Best Type Of Gas To Use

Thanks for all the advice! I realized I made a typo.... I wrote that the performance improved on 89, I meant 87 :silly:

Thinking about running some Seafoam through it too. I just did a complete carb clean and rebuild, added a fuel line filter and also cleaned out petcock. Silly boy..... I never dealt with the rust inside the tank........

Will the Seafoam help or is there more chance it will help to push the rust back into the system?

Dave.

Thistle wrote:

....Will the Seafoam help or is there more chance it will help to push the rust back into the system?...

I'm quite a Seafoam zealot/fanatic. I have used it many times, and it always works to help clean our fuel passageways in places I could not get to... over time, of course...

However, I have no idea what it does to rust. In fact, one of my tanks is untreated, and a bit rusty, and I can't say I've noticed if it did anything to it.

Just make sure you keep using those inline filters... I use the brass mesh element type...

Biquetoast wrote:

For those that don't know, remember this:

Octane is a detonation (and ignition, for that matter) INHIBITOR.

The higher the octane, the LESS likely the fuel is to completely burn, or detonate.

High octane fuel is only required in engines with HIGH(er) compression to avoid detonation.

Some people who have normal engines use the next octane up (89-ish?) when in extreme conditions that might increase the likelihood of detonation (pinging); like extreme heat, etc.

All of our engines, unless modified for performance, should be running on regular ol' regular.

The use of high(er) octane fuels in our regular engines will only cause hesitation and carbon build-up from unburned fuel.

...Okay, I re-checked the above for accuracy, but if anybody catches an error there, let me know....

Absolutely correct. One thing I would add - higer octane fuel actually has LESS energy than lower octane. So, if your bike will run on regular, and you put premium in it, chances are you are getting LESS power!

Same goes for avgas. The 100LL sold at airports is absolutely the WORST stuff to put in a car or bike - it has a boatload of lead in it (despite the "low lead" designation) and will foul up plugs and carbs in a heartbeat! As to those stories of guys who put jet fuel in their cars and claim massive performance gains - all lies - jet fuel is diesel!

slowman wrote:

If the station I'm at is not selling 10% ethanol I get 87.
If the station is selling 10% ethanol I get 89.

Avoid ethanol if you can help it... it'll dry out all the rubber parts of your fuel system.

ive run the ethanol for between 20-30 years in everything ive got that doesnt require rocket fuel and never had any problems related to it,and it happens to be the cheapest around these parts

I don't think that I can buy gas in NH that does not have 10% ethanol. I have a 2003 Mini Cooper S that had the fuel pump go bad (under warranty thankfully) and the dealer told me that this was related to ethanol. I got an email from BMW/Mini suggesting that I only use Shell or Mobil. Not sure why they would suggest those companies. Any truth in this?

Shell is trying to hold onto 100% for as long as possible it seems... In Madison the last Shell station went to 10% ethanol just last week, whereas 10% ethanol has been standard at pretty much every other station for the last 2 years.

Mobil has been 10% for quite awhile here.

I just got rid of an 82 honda 500, and used regular gas when i first got it. Ran fine, but as i was working on it, the spec sheet under the seat said to use only premium. Why?
And it did seem to run better, stronger on the premium.. I would switch back and forth depending on how much money i had.. :ohmy:

One more thing.. On another note, had a boat with an outboard motor when they were just switching everything to ethanol, and there was a warning posted on the pumps to NOT mix regular gas with ethanol gas, it would blow the outboard motor. Anyone know the truths, the hows and whys?

High octane fuel 91 or above burns slower(longer)instead of a flash combustion(detonation)which can be caused by red hot carbon on top of the pistons or valves.a lot of ignition advance will only aggravate the problem.high compression engines make more cylinder pressure which makes it necessary to go to higher octane to prevent detonation.so if your stock engine is pinging on 87-89 pump gas you have carbon issues or your ign. timing is to fast or both.just some thongs i have learned over 30 plus years of hot rods and bikes.