I put 100 octane gas in the Farmall Super A

GRAPE-DRANK · Feb 12, 2014

There's no place local for me to get ethanol-free gas, I needed some for a Stihl power head that had gotten gummed up due to old ethanol gas. I am able to get leaded, 100 octane airplane gas, so I got some. It unstuck the Stihl after a few minutes and burned real clean. I used it in the Farmall and it ran choppy till I adjusted the timing, then it was fine. The Super A would idle at its absolute lowest setting vey smoothly with good oil pressure.

Just an observation. The tractor ran good once I made the slight adjustment. I have a complete rebuild on the engine including a 3 angle valve job and valve seats.

Just wanted to pass that on. I'm going t keep some of that avgas around because it has a really long shelf life, although it is very pricy.

LMack · Feb 12, 2014

Here we are getting ethanol free gasoline at a
number of different chain stations including BP.
The demand is so great that the price runs about 80
cents higher than regular so it is worth it to the
stations. I do run it in my truck and car from time
to time and all the small engines are loving it.

David G · Feb 12, 2014

Why do you need 100LL in this tractor, standard unleaded will work just fine.

LMack · Feb 12, 2014

I think he was trying to get away from the ethanol but you are certainly correct.

GRAPE-DRANK · Feb 12, 2014

(quoted from post at 20:36:34 02/12/14) Why do you need 100LL in this tractor, standard unleaded will work just fine.

I don't need it, but I'm a long way from where I usually buy and stock up on ethanol-free gas and I needed something. The avgas works, but I had to adjust the timing is all and it burned clean. Just passing it on. I probably will use it exclusively for 2-stroke Stihls though. Ran really good and clean.dont have to worry about long-term fuel storage.

Juicybusa2 · Feb 12, 2014

John deere ships zero turns with 100LL a gas because of it's incredible stability and shelf life. If it doesn't sell immediately the dealer isn't stuck with a new mower with a gummed up carb.

David G · Feb 12, 2014

It is kind of surprising, but it seems like Ethanol gas is being phased out in Iowa. I am glad we are not forced to use it. I run it once in a while to make sure there is no water in system.

littlered1 · Feb 13, 2014

I know that your A does not have a cadillac converter, and there
probably is not one on your Stihl power head either. Fact is tho,
that that leaded AVGAS will destroy a CAT CON is no time flat. I'm
sure you know this, but I am just passing thsi along as a public
service. Not sure you want to run 100 octane in your A or Stihl
equipment--they were meant for regular--87 octane, no matter how well they run.

You ain't been a slurpin' that there purple drank, has you?

best,

red

D beatty · Feb 13, 2014

Stihl recommends 93 octane gasoline and with the higher octane gasoline the engine will actually run cooler than with regular gasoline.

gene bender · Feb 13, 2014

Dontknow how you have so much trouble ive been using the 10% blend for 30 pluss yrs. My Bs and As set in dirt floow shed all winter and start every spring with out 'NEW' gas whatever is in the tank is still there in spring and they start rite up go on extended rides just never any problems run Champion and AC plugs.

Phil Tibbetts · Feb 13, 2014

What? You mean the great corn growing state isn't forcing you to use ethanol? But it is fine for the rest of us. Sounds like a double standard to me.

1946 BN IHC · Feb 13, 2014

I, in the past worked on small engines. to day the small engine
shop/ new equipment Sthil etc are recommending to the purchaser
to use HIGH TEST fuel 97 grade etc sine the equipment starts
easier and runs better. I have proved it in the large single cylinder
45 inch snow blower over the past few weeks.
As Spring comes round I think I will restart my tractor on the same
for the few extra $$ then later swing back to regular later.

rustyfarmall · Feb 13, 2014

(quoted from post at 07:44:37 02/13/14) What? You mean the great corn growing state isn't forcing you to use ethanol? But it is fine for the rest of us. Sounds like a double standard to me.

I am from Iowa. The great corn state. E-10 is available everywhere you look. No evidence anywhere of it being phased out. E10 is the best fuel system cleaner there is.

T in NE · Feb 13, 2014

There's a few places around here with straight gasoline. I'm going to start paying the extra quarter a gallon for it in the amigo, can't keep water out of it this winter.

littlered1 · Feb 13, 2014

Well, I guess I learned something. Stihl MotoMix--92 octane. Stihl don't know why you would run premium in a low compression tractor, although I did for a while when the only non-ethanol gasoline I could get was premium. I Stihl would not run leaded gasoline in my small motors, or my big motors for that matter; something about the Pb clinging to the valves and seats. I know that I don't know everything, and it has been proved again.

John G. Hasler · Feb 13, 2014

> Dont know how you have so much trouble ive been
> using the 10% blend for 30 pluss yrs. My Bs and
> As set in dirt floow shed all winter and start
> every spring

MY 544 sits in a dirt floor shed here in NW Wisconsin and starts every morning on 10% ethanol.
My 560 sits in the cold barn for months at times but still starts right up on 10% ethanol. I used to sometimes have trouble with water in the tanks back when I used straight gasoline but no more. Water dissolves in ethanol.

The only problem with ethanol as fuel is the lower energy density. It doesn"t hurt octane: it"s an octane enhancer. It won"t dissolve any plastic or rubber that will resist gasoline. I wouldn"t pay extra for it but I certainly won"t pay extra to avoid it.

John G. Hasler · Feb 13, 2014

I could easily get ethanol-free gasoline here in Wisconsin if I wanted it.

Phil Tibbetts · Feb 13, 2014

Unfortunately our great State of Maine only allows E-10 gas for sale at filling stations so I drive 30 miles to an airport that has Ethanol free auto gas for all my older small engines and 2 cycle engines. I have ruined more than one engine with Ethanol. Now I have all diesel tractors because of that.

mkirsch · Feb 13, 2014

What do you mean when you say, "burned clean?"

GRAPE-DRANK · Feb 13, 2014

(quoted from post at 10:50:45 02/13/14) What do you mean when you say, "burned clean?"

It could very well be in my head, but the Stihl didn't smell the same, if that makes any sense.

LA in WI · Feb 13, 2014

I go with what that old codger Gene Bender says. He"s forgotten more than most can remember.

I have a 1973 Toro snowblower with a 8 hp Tecumseh engine and it runs on the "ethanol/87 octane" ever since it came on the market, runs perfectly and have replaced maybe 7-9 spark plugs thru the years....no way I can remember that! Also replaced 2 starters thru the years.

Old Lawn Boy push mower (from the 1970s)for trimming; same fuel, same good runner but clean the plug every spring and replace plug every decade or so.

1973 Homelite saw (used heavily until 1997 but seldom nowadays) same as Lawn Boy with plugs.

1997 JD mower w/17 hp liquid-cooled Kowasaki same fuel, starts almost too easy in the spring; if it didn"t wifey wouldn"t bug me so much to mow the lawn so often.

BUT...when done with them for the season I always run them empty of fuel, then put them away. (But not the JD, just shut it off.)

Sometimes, if the mower or saw doesn"t start after a few pulls, I squirt some ether in the air cleaner and gosh do they ever fire up and run! Yeah, ain"t supposed to use that, but at 77 yrs old I just want to use them, not have me lay flat on the ground clutching my chest after 39 pulls on that rope.

I have no problem with ethanol, and will have no problem if it is ever not sold anymore.

This all reminds me of an old Shakespeare play called "Much Ado About Nothing".

Now to get some of the boys on here all cranked up, let"s debate how higher octane makes for more power or performance! That one is always a hoot.
It gets some to do shouting and screaming!!

Time for Spring, winter is dulling our minds.

LA in WI

GRAPE-DRANK · Feb 13, 2014

I don't know what its like in Wisconsin, or where Gene is, but here in Va there is always moisture in the air. Nobody around here likes ethanol gas in their small equipment. There are a ton of places in the Southern Part of the state that sell non-ethanol gas.

There's a reason why Marinas don't sell ethanol fuel.

I'm not going to run 100ll exclusively, but I am going to store a couple of gallons, long-term. For the amount I use my Stihl stuff I will be using the 100ll in them from here on out.

I'll be the first to tell you, that Gene helped me build my tractor, but I will not subscribe to the thought that it is not okay to use ethanol gas in my tractor, boats or in small engines.

F-Dean · Feb 13, 2014

I've had 2 problems with ethanol:
1-It cleans your fuel tank and fuel lines and takes all the gunk to the fuel filter.
2-If you let it set for a while without stabilizer, the ethanol evaporates and leaves you with low octane gas that even a F-20 doesn't like

Lucid · Feb 13, 2014

I will agree with GRAPE-DRANK, all my small engines were hard starting on the eth/gas. Buy all gas for those engines now, including the generator. Must be the air here...

LMack · Feb 13, 2014

Around here (ATL) the small engines will eventually stop running on E-10 and it takes a $100 carburetor cleaning to get them going. The cheaper the engine the more vulnerable they are. I am not aware of any manufacturers who are doing anything to adjust to E-10 at this time. One tank of E-free will tend to make the small engine run much better as will a dose of stabilizer in the E-10. We are told by the dealers to use E-free if possible. We are also advised to use the mid level gasoline. Seems to me that back in 56 when my 200 was made regular gasoline was about 87 octane and the octane was supplied by Tetra-Methyl-Lead. We are also being told by auto mechanics that E-10 will destroy an engine. I do not know but I will believe the mechanics over the E-10 lobby any day. My 200 starts and runs fine on E-10 and it starts right up in the spring or in the dead of winter as the case may be. These old girls will tend to run on anything from near kerosene fuel to 110 octane aviation fuel. Remember octane does not make the gasoline "hotter" but it is a "spark suppressant" so that gasoline can be used in higher compression engines without having pre-ignition spark knock.

gene bender · Feb 13, 2014

Where do you live that its being phased out if anything more is being used it even comes thru the pipelne mixed and if its so bad why does NASCAR use it in all the race cars .

rustred · Feb 13, 2014

3 angle valve job... that is standard procedure to get the correct seat width and location on valve.

GRAPE-DRANK · Feb 13, 2014

(quoted from post at 18:54:30 02/13/14) 3 angle valve job... that is standard procedure to get the correct seat width and location on valve.

Yeah, it is my understanding that old heads that were manufactured at the time of high octane lead gas didn't have valve seats and that when we switched over to unleaded fuel that the seats deteriorated. So anyway I put that in there so no one was under the impression that I was still running a head that hadn't been worked on. Trying to paint a picture is all.

GRAPE-DRANK · Feb 13, 2014

Central Virginia Gene.

Gene, I'm not alone. The hardware store by me is now selling pre-mixed 50:1 ethanol-free gas in cans. Marinas don't carry gas with ethanol. At work we had to replace countless steel eagle safety cans and replace them with plastic ones because some were sitting a little too long and they were rusting which in turn fouled up some small equipment. Ethanol might be fine for nascar or our cars, but it's just inferior to regular gas for small engines old tractors, and storage.

I can tell you from experience with my Stihl stuff, ethanol gas is no good for them.

If they are running ethanol in pipelines now, it's news to me . I did a paper on ethanol and I came to the conclusion that it along with the entire industry is a fraud .

I put 100 octane gas in the Farmall Super A

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