Must be nice non-ethanol fuel is pretty much non-existent in Southern California unless you go to maybe a boat marina or buy some non road legal low lead aviation fuel. Edit: If we are being honest about it ethanol is absolutely garbage fuel for a classic car and I don't mean the e85 stuff I'm talking the blend of 10 or 15% that's all over the country now. It has a lower BTU rating than 100% gasoline, it'll give you worse gas mileage, It absorbs water, It will boil out of a carburetor with just the slightest amount of heat, It evaporates out of a carburetor easier (How many times have you parked your car at 4 or 5 days later you have to crank and crank on it just to get the gas back to the carburetor)... I'm not going to go into politics because this website is not a political website and I will be honest I've submersed myself into political garbage for the last 10 years and this is the one place I don't want to see it but the one thing I can tell you is that corn lobbying to our Congress is legit It is the reason why we have that garbage in our fuel, It's not to save the world 1 C0² molecule at a time It is because it's stabilizes corn prices which used to be pretty volatile 40 or 50 years ago. Also when it comes to corn generally speaking these aren't mom and pop farms that are 40 acres or 100 acres but they are giant farms that farm thousands of acres with giant combines and tons of machinery There's nothing environmentally friendly about growing ethanol and from an engine standpoint there's nothing good to come from ethanol fuel other than maybe higher compression ratios but we used to have that it was called lead and it worked really good So good in fact that it is still used in the aviation industry.
But for how much longer in GA...? Many parts of the world are already attempting to introduce a phase out date for 100LL.
Up until about 10 yrs ago We where able drive up to airport fill jugs or Vehicle. There was 7 airports we where doing this in 3 different counties , maytimes 1 am or later to go race .
Here in UK, we've only recently just lost E0 fuel. The fuel companies stopped selling it in the UK a couple of years ago, and now all the higher octane SUL fuels are all branded as E5, so in theory 5% corn fuel, compared to the lower octane fuel which is E10, so 10% corn. However, car mags have been testing the E5 SUL fuel's and they seem to vary between 0% and 4% corn depending on brand and location in the UK (related to which refinery it comes from) so some brands are still refining it with no corn but legally the signs on the pumps have to now say E5.
This “note or observation” is directed to the younger crowd(65 and younger). In 1968(age 21) bought a 68 Road Runner(new) for $2840 and it used premium fuel. Super Shell 104 octane was loaded with lead cost $0.25 cents per gallon. No one cared that your car got 10-12-14 mpg;you could trave to Houston or Austin(round trip about 200 miles) for $5.00. Was a Union iron worker in the mid 70’s—-had a beater 318 2 dr plymouth that got 18-20 mpg/drove 1,000 miles per week to work on a 40 story bldg in downtown Houston for $5.00 per day(cost of fuel)—-u couldn’t stay in Houston for $5 so u drove 5 days per week. Those days are gone forever!!
Put a zillion miles on “lead” engines using unleaded and corn fuel. Had some cheap fuel line go bad once. Fixed that with better line. that’s about it had one that ran everything from thinner to straight alcohol and weed eater gas Diesel didn’t work very well. So I’d recommend not running diesel in a gas engine. still going your gonna have issues on any ride you don’t drive regularly. No matter what pushes it.
Gas was shit in the old days. Dirty, lots of "heavy ends" that turned to varnish vs vapor. "Dry Gas" was a Midwest staple to prevent fuel line freeze up. Not any more. The ethanol does that. Our basic regular is better than the norm of the 30s and 40s. Even old ethyl. Lead was meant to aid valve seats. Materials are better, better metallurgy, 500 mile break-in periods are all but gone forever thanks to advances in bore finishing and ring technology. A newer V6 makes more power than an old big block of any kind. Gas? Use it. We show our cars in these pages lots of love. Stabil, octane boosters for some, "good" oils, even a massage now and then. Abuse is let it sit outdoors full time in widely changing temps and high humidity. Let it sit for months at a time with little or no fuel that evaporated in the carb 2 or 3 days after you parked it. Months later you're all mad at the white powder in float bowl. You did it, not the fuel. I'm like many above, run it. What's your options? Go without? A fuckin LS? Worse yet, electric conversion? Treat it like the heirloom it is, use stabilizers, try not to analyze the molecular actions as you rack up miles. You'll miss the scenery and other cool cars
Up until a month ago I used to able to buy 100LL in 5 gallon gas cans. Local airport now says you require an airplane to purchase. I used to mix it 1:4 with pump premium.
I think I last bought leaded gas around 1986? Been driving a lot of neat old cars and gone fast, and long distances, with them since then.
Around 89-90 for us on leaded gas. We were worried what would happen to our old rides My old rides didn’t know the difference. Turns out it was a wasted worry
Yep. And that's exactly what I did when I built my '39 Chev coupe. I setup the engine to be 9.75:1 compression, and I made sure my carb had all ethanol resistant gaskets and accelerator pump diaphragm. I also made sure to not have any rubber lines from tank to carb. My SBC is 430 HP, 419 Torque, and runs on 87 Octane E10 just great. Unlike my Austin gasser that needs non ethanol high octane premium, and still some race fuel mixed in to run right.
Stabil now makes a specific version for ethanol gas. I put it in my lawnmower and my portable generator the last two winters and was pleased to have both fire right up after sitting for months. I also added some to both cars, even though one doesn't get ethanol based gas. They too fired right off and ran great after a six month nap.
Read the stabil directions well. Our local boat guy has a mountain of sea foam protected junk carbs. They’d been better off not using it. Fuel preservatives are great when used correctly
Try here. https://www.pure-gas.org/ Not quite sure where you live but there's supposedly a station in DeKalb? 20 miles ?
You can remove ethanol by simply adding water, the water absorbs the ethanol and sinks to the bottom, siphon the pure gas off the top, never tried it but some bikers around swear it works. Oh don’t add water to your gas tank use a dedicated container. Dan
Don't wanna add too much water though. Just enough to cut the burn and make it taste smooth going down.
$3.59 to $3.79 in my little Tennessee town for real 100% regular. One station with it is maybe 1/4 mile from my house. Easy choice. I always see performance/muscle cars and bikes there, always.
Quite a lot actually, but more wheat than corn, which is used as well, just as it is for drinking alcohol here. They are also looking here at harvesting the huge source of seaweed from our coastal areas to use as well, being an island, as the natural sugars in most seaweed can be fermented in the same way to make biofuel.
E85 Advantages: Higher Octane: E85 has a higher octane rating than pump gas, allowing for more aggressive ignition timing and higher boost levels without causing detonation (engine knock). Cooler Intake Charge: Ethanol has a higher heat of vaporization than gasoline, meaning it absorbs more heat as it evaporates. This leads to a cooler intake charge, which increases air density and allows for more fuel and air to be packed into the cylinder, resulting in more power. Tuning Flexibility: The higher octane and cooling properties of E85 allow tuners to extract more power from an engine, often by adding more timing and adjusting the air-fuel mixture. Increased Power Output: Dyno tests consistently show that E85 can produce noticeable gains in horsepower and torque compared to pump gas, especially in turbocharged and supercharged applications. Pump Gas (e.g., 93 Octane) Advantages: More Accessible: Pump gas is readily available at most gas stations, making it more convenient than E85, which may not be available in all locations. Less Fuel Consumption: E85 has a lower energy density than gasoline, meaning you'll need to use more fuel to travel the same distance, resulting in lower fuel efficiency. No Tuning Required (in some cases): If your vehicle is already tuned for a specific octane fuel (like 93), you may be able to run E85 without any immediate tuning adjustments. However, to truly take advantage of E85's potential, a tune is recommended. Dyno Testing: Dyno tests are a crucial part of evaluating the performance of different fuels. By measuring the engine's output (horsepower and torque) under controlled conditions, tuners can compare the effectiveness of various fuel types and tuning strategies. Example Dyno Results: A Ford Mustang tested on a dyno showed a gain of over 30 horsepower switching from 93 octane to E85. Testing a 1.6L engine with a turbocharger showed a 34% increase in tunable power when switching from pump gas to E85, according to Garrett-Motion. In one test, E85 yielded 644 horsepower and 668 lb-ft of torque, while the same engine on pump gas with Boostane produced 787 horsepower and 648 lb-ft of torque, according to Ford Muscle. Important Considerations: Tuning Is Essential: To fully utilize the benefits of E85, a proper tune is necessary to adjust the fuel maps, ignition timing, and other parameters for optimal performance. Fuel Consistency: Some pump E85 blends can have inconsistent ethanol content (varying from 40% to 80%), which can affect performance. Ethanols Hydroscopic Nature: Ethanol attracts moisture, which can be problematic in cold climates or when the vehicle is stored for extended periods, potentially leading to fueling issues. In summary, E85 dyno testing consistently demonstrates its ability to deliver more power than pump gas, particularly in high-performance applications, due to its higher octane and cooling properties. However, proper tuning and consideration of potential challenges associated with E85 use are crucial for maximizing its benefits.
Quite right. To check the percentage of ethanol in a fuel blend, we used these, graduated cylinders. I used them for years in the research lab, and like Dan said, it’s easy to break the azeotrope between gasoline and ethanol by adding water. Once you reach the point where the ethanol has enough water to separate from the gasoline, the 2 will be essentially free of each other. What we did was put 100 ml of fuel in a graduated cylinder and then added 100 ml of water with food coloring in it, to make the separation easier to see. The ethanol from the fuel will mix, breaking the azeotrope, with the colored water, we could see how much of the fuel was gasoline base stock. If it is truly E10 the base stock will be 90 ml, and the ethanol/colored water will be 110 ml. Easy math, we started with 100 ml fuel, and ended up with 90 ml base fuel stock, or 90%. This works for E85, but the thing about commercial pump E85 is that it varies seasonally and with the cost of the fuel components. So if you are racing with pump E85, it is important to make this measurement so you can tune for the actual percentage of ethanol in the fuel. The typical range is between E50 and E80-ish, in our experience with it. I believe that the slight shortfall is so that the fuel distributors, who splash blend the fuel prior to distribution, have a slight cushion to prevent over blending, as the regulations stipulate 85% maximum ethanol. Our research showed that in modern electronically controlled vehicles the need for ethanol goes away. The original intention was to lean the air/fuel ratio in fixed jet carburetor equipped vehicles. The controls react so rapidly that within 30 seconds, give or take a few, the a/f is back to stoichiometry. The small engine manufacturers have struggled with this for years now, as we all have experienced. But that is a discussion for another day. Interestingly if the balance of water in the fuel is below the point where it breaks the azeotrope, but above about 2 %, it will not cause the corrosion we all hate, and will help the aluminum to passivate, regenerating the aluminum oxide layer. But the problem is that just likes to absorb water from the air, so don’t count on that to preserve our carburetors… Probably more information than anyone wants on this topic, but I lived in this arena for 30 years of my career. Feel free to ask questions, harangue me for doing it, and hopefully it’ll help me get over the bad memories…
Great stuff Dave, I often wonder why we don’t see more propane fueled hot rods, propane has an octane of 105 give or take a point or two. Dan
I was in St Andrews, Scotland doing a bit of golfing (just myself, Mrs. BB didn't have a low enough handicap...being married to me mustn't have counted). After a round on the Old Course and beers at the Dunvegan with the looper I hired, I returned to the Rusak where we were staying and their lovely lobby bar. I ordered a Scotch and it came with a wee ewer of water. Just a touch, don't want to thin the mix but the water does enhance the flavor and aroma. There is definitely a chemical reaction between the water and alcohol. I haven't tried it with gasoline, but I would suggest not smoking while imbibing if you do.
I think the main reason is fuel stations. Well, that and ugly tanks. But mainly refueling issues. I remember reading an article in one of the magazines back in the 70s where the intention was to show the possible benefits of propane as gasoline was being reformulated to fit new regulations, and lead was going away. The gist of the article was that it was a viable alternative fuel, but it was hard to find refueling stations. And the author was in the LA area. One would think that it would have been easy to get fuel there. It is a clean fuel from the standpoint that an engine operated on it tends to last longer, due to no fuel washing of the cylinders. Emissions are lower other than NOx compounds. It is a less dense fuel, ie, lower energy content, but not as much less dense than the 2 predominant alcohols. And it is a consistent fuel, no seasonally adjusted formula, the same from any source. I only did minimal research with propane, and the results were pretty good. But it wasn’t for performance, only emissions research. It has good octane equivalency, which allows for more compression. One downside is cold start ability. At the extreme cold end, it might be hard to start, but that can be compensated for. I wonder how it would work through a set of Hilborns. That might be an interesting experiment…
That's what I did! I built mine to run on no-lead years ago. It was $2.45 in Joplin, MO. yesterday...
The Jalopy Journal
