Additives in ethanol free fuel

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Apr 22, 2016
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Is there a difference in injector cleaner and carbon deposit additives in regular fuel vs ethanol free? Please enlighten me.
 
Not really. Most detergent additives are fine to use regardless of the ethanol content (even none). I believe the certification tests are usually done on at least 8% ethanol gasoline, or at least that's what I saw in the Top Tier testing requirement.
 
I've never seen Top Tier labeled E0. The only places around here are farm co-ops and marinas.

I don't believe there's a requirement that Top Tier fuel sellers have to include ethanol. I've read over the testing procedures, and they require a minimum of 8% ethanol I think, but that's only as part of the testing requirement to test the additive.

I think some E0 fuel is sold by the big oil companies, like Shell. But that might be more common in the midwest where there's less demand for higher octane fuels compared to the coasts. Ethanol is the most cost effective octane booster available.
 
I've never seen Top Tier labeled E0. The only places around here are farm co-ops and marinas.
There are lots of stations selling Top Tier E0 in Wisconsin as long as you are out of my area which is an EPA nonattainment zone. Top Tier licensing is agnostic to ethanol content.
 
Maybe.
In my area the E0, marine gas pumps are usually separate and don't seem to carry top tier designation.
So whether or not they have the higher level of additives required for Top Tier designation nobody knows except the station, the delivery driver, and the terminal.
I would guess its a mixed bag. But i'd love to know the answer as well.
 
Maybe.
In my area the E0, marine gas pumps are usually separate and don't seem to carry top tier designation.
So whether or not they have the higher level of additives required for Top Tier designation nobody knows except the station, the delivery driver, and the terminal.
I would guess its a mixed bag. But i'd love to know the answer as well.
Kwik Trip is prevalent in Wisconsin and all their fuel is Top Tier regardless of grade. They sell E0 at many stations just not the ones in Southeastern Wisconsin.
 
I was watching a youtube video of a small engine builder of powersports. He commented that he usually sees quite a bit more carbon on engines run exclusively on E0 vs regular pump gas. For my motocross bikes and OPE, should I be putting a splash of Techron in my 5 gallon cans? This is the reason I was asking about additives in the first place, thanks.
 
I was watching a youtube video of a small engine builder of powersports. He commented that he usually sees quite a bit more carbon on engines run exclusively on E0 vs regular pump gas. For my motocross bikes and OPE, should I be putting a splash of Techron in my 5 gallon cans? This is the reason I was asking about additives in the first place, thanks.
E0 is "regular pump gas".
 
I was watching a youtube video of a small engine builder of powersports. He commented that he usually sees quite a bit more carbon on engines run exclusively on E0 vs regular pump gas. For my motocross bikes and OPE, should I be putting a splash of Techron in my 5 gallon cans? This is the reason I was asking about additives in the first place, thanks.

That's a possibility. Ethanol actually helps improve combustion and does quite a bit of cleaning on its own. There might also be issues if aromatics are used to improve octane rating without an oxygenate.

 
I was watching a youtube video of a small engine builder of powersports. He commented that he usually sees quite a bit more carbon on engines run exclusively on E0 vs regular pump gas. For my motocross bikes and OPE, should I be putting a splash of Techron in my 5 gallon cans? This is the reason I was asking about additives in the first place, thanks.
Interesting.
Yeah I would say techron is not a bad suggestion.

Like has been mentioned Ethanol improves combustion and improves octane.
In order to acheive higher octane more aromatics and olefins would be needed to make up the difference.
Both have downsides in terms of deposits and gum formation.

So, in addition to Techron you might consider a fuel stabilizer like StaBil if you're not going to use it in a reasonable amount of time.
Techron also has power sport and marine versions which do advertise fuel stabilizing properties.
...why can't anything be easy...

E0 is "regular pump gas".
E10 is regular pump gas in most of the US.
 
It depends on your locality yes. But I meant “regular pump gas” as in something you would get from one of the standard pumps from a random gasoline station. Race gas is not regular pump gas.
 
Where I am, it's Cenex that sells E0 91 Octane at alot of stations. As you "Return" back to civilization, every station has E10 91 at almost $.80 cheaper than non Ethanol 91.

But where I am, E0 91 is as close as beer and Booze...lol, and its still cheaper by the gallon! It taste like **** Though!
 
Racing fuel is Clean, Very Clean. Pump gas...not so.

The smell of Race fuel is like "Victory"

Race fuel is very different. I hear it's made from a blend of specific hydrocarbons rather than just the semi-random stuff that comes out of distillation stacks. I hear there can literally be hundreds of different components in normal gasoline. But it's very expensive to produce.
 
Where I am, it's Cenex that sells E0 91 Octane at alot of stations. As you "Return" back to civilization, every station has E10 91 at almost $.80 cheaper than non Ethanol 91.

But where I am, E0 91 is as close as beer and Booze...lol, and its still cheaper by the gallon! It taste like **** Though!

It's kind of weird now. There are times when fuel ethanol is cheaper than the base gasoline, but sometimes that gets turned around depending on commodity prices. I'm looking up one source that says that ethanol today is $2.48/gallon while RBOB is $2.25. A few years ago, RBOB was more expensive than ethanol. So you had the advantage of it being cheaper, AND meeting the AKI octane requirement.

Still - I get that trying to meet the octane requirement without using an oxygenate is going to be more expensive. RBOB is designed to meet the 87 AKI octane requirement for regular unleaded, when blended with 10% fuel ethanol. Not sure what 91 AKI octane E0 costs on the commodity market, but I'm sure that it's way more than RBOB.

I'm not quite getting it though. I see today this says the average gallon price of E85 is $2.37, but E0 (no octane specified) is $3.04. That doesn't seem to comport with the price of ethanol.

 
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