Bad Boys 1

Being as nobody really drives these cars anymore - LOL

What fuel is everyone using that won't go bad.

Just additives?

I just filled mine up with 100 octane unleaded - non ethanol.
They also had 104,110 octane but was leaded.

When Matt had car he put aviation fuel in it. Probably helped as car did not
move for years and fuel was mostly ok.

I could not find any other non ethanol fuel

Mike

Metal Guru

Most premium fuels these days have ethanol in them to boost octane.

Summer blend fuel is all that's available from May to October. It has additives in it that raise the Reed vapor pressure, which is a measure of volatility. Those additives cut smog due to the reduction of evaporated fuel in the atmosphere. The downside is that the additives are what cause fuel to go sour over the winter.

If you end up with a tank full of summer blend in December, you can stabilize it with Sta-Bil or something similar. I usually drive my car until Thanksgiving if it's dry out so I usually end up with some winter blend in my car, which doesn't go bad over the winter.

Igooz

The following website is what I use to buy no ethanol fuel. And I try really hard to buy non-ethanol gasoline...

http://pure-gas.org/

Max964t36

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_V-Power ... when I can find it, otherwise 98 octans

Metal Guru

So according to the website, in Michigan the closest station to me (Detroit area) is 25 miles away (teo stations) with vast majority of stations being in the upper half of the state, including the upper peninsula. Also, not one of those stations sells 93 octane.
What is your objection to fuel containing small amounts of ethanol?

Frank 993 C4S

^^^^^
This - just add fuel stabilizer and keep your tank topped off to avoid moisture being drawn into the tank.

Bad Boys 1

The ethanol has ruined more small engines and wreaked havoc on the boat community.

I had to rebuild and finally replace the carb on my chopper. We add Startron and run everything
out of fuel when done using. Ask someone in the small engine or lawn business about problems
with these fuels.

I just did not want it to sit in the car and create problems.

Igooz

Metal Guru, you are right...the locations are not convenient for you. There is only one in my small hometown in CO and none near where I am most of the time in Chicago.

I don't have objections to 10% ethanol but I have a huge preference to non-ethanol fuel. I am not a scientist and I can only share my personal experience. Multiple cars and motorcycles and they sit unused a lot! In my experience, the ethanol based fuels have caused problems for my fuel systems: float bowls, fuel lines, ..., gumming up and deterioration. Delorto, Inglesse, Mikuni, and Weber carbs hate ethanol, my wire/cloth braided lines deteriorated, as well as my fuel safe cell in my race car ... I tried sea foam (my favorite) and of course Stabil with good results. 8 years ago I switched (whenever I can) to ethanol free 91 octane (all I can get) plus Stabil. It seems to work.

Bikes are very sensitive IMO.

Anyhow, that's my experience. I know that modern cars are supposed to handle ethanol, but I avoid when I can.

Metal Guru

I've been a fuel system engineer for a long time, pretty much since the dawn of ethanol usage.
Ethanol can attack everything but it's the concentrations starting at 11% to 20% which do the most damage. The polymer components had to be improved, fuel pumps and some fuel lines went to stainless and steel fuel tanks got polymer coatings.
I've used fuel that I've assumed had up to 10% ethanol without issue in both my Turbo and my old SC. The 10% fuels are considered safe for cars built within the last 15 years. However, ethanol attacks zinc pretty hard, which is why your carburetors don't like it.
What happens when ethanol absorbs water is pretty complex so I can't make any generalizations about that. Water can actually reduce corrosion in the higher concentrations of ethanol, for example. Ethanol bearing fuels also aren't good for cold starting due to low volatility. In Brazil, where really high concentrations of ethanol are used (up to E100), those vehicle have a small fuel tank that contains straight gasoline that is injected for cold starting.
Sorry for the long-winded explanation.

Igooz

Thank you. Your explanation makes sense.

I have had nothing but bad luck even with 10% (claimed signage) ethanol in my carb bikes and cars. Let me add Holley and Keihin to my list as I have at least one of each. Delorto's and Inglesse being by far the most sensitive.

urquattro20Vt

So Paul - do you recommend adding a fuel stabilizer with every fill up? Or just when the car will sit for...how long? I typically only put in 10 gallons at a time and I drive the car almost every week but I have to admit I've not been driving it "just because" as much as I did last year...

I did just do an 820 mile Colorado backroads/mountain twisties road trip a couple weeks ago. Crazy Fun. Car ran like a champ every second.

Flachbau

You can buy it in 5 gal cans at your local lawn mower repair specialist store.

Metal Guru

If you are using the fuel on a regular basis (like driving every weekend) I wouldn't think it's necessary to use stabilizer. Actually, the winter gas in my car was a little more than a year old when I finally got it running last November and it fired right up. Now if I was going to store my car for 2 years or longer I think it would be a good idea to do it.

Metal Guru

That would be a lifetime supply for me

Bad Boys 1

Metal Guru..thanks. I was just curious to see what everyone else was doing with limited use.

We found in the motorcycles and small engines after about 2 months it was nothing but trouble.

BTW my chopper has a Mikuni and it was turned to junk, however my Honda Goldwing with the
startron additive is never a problem. Perhaps fuel injection vs carb?