I put avgas in my lawn tractor & push mower for winter storage, and also my emergency generator. The generator sat for a couple of years ( no power outage for once !) and I had forgot to put good gas in it. And as many of you know, the ethanol did a number on the carb in it. Had to clean & dig all the crap out of it.
We now have two stations that I know of, that have non-ethanol gas, referred to as "recreational" gas.
I can remember when ethanol gas was first used in the east coast marinas, maybe unknown to boat owners (?) and all the damage it did to engines and old fiberglass fuel tanks. Seems like the old type resins used on early tanks would dissolve a bit & get into the fuel mix, ending up in engines etc.

 

Higher altitude would have the opposite effect of adding forced induction. You would get less air with each intake stroke which would effectively lower the compression ratio.(ratio would stay the same, but cylinder pressure would be less)

 

Oh my. I bet that was expensive!

Bingo ^^ Higher "octane" resist pre-ignition cause by heat from compression - less pressure, less heat. Don't need to have a high-compression engine or forced induction for that problem, either: Running in very hot climates can require higher rated fuel.

 

This is from the Shell Canada site FAQ:
2. Is Shell V-Power premium gasoline safe for all vehicles?

• Shell V-Power is effective in all gasoline-powered engines found in conventional, modern and hybrid vehicles as well as motorcycles, snowmobiles, and leisure marine vehicles.
• Tested in today’s advanced turbo-charged and direct injection engines, Shell V-Power helps resist thermal breakdown at high temperatures, actively protecting against gunk under tough engine conditions.
• Shell V-Power premium gasoline in Canada does not contain ethanol.

 

It takes time, consistent controls of driving conditions and accurate record keeping to honestly claim changes in mpg. One or two tanks of different octane gas is not sound evidence/proof of a mpg claim. Again, article after article say higher octane does not increase mpg in a properly tuned/maintained vehicle........I guess there could always be a rare acception.

 

A few years ago, one of the oil people in a middle-East country said he just didn't understand why the US is using food ( corn) for fuel. I agree with him, but politics is/are politics....

 

It's the future!!! Everyone grab a corn cob!

Whats funny is that I worked with a few yuppie ***** who drank the 'ethanol saves the world' kool-aid.

Edited, as proper.

 

You mean Dubya? Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 are reponsible for the current state of ethanol in the United States. Or Bush Sr, under whom the Clean Air Act was amended in 1992 to call for reduced carbon monoxide emissions?

Drop the political crap please. Read the forum rules.

 

You are correct. Apologies for riding the fence there. Edited as it should be.

My shoe doesnt taste very good...

 

ethanol is a pretty badass fuel. it just needs to be cheaper in order to be fiscally effective.

 

87 octane is NOT the lowest octane pump fuel you can find in the USA. It may be the lowest you see in your area but it's not true for the whole country.

 

The lowest I've seen discussed is 85. Does it go lower?

 

OK, my bad, 87 is the lowest octane in +/-, more or less, 99.9% of the USA........better?

 

It's probably less than 99.9%. 85 octane is sold in mountain areas because it behaves the same at high altitudes as 87 octane at sea level. There are several states with high enough elevations to sell 85.

Last month I fueled up a rental car with 85 at a station in Los Alamos, NM. That was at 7300 feet.

 

I believe I've seen as low as 84 in Montana. Last time I was there you were hard pressed to find higher than 89 unless you were at a shell or Sunoco station.