MAP of Ethanol free auto fuel stations in the US and Canada

[rayjb60]

Ethanol plays havoc with fuel systems so here are the sources of Ethanol free auto Fuel stations in the US and Canada

if your engine can run that fuel. (Source: pure-gas.org)

Also link to Ethanol free Auto gas vendors if you need large quantities: http://www.flyunleaded.com/distributors.php

Reload the page when finished to check if correct.");} Edited March 21, 2012 by rayjb60

[Guest]

Fuel for our TMG's is a critical issue. In my Rotax 914 Ximango I use 100LL (approved in this FAA Certified Aircraft) with a Decalin additive that is sold on line or by Spruce Aircraft. It's basically the same as TCP, for removing the lead deposits, but is not volatile and can be mailed through regular mail. So far my experience and my knowledge from others long use of this product has been very positive. Rotax 900 series engines are approved for up to 10% ethanol. The continuing question beyond this is the airframe (fuel tanks, lines, pumps, seals,etc) are they capable of using ethanol?

Looking for non-ethanol unleaded fuel is tough in America today. The website: http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=NV has been a good one for me. However there are so few places available and it's difficult to connect with them. I'll check on the new one listed in Gardnerville NV.

In our northern Nevada area there has been only one constantly good one and that's the Exxon Station in Stateline NV (next to the shore of Lake Tahoe). I've talked with the owner and the reason he literally fights to keep non-ethanol is because he does a huge business with the boat owners (primally outboards) on Lake Tahoe. Ethanol has created lots of problems in outboard boat engines.

Ron

[Thermalseeker]

Hey Ron,

It causes issues in chainsaws, weed whackers, lawn mowers, you name it. Among other things, ethanol softens and/or dissolves valve seats, seals, carb floats, and fuel pickup tubes.

I only run 100LL when I have to because of the lead build up issues in the oil tank and the 25 hour oil change requirement. Folks who run 100LL in Rotax engines, even with Decalin or TCP really need to watch the lead build up in the oil tank. The previous owner of my X obviously knew nothing about this because there was 3/4" of lead sludge built up in my oil tank the first time I did an oil change. This is really bad because that lead then gets picked up and pumped back into the engine where it clogs up the main bearing journals and other small oil passages, starving those areas for lubrication and leading to catastrophic engine failure. If you're running 100LL all the time you should be removing your oil tank and cleaning it at every oil change.

I can get ethanol free UL93 several places here in SE Tennessee and the number of stations offering it is growing. I checked the mileage in my Nissan Pathfinder and my Subaru Forester and both show between 15%-18% lower gas mileage using ethanol laced fuel. Non-ethanol fuel costs about .10 cents more per gallon here. So, it really makes no sense to run E-10 if you can get the good stuff. Typical gubmint boondoggle.

The thing that concerns me with using E-10 in aircraft is it hides water. In fact, that's how the ethanol content testers work. The tester is essentially a graduated test tube with markings for water and fuel. You add the correct amount of water (10%), then add fuel to the proper level and shake well. If the water and fuel don't separate, then there is ethanol in the fuel. IOW, the water disappears when ethanol is present because it is absorbed by the ethanol. If you are running E-10 and you sump the tank and see water, then you have more than 10% water content in your fuel.

I don't know if water contamination in fuel is an issue in the dessert, but around here in the soggy southeast it's something you have to watch very closely because our humidity and temperature can change fairly dramatically in short order. This is particularly true this time of year when we have sharp cold fronts pass. Rapid temp and humidity changes can cause condensation to occur inside the fuel tank, especially metal fuel tanks like in the Ximango. If you're running E-10 and you sump your tank you won't see the moisture because it's absorbed by the ethanol. Fly up high where it's cold and the trapped water can freeze in the lines. E-10 is also much worse for vapor lock than regular UL93, too.

Unless we develop a method for making seriously large quantities of ethanol, sufficient to offer wide spread E-85 or E-100 like Brazil, just adding 10% ethanol to gasoline makes no sense at all in the grand scheme of things unless you are a corn farmer.

Regards,

John Lawton

Whitwell, TN (TN89)

Ximango #135

[Xenos Ted]

I'm with you, John. I naively put E-10 in my Xenos two years for the maiden flight. Designer said ethanol was OK for ENGINE. Well, tower called, "Experimental 32XS, folks are calling the tower and saying your engine sounds funny". Well, the fuel was vaporizing in the line at altitude. The engine was running/not running/running/not running, etc I replied, "Joe, you should hear it from up here!" He asked if I were declaring an emergency (I was orbiting at 5800' over the field with prior permission) I told Joe (the controller), "No, Joe, this is a glider. If the engine quits, I have been trained in flying without it." :-) The ethanol ruined my gascolator seals. I went to 100LL. My wife refused to fly it with ethanol. My buddy with an RV-6 had the whole wing weeping fuel when the ethanol ate his sloshing compound (he was flying a Subaru engine). The engines seem fine but the other stuff gets eaten. The "O" rings in my gascolator looked like a sugar donut soaking in coffee - hunks were missing. Yikes, I don't want to guess where they went.

My problem with the real gas stations is that by the time I get there, the man running it says they were force to add ethanol so they don't sell pure gas anymore. Oh, well, where is my battery and electric motor? :-)

Ted Staton

Xenos AeroVee engine