Racing fuel?

notjustair · Nov 29, 2014

Let's not get his one into a debate about alcohol in fuel. Here's the deal:

I always keep a 5 gallon can of gas without alcohol around to mix for the chain saws and put in things like the tillers that sit a long time. I noticed the other day that one town (where I have to go anyway today) has added pumps in the back that include off-road diesel, kerosene, and racing fuel 110 octane. What would fuel with that high of an octane rating do to those single cylinder engines?

I've got to turn around and go in the opposite direction if I want alcohol free fuel for the final garden till of the season. The 30 year old Briggs on that tiller doesn't need anything sitting on those diaphragms all winter.

buickanddeere · Nov 29, 2014

91 octane is about minimum for a modern high compression two stroke air cooled.94 octane would provide a margin of protection if the cooling fins were Dirty on a hot day or if the mixture was too lean. 110 would be overkill unless the two stroke has been modified.
Was the octane listed as RON, MON or what?

notjustair · Nov 29, 2014

I'm not sure. I will snap a pic of it when I go to town and see if I
can post it from the iPad.

David G · Nov 29, 2014

I would think it would not hurt nor help, so just paying more.

Dick2 · Nov 29, 2014

We were told in our engineering classes to never us octane higher than specified by the manufacturer. Many put premium in vehicles that do not specify using premium. It is not only a waste of money, it can damage an engine that is not designed to use premium.

Unless you know the design criteria, it seems to risky to use any fuel other than that specified by the manufacturer. It would certainly void any remaining warranty.

Bob · Nov 29, 2014

"What would fuel with that high of an octane rating do to those single cylinder engines?"

What are you thinking it would possibly do bad to a small engine?

rustyfarmall · Nov 29, 2014

The 30 year old Briggs on your garden tiller will be just fine with E10. It won't even know the difference.

buickanddeere · Nov 29, 2014

B.S. Using high octane unleaded in a engine that will operate without detonation on regular octane only wastes $$$.
The old wive's tale about high octane shortening engine life. Is if high octane leader is used in an engine designed for UNleaded.
Or way back in the bad old days .premium octane leaded contained much more lead than regular leaded. The extra lead in the premium fuel would foul the plugs and sludge up the crankcase sooner than regular leaded.

buickanddeere · Nov 29, 2014

B.S. Using high octane unleaded in a engine that will operate without detonation on regular octane only wastes $$$.
The old wive's tale about high octane shortening engine life. Is if high octane leader is used in an engine designed for UNleaded.
Or way back in the bad old days .premium octane leaded contained much more lead than regular leaded. The extra lead in the premium fuel would foul the plugs and sludge up the crankcase sooner than regular leaded. L

forty40 · Nov 29, 2014

(quoted from post at 08:29:15 11/29/14) Let's not get his one into a debate about alcohol in fuel. Here's the deal:

I always keep a 5 gallon can of gas without alcohol around to mix for the chain saws and put in things like the tillers that sit a long time. I noticed the other day that one town (where I have to go anyway today) has added pumps in the back that include off-road diesel, kerosene, and racing fuel 110 octane. What would fuel with that high of an octane rating do to those single cylinder engines?

I've got to turn around and go in the opposite direction if I want alcohol free fuel for the final garden till of the season. The 30 year old Briggs on that tiller doesn't need anything sitting on those diaphragms all winter.

Racing gas in a small engine will not hurt anything except the owner's wallet. Many times I have run short on gasoline for the pressure washer or lawn mower and "stolen" a couple of gallons from our racing fuel drum, VP Late Model Plus, 113 MON, and everything still runs fine. However, at $11/gal, it doesn't make much sense.

Sprint 6 · Nov 29, 2014

A 30 year old Briggs will only have about 6 or 7 to 1 compression ratio. 110 octane requires more heat to fire than 7:1 can provide, so you may find power will be down slightly. It will run, but will be a waste of money.

GeneMO · Nov 29, 2014

At one time I was looking for Nitro Methane to mix with ammonium nitrate so I could make blasting agent. Seeing as how the govt. made it so I could not get dynamite for blasting post holes, breaking up rock, and general farm blasting.

I couldn't locate a supply of the Nitro Methane, and now you cant get the fertilizer either so I just gave up and said to "h" with the whole project.

Gene

dr sportster · Nov 29, 2014

Racing fuel [gas] has heavy aromatics which will stink out the carbs and any other part of the fuel system. If you don't mind that smell ,fine. If you don't like that smell don't do it. Other than that you are just spending money on something you don't need.

dr sportster · Nov 29, 2014

Nitromethane is only made by the Angus Company in Texas.

tomNE · Nov 29, 2014

your fuel will have a shelf life about 50times longer then pump gas. it's all I use in anything that sits more then it runs. I'd never had a container of chainsaw or weedeater gas be useable after it sat around for 6months. not I get to use all the fuel; sometimes it's 2 yrs old!

fixerupper · Nov 29, 2014

I use plain old regular unleaded in my chain saw gas can. Sometimes it takes two years to use it up and it has no bad effects. About a year ago I filled it with 10 percent ethanol gas just because I got lazy, it's in everything else on the farm, and now a year later it still smells and acts fresh. The gas can sits in an unheated building.

WGM · Nov 29, 2014

What do you have when you remove ethanol from crap gas?
Crap gas

Juicybusa2 · Nov 29, 2014

100LL avgas is best for seldom run engines because of it's inherent stability. In fact, John Deere ships their commercial lawn equipment with 100LL avgas for this very reason.

JOCCO · Nov 29, 2014

You might be better of to buy that mixed fuel in a can for occasional use. They have it for saws and lawn garden.

Mike Aylward · Nov 29, 2014

I use racing fuel in my pulling tractor and every so often have fuel left over that I don't want to use again the next year. I have put it in small engines and got along just fine. No problems. The only thing it will hurt is your pocket book. Mike

mmfan55 · Nov 29, 2014

From my experience ; Higher octane fuel will resist predetonation and dieseling in higher compression engines no benefit or adverse effect on lower compression. I agree that it is a lot of wasted money; with the price of high octane.

MarkB_MI · Nov 30, 2014

What makes you think that racing fuel is alcohol-free? How do you think they bumped the octane up to 110?

Racing fuel?

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads