Many of us are flying with 2-strokes such as Rotax 185 fire pump engines or Rotax 447 and 503 modified snowmobile engines. It is generally accepted best practice to use the freshest highest octane ethanol free from a busy gas station, pre-mix just before use, and donate any unused fuel over a month old to the airfield lawnmowers. Fuel line and filters condition are monitored and replaced regularly. We all appreciate that the propeller is there to keep the pilot cool... when it stops, we sweat!
Ethanol-free fuel now prohibited in Canada's gas stations?
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So I just went and bought new gas it was super and the damn crap seems real weak like its old. I think people aren't buying hardly any super and it just sits there for months and months.
Now the question of the day , im buying some VP 94 in a 5 gallon can today can I successfully mix VP and pump gas and get good results?
@North by Northwest
@sean donato
@pioneerguy600
@bwalker
Now the question of the day , im buying some VP 94 in a 5 gallon can today can I successfully mix VP and pump gas and get good results?
@North by Northwest
@sean donato
@pioneerguy600
@bwalker
Great results when you toss a lit ZIPPO into the mix..
Smitty Smithsonite
ArboristSite Operative
Ain't that the truth!
I run 90 octane ethanol free in my paramotor - has a 185cc single cylinder, single spark 2-stroke. I premix with Amsoil Saber at 66:1, just copying what someone who instructs on paramotors, runs his whole school on it, plus his personal machines for years has run. I don't know how he came up with that specific, odd number, but it's been working for him, and working for me.
That said, my buddy I fly with runs 87 octane pump gas (10% ethanol) in his Rotax 582 powered, powered parachute. I told him he's nuts. At one point in time he was removing the ethanol himself using water as mentioned ... BUT, he screwed up one time and dumped a big slug of water into his fuel tank. After the engine quit at the worst possible time - on climbout - he stopped that practice.
He has big tanks on those things. Much bigger than the miniscule 3.5 gallon tank my paramotor has. I get nervous every spring when he fires it up for the first time of the season, wondering if it's going to crap out on him again. I even offered to grab some for him while I was up north (we have no E0 available at ANY roadside fuel pump in MA). He doesn't want to spend the money.
JohnL
Addicted to ArboristSite
In CO we still have a few stations selling non-ethanol gas, it costs more but definitely worth it for old saws, 2 cycle equipment in general. CO govt is still **** though, expecting a ban or extra tax on gas powered OPE any day now.
Smitty Smithsonite
ArboristSite Operative
Yeah, you've got all the crazies from CA moving out there. They destory CA with their voting practices, then flee to another state to repeat the process. They're like friggin locusts ...
NHden
ArboristSite Member
Sorry, late to the mix here. I've gone from annoyed to loving the forum activity email due to lack of reading time.
The lack of E0 drives me up a wall in NH. I found one station up north with E0 at the pump but the four southern counties have banned it. Someone has to be making a few dollars on this BS. I point one finger at idiots in state gov. and maybe a second finger at the TrueFuel type makers now that they are EVERYWHERE.
Picked up a few saws this summer including a new MS261 with good old carb. Decided no more ethanol crap for MY tools, having replaced a carb in a brush cutter and fuel line and fuel switch in an Echo chipper. New saw never has nor will it ever see Exx.
Before finding the Sunapee station, I honed the water extraction method. I start with 1 gallon of gas, 300ml or so of water, 4 drops of blue food dye. You gotta shake the hell out of it and your method really matters. It just can't swirl or rock end to end. It needs to really get agitated for a good mix. I give it 2 to 3 hours to settle although much of it is quicker than that. Pretty blue water at the bottom, pure gas at the top. Sometimes theres a layer between of white stuff that looks like liposuction fat. Tilt the jug and insert the extraction tube.
To extract the water, I've used gravity siphon to a container below bench level but now use a Mityvac on which I've made a larger receiving container. When you get to the last drop of blue, pinch the hose and pull your tubing. Oh yeah, I have the tubing go to a 10" length of brass tube for full control in the mix jug.
This method scales to whatever you need. Just no open flames, no dropping containers and you need some muscle to really agitate a 5 gallon water cooler jug.
But I've switched to the ride north when I need a "fix". Will do so until we do the right thing and abolish the EPA or E0 goes away.
Keep government out of chain saws. Number 1001 on my list.
The lack of E0 drives me up a wall in NH. I found one station up north with E0 at the pump but the four southern counties have banned it. Someone has to be making a few dollars on this BS. I point one finger at idiots in state gov. and maybe a second finger at the TrueFuel type makers now that they are EVERYWHERE.
Picked up a few saws this summer including a new MS261 with good old carb. Decided no more ethanol crap for MY tools, having replaced a carb in a brush cutter and fuel line and fuel switch in an Echo chipper. New saw never has nor will it ever see Exx.
Before finding the Sunapee station, I honed the water extraction method. I start with 1 gallon of gas, 300ml or so of water, 4 drops of blue food dye. You gotta shake the hell out of it and your method really matters. It just can't swirl or rock end to end. It needs to really get agitated for a good mix. I give it 2 to 3 hours to settle although much of it is quicker than that. Pretty blue water at the bottom, pure gas at the top. Sometimes theres a layer between of white stuff that looks like liposuction fat. Tilt the jug and insert the extraction tube.
To extract the water, I've used gravity siphon to a container below bench level but now use a Mityvac on which I've made a larger receiving container. When you get to the last drop of blue, pinch the hose and pull your tubing. Oh yeah, I have the tubing go to a 10" length of brass tube for full control in the mix jug.
This method scales to whatever you need. Just no open flames, no dropping containers and you need some muscle to really agitate a 5 gallon water cooler jug.
But I've switched to the ride north when I need a "fix". Will do so until we do the right thing and abolish the EPA or E0 goes away.
Keep government out of chain saws. Number 1001 on my list.
Smitty Smithsonite
ArboristSite Operative
I'd wager everything I got on MA striking a deal with NH. Otherwise, everyone in MA would be crossing the border for gas like they do for tax-free appliances, and booze back when MA thought it'd be a great idea to tax that, too.
After liquor stores just about kicked in Beacon Hill's door with pitchforks and torches over the lost revenue, MA reversed that decision.
I've gone to a few stations way up north there with my fuel barrel. I'll bring it whenever I have to haul a car up there, or to mid ME. That way I'm not burning fuel just to buy more fuel.
This place was my favorite. Super rural town literally right on the ME border. Brand new old school gas pump for E0! Love that! Was cheap at the time, too.
View attachment IMG_0962.mp4
After liquor stores just about kicked in Beacon Hill's door with pitchforks and torches over the lost revenue, MA reversed that decision.
I've gone to a few stations way up north there with my fuel barrel. I'll bring it whenever I have to haul a car up there, or to mid ME. That way I'm not burning fuel just to buy more fuel.
This place was my favorite. Super rural town literally right on the ME border. Brand new old school gas pump for E0! Love that! Was cheap at the time, too.
View attachment IMG_0962.mp4
KostasVolos
ArboristSite Operative
We Greeks,may have the most expensive gasoline in the whole EU ,but even if you wanted to get gasoline with ethanol ,you can't Because there isn't any !
We have 99 ,98,95 ,90 and 85 ,
all grades ethanol -free .
But prices are about 2.5€ per liter- for the 99 grade -
( about 10 US dollar per US gallon ) .
We have 99 ,98,95 ,90 and 85 ,
all grades ethanol -free .
But prices are about 2.5€ per liter- for the 99 grade -
( about 10 US dollar per US gallon ) .
Smitty Smithsonite
ArboristSite Operative
I think there's quite a few people here in the states that would gladly pay that in exchange for trouble-free small engine usage. For people who can't fix their own equipment, the damage ethanol causes far exceeds that price difference in fuel.
KostasVolos
ArboristSite Operative
Here in Greece ,from ancient times already,the "avoiding of paying property and wages tax" was almost a national sport.
It's kinda a way of survival here.
Thus the state had to think new,fancy ways to get the money needed ,from it's citizens !
From the $10 per gallon ,
more than $7.5 is -what else - "fuel tax" .
And nobody can "escape" this kind of taxation.
A game between thieves ,
I would say .
They have tried few years ago to
introduce gasoline with ethanol
( I think it was E5 or E10) .
The massive reaction of people whom their vehicles started to brake down,
forced the government to withdraw this type of fuel from pumps.
People started to fill their tanks less and less ,as also few other drastic measures were taken from the Greek citizens .Since the main "income" for the state is the "fuel tax" ,when they realized the loss,
the next day there wasn't any E gas to be found.
Smitty Smithsonite
ArboristSite Operative
It's funny how fast the government reacts when you hit them in the wallet!
I fully support Ethanol in the right situation but not all situations are right. Many feet up in the air with an engine that has sat is not the right situation at all. As much as I support ethanol common sense tells you it is not applicable for everything.Ain't that the truth!
I run 90 octane ethanol free in my paramotor - has a 185cc single cylinder, single spark 2-stroke. I premix with Amsoil Saber at 66:1, just copying what someone who instructs on paramotors, runs his whole school on it, plus his personal machines for years has run. I don't know how he came up with that specific, odd number, but it's been working for him, and working for me.
That said, my buddy I fly with runs 87 octane pump gas (10% ethanol) in his Rotax 582 powered, powered parachute. I told him he's nuts. At one point in time he was removing the ethanol himself using water as mentioned ... BUT, he screwed up one time and dumped a big slug of water into his fuel tank. After the engine quit at the worst possible time - on climbout - he stopped that practice.
He has big tanks on those things. Much bigger than the miniscule 3.5 gallon tank my paramotor has. I get nervous every spring when he fires it up for the first time of the season, wondering if it's going to crap out on him again. I even offered to grab some for him while I was up north (we have no E0 available at ANY roadside fuel pump in MA). He doesn't want to spend the money.
Well put Smitty.
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f IfI
If you near the border with VT or eastern NY, Stewart's Shops carry ethanol free gas
And what, pray tell, would be the right situation, and why?
Well that is simple to me. I have used ethanol fuel in vehicles my entire life. They do not sit long enough to have "stale gas" issues. I used E-85 in vehicles when the price was around 20% less to offset the loss in economy. I have never had a vehicle that had a fuel related issue, it was always something else. As much as I support the use of fossil fuels the fact is it will run out someday. To say "not in my lifetime" is an arrogant statement that I here a lot. We have fought wars and are young men and women have died trying to protect oil supplies. We are caught in the grip of OPEC and they can squeeze us in the grapes anytime they want by cutting production. I will venture a guess one of if not the most complained about issue today is the price of fuel. Anytime we have the ability to lower our dependence on a foreign country we should do it. We have the ability to produce ethanol and employ AMERICAN workers to do it. The production of ethanol will never put American oil workers out of a job because we will still need AMERICAN oil.
Now with that being said I do not use it in small engines or engines that will sit unused. We have plenty of stations that sell ethanol free fuel.
The right situation is when a vehicle will use the fuel in a timely manner and the why is I support American agriculture and the American worker.
Distill it like the moonshiners do, then store it in a charcoal barrel. You'll get pretty close.
Otherwise, you might wish to try for getting it to taste like vodka.
