TOPIC: Ethanol Free Gasoline...it's available!

Hello all -

I've stumbled across a website that uses the power of the internet to let those of us in the know about ethanol "enhanced" gasoline tell everyone else where ethanol-free gas can be found. They even have a free app on the iTunes and Google Play sites, for those of you with smartphones and tablets:



Once you get "the knowledge" of who pumps E0, you can then use an app called Gas Buddy to check for the lowest price closest to you, because that app lets you filter by grade and price.

thanks for that Greg! Well I can drive to either Vegas or Elko for E0 gas...Lessee, I think Vegas is 425 miles, Elko is about 350 I think... Of course in northern California there's always Eureka, or I think it was actually Fortuna, on the far north coast.

Despite that, it's still good to know these stations are around. For me then, Ethanol is ever-present in the gas I'm gonna find. But others seeing this can check the site to see what's available for them.

thanks buddy, you're doing it right!

Tracy G

yeah, Tracy, according to this you're kinda hooped. But if you happen to be passing through Vegas, I'd take Jerry cans for their jet fuel...and hope for a good tailwind all the way home.

Yes, if I'm down there I'll go to Nellis AFB and see if I can get some Military-grade Jet fuel...

'course, I could try that stunt out at Fallon Naval Air Station too...only 60+miles away. Come to think of it, I can get hi-octane gas at a VP station only a mile from work, never tried that. They have higher Octane gas, I think it will have some Ethanol in it, and it's Pricey, like maybe 5 bucks or so a gallon. I might try mixing a few gallons of hi-test Premium w/ some mid-grade as a test to see if there's any benefit. Would be an experiment re: power, I'd be surprised if the MPG increased, but who knows, it might be like a Steroids injection for the Subie.

Tracy G

You'd have to adjust your tuning to run with it.
Even with 100+ octane, I'd still throw some remedy in. But I bet the engine would like it and you'd see mileage benefits, making it cost effective.

Indeed, and I can tune this 'lil engine too, I already have ignition initial timing increased some, and can play w/ jets in the Weber. I think I'll go by the VP station and investigate further, and I'd run the MPGR as well. Current tank w/ strong MPGR treatment seems to be doing better on MPG, esp. in town, and we had rainy weather yesterday/today. Temp/humidity seemed quite favorable yesterday, engine was happy. I'm thinking of re-doing my unused crude vapor setup I added last year, maybe to just add small amount of water vapor in the mix...It is a bit like Dan's setup, but done different, no fuel injector, just a bubbler feeding a heat tube wrapped over exhaust pipe, fed to a vacuum port.

Tracy G

There has to be a point that ultimate systemic efficiency is achieved before further tweaking and tinkering has negative effects. How far can we go?

There's only one way to find out: dig in, and boldly go.

Right you are. do the "standard" things-i.e. fix existing problems, replace old O2's, replace/upgrade spark plugs & ignition parts. Raise tire press. within safe limits. In short, eliminate inefficiencies manifesting through parasitic losses.

I went by the VP gas station in Sparks. In the pumps are the 3 usual grades, 87,89, & 91 Octane unleaded, but pricier than most other area stations. I asked inside about race gas- they have it in 5 gal. cans only. Very pricey- 100 Octane ethanol free unleaded is $75.00 per 5 gal. can. They also have 110 Octane leaded ethanol free for -only- $69.00 for a 5 gal can.

So I think I'll pass on this idea! Actually it's interesting, the current tank w/ MPGR in it, the Subie engine has been really happy especially since the weather got cooler/ wetter. The atmospherics seem to be the difference now. I see what they mean at the track when they speak of "good air". Today the idle quality was very smooth, and when I went to leave the red light at the freeway offramp, the light turned green, I put in first gear released the clutch, and the tires started to break loose, w/ only moderate throttle. This Subaru is real happy at low RPM's and off the line now. This tank is mid-grade unleaded, w/ "purple" MPGR, and a shot of Lucas fuel treat. Instead of race gas, I think I'll go get another bottle of Everclear, I've gotten a lot of miles out of a half-liter of Everclear for MPGR.

Tracy G

I'm curious as to whether the "usual" grades have ethanol contents similar to what seems to be gov't mandated here: e10 for 87, e5 for 89 and e5/e0 for 91+. An email to customer support has helped me suss this out here...$15/gallon is a bit steep, methinks, since AvGas (which I'm led to believe is pretty much the same thing, aircraft having high performance engines as well, generally operating below 10k feet) is about 1/3rd of that price: The local airport advertises $1.69/litre in Canadian funds, so to gallons and greenbacks, that's about $5.11. I'll have to confirm that from the Valero PDF I found...everyone has to have their MSDS info available.

Yeah, I think I'd be more into trying out some hi-test dino juice were it less pricey. Best would be from a pump instead of in a can. 15 bucks w/ a 5 gal. minimum is too rich for me.

I've no idea of ethanol content of different grades/brands, the stickers on gas pumps I've seen for years state "may contain up to 10% Ethanol." Though many don't like it, I don't object to it- as after all the current mix of MPG Remedy I'm using does use Everclear, which is Ethanol and water. I've read David Blume's book Alcohol Can Be A Gas, several years back. It's just loaded with info about Ethanol. That's where I first saw the term "Rocket Stove" btw. If it was available here I'd try some e-85 just to see. Ethanol does have very high Octane, 115 I think if it's straight ethanol.

but to each his own!

Tracy G

High octane (anti-knock index, 100 being theoretically perfect) is one thing, but it's the energy that's released when burned that interests me, and in the case of gasoline vs ethanol, from what I've learned, corn liquor doesn't cut it like gasoline:

That's one site, but there are others.
Maybe it's just me, but if I'm paying for energy, I want the biggest/most bang for my buck...so it's e0 or e5 for me.
What I REALLY need to suss out is how the MPGR works as far as bringing the octane numbers up from 87-89-91 to 100 or more, if that's what it actually does (and I think it is).

Internal combustion science is rather complex, from all I've read. First of all you want "enough" knock resistance, detergents to clean crud from all the additives (how about LESS additives, Oil co's?.) A good smooth burn, not too fast or slow. I theoretically agree about more bang per buck...

But another interesting aspect is- from my reading, again- the heat of the burning gasoline ISNT what's really making the Power. It is, indirectly- what happens is the heat causes the nitrogen and trace gasses in the air intake charge, plus any water vapor, and any exhaust gas present (EGR or non-scavenged leftovers from previous exhaust stroke)--these gasses and inert substances are the Expansion Medium. THESE things are what create the hot expanding gasses that push on the piston. I'm gonna guess here, maybe just after ignition, as the piston goes thru the first 20-30 degrees of crank angle rotation, while all the gas combustion chain reactions occur, before the piston outruns the flame front- during perhaps the early stages in microseconds of this, the burning plasma in the combustion chamber IS directly powering the piston. I got some of this from all I've read from Dan Merrick, and others like Mike Holler.

But anyway,what's going on w/ the Expansion Medium is important as well, and most car/engine guys don't seem to realize this. I'm sure there is a lot more to it all, I haven't taken classes to address this stuff. I'm sure Dan Merrick or Bruce McBurney could weigh in here. But this helps explain why often a car will run better on a rainy day. Also partly explains all the interest in water and water vapor injection stuff over the decades. HHO is a separate topic.

I don't have a way to measure, I think the MPG Remedy may help a tad w/ the Octane# but not too much.I think it may be helping the complex gasoline hydrocarbon molecules to break apart some, and probably it's mainly helping reduce droplet surface tension. That will be a mechanical aid to vaporization of the gasoline droplets, which is what we start with in internal combustion. This and the Groove itself work to break the droplets down, like "chopping the logs into firewood".

In any case I know for sure that MPG remedy is a useful addition to the Arsenal!

Tracy G