Ethanol-free gas

The farmers "CO-OP" has real gasoline. If you have one in your area. Check there first-their prices are normally good too.

 

Yeah - I'm waiting to see it for myself....

 

Back around 1970 (before unleaded gas replaced leaded) Lion stations in Memphis worked this way. Station had 2 tanks - "regular" and "super premium". There was a circular dial on the pumps to select "grade" which determined the mix and price. In those days probably 40-50% of new cars needed higher octane to prevent pinging (no electronic detonation control), so this was a way to get just enough octane at a lower price. Probably faded away, since like you said, most people would just buy the cheapest or the most expensive, since regular was about .21/gal and super premium was about .26/gal. Fill up a 12 gallon tank for less than what a gallon costs today.

Guess my age is showing.....

 

hehe,

I can remember when I was a teenager growing up the price of gas...

14.9/gal during viscous gas wars...lowest I ever saw, for the longest time it hovered around 25 cents a gallon, it was cheap to go cruising on Friday nights, $2 covered it, usually could get a quarter from the other three riding with you, cheap fun nights....

You could also get Chevron racing gas (104 octane) at the pump, it was a whole 10 cents a gallon more, I would always half tank the premium stuffs before taking my 55 chevy to the drags....

Now move to modern times, gas has become a major pain in the ass on the budget, they got us by our collective cojones....

 

Its all about the money. The more they make off of you the better for them.

 

I have. Done it more then once it made no difference in power or mileage this was not a one time test and I even tried it while towing made no difference even the Ultra Gauge showed no difference. Coming back from a trip I saved about a 1/2 tank full of money by using 87 and got exactly the same mileage pulling my camper. It does not get much better then 20 MPG with a 6 spd and that's what I get using 87 with 10% ethanol.

 

It is fact that using E0 instead of E10 of the same octane will yield better mpg. May or may not pay for itself.

Some may see better mpg if they use premium, but that is only likely if the 91 is E0 and the 87 is E10. In many states and Canada all Premium is E0.

When I could get E0 the fuel adjustment on my scangauge was around 1-2%. With E10 the fuel adjustment will jump to 7-8%. I therefore got a 5-7% improvement with E0, without guessing.

3-5mpg is more like 18-35% improvement, and impossible.

 

That is correct but the key word here is "slight" improvement, ethanol has heat value it is not inert it is less than gasoline but a properly fueled engine will run on 100% ethanol the math is just not there to support any kind of wild gains. Just switching to 91 with the same blend in theory will yield slightly lower economy due to the lower heat value of the high test. The ideal of the computer "learning" has no bases in order to change the timing it has to detect a "ping" it will not change just because a higher test fuel is being used and if one thinks it does prove it. I can't prove I'm right but the only variable is knock detection and that will retard the timing it can not sense what kind of fuel is being burned. The timing will never advanced to the point of effecting emissions so the line is very fine in either direction. My results have taught me that in my case high test is a waste of money but if one thinks their engine will "feel" better or will last longer burning 91 have at it.

 

Was getting about 18.5 on my 3.4 5-speed manual with 87 Ethanol
Switched to 91 Non-Ethanol and am getting at least 20; last tank I got 21.7

 

that is like a 15% to 17% improvement depending on how you calculate it...

switching to straight regular should only yield maybe 2% to 5%, and the 5% would be max...

driving habits...

whether the truck is level when filling (can affect contained gallons)....

if the difference was 15% as you stated, then everyone would be switching, no brainer...

 

I haven't been driving any differently (habits nor highway to city ratio) after making the switch
I filled up at the same exact gas station (at the same exact level) for the 87 E10 for months: 18.5 average - 19ish max
I have been filling up at the same exact station (at the same exact leavel) for the 91 E0 for about a month: 20 minimum - 21.7 max
...I'm not lying

Also, I don't think everyone would be switching, cause where I am the 91 Non-Ethanol is almost 70 cents more expensive than 87 E10
So, I'm not saving any money

 

But the weather has changed, you show a picture of your truck in the snow, so I assume you live where it gets cold. My mpg goes from 26-28 to 30-34 with the weather.

It's not the gas alone.

 

I use ethanol free gas in all my vehicles as well as boat and yard equipment. The boat engine runs smoother and my vehicles get around 10% better MPG. The non ethanol is also easier on the engine. When my new taco comes in I intend on using the non ethanol in it also. By the way I have to ship the non ethanol in because the merchants around here will not carry the ethanol free gas even though it is legal.

 

I remember those days--but .29 was the cheapest I payed.
Fill you 20gal+ tank for 5 bucks-Those were the days.
Fond memories and GREAT TIMES.
Yonger folks have no IDEA of what they missed.
They have fun now--but no comparison of what we did back then.
LIFE IS GOOD!!!
Forgot to plug LEADED GAS!!!
Huge engines back then.
Our family had a 55 Crysler 300--TWO 4BBL carbs--that thing would FLY.

 

Cold weather is a big hit in mileage. Different fuel blends and longer warm up times.

 

I am aware of things like temperature and seasonal blends, every bit as much as I am aware of driving habits and the grade of the ground where I'm filling my tank

I made the change about a month ago; we were in the 80's when I was still using 87 E10, and I was still getting 18.5
Maybe they coincidentally switched their seasonal blends at the exact time at which I switched to 91 E0, and got 21
Also, I've said I have a 3.4 5-speed; and you've seen the picture of my truck; it's obviously a 1st Gen, a 95.5 to be precise
There may very well be way less of a difference between the two blends in a 2.7/4.0 2nd Gen that's 10-18 years newer and designed with corn in mind

You both make very fine arguements, and I'd be inclined to agree with you
But, I just can't bring myself to believe that my odometer would play such horrible pranks on me

 

Over the years there have been hundreds of gas saving devices made none of them worked the people that bought them changed their driving habits because they wanted to improve their mileage or to prove they did not waste their money on some thing that did nothing. The same holds true for changing fuels the desire is there it just that the math isn't. If I thought I could improve my mileage by 10% I would be all over that I have been driving for 51 years and the only thing that has ever improved my mileage by 10% is to lighten up on my right foot. As far as "hurting" an engine trust me an engine feels no pain. If using lower octane fuel was detrimental then some of the engines I have had would not have made it to 300K.


k

 

I actually had no intentions or aspirations of increasing my fuel mileage
The reason I switched over was SOLEY because I wanted to reduce the potential amount of varish (not from lower octane, but from ethanol) build-up in my engine (I'm not interested in arguing about that. haha)

I'm just reporting what my odometer has told me since I've done so

I'm either really stupid, lying, or I'm getting about 2-3 more mpg

 

I hate to be the one to tell you this but alcohol is used as a solvent for varnish.

 

X2 10% blend will actually help eliminate varnish, not increase it.

The biggest concern with using blended fuel is getting it from a station that has a fresh supply. Alcohol attracts water and the longer it sits the more moisture it attracts and it is the moisture/water in blended fuel that causes it to deteriorate and essentially lose octane.

I prefer using pure gas because it stands less of a chance of having a lower, than posted on the pump, octane but I actually got my best MPG, which was over 23MPG, using 10% blend Chevron premium.

I have a 2013 DBL Cab 4x4 TRD OR with a TRD SC installed and mine is a auto trans. I consistently get a little over 19 in town and 21-23 on the highway depending on how fast I drive.