100% gas vs. Gas with ethanol

[85_Ranger4x4]

Not to get all technical and stuff, but it is a Federal law (EPA) that all gas stations must sell at least 10% ethanol fuel for on- road use only. Similar to diesel fuel. It is illegal to run non-ethanol fuel in on- road vehicles. A law passed in I believe 2018 that required stations to sell 15% ethanol depending on some weird formula of supply/demand. I can find if anyone really cares. Ethanol fuel is supposed to be used within 2 months of coming from the station, it also suffers from what is called "phase separation" meaning the water separates from the fuel ethanol mix. Water is heavier than gas or ethanol so it sits on the bottom and is the first thing that goes into your carb. We know the only thing that burns water is a Stanley Steamer. You also must be aware that ethanol is "hygroscopic" meaning it absorbs water from the air, so your 10% ethanol you bought 4 months ago may be 15-20% higher in water content than what it started life as. As a career small engine mechanic for the last forty years, I have had my share of fuel related repairs. Oy, you got me started preaching.

They they might have to sell 10% but that doesn't mean they can only sell at least 10%.

Iowa gov is wanting to pass some stupid thing that all but one pump at a gas station must sell at least E15.

My tractors suck off the bottom of the tank, they dislike ethanol in varying degrees.

I can still get straight gas in 87 octane, I like really having the option.

 

[rubydist]

Not to get all technical and stuff, but it is a Federal law (EPA) that all gas stations must sell at least 10% ethanol fuel for on- road use only. Similar to diesel fuel. It is illegal to run non-ethanol fuel in on- road vehicles. A law passed in I believe 2018 that required stations to sell 15% ethanol depending on some weird formula of supply/demand. I can find if anyone really cares. Ethanol fuel is supposed to be used within 2 months of coming from the station, it also suffers from what is called "phase separation" meaning the water separates from the fuel ethanol mix. Water is heavier than gas or ethanol so it sits on the bottom and is the first thing that goes into your carb. We know the only thing that burns water is a Stanley Steamer. You also must be aware that ethanol is "hygroscopic" meaning it absorbs water from the air, so your 10% ethanol you bought 4 months ago may be 15-20% higher in water content than what it started life as. As a career small engine mechanic for the last forty years, I have had my share of fuel related repairs. Oy, you got me started preaching.

Not quite true. The EPA has the authority to require E10 gas in locations that are not meeting the federal governments standards for air quality, but not everywhere. For example, here in Denver it has been required for several years now due to the area not meeting air quality standards. Never mind that the primary reasons for that are the dust blowing around and all those beautiful pine trees in the nearby mountains. What the tree huggers don't want to hear is that each mature pine tree creates more "air pollution" in the form of hydrocarbons than a modern automobile. When there is a temperature inversion (which happens fairly frequently here) all those "pollutants" from the trees get trapped down here in the city and make the air not meet federal requirements. However, E10 is not required everywhere, as has been pointed out by others.

 

[bobbywalter]

If you have a metal fuel tank.....ethanol is the devil. If you have an aluminum fuel tank.... ethanol brings hell.

 

[bobbywalter]

And ethanol fuel spoils ridiculously fast compared to regular. Because it absorbs and suspends water.

 

[Angie]

posting this here again from a different thread in case someone wants to look into service stations that carry non E fuel. cheers

NON E added stations

I found this web site that could help others determine if they need PURE GAS for their carb'ed engines. https://www.pure-gas.org/

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Broo]

In my area, I can only get E0 from Shell 91. I use that for my small engines and for my two old cars that don't like ethanol.

The rest get 87 E10. I noticed in my car I do get better mileage with E0, but when calculating cost per km 87 E10 ends up winning since 91 E0 is quite a lot more expensive here.
I also tried it in my truck, absolutely no difference so the cheapest will do.

 

[mikkelstuff]

I only use ethanol-free gasoline. None of that ethanol crap so long as I have a choice. Fortunately Murphy Express (Walmart) locally carries 87 oct ethanol free as do the more distant Mavrik stations. One of the local stations carries ethanol free 93 oct but it is expensive. Fortunately my '02 3.0L is happy with 87 oct.

The sister-in-laws boy wondered why his lawn mower wouldn't run. It had run fine the previous fall. I cleaned out the gas tank and carb, refilled with fresh ethanol free gas, and it ran just fine. So much for ethanol. (Post-note: This lawn mower had STABIL added the previous fall. Ethanol will separate out if left to set over the winter.)

Corn should be left for feeding hogs.

 

[sgtsandman]

Everything listed is quite a drive from me.

 

[Ozwynn]

In my area we have a few stations that offer 100% gas with no ethanol. It's a few cents higher than standard. Is this better to run in my truck? Is there any benefits? Just some questions. I thought that all new engines were designed to run a certain percentage of ethanol in the fuel.

Huge benefit in my V65 Magna…. Saw absolutely no difference in my 08 4.7L flex fuel Grand Cherokee…. Infact, Karen (JGC) seems to like e10 and e85 better

 

[Craig0320]

We have 87 octane 100% gas all over down here. Guess that's the bonus have so many refineries near me.

 

[JohnnyO]

The sister-in-laws boy wondered why his lawn mower wouldn't run. It had run fine the previous fall. I cleaned out the gas tank and carb, refilled with fresh ethanol free gas, and it ran just fine. So much for ethanol.

I had to get a new carb on my mower a couple years ago. Shop told me to put Sta-Bil in the gas all the time, not just for storage. No issues since.

 

[JohnnyO]

I run E15 in my Ranger most of the time since it’s 10 to 20 cents cheaper. Runs fine and mpg seems unaffected. I just use a big bottle of Chevron Fuel System Cleaner at every oil change.

 

[RonD]

Some people don't like Ethanol because it did effect older fuel systems that were not meant to see alcohol in any form

And yes Ethanol does absorb water which is a good thing since all gasoline will have water mixed in and if not absorbed by ethanol it will settle to the bottom of tank/container

If you store your gasoline in an OPEN container then it's combustible hydro-carbons will evaporate leaving you with a poor combustion fuel
So most store fuel in a closed container(or sealed gas tank) and water absorption(from humid air) by the ethanol is not an issue

Ethanol has an Octane rating of 113
Octane is a heat rating, it tells you the self ignition point of a fuel
Most gasoline engines run at least 9.0:1 compression ratio, compression is heat
So 87 octane is about the minimum heat rating that can be used without pinging/knocking(self ignition of fuel)
If you combine 10% ethanol with 90% 85 octane gasoline you get an 87 octane mix
If you combine 10% ethanol with 90% 91 octane gasoline you get an 93 octane mix

In colder climates the water that's in ALL gasoline will freeze at -32degF(0degC) and that can block fuel systems, so winter mix fuel will have ethanol mixed in to bond with the water to lower its freezing point

There is no downside to ethanol/gasoline mix UNLESS you have a older fuel system

Same as unleaded fuel in an engine that was made to use leaded fuel, pre-1960s engines had softer valve seats and needed the lead in the gasoline to keep the seats from deteriorating so people use a lead additive in the gas tank
But engines made after mid-1960s had the hardened valve seats so can run unleaded fuel without issues, but would still not like the ethanol because it corrodes fuel system parts not designed for contact with ethanol
Vehicles/engines made after 1980 should be fine with ethanol/gasoline mix

 

[Angie]

1 thing I have noticed and learnt from talking to car guys around me is that if you are running a return line to the tank, the fuel doesn't sit and got hot as much as a line that runs dead head to the carb. In my truck I was running a cheaper grade fuel and had the gas boiling in the clear filter from not running any return lines. Also added a regulator helped after running 94 octane only fuel into the carb, it ended the vapour locking.

 

[sgtsandman]

I had to get a new carb on my mower a couple years ago. Shop told me to put Sta-Bil in the gas all the time, not just for storage. No issues since.

I do that myself and run them dry when it comes time for storage over the winter or summer, which ever applies.