Gasoline life for a car not used often

[Gary B.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

In many locations it is possible to purchase ethanol-free gas. I use it exclusively in all my vintage motorcycles, vintage cars, and lawn equipment. Ethanol-free gasoline lasts much longer than gasoline with ethanol. If you have ever rebuilt a carb with stale ethanol gasoline, then you understand the 'green goo' ethanol leaves behind. Additionally, ethanol is hard on certain types of rubber fuel lines, carb components, etc. The best method to find stations selling ethanol-free gas is to use this web site: www.pure-gas.org . You can search by State, City, etc., and if you click on the details, often people have posted the octane rating and prices.

Steven,

Ethanol-free gas is not a viable option for me. From the San Jose, CA area, the closest station with ethanol-free is 125 miles away. Avgas at a local municipal airport is 15 miles away. And Avgas is much cheaper.

Gary

[Larry E.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

In many locations it is possible to purchase ethanol-free gas. I use it exclusively in all my vintage motorcycles, vintage cars, and lawn equipment. Ethanol-free gasoline lasts much longer than gasoline with ethanol. If you have ever rebuilt a carb with stale ethanol gasoline, then you understand the 'green goo' ethanol leaves behind. Additionally, ethanol is hard on certain types of rubber fuel lines, carb components, etc. The best method to find stations selling ethanol-free gas is to use this web site: www.pure-gas.org . You can search by State, City, etc., and if you click on the details, often people have posted the octane rating and prices.

Steven: Sorry to report that your www.pure-gas.org is worthless just like the Gov. "Do not call list". I believe even Terry M.
made the comment he drove 50 or so miles only to find out that they never did offer it. In some states it is against the law
to offer it. Larry

[Gary B.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

Steven: Sorry to report that your www.pure-gas.org is worthless just like the Gov. "Do not call list". I believe even Terry M.
made the comment he drove 50 or so miles only to find out that they never did offer it. In some states it is against the law
to offer it. Larry

858-866-0230
Ethanol-free octane ratings: 110 112
GPS coordinates: N 32.78875 W 117.23749 (located from address)Updated by Jonathan Lathbury, May 17, 2021 9:14 CDT
According to Sal this station sells 110 and 112 C12 leaded E0 in five gallon containers.

Gary

[Kenneth F.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

I really appreciate all of this detailed information. There is a small airport nearby.
Thank you to all.

Ken

[Steven M.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

Larry: Thank God I live in the great state of Texas, as www.pure=gas.org

[Thomas H.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

An anecdote about relatively long term storage, make of it what you will:

My '57 fuelie was unintentionally parked for 5+ years. I didn't know ahead of time that was what would happen. So I took no precautions at all regarding the fuel in the tank.

When I finally had time to deal with it, I made sure the high pressure pump in the FI unit would turn easily and I put some fuel in the FI unit. I did nothing about the 5+ year old fuel in the tank.

I started the engine and drove the car around. It ran well and there was no behavioral evidence the old fuel had any issues. And this, BTW, was with the RFG we have to run here in Kalifornia.

This is just one story, of course, and it doesn't prove anything.

YMMV.....

I typically don't do anything with the fuel in my cars when they are stored. They usually get parked in late fall and don't get started again until spring, unless I have to move them (When that happens I'll usually drive then a few miles to get them heated up - unless salt of snow is on the roads....). I've never had an issue with them running or getting gummed up.

As an example, I recently had to pull the engine in my 60. When I removed the carb I was very curious to get it apart to see the insides since the last time I had it apart was probably 10 years ago. When I pulled the air horn the insides were just as clean as when I put it together.

I also inspected the rubber line from the fuel line to the pump and it "appeared" to be in good shape internally - I replaced it though just as a precaution.

I do the same with the lawn mowers and generator and don't seem to have issues with them either.

Of course I'm jinxing myself now..........

Using the same ethanol laced fuel most everyone does here in eastern PA.

As Jim says - YMMV

Tom

[Chris H.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

Happiness is.....2 new jugs of avgas.

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[Mark D.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

For a great many years, I've been told 100LL is 'dry' for cars that depend on lead for lubrication. Our 1978 Beechcraft Bonanza with its Continental IO-520-BB loves it but, 60s solid lifter motors???
VP racing fuels make compatible fuels for Corvettes from 1953 thru current models. I've become a 90s ZR1 goofball and we use VP C9 fuel which satisfies all the 'needs' of those cars. Unleaded, non-oxygenated, non-ethanol and 96 octane. VP fuels makes a fuel for all our needs and can, most likely, be mixed with others to get the job done, regardless of year.
Our 1990 ZR1 Corvettes are very intolerant of any oxygenated, ethanol blended fuels. We have a 1990 that is still on its original injectors and purrs like a kitten.
It costs Do-Ra-Mi to satisfy each application but, what the Hell...we're all rich Corvette owners.
Kramden

PS... BTW, shelf life for VP fuels is 5 years when sealed and 2 years once introduced to gas tank.

[John D.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

In March of 2018 or 2019 I did a seminar on fuel injections for the Pittsburgh Tri State chapter. I did the mechanical injections and Norm Neffield covered the electronic ones.
In the audience I had a member come up and tell everyone a story about his 1964 fuel car. I restored the fuel injection.
Andy was running 40 year old 100LLAC that belonged to his Dad in the old days. The car ran perfect. Shocking isn't it.
The Phone calls I get with my NCRS job with our members etc having issues with their fuel injections is unbelievable. They don't drive them and somehow or other seem to think they can leave pump gas (with or without ethanol) in there car for way over a year and then expect the fuel car to run like a clock.
If it runs at all.
Now I love racing fuel also although not readily available in my area. John

[Larry E.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

Hate to sound like a broken record but here goes>
I'll repeat from a previous thread>I challenge anybody on the following; of course it is JMHO. Buy some 100LL at your local airport in cans.(It is against the law
to fill up a car at the airports pumps.) Run enough Pure Av Gas to get all the current fuel out of the car's system so it is running
on Pure Av Gas. I then summit that your C1-C2-Early C3's ORIGINAL(No modifications) Corvette Engines will>START BETTER-IDLE BETTER-SOUND BETTER-RUN AND ACCELERATE BETTER compared to what you are running now. No it is not cheap to buy
BUT>It is the only READILY AVAILABLE FUEL THAT IS CLOSE WHEN COMPARED TO THE FUEL THAT WAS AVAILABLE WHEN YOUR CORVETTE ENGINE WAS MADE. PERIOD. Plus it will stay fresh (less deterioration)then most fuels. Larry P.S You will notice the difference in a very short time

[Mark E.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

Hate to sound like a broken record but here goes>
I'll repeat from a previous thread>I challenge anybody on the following; of course it is JMHO. Buy some 100LL at your local airport in cans.(It is against the law
to fill up a car at the airports pumps.) Run enough Pure Av Gas to get all the current fuel out of the car's system so it is running
on Pure Av Gas. I then summit that your C1-C2-Early C3's ORIGINAL(No modifications) Corvette Engines will>START BETTER-IDLE BETTER-SOUND BETTER-RUN AND ACCELERATE BETTER compared to what you are running now. No it is not cheap to buy
BUT>It is the only READILY AVAILABLE FUEL THAT IS CLOSE WHEN COMPARED TO THE FUEL THAT WAS AVAILABLE WHEN YOUR CORVETTE ENGINE WAS MADE. PERIOD. Plus it will stay fresh (less deterioration)then most fuels. Larry P.S You will notice the difference in a very short time

Doesn't running lead add a whole new set of issues? Deposits on valves, guides, plugs, exhaust system...

[Larry E.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

Doesn't running lead add a whole new set of issues? Deposits on valves, guides, plugs, exhaust system...

Mark: Didn't seem to bother the Chevrolet Engineers that invented the most popular engines known; namely the S/B/C and
the B/B/C. You may have somewhat of a point IF THESE CARS WHERE "EVERYDAY USED CARS" but they are not. For the
amount of driving they actually do it is "drop in the bucket"of lead harm done. If fact mine are "trailer queens"with a occasional
small drive. (And I mean small)>Larry

[Domenic T.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

Cleaned hundreds of aircraft plugs and find that the bottom set (uppers and lowers for each cylinder) are the ones with the most lead balls, if lead is the blame. There are NO valve guide seals in aircraft cylinders which gets me to believe that the oil causes most of the so called lead balls. Also, airplanes that run on unleaded pump gas have the same lead balls on their bottom plugs. Haven't seen buildup on valves, sure they have a burnt coating like a car exhaust valve does, but in all my years never a build up on a intake.

Dom

No contest between av gas and pump gas. Those that oppose it have never used it. just that simple. If you have compression you need it If you took your original vette engine and made it NON original with different pistons then you can burn what you want because your engine is not stock.
For those that do not drive hard then it doesent matter. If you want to lay rubber the gas matters....
When driving to work and having to use pump gas I would lift the hood and have to retard my timing EVERY time. Going thru the gate I would mash it and maybe ten feet of rubber. Got my fix of av gas and again lifted the hood to advance the timing and could lay rubber all the way. I used grease on my distributor gasket and had marks to use when retarding and advancing at first, then didn't even step all the way out of the car to twist the distributor, just popped the hood and reached around to twist it.

[Mark E.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

I used grease on my distributor gasket and had marks to use when retarding and advancing at first, then didn't even step all the way out of the car to twist the distributor, just popped the hood and reached around to twist it.

That's funny. Reminds me of a buddy in high school who built a mid-engine SBC Corvair. While giving me a ride, he would reach back to twist the dizzy to adjust timing.

[Domenic T.]

Re: Gasoline life for a car not used often

That's funny. Reminds me of a buddy in high school who built a mid-engine SBC Corvair. While giving me a ride, he would reach back to twist the dizzy to adjust timing.

Mark,
I turn the dizy till it pings then reduce it till the pinging stops. When we had a motor home business I used to do a power tune. They would drive under full power and I would get it to ping , then reduce it. They loved it.

Dom