can i run 100LL (low lead) aviation fuel in my chainsaw without problems? The stihl dealer here sells vp racing fuel for ten dollars a gallon he said it is 94 octane i can get the aviation fuel for six a gallon. i am thinking both have to be better than the ethenol mixed fuel from the gas station thanks
aviation gas in chainsaw ok???
- Thread starter six7bird
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Stumpys Customs
Stumpbroke
SHouldn't be any problem at all, just make sure you retune it after the switch.
Lots and lots of threads on this. Opinions are all over the place. I won't run AV gas.
Termite
Time To Launch
I do run 100ll av-gas and like it for the long shelf life. The last thing I do in the winter is run some in my boat motor.
I had a bad experience with racing gas. It caused the ring to stick in my Dolmar 401. I bought the saw new and the only fuel it saw until the ring stuck was racing gas. The consciences was the additives in the fuel.
I had a bad experience with racing gas. It caused the ring to stick in my Dolmar 401. I bought the saw new and the only fuel it saw until the ring stuck was racing gas. The consciences was the additives in the fuel.
oneoldbanjo
Addicted to ArboristSite
Avgas
I ran Avgas for about a year in my equipment. It ran OK.....but not any better. It does have a long shelf life and when it evaporates it leaves nothing behind to gum anything up - but it runs too rich unless you retune the carb. I finally stopped running it as the trip to get Avgas is about 1.5 hours round trip.
Most recently I checked this site: Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada
I found a station nearby in Indiana that sells 90 octane gasoline without ethanol. Several of the places listed on the site no longer have ethanol free fuel - so you find one near you listed you will have to test the fuel to be sure.
Before I put my equipment away for an extended period I dump the fuel and then start it and let it idle until it stops. Then I put some Avgas 100LL mixed with the oil of my choice in the tank and restart the engine - then I stop the engine, dump the fuel in the tank back into my Avgas fuel can, and then let the engine idle again until it stops.
If you run Avgas - be sure to mark the cans so that no one accidently gives it to someone whose car has run out of gas. The lead will foul the catalytic converter.
I ran Avgas for about a year in my equipment. It ran OK.....but not any better. It does have a long shelf life and when it evaporates it leaves nothing behind to gum anything up - but it runs too rich unless you retune the carb. I finally stopped running it as the trip to get Avgas is about 1.5 hours round trip.
Most recently I checked this site: Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada
I found a station nearby in Indiana that sells 90 octane gasoline without ethanol. Several of the places listed on the site no longer have ethanol free fuel - so you find one near you listed you will have to test the fuel to be sure.
Before I put my equipment away for an extended period I dump the fuel and then start it and let it idle until it stops. Then I put some Avgas 100LL mixed with the oil of my choice in the tank and restart the engine - then I stop the engine, dump the fuel in the tank back into my Avgas fuel can, and then let the engine idle again until it stops.
If you run Avgas - be sure to mark the cans so that no one accidently gives it to someone whose car has run out of gas. The lead will foul the catalytic converter.
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It isn't the convertor so much, but the O2 sensors. This will cause your cars' comp to think it is running super lean and then you'll find out just how much your engine can chugalug gas. Think a 30mpg car going to 10mpg, for real.
If you have access to both race-gas and AVgas, just buy a gallon of each and mix it the way you'd normally do for your saw. Yes you have to touch up the carb but hell, everybody does that in that in the morning anyways. Find that big gnarly oak or cypress and cut some up with each fuel and see which one you thinks runs the best.
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100LL is all I have used in my 2-strokes since the nerds in the Gooberment forced E10 or MBTE fuels on us.
Some saws run richer and need carb reset, some run just fine as they did with pre-E10 premium.
Some saws run richer and need carb reset, some run just fine as they did with pre-E10 premium.
100LL is an excellent fuel. It's consistent from batch to batch. So, once tuned, you are good to go.
Here is something that may not matter to saw users. When GP 2 stroke bikes switched to unleaded, the crankshaft bearings (in particular the con rod big end) life was less than half. Failures became the "norm". It was eventually traced back to the lack of lead in the fuel.
Since then, a few people have tracked 2 stroke engine life on leaded fuels and sure enough, they do last longer.
Here is something that may not matter to saw users. When GP 2 stroke bikes switched to unleaded, the crankshaft bearings (in particular the con rod big end) life was less than half. Failures became the "norm". It was eventually traced back to the lack of lead in the fuel.
Since then, a few people have tracked 2 stroke engine life on leaded fuels and sure enough, they do last longer.
sachsmo
Addicted to ArboristSite
The higher the octane rating the more resistant it is to detonation/pre-ignition. Higher octane burns slower. It is said that it will actually make your saw slower. This may well be the case, but the longer shelf life, resistance to detonation, and complete absence of ethenol makes it the fuel of choice for my saws. (110 leaded Sunoco) I do some milling with my bigger saws, and the piece of mind is worth the 2 or 3 bucks extra per gallon.
Ethenol is an oxegenated fuel, meaning it introduces more O2 which can make a saw run lean, lean is faster to a point, then you cross that line and it will melt down your saw. The old racers had a saying "lean is mean, but fat is where it's at" N20 works under the same principle, more O2, (lots more) kind of like forced induction. Thus you MUST add fuel (gas) to prevent leaning out to the point of destruction.
Good fresh pump gas, proper tuning, and good maintenance will suffice for most saws, but if you really push them, such as long rips through thick hardwoods. Why not buy a little insurance?
Ethenol is an oxegenated fuel, meaning it introduces more O2 which can make a saw run lean, lean is faster to a point, then you cross that line and it will melt down your saw. The old racers had a saying "lean is mean, but fat is where it's at" N20 works under the same principle, more O2, (lots more) kind of like forced induction. Thus you MUST add fuel (gas) to prevent leaning out to the point of destruction.
Good fresh pump gas, proper tuning, and good maintenance will suffice for most saws, but if you really push them, such as long rips through thick hardwoods. Why not buy a little insurance?
GASoline71
Mr. Nice Guy
You cats that freak out over 10% ethanol make me LOL 
Also cats that run Av-gas, VP, and other stuff in a chainsaw make me LOL...
89 to 92 octane (even with 10% ethanol) will be just fine for your OPE. Just don't let it set for months on end in your equipment...
Meh... :msp_razz:
Gary
Also cats that run Av-gas, VP, and other stuff in a chainsaw make me LOL...
89 to 92 octane (even with 10% ethanol) will be just fine for your OPE. Just don't let it set for months on end in your equipment...
Meh... :msp_razz:
Gary
sachsmo
Addicted to ArboristSite
You cats that freak out over 10% ethanol make me LOL
Also cats that run Av-gas, VP, and other stuff in a chainsaw make me LOL...
89 to 92 octane (even with 10% ethanol) will be just fine for your OPE. Just don't let it set for months on end in your equipment...
Meh... :msp_razz:
Gary
Oh great wise one,
You have spoken, it must be the truth. What oil mixes the best with eth?
GASoline71
Mr. Nice Guy
I actually agree with what you said genius... relax.
Gary
Gary
Tree Sling'r
Addicted to ArboristSite
You cats that freak out over 10% ethanol make me LOL
Also cats that run Av-gas, VP, and other stuff in a chainsaw make me LOL...
89 to 92 octane (even with 10% ethanol) will be just fine for your OPE. Just don't let it set for months on end in your equipment...
Meh... :msp_razz:
Gary
Hey bud, if I run diesel, what ratio should I mix it at? What brand of mix?
nmurph
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AV gas---no extra performance----actually diminishes somewhat---89-93 octane is sufficient for everything except modded saw running compression over 200psi
Ethanol--- no problem, but don't let it sit for months. Buy fuel in batches that will be used in less than 2 months--ethanol or not. Use a fuel stabilizer or two stroke mix with stabilizer added
Ethanol--- no problem, but don't let it sit for months. Buy fuel in batches that will be used in less than 2 months--ethanol or not. Use a fuel stabilizer or two stroke mix with stabilizer added
GASoline71
Mr. Nice Guy
If runnin' diesel you should mix with rendered bacon fat @ 77.361:1
Gary
Gary
Sprintcar
Chainsaw Slut
If running diesel ya hav to run Gary Goo oil. Mix ratio is 1/1, smokes a wee tad but you can also put in the oil tank fer your bar and chain.
Sprintcar
Chainsaw Slut
All joking aside you can run 100LL Aviation Grade Gasoline in your two stroke equipment if you want to spend the money. For that matter you can run any of the "High Performance" type gasolines however the difference you will see and feel is negligible in a stock or very mildly modified saw.
If you are running a modified saw with very HIGH cylinder pressures, then racing gas or methanol is the way to go. I have attached several MSDS Sheets for various grades of gasoline. Please review the actual contents that make up the product.
View attachment 189934View attachment 189935View attachment 189936View attachment 189937View attachment 189938
As stated on this thread some folks swear by 100LL Aviation Gas and some think it's a load of crap, your saw, your choice.
If you are running a modified saw with very HIGH cylinder pressures, then racing gas or methanol is the way to go. I have attached several MSDS Sheets for various grades of gasoline. Please review the actual contents that make up the product.
View attachment 189934View attachment 189935View attachment 189936View attachment 189937View attachment 189938
As stated on this thread some folks swear by 100LL Aviation Gas and some think it's a load of crap, your saw, your choice.
MacLaren
Addicted to ArboristSite
From those two options, I would go with the VP94. As a matter of fact, thats what was recommended to me to run in my ported saws.
However, I usually just run the Ethanol free 93.
It's true, and I forgot to mention that 100LL "may" result is a slight power loss and sligtly lower peak RPM. It's commonly thought to be a fuel engineered for low RPM engines. That may or may not be true. But, the higher octane does have a slower flame front. And, in a high RPM, 2 stroke, the exhaust port can easily be uncovered by the piston prior to the completion of combusion.
I just finished my first five gallons of VP 110 and on the last gallon mix I only had enough to mix 50% ethonal free 87 octance with 50% vp 110.
I though the saws ran better with it blended like that. So that is my story and I am sticking with it.
I have seen it somehwere that is you run to high of actane it can actually hurt performance and run the saw hotter.
If it is on the internet it has to be true
I though the saws ran better with it blended like that. So that is my story and I am sticking with it.
I have seen it somehwere that is you run to high of actane it can actually hurt performance and run the saw hotter.
If it is on the internet it has to be true
