Premium Gas for the A

Paul from Maine

Paul from Maine

Senior Member
Was reading the thread about premium gas. Is it true there is no ethanol in premium fuel? It makes sense to me, but I have never heard or read anything about that before. I've been running regular 10% ethanol in everything because it has way more octane than all but one of my vehicles needs and the one that could benefit from premium still gets regular because I don't push it hard and the computer compensates. But I have had sticky valves and float needles, and if there is really no ethanol in Premium, I will spring the extra cash for it.
 
The gas with no ethanol has always been labeled "PREMIUM" and has been 91 octane where I buy it, but not all premium gas is non-ethanol. You need to find the few stations that actually sell the good gas.
 
Here in Illinois, they really push ethanol. It is difficult to find ANY fuel here that doesn't contain ethanol...... :-(
 
Been running that 91 Shell since I had problems 2 years ago, none since. Great gas, I use it in everything except the Yukon. (weed wacker, lawn mower, blower, chain saw and concrete saw) My small engine mechanic says most of his work now is due to gas that is 3 months old or left in machines over the winter
 
All gas in south florida has ethanol. You do know that Octane rating does not relate to the energy content of the fuel? It is only a measure of the fuel's tendency to burn in a controlled manner, rather than exploding in an uncontrolled manner. Higher octane "slower" burn, less knock.
 
Mike V. Florida said:
All gas in south florida has ethanol. You do know that Octane rating does not relate to the energy content of the fuel? It is only a measure of the fuel's tendency to burn in a controlled manner, rather than exploding in an uncontrolled manner. Higher octane "slower" burn, less knock.
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Yup, we use to run 80 octane aviation fuel in our low compression aviation motors (O-200 Continentals and O-320 Lycomings) until it became unavailable in the the Eighties. Switched to regular auto gas in the Nineties, but have been forced to run 100LL since the ethanol switch. Runs worse on the 100LL due to the high lead content (ironicly the "LL" stands for "low lead"). Higher octane adds nothing to the power of low compression aviation motors and the additional lead just fouls the plugs.
 
I use BP premium in my Harleys with highly modified high HP engines, it is 92 octane around here, but some parts of the country I have seen BP at 93 octane while on tours.
 
Back when I got my first A back in 1961 I was told not to use premium as it would burn the valves. I don't know if that is true or not but I still use regular fuel. Of course back then regular wa 12.9 cents a gallon and Ethyl was 18 cents.
 
I just filled up at Esso in Ontario and was told that their mid-grade and premium grade does NOT contain ethanol. Never knew that. Wish they would label the pumps. The "may contain up to 10% ethanol" leaves one guessing.
 
Chris Haynes said:
Back when I got my first A back in 1961 I was told not to use premium as it would burn the valves. I don't know if that is true or not but I still use regular fuel. Of course back then regular wa 12.9 cents a gallon and Ethyl was 18 cents.
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In 61 the gas was totally different than it is today,not only in price. I run non-oxygenated premium that in our area does not contain ethanol.
 
All grades of consumer gasoline in Connecticut contains 10% ethanol. A very few stations have a special Sunoco pump labelled "CAM2" Racing Fuel, usually located behind the station building and you have to get an attendant to switch it on. The sign on the pump claims its 97 octane and ethanol free. It's suposed to be for "off road" use because no State of Federal taxes are collected. At 8.75 per gallon, pay first is the the only option. Haven't tried it in my A yet, but I see a lot of vintage muscle cars there on weekends. (They all have valid motor vehicle registrations too)
 
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