Gasoline question
- Thread starter tellegubby
- Start date
- Tags gasoline kawasaki mt1a old bike
There are some gas stations that also sell "off road" gas. This works well for small engines.
I only use 4 cycle "engineered" fuel sold at lowes or home depot. It's pricy at $20 a gal but can leave in tank for up to 2 years without damaging tank or carb. If I road my bikes more often I would use the "off road" gas.
Also heard of some people using air plane fuel. But that's expensive as well.
I only use 4 cycle "engineered" fuel sold at lowes or home depot. It's pricy at $20 a gal but can leave in tank for up to 2 years without damaging tank or carb. If I road my bikes more often I would use the "off road" gas.
Also heard of some people using air plane fuel. But that's expensive as well.
Another side note for those who switch to the slow burning race fuels. Your exhaust color and spark plug coloration can vary slightly when running the higher octane and/or leaded fuel. Leaded fuel a a good choice for all small engines. Imperfect jetting will show pretty blue flame on decel when running open or short exhaust pipe. Most better tuners would know better than run open pipes anyway.
Pure gas .org is a site which shows you state to state which stations see ethanol free fuel. It lists the stations and what type of ethanol free they offer. https://www.pure-gas.org/
I have never felt the need to purchase any of those (expensive) "ethanol-free", "aviation gas", "race fuel", etc. For the last 16 years I have used regular 87 octane, unleaded, (ethanol-laden) gas they sell in California, HOWEVER....
I have always used "Stab-Bil Storage Fuel Stablilizer" in ALL of our bikes and equipment. Never had a single problem while using it and some of this same gas has been in the fuel tanks and carbs for over 1.5 years and the engines will start right up and run fine. A little goes a long ways as only a couple of ounces of this will treat 5 gallons of gas.
https://www.amazon.com/STA-BIL-22214-Fuel-Stabilizer-Fluid_Ounces/dp/B000B68V6I?th=1
Michael
I have always used "Stab-Bil Storage Fuel Stablilizer" in ALL of our bikes and equipment. Never had a single problem while using it and some of this same gas has been in the fuel tanks and carbs for over 1.5 years and the engines will start right up and run fine. A little goes a long ways as only a couple of ounces of this will treat 5 gallons of gas.
https://www.amazon.com/STA-BIL-22214-Fuel-Stabilizer-Fluid_Ounces/dp/B000B68V6I?th=1
Michael
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Good on you for your fuel stabilizer advice. Certainly good advice. I always advise folks to add stabilizer to their fuel cans before filling. While your experience in California climate fuel advice may be workable in a warmer or dry climate, it would likely not fly here in northeast. Cooler evening weather and warmer daytime weather and corrosponding fuel container/tank condensation will quickly prove otherwise. Studies in these conditions have found ethanol laced fuel separates and collects moisture within 30-60 days when left untreated. Expected safe usable life is 6 months when treated here. This is safe for most seasonal use power equipment. Most refinery sealed race fuel is treated with preservative and stores 2-5 years. Aviation fuel had expected storage life of 10 years under favorable conditions.
This is like asking synthetic or conventional oil….youll beat it up for days….you like and use what you like and after 60 plus years I doubt anyone’s going to change minds….but bless your hearts for opinions!! My opinion airplane fuel is too hot for these little motors….its hard on v twins….
ok continue on…
ok continue on…
I just pulled down six machines that sat for 5+ years in a shed with fuel in them.
The owner of said machines said he runs fuel stabilizer in EVERYTHiNG he owns. The machines all had SPOTLESS carburetors. BUT the bowls were all filled with what I would describe as clear gel packets. After clearing the gel out all machines ran smooth. So the stabilizer does work AMAZING
The owner of said machines said he runs fuel stabilizer in EVERYTHiNG he owns. The machines all had SPOTLESS carburetors. BUT the bowls were all filled with what I would describe as clear gel packets. After clearing the gel out all machines ran smooth. So the stabilizer does work AMAZING
I believe that was developed to reduce the water condensation in the inboard fuel tanks. They were having trouble, filling up on the trailers while on the road, with gas that had alcohol in it and then the water would drop out into the bottom of the tank and kill the engine when the pump picked it up. It was really good stuff when it came out. I have not used it in over 15 years.
Yeah being in Michigan it can really be quite humid here all year round. If ethanol additionally collects moisture that may be the thing that seals it for me, and I will probably try and find some without any ethanol in it.
I guess I will try using this site, even though it appears that most of the places in my state will be a little out of the way for me to go to, just for gas.
I guess I will try using this site, even though it appears that most of the places in my state will be a little out of the way for me to go to, just for gas.
I live in the northeast and I use 87 octane ethanol gas in everything unless I've built the engine for high compression. Higher octane gas is harder to ignite without added compression.
All modern fuel is formulated to be atomized with a fuel injector not a venturi. It's less volatile than gas from 50 years ago. Old gas is old gas no matter what the octane or what snake oil you put in it. Gasoline has always done nasty things to fuel systems even long before no lead and ethanol fuel.
All modern fuel is formulated to be atomized with a fuel injector not a venturi. It's less volatile than gas from 50 years ago. Old gas is old gas no matter what the octane or what snake oil you put in it. Gasoline has always done nasty things to fuel systems even long before no lead and ethanol fuel.
There are a lot of negatives to ethanol gas, that you seem to overlook. These are my observations no necessarily fact.
1) tygon fuel lines get hard and brittle in a year or two with ethanol with non ethanol have not had to replace a line in 5 years. .
2) while gas only will go bad and smell like varnish it takes about 2 years to happen while ethanol a year old turns our carbs full of the green crap.
3) for some reason ethanol gas mixed with a good two stroke oil will last years.
4) fuel tank epoxy coatings/sealer like dragon blood will soften and fail with ethanol if left in the tank over a winter.
1) tygon fuel lines get hard and brittle in a year or two with ethanol with non ethanol have not had to replace a line in 5 years. .
2) while gas only will go bad and smell like varnish it takes about 2 years to happen while ethanol a year old turns our carbs full of the green crap.
3) for some reason ethanol gas mixed with a good two stroke oil will last years.
4) fuel tank epoxy coatings/sealer like dragon blood will soften and fail with ethanol if left in the tank over a winter.