100 to 102 LL gasoline

Robbi · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:26 pm Post subject: 100 to 102 LL gasoline

I re-read the thread that ccflyer started a while back on burning av gas in his honda. He did not report back as to how that worked out.

I have about 15 gallons of 100 to 102 octane leaded race gas that Cordell had to drain out of his Allard because of a leak in the gas tank. He offered it to me to burn in the Suzuki. I have about 7 gallons of marine gas in each tank right now.

Should I burn the race gas?

Robbi

Dreamer · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject:

Robbi,

Go for it! Mixing it with your existing gas will give it the equivalent of about 90 octane. High octane won't hurt your engine. Same for the trace amount of lead. Great lake Powell photos by the way.

Robbi · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject:

Thanks Roger.

Robbi

RJD Wannabe · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject:

A dumb question:

I assume avgas has no ethanol, so a reliable way to get ethanol free gas?

Robbi · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 8:54 pm Post subject:

Av gas has no ethanol. "Race" gas has no ethanol. At our airport 100 low lead sells for about $3.90, but is hard to buy unless you have an airplane. Race gas is anywhere from 100 to 108 octane, probably with lots of lead. You can pay up to $8.00-10.00 a gallon.
In southern Puget Sound, almost all of the marine gas dealers are selling gas without ethanol. Not sure about north of Seattle. I have been told that it comes out of Texas and is trucked here. The last time I bought it, it was about .20 more a gallon than ethanol car gas.

Robbi

Westfield 11 · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:06 pm Post subject:

Just remember that 100 LL avgas has 2 to 3 times the lead of leaded race gas. It's only low lead compared to the old 135/145 octane gas used in radials and warbirds. Having said that I doubt that 20 gallons blended with unleaded would do any harm.

Wefings · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:48 pm Post subject:

EFIs = O2 sensors +lead=problems.According to Honda.
Marc

Robbi · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 10:42 pm Post subject:

Marc, Lead=Problems. You are right. But the biggest problem is the lead. Bad stuff. I just finished some reading on the history of lead in gasoline. My engine doesn't need it, and Puget Sound doesn't need it. I think I will pass.

Robbi

Sawdust · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 11:25 pm Post subject:

Wise lady, Robbi.

Thumbs Up

. I often (whenever I could find an old garden hose) used 135 and lower octane avgas. Price was right Wink

but the newer o/b motors wouldn't like it.

Dusty

Levitation · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:20 am Post subject: In perspective

For generations every gas engine on Puget Sound, both on the water and on the shore, had leaded gas in it - millions of engines... While adding lead to the environment from 102 gallons of race gas may not be PC, it is so minuscule compared to the gas that was burned by your great grandfather, your grandfather, and your father, as to be unmeasurable as an addition...
In addition, the amount of lead that washes from the soil and the buildings into Puget Sound after every rainstorm, vastly exceeds what your two barrels of gas will do...

Robbi · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:59 am Post subject:

My great grandfather lived in the time of steam, my grandfather hated the water and just cut trees, my father fished Puget Sound starting in about 1920. I am sure he spent many more hours rowing than he ever did trolling with an outboard. But me. I have been boating with a gasoline engine for over 50 years. You are right about the minuscule amount of lead in the offered gas. Probably not measurable. But still.......

It is going to be a beautiful day in the Northwest. I think I will take my boat out for the first time since I got back from Lake Powell.

Robbi

Wefings · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:39 am Post subject:

Denny its the thought that counts, unfortunately it will end up in the environment either way . But Robbi's sensors will be the better for it .
Marc

Levitation · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:39 am Post subject:

I ignored the issue of the sensors, that is the owners call...
And, you notice I did not say burn it, but discussed the issues of burning it..
Do it in an engine over land and it will still wind up in the sound in the end, as you point out...

The really annoying part is I have to run leaded gas through my airplane engines when I would rather not do so, because the gov't of Michigan decreed that all motor fuel will have ethanol in it and I cannot get non ethanol motor gas without a major hassle...

denny-o