DUB

I also live in NC and I am used to the taxes and do not get all worried about it...because it is what it is and I am not moving a cross the border to SC to save money and THEN have to commute to work every day. It is like gas is cheaper across the border in SC but it is pointless to drive there to fill up the tank and then drive back.

Getting back to the fuel octane/ethanol issue...

I have customers who have some serious engines that they feel that they need a high octane fuel and some of them buy it at the small airports and use it. While others order a drum of CAM2 or what ever and use it. Due to these cars are not daily drivers but are enjoyed on a regular basis... the cost is not an issue in order to keep that prize winning stallion running correctly

I have other customers who want me to back down the timing a few degrees and they can live with that due to they are not trying to be the fastest car on the road.

DUB

MikeM

Dub:

In your area, do you hear many complaints about fuel perc or other rough running engine complaints due to gasoline? I don't read much about it here from your area compared to the Gulf Coast.

Just curious.

63 340HP

Rec90 is the equivalent of 90 octane marine use fuel, and illegal to use on public roads in California because it's cost does not include the $0.30/gallon excise tax for "transportation improvement" funding and loan interest service funding from transportation funds previously borrowed by the state and redirected into the general fund. Since Prop 6 failed a yes vote, the excise tax on road fuels will raise to $0.47/gallon in July 2019. Race fuel and Aviation fuel have similar exclusions for the excise tax burden, and similar legal prohibitions for on-highway use in California.

SLWRNU

Ya and how's that voting thing going for you all.

GTOguy

In California I have noticed that I get percolation issues with my '61 Corvette and my two GTO's to some degree with heat soak. I never used to get it with straight gas. Also, the new fuel loses its octane rating after about a year or so. Previously, I have run straight gas that sat in a car for 4 years or so without detonation issues. Also, fuel economy is less with the ethanol-laced fuel. Other than decreased fuel economy, it seems to work fine in my carbureted '83 Toyota and my motorcycles.

wmf62

on a lonnnng trip I kept track of the difference between ethanol and non ethanol; and while there is a difference, it is inconsequential, maybe a 0.10 mpg
Bill

emccomas

I started out with 93 octane with ethanol in my 64.

I have since switched to 93 octane no ethanol, which is available in a 3 or 4 places in the local Huntsville area. I did notice a difference in the way the car ran, or at least I felt like there was a difference.

I am going to try a tank of 100 octane no ethanol aviation fuel and see if that makes any difference. I don't really expect it to on a 300 hp engine, and it is not cheap, but I am curious.

And I will have to buy it at the airport and put it in 5 gallon gas cans, since I cannot legally pump it into a car.

One of my local Corvette friends uses 100 octane aviation fuel exclusively in all of his collector cars, including a couple of fuelie Corvettes.

Regarding the discussions about ethanol gas and fuel injected Corvettes, my friend has a 1965 FI car. He puts 100 octane no ethanol aviation fuel in it.
He told me that he has had starting / running issues on a couple of occasions when the ambient temperature was very high (temp in the high 90s, heat index well over 100, very high humidity).
This has only happened a couple of times; most of the time there are no issues.

tbarb

Your going to put 100 octane fuel in a 300hp engine? WHY

Save your money and run the lowest octane pump fuel the engine will tolerate. My 300hp engine runs good on 89 octane.

68hemi

MikeM

"cause he's Rocket Man and he's going to Mars!

wmf62

and he's also gonna hide the EFI he's building inside the plenum... Rocket Man (at least he's not Little Rocket Man)

but someone has got to continue the trek of the Starship Enterprise

Bill

61corv

IMO
I think there are some missing details in your post. Such as how often you drive the car, amount of miles or tanks of fuel do you use in a year and type of driving, engine mods and other variables...

If your car sits for any length of time than ethanol isn't a good choice. I will pay the price for 110 racing fuel, ($9 a gallon), knowing I only have to fill 4-5 times a year. That's about 1000 miles or $600 for me. I can let the car sit a few weeks and hit the key with no doubt it starts and will operate perfect for me regardless how hot it is outside. I have yet to have any issues in 2 years. Even after 4 months in winter storage.

I have had to use ethanol a few times with mixed results. Yes it was cheaper but seemed to use more fuel. Less mpg. My fellow coworkers agree with my opinion too.

To me it isn't worth it and avoid ethanol. And I live in corn country.

scopeli

In over 40 years of using 89 octane gas I have never had no problems starting cars that are driven no more than twice a year for maybe a dozen miles. Only a couple gallons of gas are added each year. The only thing I found with the gas near me is if I added winter grade gas in my 86, the car would not pass emission testing the next year. Batteries have also lasted over 10 years on all these cars(including the restoration batteries) with no trickle chargers.

emccomas

Just as a test. I don't expect any improvement of the 93 octane no ethanol, but I will know afterwards.

emccomas

Yep...

emccomas

to boldly go where no one has gone before

61corv

Frankie the Fink

The only problem I've had with ethanol is in small engines and two-strokes....
My 1996 SeaDoo jet ski had the fuel lines turn into gummy bears from the stuff...

Nearly all rebuilt components, fuel pumps, carbs have ethanol resistant gaskets and soft parts now...

I ran 87 octane ethanol laced gas in my dual-quad 61 for 10 years and nary an issue...

RatDog

C6_Racer_X

No, @Rdelvalle has it right. Ethanol blends do tend to separate when left sitting for an extended time (months). This can be hastened if additional water gets into the fuel system. On older cars with vented tanks, moisture from outside air can condense and cause problems. The condensation settles at the bottom of the tank and takes the ethanol with it as it settles.

Ethanol also does bad things to flexible (rubber) parts in the fuel system. I would try to avoid ethanol at all times in anything with a mechanical fuel pump, and I'd avoid it with most mechanical fuel injection systems as well. 10% ethanol blends will absolutely cause damage to mechanical fuel pumps and any type of flexible membranes in the fuel system.

As for octane, use enough that your engine doesn't ping, even under load at wide throttle openings. I also live in Georgia (northern extremes of "metro Atlanta" area), and ethanol free 90 is pretty widely available near the lakes where boaters use it in their older outboards. 93 is sometimes available, and if it's in a separate pump or separate hose from the ethanol blends, it's usually actually ethanol free.

Beware "ethanol free" that's from the same hoses as ethanol blends. I've tested some and found them to have up to the 10% ethanol that you'd expect in regular (or premium) gasoline.

If you aren't sure of your supplier, it's easy to test for the presence of ethanol. Get a glass jar or bottle, put a small amount of water in the bottom, mark the bottle/jar with a sharpie, or scribe a line with a sharp scribe. Add your gasoline sample. Put the lid on and shake the sample vigorously for 30 seconds or so. Let the jar/bottle sit for 30 minutes to an hour, and note where the line separating the water at the bottom from the gasoline at the top is. For ethanol free gas, there will only be the water you put in at the start at the bottom, right up to the line you marked/scribed. For ethanol blends, the stuff that settles at the bottom will be the water and the ethanol from the fuel blend, and the separation line will be higher in the jar/bottle than your marked line. If you measure carefully, you can actually tell how much ethanol there was in your sample, but the important thing for older vehicles with mechanical fuel pumps or mechanical injection systems is the presence of ethanol. To avoid problems, you really want to avoid ethanol if you can.