Non-Oxygenated Gasoline

[vikes40for60]

Is it me or does anyone else see better performance with this type of gasoline. I filled up at a resort on Leech Lake and I saw some increase in performace on my motor. Is this type of gasoline available anywhere in the metro?

[Chris Haley]

It's the only gas I run in my boat!!! Look for the 92 octane some 91's are non-oxygenated. They will have a sticker saying they are non-oxygenated gasoline. If you noticed a difference with just that, try picking up some carbon gaurd and adding it to your gas this prevents ring freeze and loss of power due to blow by. You can get carbon gaurd at any good marine shop.

P.S. I always get my 92 octane non-oxygenated gas at Holiday.

[kslipsinker]

I buy my gas at Fleet Farm in Lakeville. The best thing about it is it doesn't have ethanol, which breaks down and forms deposits it the fuel systems.

[lumpy]

The gas pump will tell you if is non-oxygenated. There will be a sign on the premium pump that it OK for old cars, small engines, etc and that it is NOT oxygenated. The octane rating alone will not tell you if it is oxygenated. Most resorts will sell the non-oxygenated fuel. Got an good lesson about that after talking with the Griz on Mille Lacs last weekend. That's the only kind of gas you want to run in your boat.

[Whoaru99]

Non-oxygenated gasoline could in some sense be considered more powerful than oxygenated gas because the BTU/Gallon of Ethanol (~76000) is less than gasoline (~115000). Keep in mind that you're not burning pure Ethanol because it is mixed roughly 10% with the gas, so the net result is a fuel with BTU/Gallon of ~111000 or about 3% less energy per gallon. Some of the 3% is supposed to be offset by the extra oxygen causing a more complete burn, so the overall difference varies a bit between 1% and 3%. If you see more difference than expected (1%-3%) it could be something with your engine. The 1 to 3 percent probably applies about equally to power and fuel economy reductions.

Octane in and of itself does not contribute to the fuel's "power"(BTU/Gallon), only to the fuel's resistance to detonation (explosive combustion) as opposed to a controlled burning event in the cylinders. Most engines can be tuned/built to produce more power with higher octane because of mechanical characteristics such as increased compression, spark timing, etc.

Some say that using a higher octane than necessary can actually reduce the power output slightly. These days there isn't much choice however, since the only non-oxygenate fuel I see anymore is the premium 91-93 octane stuff unless you start getting into racing fuels or airplane gas.

All I use is non-oxygenated unless there is no other choice in a pinch.

[HotShot]

Old fashion pure gas is at Leroy's in Bloomington and the 66 station at 66th and 13th ave in Richfield, also all fleet farms.All the dealers and mechanics say to only use the pure 92 but the state of Minn. and dnr are in bed with ethonal and even advertize the dump in the fishing regs. I say plant corn fields to crp and get the oil from the tundra for pure gas and we all win.

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HotShot

[chunkytrout]

I don't remember where I heard this but on a different note, I was told NOT to run non-O2 gas in a modern car as it will throw off some of the sensors hooked to the cars CPU. Just a thought. In my 2 strokes, I only run 92 non-O2 gas.

chunky

[Shorelunch]

Is non-O2 gas safe to use in a 4S then?

[lumpy]

If you mean 4-stroke engines I would think yes. I mentioned talking with Griz who has switched to 4-strokes last year and was promoting his brand to me. He said the techs from where he gets his boat/motor said that the non-oxygenated fuel was the best. I would recommend you find someone who you purchased your 4-stroke from who can give you a qualified yes or no to that question. I would think that the potential for good outweighs the potential for bad. I've only owned my own rig for a year now so I can't speak from long-time experience but I respect those who have and listen to them.

[Whoaru99]

You've hit upon one of the biggest concerns about using Ethanol blended gas in boat motors - it attracts water.

[Bobb-o]

Haley, when we got my dad a new boat this spring the guy at the boat store told us that you shouldnt get your gas from holiday or SA becauseit supposedly held more water and ethanol and was therefore bad for the engine. by the way it is a merc I/O is there any truth to this?

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"Score, and they will remember you for 25 years. Miss and
they will remember you forever."

[lumpy]

This is a web site that has a list of stations that sell non-oxygenated premium in Minnesota.
http://www.mnssa.com/Non.html

If you know of a station that could be added to that list let them know.