White Gas?

[billyboy]

Read a post on a you tube the other day. Guy said he was using white gas in his small engine 2 strokes. Any body here do that or have some thoughts on it. Last I bought was 4or 5 years ago and it was about 13-14$/ gal . It was for my Coleman’s.

 

[OM617YOTA]

White gas / Coleman fuel is ~50 octane, DO NOT run it in your small engines. There are some old school 5:1 compression engines which will handle it, but nothing modern.

 

[heimannm]

^

 

[billyboy]

Thank you gentlemen, glad I asked, won’t have to think about that anymore.

 

[camel2019]

My family had an Amoco station in the mid 70s. The Premium was lead free and many called it "white Gas". I and others used it in Coleman lanterns with no problem - it was lead free. Octane was at least 100 as I recall. That being said, I would not recommend using real Coleman fuel in an engine.

Some Colman stoves and lanterns can use gasoline.

 

[Abbeville TSI]

My family had an Amoco station in the mid 70s. The Premium was lead free and many called it "white Gas". I and others used it in Coleman lanterns with no problem - it was lead free. Octane was at least 100 as I recall. That being said, I would not recommend using real Coleman fuel in an engine.

We had an Amoco station here "back in the day" that sold "white gas". It was real good fuel, and wouldn't go bad in small engine fuel tanks/storage cans over the winter.
But sadly it wouldn't turn the tailpipes on your car white like leaded fuel would. That was the mark of a good tune back then.

 

[seagiant]

Hi,
I remember Old Ladies in the 60's, that would keep a gal. of White Gas as a spot remover when washing clothes!

Thought that stuff was long gone?

 

[REJ2]

Some Colman stoves and lanterns can use gasoline.

Actually most can, at least for awhile anyway, until their thin generators clog from all the additives in gasoline. The dedicated duel fuel varieties of Coleman stove and lanterns use a fatter generator to prolong the eventual necessary cleaning of the generator. OM617YOTA is correct with the very low octane rating of Coleman fuel at around 50. NFS (not for saws)

 

[OM617YOTA]

I ran normal E10 pump gas in my Coleman gear for years. Had to run the tip cleaner more often, but never had an issue. Just like small engines, I never stored my stuff on E10 pump gas. Saved some $$$ when I'd be out for awhile and burning gallons of the stuff.

Definitely a case of "don't be like me". Don't run pump gas in your white gas appliances, especially in equipment with generators which can't be cleaned and aren't replaceable.

I don't run E10 in my small engines anymore, either.

 

[TRTermite]

^

DidJa type that all from Memory? For some reason I figger ya did..

 

[Jonny Quest]

White Gas is a petroleum naphtha product. Typically has an octane rating of 50-55. It does not contain the additives found in gasoline (aromatics, MTBE, etc.) However, small amounts of benzene may be present in White Gas.

I would NOT run White Gas in an internal combustion engine.

JQ

 

[Captain Bruce]

My family had an Amoco station in the mid 70s. The Premium was lead free and many called it "white Gas". I and others used it in Coleman lanterns with no problem - it was lead free. Octane was at least 100 as I recall. That being said, I would not recommend using real Coleman fuel in an engine.

You struck a match and put it to a lantern full of gasoline? Thats nuts!

 

[secant]

White Gas is a petroleum naphtha product. Typically has an octane rating of 50-55. It does not contain the additives found in gasoline (aromatics, MTBE, etc.) However, small amounts of benzene may be present in White Gas.

I would NOT run White Gas in an internal combustion engine.

JQ

In this case it's benzin-

 

[Smitty Smithsonite]

This would make a great YouTube video - get a high performance 2-stroke chinese dirt bike (cheap), premix some Coleman fuel and get twisty with the loud handle. The carnage would be impressive I'd wager!

 

[northmanlogging]

You struck a match and put it to a lantern full of gasoline? Thats nuts!

Regular gasoline works fine in colman stoves, and lanterns, burns a little dirtier, and you shouldn't leave it in the tank for very long, but it works just fine, not anymore dangerous then the "white gas" or "Colman Fuel" Hell that stuff is way more dangerous then regular gasoline, burns hotter and lights easier.
If you read the manual on a colman stove or lantern it will say you can use pump gas, but that it will perform better with dedicated stove fuel, experience proves that to be true.

using it in a combustion engine is unwise at best, best case it fouls a plug, worst case bits of cylinder and piston are stuck in places they don't belong.

 

[OM617YOTA]

You struck a match and put it to a lantern full of gasoline? Thats nuts!

White gas is no safer than gasoline. Coleman lanterns are built to be safe with this fuel. Blowing up customers is bad for business.

 

[KASH]

We ran a remote fishing resort for 49 years before we got Hydro Coleman lanterns were used.We had problems with the spark plugs getting fouled from lead deposits in leaded gas so we bought marine gas which was gasoline with no lead it was whiter in color so everyone called it white gas.
All the Coleman lanterns and stoves were fueled with it I use regular pump gas in my coleman products in my trapping cabins.
The biggest problems came at our outpost cabins if a guide was not with them customers would fill the lanterns with 25-1 outboard mix this would slowly plug the generators .The T44 generators in the old wide shade lanterns were the worst for plugging.
Kash

 

[bwalker]

White Gas is a petroleum naphtha product. Typically has an octane rating of 50-55. It does not contain the additives found in gasoline (aromatics, MTBE, etc.) However, small amounts of benzene may be present in White Gas.

I would NOT run White Gas in an internal combustion engine.

JQ

Gasoline hasn't contained mtbe in decades. Aromatics are presnt, but at miniscule levels

 

[cookies]

swap the cylinder gasket to the 1mm version and let er wobble

 

[HansFranz]

You struck a match and put it to a lantern full of gasoline? Thats nuts!

I ran Coleman lanterns for many years on nothing but unleaded gasoline. Works fine, and never had an issue.

That said, "white gas" is not gasoline -- it's naphtha, as Johnny Quest said, and it's sold as Coleman fuel (and Zippo lighter fluid).