andy86na

My Feedback: (3)

I'm in CT, and all stations sell E10. If I can, I'd like to use ethanol-free gas, with oil of my choice. Where can I get it? A marina? Aviation gas? Specialized 2-cycle engine dealer? Maybe someone here has already figured it out...

I know that Home Depot sells what I think is called TruFuel--but it's either pre-mixed (in a specific ratio, with unclear which oil and some other stuff I don't want) or it's called "4-cycle fuel", with no oil added (92+ Octane). I was thinking about using that and adding my oil but not sure what else is in there.

Any ideas appreciated.

Gizmo-RCU

My Feedback: (27)

Vote out your present politicians.
Move to a free state.
Start a smuggling operation from a surrounding free state.
Check at your local airport altho Ave Gas might be a little hot?

Actually I have heard that the pre-mixed stuff works well. Remember our gassers are about the same as a weedeater or chainsaw, etc.

av8tor1977

My Feedback: (6)

Probably the Home Depot 4 stroke gas. Avgas has too much lead which isn't good for our two stroke engines. Some people use it though. It is nice because it is high quality, evaporates away cleanly, and doesn't smell bad, but it really isn't recommended for two stroke engines. Look up automotive speed shops or race tracks for racing gasoline and try your local marina. Other than that, it's Home Depot.

AV8TOR

captinjohn

WANT THE BEST GAS...CLICK THE LINK. http://pure-gas.org/

av8tor1977

My Feedback: (6)

Man, 10 or 11 bucks a gallon for 100 or 110 octane gas!!! Ridiculous. If they can sell high quality, certified, 100 octane aviation gasoline for a little over 5 bucks, (which is the present going price), then why is the racing gas so damn expensive?? Probably a lot more people would use it if they could get the price down to the same level more or less as avgas.....

I don't generally recommend avgas for two stroke engines though many people use it. I do use avgas in my hot rod boat. I never used to have problems pulling the boat to the airport and having them fill it and some cans up, but I haven't used the boat in years and imagine only country airports would allow that now. The large city airports are like fortresses and you would probably not be able to buy it there unless it went into a full size airplane.

AV8TOR

Scota4570

This is a solution in search of a problem. Regular pump gas is fine. The alcohol will eventually harden your fuel tubing and flappers in the carb. Use blue carb flapper valves. Change your fuel lines once a year. You will spend more time chasing alcohol free gas.

If you can't stand to do that, drain your tank and use a "storage fuel". One of the regular posters, Aviator I think, uses coleman fuel mix, as a storage fuel. Drain the fuel system. Put in a smal amount of coleman mix. Run the engine a short time on the coleman mix. Store it away. Coleman won't mess up the fuel lines. Coleman is only 50 octane and will probably pre ignite and not suitable for your regular fuel on many engines.

For me, when the plane sputters inverted, I figure the clunk line has gone stiff. I then replace the fuel lines. Maybe every other year.

All Day Dan

My Feedback: (5)

Scota, not all of the Walbro rebuild kits for the WTs come with the blue pump diaphragm. Some have the tan one only. Dan.

Gizmo-RCU

My Feedback: (27)

If not mistaken E10 is a very high alcohol based fuel and not good for conventional gas burners. This is the "Green" fuel the regime is pushing.
Thanks to EPA...............

av8tor1977

My Feedback: (6)

Yeah, that's me that is using the Coleman based storage fuel. Works fine but it is an additional purchase and hassle to use the storage fuel.

The brown diaphragm is fine to use; in fact I prefer it. The problematic diaphragm is the regulator diaphragm, and it is only available in rubber. Wish they would make a more "whatever the government decides to put in the fuel" resistant one.... Whenever your "tune" goes to hell and you can't seem to dial in your carb settings, or if your carb settings change from the last time you flew the plane, check that regulator diaphragm. If it is not floppy limber, it won't work right. Even more aggravating, is sometimes the carb settings will change within a short period of time. If the regulator diaphragm got a touch stiff, you might not realize it and tune your carb according to what the engine seems to want. Then, after the diaphragm has been wet again for a while, it sometimes limbers back up a bit, and then your carb settings change all over again. PITA!

Oh, and the E-10 gasoline is supposedly 10% alcohol, though you can never be sure. I think Gizmo-RCU is referring to the E-85 fuel, which is 85% ethanol and 15% gas.

AV8TOR

acerc

The link CaptinJohn posted is what I have used for a few years. It list the local merchants and so far it comes in the same octane ratings as regular gas. So far only about fifty cents more per gallon.

thepamster

Merry Christmas Everyone.

I figured saying that is better than saying "I have got better things to do than search around for some specialized fuel substance that simply isn't required to operate these model airplane engines."

av8tor1977

My Feedback: (6)

You are absolutely right. Regular auto fuel from any gas station will run most of these engines, with a few specifying the use of premium auto fuel; and once again, available at any gas station. Buy it, mix your favorite oil in it, and go fly.

The issue for me is, I have a fleet of 12 flying airplanes. Some of them are almost "hangar queens" in that they only get flown once a year if that. With today's fuel, when I get an airplane out, no matter how well I have tried to preserve and protect it's fuel system, it is a crap shoot whether it will run well or not due to the damage done by today's gasoline. And then, if I am lucky enough that an airplane that had sat for a year still runs pretty good, I have to be very leery of inverted flight in case the clunk line in the tank got stiff. Had it happen dozens of times. I don't know about you, but for me it is difficult to hold a 15+ lb. airplane upside down and run it at full throttle to verify if it will keep running. In most of my cases, they are airplanes that require a lot of dis-assembly to get the fuel tanks out to inspect them and the lines. Wouldn't it be nice if it weren't even necessary??? It's not fun dead sticking an expensive airplane into a field because it quit inverted. Sure, dead stick skills are necessary, and I've made dozens if not hundreds of dead stick landings myself, but once again, why should our fuel degrade our equipment and cause these problems??

AV8TOR

marutizhiyi

Look up automotive speed shops or race tracks for racing gasoline and try your local marina.

rgburrill

Andy, from the link Captinjohn posted it looks like the closest place to you is Branford. Get a couple of 5 gallon cans

tim5713

I agree with av8tor1977. With the coming of fuel injection they reformulated the fuel we get, The new fuel will go bad sooner and the Ethenol will absorb the condensation in the tank. Sta-bil will help some. I've run chainsaws for years using the 92 from the pump mixed with good oil and use the same for my planes. I've learned that the fuel will go bad after 6 months in the can... Better to mix a gallon at a time when needed then the chance of a dead stick with bad fuel.

dadragon

100 LL at 40:1 pennz air cooled has a long shelf life too at 5 buck a gal,,,how can ya go wrong.

WWIIP38

My Feedback: (43)

Advantages of 100LL AV GAS:
- Has a long shelf life (one reason it's used in full scale aircraft)
- Doesn't deteriorate carb seals, diaphragms, etc. (another reason it's used in full scale aircraft)
- Doesn't stink like pump gas
Disadvantages:
- Slight loss of power and performance in RC engines
- Availability
- Cost

Advantages of regular pump gas:
- Available everywhere
- Cost
- Better performance than AV GAS in RC engines
Disadvantages:
- Short shelf life; tends to lose octane after 30 days
- Stinks
- Alcohol tends affect carb seals, etc., particularly in older engines
If alcohol in pump gas is a concern, you can add Startron to neutralize the effects.

Sport_Pilot

Some airports have pure mogas for aircraft that can use mogas. Also many marina's do as well. But both sell slightly higher than E10.

Sport_Pilot

You forgot the high lead content which will foul plugs, corrode mufflers, and cause stuck valves in four stroke engines.

Not if it's kept in an airtight container. Not some of your typical plastic cans no longer available in stores.

Sport_Pilot

You could accidently ingest it and die from lead poisoning.

merlin51

Look for a VP dealer in your area. VP sells unleaded fuel that has no alcohol in it. Or go to a small airport and get the good gas but it will need to be a self serve pump as you need a N number to buy from a larger airport with fuel trucks. I have used avation fuel for 15 years and never had any bad things happen to any engine. Some have sat for two years and will run like new when fuel is put into the tank. I have never had to rebuild a carb or clean out any dirt. I run Zenoah , 3-W, Dle and Brison.
Dave.

thepamster

Trying to keep that many airplanes in proper flying condition certainly must be a chore. You could replumb all tanks with Viton though that would likely cost several hundred dollars. I guess having too many airplanes is a nice problem to have. I live in an apartment so I can only have so many and I also don't store gas. I get mine 1 gallon at a time. I still don't get the smell complaint about regular gas. Every time I get back from flying a glow airplane that smells far worse to me. Oh well. Happy flying everyone and Happy Holidays.

Gizmo-RCU

My Feedback: (27)

AV8TOR is right I was thinking of E-85 which we do not have here in Idaho. I can purchase 92 oct. alcohol free here locally for about $3.60 which I run in my planes and chainsaws. I use Stihl or Husky synthetic @ 50 to 1 mixing a gallon at a time
for the planes. I leave everything wet for storage and have had no problems .
I have purchased a number of used saws with bad fuel systems, mostly older saws stored with alcohol based fuel that has damaged the fuel lines and other carb parts. After replacement they work as new and don't have problems. Most replacement
parts seem to hold up even in a alcohol based fuel that I have had to purchase when I could not obtain the other.
There are several sites on the net that sell genuine Walbro carb parts for real cheap, you just need the numbers off the side of the carb. Your local NAPA auto parts is also a good source but more expensive.

av8tor1977

My Feedback: (6)

We've never really isolated whether it is the alcohol in the fuel or other additives that cause fuel system problems, though a lot of evidence seems to point to the ethanol. I wish they would make truly ethanol resistant carb parts because ethanol is in fact a good fuel with a natural octane of over 100. It takes more ethanol to run an engine than gasoline, but not nearly as much as methanol.

I buy large lots, (car trailers full) of used and discarded weedeaters, chainsaws, leaf blowers, etc. Fully 90% of them quit because of deterioration of the fuel system whether it be fuel lines, carb diaphragms, etc. I buy fuel line by the 50 foot roll....

Note: The only thing I don't like about Viton, (besides the price) is that it is really a touch too stiff for clunk lines in the fuel tank.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
AV8TOR

thepamster

I admit I have never tried Viton and at 7 or 8 bucks a foot I'm not likely going to either. Back in the day we used neoprene before there was tygon. I wonder how that holds up with todays gas.
Merry Christmas to all of you.