Non-Ethanol Fuel Locator

[cpostis]

For those of you that prefer non-ethanol fuel and have difficulty locating same, here is a link I use.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

[jham0077]

I think it makes a big difference. Especially for the occasional user. Ethanol fuel turns fast. I use non-ethanol in my small engines too.

[throrope]

Trusted friend, mentor and charter boat captain tested his non-ethanol gas provided by his regular supplier and found ethanol. So, if you desire only non-ethanol, I suggest treating it like ethanol to avoid unintended consequences.

[8characters]

This moved me to check how easy it is to test the gas.. I just ordered a 100ml measure cylinder.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbDA...0#t=362.453705

[pstephens46]

This moved me to check how easy it is to test the gas.. I just ordered a 100ml measure cylinder.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbDA...0#t=362.453705

Maybe you could run a few tests? With Stabil additive in ethanol gas to see if you notice a difference versus none? Maybe Townsend could try a cylinder with K100? Interesting.

[cpostis]

Per Peterson Aviation:
"HOW TO TEST FUEL
FOR ETHANOL
To determine if ethanol is in the gas:
On a test tube or olive bottle six or seven inches long, make a permanent line about two inches from the bottom.
Fill with water to this line, then fill the tube to the top with gasoline.
Cover the tube, agitate it, and let it stand.
The ethanol and water will mix and separate out together. If the water level appears to have increased, the fuel contains ethanol and should not be used. Ethanol percentages of less than 5% can sometimes give a reading below the line. Therefore, any deviation in the water line indicates the presence of ethanol and should serve as a basis for rejecting the fuel."

As a pre-test, you should sample the gasoline for water content first right from the pump. That is fill a jar with gasoline only, wait to settle, and determine if you have a separation line or not. If not, the "Peterson Aviation Test" procedure above will measure water added, water in the sample, and ethanol as a total.

[8characters]

Per Peterson Aviation:
"HOW TO TEST FUEL
FOR ETHANOL
To determine if ethanol is in the gas:
On a test tube or olive bottle six or seven inches long, make a permanent line about two inches from the bottom.
Fill with water to this line, then fill the tube to the top with gasoline.
Cover the tube, agitate it, and let it stand.
The ethanol and water will mix and separate out together. If the water level appears to have increased, the fuel contains ethanol and should not be used. Ethanol percentages of less than 5% can sometimes give a reading below the line. Therefore, any deviation in the water line indicates the presence of ethanol and should serve as a basis for rejecting the fuel."

As a pre-test, you should sample the gasoline for water content first right from the pump. That is fill a jar with gasoline only, wait to settle, and determine if you have a separation line or not. If not, the "Peterson Aviation Test" procedure above will measure water added, water in the sample, and ethanol as a total.

You can watch the youtube I posted and a few more.. I bought a 100ml glass measure cylinder on ebay for $3.15 delivered from China. the ones in the US are around $20 and I don't mind waiting 3-5 weeks... It makes it easy to get the amount this way using 10ml water (10%) and 90ml gas then when it separates if you have 20ml on the bottom you have 10ml water and 10ml ethanol.(10%). This all said I ran my Yamaha on regular pump gas for 10yrs with absolutely no problem as the dealer claimed was OK until I didn't run it for 9mos when it completely corroded and blocked my ASV valve on the tank and what a pain that was.. It did nothing to my motor that runs like new but this is just one case and I will be buying the no ethanol from now on anyway..

[scofflaw]

You can watch the youtube I posted and a few more.. I bought a 100ml glass measure cylinder on ebay for $3.15 delivered from China. the ones in the US are around $20 and I don't mind waiting 3-5 weeks... It makes it easy to get the amount this way using 10ml water (10%) and 90ml gas then when it separates if you have 20ml on the bottom you have 10ml water and 10ml ethanol.(10%). This all said I ran my Yamaha on regular pump gas for 10yrs with absolutely no problem as the dealer claimed was OK until I didn't run it for 9mos when it completely corroded and blocked my ASV valve on the tank and what a pain that was.. It did nothing to my motor that runs like new but this is just one case and I will be buying the no ethanol from now on anyway..

OK, so lesson learned,, motor ran great for 10 years on ethanol fuel. But problems after a long layup.

Summary... Yamaha advocates 10% is fine for their engines and seeing half the country has no access to non ethanol , we do what it takes to make the engines work. Which is use the fuel up in a reasonable amount of time. Don't let it sit for months and use a good stabilizer if it has to sit.

Another thing that can be said about ethanol fuel, by a long term user, is that the alcohol is an excellent cleaner. You wont have any varnish in the fuel system and it will also absorb small amounts of water that will be burnt off

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Maybe you could run a few tests? With Stabil additive in ethanol gas to see if you notice a difference versus none? Maybe Townsend could try a cylinder with K100?

With the K100, ANY water would stay mixed and you wouldn't see ANY difference between the water amount and the fuel. Same with the "Gas Shok".

[pstephens46]

Lets say you started with 10ml water. Would you end up with less water than that with the prescribed dose of K100? Say 5ml? Would be an interesting experiment.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Lets say you started with 10ml water. Would you end up with less water than that with the prescribed dose of K100? Say 5ml? Would be an interesting experiment.

What ever total amount of water, fuel and K100 you have will be the same. EXCEPT, there will be NO phase separation. You won't see ANY different levels..

The water stay's mixed and burns off as the engine runs...

I have yet, (and I do use non-ethanol in the boat)to drain a drop of water from my separator, VST or under cowl hood filter. This is with a 1997 hull (old style VENT) in SW, humid Florida...

I posted, not quite a year ago, I drained my mostly 2 year old fuel COMPLETELY(about 35 gallons) from the tank thru the PU / transom fuel filter. There was NO water in that fuel, smelled brand new, fresh. My neighbor ran it in his Suzuki 140, SUV and I ran the balance in the generator and mower-NO ISSUES/WATER..

**(My issue, ((why I pulled the fuel out thinking it may be the issue)), turned out to be the spark plugs. Brand new plugs fixed the hesitation I was getting at 5300 RPM's... 5,900 now (normal)

[pstephens46]

I was wondering if the fuel with K-100 would possibly absorb/suspend some of the 10ml of test water in bottom of the beaker. So that you may end up with maybe 8ml....

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I was wondering if the fuel with K-100 would possibly absorb/suspend some of the 10ml of test water in bottom of the beaker. So that you may end up with maybe 8ml....

Nope, it doesn't absorb it.

The volume of each is still the same, it just keeps it mixed up so it'll burn off, (thus no water collection at the bottom of any of my filters)...

I believe, say you have 4 oz of water in your tank. You'll need 4 oz of K100 (more won't hurt anything) to keep it in suspension.

My tank is about 60 gallons, built in (under a LARGE deck hatch half-ways under the CC -ie, a major PIA to remove). I've never had the hatch removed, pick up removed/cleaned (not accessible W/O pulling the floor hatch).

You can see inside the center console, just forward of my dry box/compass, where the fuel tank access deck ends:

[cpostis]

Nope, it doesn't absorb it.

The volume of each is still the same, it just keeps it mixed up so it'll burn off, (thus no water collection at the bottom of any of my filters)...

I believe, say you have 4 oz of water in your tank. You'll need 4 oz of K100 (more won't hurt anything) to keep it in suspension.

My tank is about 60 gallons, built in (under a LARGE deck hatch half-ways under the CC -ie, a major PIA to remove). I've never had the hatch removed, pick up removed/cleaned (not accessible W/O pulling the floor hatch).

You can see inside the center console, just forward of my dry box/compass, where the fuel tank access deck ends:

Here's an interest document on "Water in Aviation Fuels" by the FAA.

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/m...r/AC20-125.pdf

Scott,
It is said that water suspended in gasoline will reflect light in a sample causing the sample to look "cloudy". I wonder if you are fortunate not to have a water in fuel case at all, or if the K-100 is keeping what water may be in your fuel in suspension. Is your fuel "cloudy" at all? I wonder if you add a drop of food dye in a sample if it would sink to the bottom as a drop/glob (remember the wave in a bottle craze from the seventies), or change the color of your sample to a lighter color of the dye (Coffee/dye test that y'all laughed at)? The dye is water soluble and will mix with water in suspension or, sink to the bottom like a rock.

You up for a test?

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Prior to going to non-ethanol for the boat (and K100), I would drain the VST and catch what came out in a CLEAN/DRY tuna fish can.

What came out was indeed cloudy and the longer you left it outside, the more moisture it absorbed (from the 85% + humidity). The water would then separate.

I can drain the VST right now and what comes out is clear and will smell fresh.


Before I re-powered in 2007, (several years, I forgot, bought the boat/Evinrude new in 1997) it had a carbed Evinrude 150 2 stroke.

From lack of use, the carbs varnished up. Cleaned them, ran fine (didn't add anything to the fuel).

A week later, varnished up again!!! $hit!

Cleaned them again and asked the marina how to keep this from happening as it was getting quite old, cleaning each week.

They recommended "Gas Shok" which solved the problem! Never had to clean them again and I still use GS in the spare fuel tanks (5 gallon containers-ethanol-for generator, motorcycle, SUV, etc) I currently keep. The GS will easily keep the fuel fresh for a year.

Learned about the K100 a couple years ago from the motorcycle shop I frequent(and have known the owner for literally decades). He had several bottles of the different products and showed me how the K100 worked... I use that mostly just for the boat. Once in awhile, I'll put some in the SUV and bike.