Ethanol-Free Fuel

Do you use ethanol-free fuel?

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Are you guys running ethanol-free gasoline in your SV motors? One of my friends restores corvettes and told me I shouldn’t use anything else, but it’s hard to swallow at $5/gallon and my very poor fuel economy.

Worth the money?
 
Not needed for the SV motors with hardened valve inserts and Stelite valves you're good to go. The new carb will have ethanol compatible components too.
 
I use it in all my lawn equipment and motorcycle.

I put it in the IH too, whether it needs it or not. The IH doesn't need the added alcohol.

To each their own.
 
You can safely use it, just don't let it sit for too long as the fuel is more corrosive to our older made parts.
 
Alky gas isn't as good as the non-E, especially if longer term storage is desired. But, you can somewhat mitigate the short shelf life of alky gas by treating it with Marine Stabyl fuel stabilizer so long as this is done when the fuel is fresh. If you're generally consuming alky gas within a few weeks of purchase, then shelf life isn't a concern. The alky gas isn't as volatile as non-E and therefore it takes more of it to create the same controlled explosion that you get from the same quantity of non-E. In other words, alky gas is less efficient than non-E. But, as you alluded to, today's non-E is hugely expensive. As such, it is most practical for use in smaller engines that aren't necessarily used on a daily basis such as mowers, saws, leaf blowers, weed eaters, ATV/UTV etc. The higher price of it generally negates practicality in anything with frequent usage and correspondingly higher fuel consumption.
 
I've used E-10 (used to be "Gasohol") as my fuel of choice for 40 years. I've used it in Holley, Rochester, Keihin, Mikuni, and small-engine carbs, TPI and Port fuel injection. It's best if you don't need to store the vehicle--over the winter, for example. I've never actually had problems with stored fuel, though.

I've never had a problem that I could blame on the Ethanol content of the fuel. I had problems with water in the gasoline, immediately after I filled the boat at the marina fuel pump. I figure their underground tank leaked, the fuel was contaminated before I pumped it. I've had multiple small engines rot out the primer bulb, and/or rot out the small-diameter fuel hoses. I blame cheap Communist Chinese bulbs and hose. My uncle got a bad load of gasoline in the Denver area twenty years ago--his round-trip to visit relatives took several fuel filters and a dozen tanks of gas to "fix"; but again the fuel was contaminated in the underground tank before he even pulled into the gas station. That's not the fault of the Ethanol, that's the fault of dirtbag gas-station owners; and the bottom-feeder parts suppliers "approved" by the small engine manufacturers.

E-15 and higher concentrations of Ethanol can void vehicle warranties; and "blender pumps" are a TOTAL NIGHTMARE for motorcyclists and others with very small fuel tanks. But the Government doesn't care about vehicle warranties or motorcyclists/snowmobile riders. And don't get me started on E-85 which is almost never actually 85% Ethanol and is supremely inconsistent unless you're buying drums of "race gas".

Ethanol has fewer BTUs per gallon than gasoline, so it takes more fuel to generate the same power. Fuel economy goes down a little bit.

I have come to believe--without evidence--that "somebody" or multiple "somebodies" are dumping industrial waste into the gasoline supply. Folks from some areas of the country are crying bullets over the damage done by "Ethanol"; when the truth is Ethanol is pretty benign. The damage (I suspect) is really being done by some sort of toxic waste contaminating the gasoline, and Ethanol is taking the blame. I know for a fact that this has happened; many years ago folks on the East Coast got into trouble for dumping some sort of sludge into the gasoline supply rather than having it disposed-of properly. But like I said--this was many years ago, and I can't find a news article to confirm what happened.

Ethanol in gasoline is TERRIBLE environmental, and economic "Government policy". But E-10 is a fine fuel.
 
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