Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I have a crate engine so I run ethanol free but I would think new engines (or rebuilt) being sold could handle the ethanol. I also run mid-grade and I am always wondering if I need a lead additive? I have read what we should do per say but am more curious on what people are doing.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I started to because it is easily available from home and figured it would be better for the carb. Mine also runs much better on it

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Ethanol free isn't even an option near me and we are sitting near the source of much of the fuel production.

No need to step up to mid grade unless your engine is 10:1 or more compression and iron heads. Lead additives would be another waste of money.

Ethanol is really only a problem with fuel that sits for long periods. Absorbing humidity from the air the fuel can phase separate the water logged ethanol.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Nothing wrong with ethanol once it gets to the engine, but it's the fuel system that takes a beating. In addition to absorbing water and potentially causing corrosion, it eats rubber. Last vehicle I touched I re-did the entire fuel system in stainless and braided teflon, without an inch of rubber in the car.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Ain’t that the damndest thing?? It’s the same here gas and oil wells everywhere and there is only one gas station Around that sells ethanol free and it’s 30 cents more a gallon than premium ethanol blended. Makes no sense at all to me, there’s far more oil wells than corn fields here.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Copy that on the rubber, thank you!

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I have always known about the impact on seal and gaskets so.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

You should not need a lead additive for a crate motor. As for ethanol, like others mentioned, I can't avoid it here it Fort Worthifornia. 10% is the best I've found, some places have 15%. Ugh. Seems the cards are stacked against us, but at least we still have gas - there, I wanted to finish on a positive note :)

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

There is just ethanol gas around here. I use the regular grade for my daily driver. I have had no problems with the rubber hose I got from LMC and the Quadrajet I got from National Carburetors and the Delphi fuel pump I got from Autozone.

Locking Stant fuel cap did not last, rotted in 2 months. I contacted Stant and they don't think it's a problem, and they don't know what ethanol is or that it could be a problem for the rubber they use. They were happy to loose me as a customer rather than think or talk about it any more. I found another brand that works, and unfortunately lost track of what brand and part number it was.

So it depends on what parts you gather together to work, how long they will happen to last with ethanol. A certain amount of trial and error is needed to figure it out.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Yes I do, in everything with a carburetor.
4 bucks a gallon.
..Sucks

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

This^^^^^^

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

We're fortunate here around Huntsville there are still half dozen or so stations that have real gas. Some only one grade, but at least it's available. Costs 30-70 cents more than the subsidized 10% corn fuel. I use it in everything including the late model daily drivers, but I especially like it for the vehicles that only get one or two fillups a year. Never have a problem with stale gas and have never had a fuel line or pump go bad.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

It’s all I run in things around the house- mower, pressure washer, etc. and in my vehicles that aren’t driven lots. It is expensive, partly because it’s high octane too though. I have spent way too much time and money dealing with the panther piss corn juice and the havoc created by it sitting overwinter in the system so it’s way worth it to me. Wish it were more available and in different grades. I really don’t think my 7.5:1 compression ratio mower Needs 93 octane...

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

We have it here in northern Arizona. 87 octane. I run it in my vintage vehicles with an octane booster. Seems to be OK. I have been told that Sta-bil is a good additive if running 10% ethanol fuels.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Wow. I thought NY was bad. Non ethanol high test is 3.19 around me. I use it in all my power equipment and older cars and motorcycles. Since they tend to sit more than my newer everyday cars. Or should I say car my truck is diesel

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Startron is the better fuel life extender, IMO. We have no real gas in my area, only 90% gas/10% trouble. I run it in everything. I haven't had issues from over winter sitting and most of the time I never get around to adding Startron. I put that in my gas and mix cans, even though the mix oil has extender. Ethanol issues have snuck up on my stuff a few times. It's always when I let something sit unused a little too long. When I'm using my chainsaw a lot I use pump gas, like during winter. The rest of the time that and my weedeater get the canned 50:1 pure fuel. I just had to fix my saw again from sitting, so from now on it's the canned pure or fill the can at one of the two places I know sell ethanol-free. Both about an hour away. My truck I go out and start every few weeks and so far so good

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

My vapor locking in traffic absolutely stopped when I found a station with E- free gas.
These carbed trucks where designed to use GASOLINE.
The main bummer is finding stations that carry E - free fuel.
All the Best, Dirk

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I wish they would quit messing around with this E10/E15 BS and go straight to E85 - at least I could then build an engine to take advantage of the increased octane rating.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

or you could try to build one that works with regular fuel ? Why does everyone blame the fuel rather than the builder ?
:lol:

oh it's the fuels fault . I did everything right but the fuel is the problem ... whaaa whaaa

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Ethanol is abundant because of the Corn(farmers) lobbyist. I do not run it in any of my old vehicles.
Ron

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

If this was directed at me, I am not blaming anyone. All of my carbureted gas engines run great on 87 octane E10. My point is, if we had 100+ octane E85, you could up the compression ratio and change the cam and/or even add some boost to take advantage of the added octane rating and make more power.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

As may others have said, I only run ethanol free in my carbureted engines. My C10, CJ5, and all lawn equipment. I don't worry one bit if I leave one sitting without starting it up for a few weeks.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I run ethanol free fuel in all my carbureted and small engines.

Last Friday I hooked a trailer loaded with a mini excavator to my Longhorn and headed east 45 miles to help my BIL with a flipper house he bought.

I was running late and had no ethanol free fuel on that side of town, so I filled up with 10% ethanol. On the morning trip, it was cool, and the old truck was running great.

On the return trip the temp's were in the nineties. In the long pulls, the truck started to vapor lock.

I have about a mile of uphill pull to the shop, and I got about 150 feet from the gate when it completely quit. I let it cool for 10 minutes and it ran enough to get me in the gate.

I have two big blocks that will vapor lock when running ethanol in hot weather.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

We have 91 octane ethanol free at most stations here and one station that has pumps with both 89 and 91 octane ethanol free.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I have an electric fuel pump to feed the mechanical fuel pump on the engine. The electric fuel pump was installed by my FiL because of the running-out-of-fuel issue when switching tanks. The truck could use a gauge that reads each tank, instead of watching the odometer. I see that those were available. Gonna have to look around for that.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

OK, sure: It's all Chevy's fault. They should have built my '69 327 for Ethanol.

:rolleyes:

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Name checks out . . .

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

You must have missed the little smiley face ^

:lol:

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I guess we're just lucky here in E Tn , With all the hot rods and boats there are a few places to buy ethanol free gas . :chevy:

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I thought this was interesting on how to remove ethanol from gasoline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdDEL7WLN5U

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Does your truck ever vapor lock Steve? I might try piggybacking the electric fuel pump.

The guy that does my blasting has a D100 and he said the addition of an electric fuel pump helped bit did not eliminate the problem.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

It did vapor lock on me in February of '18. The water temp at the time was about 260º, pulling the travel trailer through Randsburg, CA. It was pretty hot out, especially for February. I recently installed a severe duty fan clutch to get better cooling. Seems to be running cooler, but the temp still creeps up at idle.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I wonder if any of those ethanol gas additives will minimize some of the issues with fuel lines, carbs, and water.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

The additives only "extend" fuel's life some and limit the issues a bit.

My truck fuel starves when I get on it when it's right warm out. I want to install a wood gasket/spacer. I don't think the truck runs hot. If it still starves out I guess I have the gunk in my varb and it's time for another tear down

As if all the hot rods and boats have anything to do with it. More like politics and a state's level of action taken for environmental concerns, I believe. I care about the environment but I think ethanol is more a farse than helping anything. My state has tons of boats and hot rods but it's a state with a greater concern for environment than many others, so politicians take measures to make their public "think" they are doing more to help it.

I did get your comment about blame the builder, if you meant rebuilder. There are rebuilders who claim they build the carbs for ethanol to eliminate the issues. I'd like to try that out. But if the fuel can rust out a gas tank I feel there can still be issues with water build up anywhere in any system. It's just prevalent in carbs by their design

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

Tim how did you far as far all the flash flooding in dc,VA and MD? Saw it on the news last night some place got hit real hard.

In NY it's up to the county about non ethanol sales. I can go to a Stewerts in Ulster and they have it but the one 5 miles away in Orange county is all ethanol. I think the farmers and loggers have a lot to do with it here. And non ethanol is the same if not a few cents cheaper the ethanol high test.

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

If you're unsure if any station in your area has non-ethanol or want to find it when traveling, I use the Pure Gas phone app. You can also find stations on their website pure-gas.org

Re: Do you run ethanol free gasoline?
 

I fared well Mark. Thanks for asking. Frederick is at the western side of the same watershed along the Monocacy River and just east of the Blue Ridge. It's at the low point of Monocacy Valley. I'm a little valley up against Parr's Ridge, the Piedmont summit that divides between water to the Chesapeake and Potomac River. So I'm in a headwaters area. My streams are tributaries to Liganore Creek that flows SW into the Monocacy just east of Frederick.

So it rained like it was going out of style but no flooding. The stream through the meadow next to me didn't even overflow, nor did the main one across the road. I'm good even when those flood. The old-timer who built this cabin picked a good spot. Last summer the meadow flooded three times, so I guess Frederick and/or Catoctin Mt had the storm linger over it longer. I got 2" in an hour after 1/2" overnight. Carroll Creek runs through Frederick down from the mountain.

Just up the road from me coming up out of the valley (north) there were several big red oaks that had to be cleared from the road. Must have had a mini-burst come through. At the top of that hill is a north/south divide. Above there the water flows north to the Monocacy by way of Sam's Creek. I traveled up Sam's Creek Rd to a job and could see it had flooded pretty bad. One place where the road floods regularly I could see the water had come up really far. Was probably 4-5' deep on the road

I've looked at that same guide online since I'm not a smart phone user. The only non-ethanol in my state is at marinas and airports, and from what I hear not all marinas are ethanol-free. I would not put anything in a boat but non-ethanol. Those places aren't listed in that guide which only addresses filling stations for autos.

I live in a four state area with VA, WVA, and PA all a short drive away. But running 45min -1 hr to fill up is obviously not an option unless traveling in that direction. Aviation fuel ain't cheap and you have to fill cans at most marinas since the pumps are dockside.

My chain saw is down for the second time as a victim of an etho-terror attack. Last time I decided it made sense to "buy the canned mix, cheaper than the fix", which would make a good slogan for them. Well, all winter long when I'm running through tank after tank regularly I still used pump crap. I lost track of how long the saw sat unused and it bit me in the ass again! I should have thought of this before, since those little cans of mix are ridiculously expensive, go fill small engine cans out of state!