Should i try ethonal free gas?

[7echo]

"Ethanol free here costs more than premium."


Same for our area. I only buy non-ethanol, sometime marketed here as 'marine fuel' for the small engine stuff.

 

[7echo]

I don't think it will be much different, but I thought ethanol burns a little faster than ethanol-free gas, but I could be wrong. I have always run 87 octane unleaded ethanol-free gas, don't want that ethanol crap in my truck.

LOL, being from Iowa it is funny you won't run that 'ethanol crap'. Iowa politics is the main reason we all get the ethanol crap. I would run ethanol free but as mentioned above it cost more than premium.

Does ethanol free cost more in Iowa?

 

[98chevy2500SS]

Where I go to get gas, it's Casey's General Store. I am pretty sure they have ethanol-free gas, I will have to check next time I go there. But for prices, Unleaded 87 Octane is around $2.30 right now. But yeah, I will have to check when I am there next time to see if I am correct or not, could've sworn it was ethanol-free, I have never seen a sticker that says 10% ethanol or anything.

 

[obxjake]

Wondering if it would hurt anyting to try ethonal free gas in my 99 obs burb with a 5.7 vortec. It has 188k and found out that a local gas station has it instead of the 10% ethonal blend. Is there a big difference or will i notice anything like better mpgs? Not that mpgs matter in a burb lol.

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Yes ! Highly recommended. I have a 94 Suburban 4x4 with 5.7 and only use non-lethal high test and get 17-18 mpg and better performance, especially off road in soft sand.Jake

 

[mountie]

Ethanol free is suggested for engines that don't run very often. Like motorcycles & small engines, like generators, etc. I could buy it, but the cost is not worth the slight difference?

Regular gas is always fresh at the pump, due to the high turn-around, filling the station tanks. ( As tuners say).... The best fuel for an engine is an octane that is "just short" of engine ping. If you don't ping using regular grade, use it. Manufacturers labeling "use premium" on the filler door is a joke. Changing from premium to a lower grade, and you don't ping is the better grade.
( suggestions are from some NHRA drag racing tuners & a motorcycle race engine tuner)

 

[Biggershaft96]

Ethanol free is suggested for engines that don't run very often. Like motorcycles & small engines, like generators, etc. I could buy it, but the cost is not worth the slight difference?

Regular gas is always fresh at the pump, due to the high turn-around, filling the station tanks. ( As tuners say).... The best fuel for an engine is an octane that is "just short" of engine ping. If you don't ping using regular grade, use it. Manufacturers labeling "use premium" on the filler door is a joke. Changing from premium to a lower grade, and you don't ping is the better grade.
( suggestions are from some NHRA drag racing tuners & a motorcycle race engine tuner)

Im not sure what vehicles youve had that reccomended premium but my sister in laws audi pings and doesnt run worth a crap on 87. It reccomends 91 or higher. Trust me, i fought with it for a solid couple weeks before i found that sticker and asked what fuel she put in it. Chances are if the manufacturer reccomends it, there is a reason.

 

[Christian Steffen]

Im not sure what vehicles youve had that reccomended premium but my sister in laws audi pings and doesnt run worth a crap on 87. It reccomends 91 or higher. Trust me, i fought with it for a solid couple weeks before i found that sticker and asked what fuel she put in it. Chances are if the manufacturer reccomends it, there is a reason.

I agree with this. Also, jumping down levels in gas until you hear audible pinging probably isn't the best process. Data logging what the knock sensors are picking up would really be the way to check.

That said, if were talking about a low compression engine running a stock timing map, 87 is probably all it needs.

 

[Tachyon]

So am i doing more harm by running 91 octane thats a 10%corn blend than running the lower grade 5% blend?i was told regular 87 or 85 octane is for mowers and old cars that i should only run 91 or 93 octane especally in a v8 engine. Since its a 42 gal tank and we travle quite often it rarley gets the same octane all the time except in town. And even then when prices go up i switch to the lower priced gas to keep costs about the same. Im getting to the end of this tank just have to make it to thurs then i can throw 10 in till friday and ill fill it up with the ethnol free and do new plugs and wires.

If your local mid-grade is 5% and the high octane is 10%, I'd definitely choose the 5%. Stock your truck doesn't need high octane gas at all so there's no benefit anyway. Having less moonshine in it is a better option.
The person who told you the mowers thing doesn't really understand octane. In general, for performance reasons you want to run the lowest octane your vehicle can use under all loads without detonation. The next rule of thumb for older pre multi-fuel vehicles is run the least ethanol percent you can find.

The truth is that ethanol blends don't provide any benefit for cars that are designed for it. They're just designed to tolerate it without issues.

 

[Jiggie]

I agree with this. Also, jumping down levels in gas until you hear audible pinging probably isn't the best process. Data logging what the knock sensors are picking up would really be the way to check.

That said, if were talking about a low compression engine running a stock timing map, 87 is probably all it needs.

Lol dont laugh at me for this but i have no idea what pinging sounds like. Ima have to google it lol. My suburban is unmodified except for removing the cats and a KnN filter. I might be doing headers and full exhaust but thats it.

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[Christian Steffen]

Lol dont laugh at me for this but i have no idea what pinging sounds like. Ima have to google it lol. My suburban is unmodified except for removing the cats and a KnN filter. I might be doing headers and full exhaust but thats it.

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I tried looking to see if there were any videos on youtube with examples of the sounds, but no luck. Marbles rattling in a can is probably the best description I've seen. Just get a cheap obdII adapter and torque pro, then you can view KR.