Ethanol?

[RedLance]

Living in Nebraska, one can not go to a gas station which does not sell an ethanol blended gasoline. The Gas N Shop that I frequent sells 87 octane regular unleaded, and 89 octane super unleaded, which is 10% ethanol.

 

The owners manul for my 86 XT specifically says that one is NOT to run ethanol blends as the primary fuel. It runs like crap on 87 octane, and 93 octane is ~.20 higher per gallon.

 

Are the old stories about ethanol eating stuff just a myth? Or have things changed so that now ethanol dosen't eat things?

 

I run it in all my other engines, and haven't had a problem.

 

Anybody have any thoughts on this?

 

Thanks!

 

RedLance

[Setright]

Well, these sorts of things don't show up in the short term, might be a problem many tens of thousands of miles down the road.

 

I wouldn't go against a specific recommendation in the Subaru owners manual. They seem to know what they are talking about

 

 

I still get goose bumps when I read about the octane ratings you guys drive on in the states. Over here, 92 is the lowest. I run Shell 95 exclusively, and my engine seems to shun other fuels - she's gotten used to a gourmet diet I guess

[archemitis]

i have always been against alchohol, in gas, for my high performance engines. my motorcycle has about 11:1 and with any fuel with ethanol it pings like crazy. somehow it lowers the octane rating. i dont think it will hurt your car will blow up, subaru probably didnt see the future containing 10 percent ethanol in all gasoline.

 

there are some gas stations around here, that are directiong service towards farmers, and they sell ethanol free fuel, for of road use only, 92 octane. imagine that, pure gasoline is for offroad use only. either way, it works better.

i think it should be fine as long as it doesnt ping or knock.

[the_bard]

Just be careful with that off-road use stuff... from what I understand of it (being raised up on that small farm), it's not taxed like the road use stuff. It's dyed another color, too, so if someone does suspect you're using it for road use, it's not too difficult for 'em to catch you. They made a big fuss a few years back about it around my parent's farm... apparently they've got a hefty fine for using it for road-use.

[archemitis]

i think that pertains to kerosine only. it looks the same. i have gotten it at fleet farm, in minnesota.

[RallyKeith]

Originally posted by Setright

 

I still get goose bumps when I read about the octane ratings you guys drive on in the states. Over here, 92 is the lowest. I run Shell 95 exclusively, and my engine seems to shun other fuels - she's gotten used to a gourmet diet I guess

 

Setright,

We have a different rating system over here. You guys run a minimum of 92 Research Octane. All of our gas is sold as the average of research and motor octane, RON and MON. Your 92 is really about the same as our 87.

 

Keith

[NoahDL88]

Any non taxed fuel, kerosene, gasoline, diesel is dyed red, so no matter what you get it will be dyed if its for off highway use.

 

Ethanol, or any of the other alcohol used in gas blends acctually increases the octane of the fuel, by up to ten points, and because of its high volatility it evaporates easily and lowers intake temperatures and increases performance that way as well. if there is 10 % ethanol there needs to be 5% stabilizers that keep the ethanol from separating, ethanol and stabilizers of today are much different than those of 1988. in large quantities they will eat away at plastic fuel lines but in quantities of 10% or less there is no appreciable degredation to the fuel lines to cause a worry.