issues that always come up.My biggest complaint is that the fuel is bad for the carbs in the sense that the way the fuel burns and behaves is different from the 50s, obviously. Regardless, I keep motoring on with 10%. No rust through of my original lines yet, no rust scale in the filter and my rubber hoses aren't cracking and deteriorating. 

[dei]

9 hours ago, Beemon said:

Well I've been driving my car daily and I'm still using the same fuel pump. I've never had an issue other than a once in a while fuel bowl boil during a heat soak. I can understand only driving the car during the summer, but then you would just need to drain the tank during the off season and purge the lines to the carb, then during the on season drive up and get 5 gallons and be on your way in your classic. As long as you continue to drive, it shouldn't be much of an issue. There's a lot of scare hype for ethanol fuel and I have had almost zero of the issues that always come up.My biggest complaint is that the fuel is bad for the carbs in the sense that the way the fuel burns and behaves is different from the 50s, obviously. Regardless, I keep motoring on with 10%. No rust through of my original lines yet, no rust scale in the filter and my rubber hoses aren't cracking and deteriorating. 

 

I have a '51 Nash Canadian Statesman from Dad that about 10 years ago when idling suddenly started leaving oil spots underneath her. There were no visible leaks but after wiping off the side of the block, noticed the dipstick would spew something out from under the head of the stick. Smelled it and it had an odour of gas to it and the oil was very thin!

Put a new fuel pump on and looked at the old one. Age? Fuel? Maybe both...

Sadly, we hear the lifters from that little 6 cylinder more now since Dad ran it like that for a few jaunts...

 

[billorn]

33 minutes ago, dei said:

 

I have a '51 Nash Canadian Statesman from Dad that about 10 years ago when idling suddenly started leaving oil spots underneath her. There were no visible leaks but after wiping off the side of the block, noticed the dipstick would spew something out from under the head of the stick. Smelled it and it had an odour of gas to it and the oil was very thin!

Put a new fuel pump on and looked at the old one. Age? Fuel? Maybe both...

Sadly, we hear the lifters from that little 6 cylinder more now since Dad ran it like that for a few jaunts...

 

 

Sounds like the diaphram cracked and leaked gas into the crankcase. Pretty common if your using an old fuel pump or NOS. Modern rebuild kits usually have ethanol resist parts so it should fix the problem.

[Barney Eaton]

Ya.......what Willis, Willie, and the others said.

In my case, my '39 runs fine on regular,  but the rumors are that premium has LESS ethanol in it than regular.  so I don't drive mine much so I fill with premium trying to avoid ethanol.......locally gas without ethanol has started to show up but the price per gallon is the same as premium.     If you haven't noticed, MID-grade is a mixture of regular and premium.   the pumps do the mixing and if you do the math, 

you can do that manually by alternating between regular and premium at fill-ups.

 

At the Denver national meet,  I attended the tech sessions for early Buicks.   On of the interesting subjects was the use of additives.   The "experts" and attendees got on the subject of Marvel Mystery Oil.  

The feeling in the room was it is a wonderful product.  It can be added both to the oil and gas with benefits (go to the web site)   attendees said it works like a gas stabilizer and cost less per treatment, 

most said they used it in the gas of anything with a gas engine what was not used regularly .

The general feeling was it took the place of the additives for ethanol gas and long storage.     I have started using it but it is too early to give an opinion.

[JohnD1956]

Luckily where I live there is a ready supply of Non- Ethanol, which is what I put in all my cars.  However, if I am on a trip I have no issue with ethanol gas.  I do not think it is a problem if it is used up in a relatively short time span,  like one to two weeks.  Unlike Barney though, I was under the impression that the lowest octane rated ethanol product has the least amount of ethanol.   But I am not to be quoted as the source on that.  Last time I had to use ethanol on a trip with the 72 I did use the lowest octane rated product and did not notice any difference in performance, on the low compression 455,  cruising down the highways of Pennsylvania.

[Pilgrim65]

Ruby must love life here in Cyprus as the lowest octane they sell is 95 ?

[RivNut]

1 hour ago, dei said:

 

I have a '51 Nash Canadian Statesman from Dad that about 10 years ago when idling suddenly started leaving oil spots underneath her. There were no visible leaks but after wiping off the side of the block, noticed the dipstick would spew something out from under the head of the stick. Smelled it and it had an odour of gas to it and the oil was very thin!

Put a new fuel pump on and looked at the old one. Age? Fuel? Maybe both...

Sadly, we hear the lifters from that little 6 cylinder more now since Dad ran it like that for a few jaunts...

 

Oil coming from the dip stick tube is usually an indicator of excess pressure in the crank case.  This car predates PCV valves so I imagine that it has a blow-by tube.  I'd check that tube to ensure that it's not blocked.

[old-tank]

3 hours ago, Barney Eaton said:

the rumors are that premium has LESS ethanol in it than regular. 

Probably has more since ethanol is an octane booster.

[RivNut]

 You get 87 octane fuel by mixing 10% 113 octane (pure) Ethanol with 85 octane gasoline.  The octane rating of E85 is 108.  Ethanol when mixed with gasoline is actually an octane booster. 

 

Who keeps coming up with all of these urban myths about Ethanol? 

 

True, you'll have some evaporation if you don't run your engine often, and you'll have some problems with gaskets exposed to Ethanol, but isn't the clean air worth it?  When I drove to work in Kansas City in the early 1970's, I was always greeted with that brown smog hanging over the city.  I really don't miss that. 

 

Take some time and get some Ethanol proof gaskets for your carburetor, put premium gas in the tank, and live life a little less stress free.  (One less thing to mull over and gripe about.)

Edited October 8, 2018 by RivNut (see edit history)

[Beemon]

All the pumps here say "contains up to 10% ethanol". Doesn't really matter what you put in, it could be 2% or it could be 10%. There aren't any ethanol free pumps near me that I know of. But i gotta say, my plugs are never fouled, even after the carb has ran rich. 

[carbking]

Here in central Missouri, we have, at the pumps:

 

Regular - 87 AKI octane, with 10 percent ethanol

Regular+ - 88 AKI octane, mixture of Regular 87 (10 percent), and Premium 93 AKI (90 percent)

Premium - 93 AKI octane, no ethanol

 

I thought that the lower grades had no ethanol, but the statements on the pumps were misleading, so I asked.

 

According to the refiner, the premium gas is basically available for the older collector cars (many that do not need premium). The 87, with ethanol, is available for those that want cheap.

 

As far as is the ethanol "cleaner" than non-ethanol, the newest EPA studies, which according to the internet aren't that new, but were politically pigeon-holed for several years, clearly show that the E-10 is dirtier than E-0.

 

Much as I dislike efi, efi is what is responsible for the cleaner air in our cities, not the presence of ethanol in the fuel. I still prefer a carburetor, but there is absolutely no doubt the efi is much cleaner.

 

Our grandchildren will curse this generation for using ethanol.

 

I finally gave up and started using E-10 in most of my carbureted engines. Most of the small engines do not have sufficient compression to take advantage of the octane in the premium (non-ethanol) fuel.

 

I use more fuel, but still cheaper as the E-10 is about $1.25/gallon cheaper than the E-0.

 

So far, the only GOOD thing I have found (other than cheap) about the E-10, is my John Deere (fuel injected) L & G starts sputtering if I try to mow in sunshine when the ambient is 90 degrees F. or higher when using E-10. It runs fine on E-0 at ambient above 100 degrees F.

 

"Honey, I have to come in for awhile, the mower is giving me problems in the heat", I'll finish the yard when it cools off"!

 

Jon.

[JohnD1956]

2 hours ago, carbking said:

Honey, I have to come in for awhile, the mower is giving me problems in the heat", I'll finish the yard when it cools off"!

 

?

[Bloo]

10 hours ago, dei said:

 

I have a '51 Nash Canadian Statesman from Dad that about 10 years ago when idling suddenly started leaving oil spots underneath her. There were no visible leaks but after wiping off the side of the block, noticed the dipstick would spew something out from under the head of the stick. Smelled it and it had an odour of gas to it and the oil was very thin!

Put a new fuel pump on and looked at the old one. Age? Fuel? Maybe both...

Sadly, we hear the lifters from that little 6 cylinder more now since Dad ran it like that for a few jaunts...

 

Some years ago I helped a friend get a 1937 Buick running that had been stored indoors since about 1952. The fuel pump did not work for long before it started leaking, only a few minutes as I recall (a rebuild kit was in the mail but had not yet arrived). I don't know how old the diaphragm in the pump was, but it couldn't have been any newer than 1952. When rebuilding the pump I observed that the diaphragm was simply a bunch of layers of cloth. It appeared at the edges that were clamped in the pump body that the cloth had originally been doped with something, probably shellac based. The cloth was washed clean, and the gas was running right through it. A new alcohol-resistant diaphragm fixed that right up.

 

What is different about a 1951 Canadian Statesman? Does it have hydraulic tappets? As a former driver of a Kenosha-built 1951 Statesman I am fairly sure my tappets were solid. Could yours be solid, and just in need of adjustment? Mine ran so quietly that standing next to it you could not tell whether the engine was running. 

 

 

[NTX5467]

As I understand it, all rubber fuel line hoses were formulated to resist the affects of the "ReFormulatedFuel" of that earlier-'90s time.  This was when ethanol was usually under 5% by volume.  I believe that it was first used as "winter oxygenated gas" in the higher altitudes only.  To counteract/decrease the atmospheric content of CO2, I believe.  The bulk of cars in the total fleet still had carburetors, with only the newer ones with forms of EFI.  As things progressed, more EFI cars tended to make the use of oxygenated fuels less important, from what I've heard.  BUT, instead of less oxygenated fuels, we got more.

 

Most automotive fuel pump diaphrams are made of a more ethanol-resistant product.  As long as it stays "wet" with fuel.  From a thread in here several years ago, it was noted that as long as the diaphragm is "wet with fuel", longevity is good.  IF the diaphragm ever gets "dry" (as from the vehicle sitting for longer periods of time, with not being started or the fuel in the lines evaporates), THEN the diaphragm material will get brittle.  Guess what later happens when the car is put into service again?  Mechanical fuel pump leaks/failure.

 

Electric fuel pumps and EFI is not a magic bullet, either.  If the EFI/electric fuel pump vehicle sits the same length of time, in vane fuel pumps, the vanes can corrode and seize.  Nothing else to do but replace it.  EVEN in an OEM EFI system, there IS a bit of rubber.  Where?  Fuel pressure regulator.  From my experience, if the later-model car has very low miles (for its age), that means it has sat a good bit.  Which can mean the fuel pressure regulator could also suffer the detriments of ethanol, too.  Simple to replace, though.  Still, some fuel line seal O-rings in the mix, too.  Use ONLY those formulated for the liquid they are sealing!

 

To me, if a carb is calibrated correctly, it can perform nearly as well as an EFI system.  Sequential port injection is the best version, but the other versions have their benefits, too.  In most cases, we wouldn't have the great all-weather drivability (and reduced exhaust emissions) if it were not for the EFI and related engine electronics that make things work as well as they do.  But in order for the EFI to deliver all of its benefits, "driving style" becomes very important, by observation!

 

To me, the evidence of ethanol's ills are really there.  Even on many YouTube videos!  And anything you see on there will get worse with higher blends as E15!

 

At this point in time, ethanol's use is more related to being a "fuel extender" rather than for any significant impact on environmental quality, I believe.  We KNOW that E0 produces about 6% MORE MPG than E10. for example.  We know how much mpg decrease can come from E85 use in FlexFuel vehicles, compared to even E10.

 

To me, the pricing of E0, E15, and E85 might be a little suspect.  At the local WalMart, E0 is 40cents higher than E10.  At the QuikTrip down the street, E85 is about 40cents less expensive than E10.  In other DFW Metro QT stations, the newer ones have replaced diesel with E15, which is 7cents less expensive than E10.

 

As for the amount of ethanol in particular fuel blends, that can vary with the brand and time of the year.  The ONLY people who might know are those at the fuel terminals that do "splash blending" at the time the fuel tanker is filled.  AND they probably just push buttons.

 

In short, there is no really universal recommendation that can be made about modern fuels, other than "use what works for you in your vehicle".  As in the '60s, that's pure trial-error!

 

With modern EFI and ethanol, we've probably become somewhat "whatever" about ethanol use.  It's everywhere and it seems to work in our newer vehicles (which were better designed to tolerate it!).  The affects on older vehicles will not appear until much later, after that batch of E10 is long gone.  So we just need to know "the enemy" and seek to minimize any "battle damage" when possible.

 

NTX5467

[JFranklin]

I think the detriment to rubber parts in fuel systems by ethanol precipitated the need for the Govts. cash for clunkers due to the fire hazards and uptick in vehicle engine fires.

[RivNut]

E15 from Sunoco is the fuel that all NASCAR cars are running on starting with this year.  

[RivNut]

I found this and I think that it addresses all of our concerns about ethanol.  

 

Ethanol is fairly corrosive to rubber and certain metals, so it can cause damage to vital components. Ethanol also attracts and bonds with water from the air, and that water can separate out inside the tank due to phase separation. If your vehicle sits for long periods between use, the moisture settles to the bottom of the tank and can potentially clog in-tank pumps and filters. Damage is also possible in fuel lines, injectors, seals, gaskets, and valve seats as well as carburetors on older engines.

 

So, based on your driving habits it may be wise to try and use non-ethanol fuels.  

 

Ed

[Beemon]

?‍♂️

 

After 16 years, the rubber lines on my Jeep are still just as good as they've ever been.

[JFranklin]

10 hours ago, Beemon said:

?‍♂️

 

After 16 years, the rubber lines on my Jeep are still just as good as they've ever been.

 

I think auto rubber parts were already made ethanol safe by 2002, It is the older cars, old and new lawnmowers, chainsaws, & etc having trouble.

[RivNut]

10 hours ago, Beemon said:

?‍♂️

 

After 16 years, the rubber lines on my Jeep are still just as good as they've ever been.

Yeah, but when was your Jeep built?  Perhaps it was built in the time frame of ethanol based fuels and accordingly has rubber hoses that are built to withstand the effects of ethanol.  Is it carburetor or fuel injected?

[Beemon]

2002, its FI. In any case, the normal vintage motorist should have already replaced their rubber fuel lines, at least since the introduction of ethanol fuels. So I was merely pointing out that with ethanol resistant parts, the stigma of ethanol eating through rubber parts is seemingly irrelevant. My Jeep sits for long periods of time without being driven since I prefer the Buick, and usually only sees road time during the winter or when the Buick is down for whatever reason. It has yet to rot the 16 year old OEM fuel lines.

[NTX5467]

Where on a factory FI vehicle do you have any rubber fuel lines?  Other than the braid-covered front flex lines, (if any), it all should be plastic with quick-disconnect connections and rubber seals inside of them.

 

Just curious,

NTX5467

[Beemon]

2 hours ago, NTX5467 said:

Where on a factory FI vehicle do you have any rubber fuel lines?  Other than the braid-covered front flex lines, (if any), it all should be plastic with quick-disconnect connections and rubber seals inside of them.

 

Just curious,

NTX5467

 

 

It's a rubber line that comes from the hard line and attaches to the fuel rail. It's even got a pretty good bend to it. Still hasn't cracked.

[kgreen]

If you wish to find ethanol -free gas, this is a good source for information. https://www.pure-gas.org/about  

 

You can also download the app onto your phone.  One of the problems I ran into is that it will at times offer a non ethanol fuel source that is a wholesale distributor.  This app is good for planning, not as easy to use on a long road trip unless you factor planing for fuel stops.

 

I had run E10 fuel in my boat engine and recently had a fuel pump problem requiring a complete rebuild.  The ethanol had caused the paint to flake off the interior painted surfaces, clogging the screens.  I visited a shop that showed me several examples of fuel line that had been damaged by ethanol contaminated fuel.  The rubber deteriorates the rubber from the inside out and the outside of the rubber still looked new.  When the fuel line was split, the deterioration looked like it expands the rubber and melts it.  I didn't know the age or type of those rubber hoses.  I just rebuilt my lawnmower carb and found white deposits built up on the interior surfaces.  The white deposits looked like corrosion.  I know it is a qualified statement, but since I started running E0 all my small engines and the boat engine, they start quicker and run better.  I now use E0 in my 67 with a 289 and I had a noticeable difference in quicker starting, smooth idling and no stalling.

 

I don't see much for reliable information on gas for automobile use.  I hear some on this forum state that the highest grade fuel has no ethanol and other sources tell me that it has more ethanol then the 87 Octane.  I also suspect that since the US evolves around itself that Canadian fuel and US fuel can be quite different.  I do know that fuel distributed in US cities is different than the fuel distributed in rural areas.  Several american cities are containment zones that switch fuel additives to reduce certain types of airborne contaminants.  That difference is on top of the winter/summer additive change.

[Barney Eaton]

The attached article was in todays Austin Texas paper.......lots of political finger pointing.

At the beginning,  it seems to say that ethanol is not in the summer blend gas,  but later it says E15 will be allowed next summer, and summer is defined as June 1 to Sept 15.

In my mind it opens more questions than it covers........is E10 going away?   Guess we will need to wait for more specific details.   If you find more specific information,  post them or give a link.