# No more ethanol-free gas? (maybe just here in NY?)



## homebrewz (May 6, 2011)

Went to my local source of ethanol-free gas this morning for a 2 gallon fill-up to make some mix for my Stihl MS-290. The station attendant says they no longer have ethanol-free. He went on to say "there IS no more ethanol-free" and that the regular 87 they have now does have ethanol, but it also has "anti-ethanol" additives in it to combat the negative effects of the ethanol. 

- Does anyone know if you can no longer get ethanol-free gas in NY?
- He couldn't elaborate on the additives.. is this BS? 

I now have 2 gallons of 50:1 mix with ethanol. After reading a few threads, I'm guessing I'd be OK to use it, but I should use it up in a couple of weeks. Are there any concerns I should have? 

Thanks!


----------



## mayhem (May 6, 2011)

I don't think I've seen ethanol free gasoline for sale in 15-20 years.

Your stuff will be fine.  Run your OPE dry so the stuff doesn't sit in the fuel lines and ruin them prematurely and I think thats about it.

Ethanol is gasoline has been a fact of life for a very long time now, if engine manufacturers haven't been taking the chemical makeup of fuel by now, shame on them.


----------



## homebrewz (May 6, 2011)

There are stations throughout the US that sell ethanol free gas, and we had a local one here. What the station attendant told me is a relatively new development.


----------



## TreePointer (May 6, 2011)

Use at least the minimum octane rated by your manual, quality 2-cycle oil from a chainsaw maker, and keep it fresh and you should be fine.  Don't worry about weeks; it should be good for at least a couple months if the 2-cycle mix has stabilizer in it.  Just don't accidentally use E85, lol!


----------



## kenskip1 (May 6, 2011)

How about trying your local airport?A speed shop will cost you but it will give you piece of mind. Personally I would just go ahead and use it then dump the remainder in the lawn mower. Ken


----------



## Thistle (May 6, 2011)

I can get ethanol free gas here anywhere the other is sold.It runs about 30 cents more a gallon though.I've used the ethanol for probably 10 yrs now.I just make sure all gas tanks in my small engines are empty when not being used for a period of time,but I did that 25+ yrs ago before ethanol was even available.Saws are used several hours a week mimimum,lawn mower/snow blower etc will sit in storage for several months depending on season.


----------



## wkpoor (May 6, 2011)

I use only AvGas in all my 2 stroke. Fuel problems....Zero.


----------



## oldspark (May 7, 2011)

Can buy ethanol free gas any where in Iowa.


----------



## Mt Ski Bum (May 7, 2011)

usually 2 out of 3 grades are ethanol-free here in Montana. The only place around here that I've seen which have ethanol in all 3 fuel grades would be the service stations inside Yellowstone NP...


----------



## blel (May 7, 2011)

Try this site     http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=NY


----------



## Hass (May 7, 2011)

homebrewz said:
			
		

> Went to my local source of ethanol-free gas this morning for a 2 gallon fill-up to make some mix for my Stihl MS-290. The station attendant says they no longer have ethanol-free. He went on to say "there IS no more ethanol-free" and that the regular 87 they have now does have ethanol, but it also has "anti-ethanol" additives in it to combat the negative effects of the ethanol.
> 
> - Does anyone know if you can no longer get ethanol-free gas in NY?
> - He couldn't elaborate on the additives.. is this BS?
> ...



I live in WNY, I used to go to Kwik-fills and they had ethanol free... Always got my gas for my welder/generator and mowers and stuff from there.
Then one time I went to fill it up for my tractor, and noticed it had the 10% ethanol sticker.
There's a place called "Hi-Quality" in Lockport NY that used to sell ethanol free.. so i went there, and they have ethanol now as well.


Don't forget, Stihl saws require 89 octane or higher!


----------



## yooperdave (May 8, 2011)

used to be while traveling out west, states like wyoming would be ethanol free gas.  makes a big difference on gas mileage, as you all know.  at speeds of 75 mph, i got the best mileage ever-43.6 mpg in an 05 corolla.  as soon as i crossed the border coming back east, the mileage dropped with the first tank of ethanol gas.
a guy locally hauled from the refinery to his station himself and always got the ethanol free gas.  was worth paying a few cents more for it.  he hasn't been able to get it for about 4 years now.  (his business is in wis.)


----------



## oldspark (May 8, 2011)

I think if you know this is coming you need to let your state leaders know you want the choice of ethanol free gas, saying you are not green for opposing this is crap.


----------



## homebrewz (May 8, 2011)

Hass said:
			
		

> I live in WNY, I used to go to Kwik-fills and they had ethanol free... Always got my gas for my welder/generator and mowers and stuff from there. Then one time I went to fill it up for my tractor, and noticed it had the 10% ethanol sticker.
> There's a place called "Hi-Quality" in Lockport NY that used to sell ethanol free.. so i went there, and they have ethanol now as well.



That's what I'm talking about. As far as I can tell, NY isn't a mandatory E10 state, but it seems some stations are phasing it out. The gas mileage difference is because ethanol has a lower energy density than gasoline. Sort of like the difference between a split of oak and a split of cherry. It just has less BTU's.   

Thanks for the positive comments regarding its use in saws. It sounds like it will be OK to use as long as I don't keep it around too long.


----------



## Battenkiller (May 8, 2011)

I've been able to get non-ethanol high test in NY as of a few weeks ago, at which time I bought 10 gallons of 93 octane. I tested it at home and found to be without any ethanol, no idea how you'd test the octane rating.  I know that if you remove the ethanol yourself with water and separation, the octane rating will drop considerably.  Most octane boosters contain some kind of alcohol anyway, so....

I still have some of that left, but I'm bring out a couple more cans next time I'm in Amsterdam.  I know they have been fighting a losing battle for awhile at that particular station, maybe they've lost the fight since I was there last.  We'll see.


----------



## homebrewz (May 8, 2011)

Hey BK.. this was a station in Schoharie that as of a few weeks ago had 87 E-free. There is one in Albany listed on the E-free site and that's where I'm going to check next.


----------



## Battenkiller (May 8, 2011)

I just went to the Pure-gas website and saw that the station I was getting it from is no longer listed.  End of story, I guess.  The other station I was getting from is Rhodes on Western Ave in Albany, but that's only 87 octane, so that's fine for my mower, tiller, snowblower etc, but I won't put that in my saws, so I guess it's over for me as far as ethanol-free gas.


----------



## oldspark (May 8, 2011)

I would rather run 87 regular than 89 ethanol any day of the week.


----------



## homebrewz (May 8, 2011)

When I bought my saw last summer, I asked my local Stihl dealer which was better, high-octane with ethanol or 87 E-free. They said the 87 E-free. 
Haven't dealt with them very much, so can't speak for their experience. That's just what they told me. 

I'll call Rhodes in Albany when I need fuel again and find out if they still sell it.


----------



## PJF1313 (May 8, 2011)

.

  I haven't seen any "pure" gas, except for the local landing strips, down here for atleast 6 or so years.  I travel from Manhattan to Montauk and Orient Pt. and always keep my eye open for it.  They started it full-time after the MTBE debacle.  It was in the "winter" gas though.

  I buy what I know/estimate that I'll use in the next 3 or so months.  Put a dash of Star-Tron/Sea Foam in the can before I fill it (also add the oil if 2-cycle)



BTW - A little O.T.

   We just got a couple of new pieced of equipment at work.  They use a B&S "18" H.P. motors.  They now have a, what I call, vapor canister on 'em.  The vent line from the fuel tank goes to it; another line goes from it to the motor somewhere??; and a third with a filter on the bottom.   Well, after 17 hours on the dial, one of them quit - VAPOR LOCK  (when was the last time you heard that?!?!?)  The filter on the bottom was clogged with water (E?) and wouldn't allow the tank to vent.  Open the tank, break the vacuum,  and all was good for about a half hour!  Rinse - Repeat.  I hope that they keep that garbage off residential stuff for a LONG time - just something else to get messed up.


  Good luck on your "pure" gas search!


----------



## wkpoor (May 9, 2011)

Not easy to get these days but AvGas is the ticket. Pure as lacquer thinner and when it dries no varnish. Plus it will stay good for up to 2 yrs. Only problem is is evaporates so easily you can't leave in vented tank or can. I lost 20gals from a 55gallon drum thats how I learned.


----------



## Battenkiller (May 9, 2011)

homebrewz said:
			
		

> When I bought my saw last summer, I asked my local Stihl dealer which was better, high-octane with ethanol or 87 E-free. They said the 87 E-free.
> Haven't dealt with them very much, so can't speak for their experience. That's just what they told me.
> 
> I'll call Rhodes in Albany when I need fuel again and find out if they still sell it.



I'll stick with what my owner's manual tells me for now - 90 octane or better, otherwise you risk damaging the engine.  E-10 won't hurt things real badly unless you let it sit around long enough to cause phase separation to occur, then you'll probably blow up your saw.  Stabil/Sea Foam is the cure for that.  Two of my saws have had fuel lines replaced with Tygon, the rest will be as needed.  I have to accept the E-10 as a sad fact of life and just hope and pray they don't force E-15 down our throats before long.

Homebrewz, I will being going right past Rhodes on the way to my friend's house tomorrow morning.  I'll stop and ask if they are open for business when I pass (I'm leaving here early in the AM).  They used to have regular and high test E-free, but maybe all the have is the regular now.  Oh, and another place in Troy, NY used to be listed on the Pure-gas site, but I see that one is gone now as well.


----------



## Battenkiller (May 9, 2011)

Stopped at Rhoades Service Center in Albany on the way home.  They still carry the 87 octane ethanol-free gas if anyone in the area is interested.  No more high test, as I suspected.


----------



## homebrewz (May 9, 2011)

Thanks for the update!


----------



## amateur cutter (May 11, 2011)

I run VP 110 Racing gas in my saws, pure gas, & it's leaded. Saws run with more power , & burn less fuel. Well worth it for the 25 to 30 gal a year that I burn. A C


----------



## kettensÃ¤ge (May 11, 2011)

Last ethanol free in PA was 8-31-2010, not sure how they changed it to counteract the ethanol but I did notice better power and mileage over the past month.


----------



## nate379 (May 13, 2011)

No ethanol gass here.


----------



## Intheswamp (May 13, 2011)

Battenkiller said:
			
		

> homebrewz said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I hear you on the E-15, Bk.  I wonder what impact  the flooding in the Mississippi Valley/Delta and the floods that preceded the flooding in the delta will have on corn prices. 

Ed


----------



## oldspark (May 13, 2011)

Intheswamp said:
			
		

> Battenkiller said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 I think over the long haul ethanol is not a good idea, just another "feel good" idea that has little merit in the big picture.


----------



## Battenkiller (May 15, 2011)

I just had to deliver four non-running Dolmar 420s to a local dealer for a friend of mine.  Every one has fuel line problems because of E-gas.  The dealer highly recommended using Star Tron fuel additive when using E-10, so I bought a bottle for when my E-free runs out... which should be any day now.   :-S


----------



## PJF1313 (May 15, 2011)

Battenkiller - What kind of 2-cycle oil do you use?

   I've been running Star-tron in all my gas the last few years - straight for the mowers and snow blowers, and it, with a synthetic 2-cycle for the saws and brush cutter.  So far, knock on wood, no problems as of yet.


----------



## Battenkiller (May 15, 2011)

I've been using Amsoil Dominator, 40:1.  I just bought a quart of Amsoil Saber that I intend to run 50:1 in all my saws.


----------

