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Gas Help

4K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  ragdude 
#1 ·
If I wanted too, could I run 110 racing gas in my 2013 Spotsman 500HO
 
#2 ·
If you like wasting $$$. High octane fuel (racing fuel) is for high compression engines. The 500 is NOT a high compression engine. A good premium unleaded around 91 should be plenty. That's what I run. It's non-ethanol here, where the lower grades all have ethanol added.
 
#7 ·
Go ahead it smells good ...

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Or you could add a couple ounces of Klotz 2 cycle oil to your gas, smells good too
 
#4 ·
Polaris recommends it!
 
#9 ·
Higher octane gas has less power than lower octane gas. The higher octane is to keep high compression engines from knocking which I believe is due to pre-detonation of the fuel as lower octane fuels will ignite faster at higher compressions. 110 octane in the correct motor will run like a raped ape but in your motor it will have less power and will probably run poorly. You get your best bang for the buck with 87 octane but you can run premium if it makes you feel better. Sometimes the higher octane fuels at the pumps don't have ethanol but I don't worry about 10% ethanol and have never had an issue.
 
#10 ·
Thank for that I wasnt the op but was was curious about the reasoning. I have 93 octane here in kemptville and use that cause it doesnt have any ethanol in it but now that u mention it ill try regular and see if I notice a difference

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#11 ·
If the 93 octane doesn't have ethanol stay with it!!! Going to a fuel with ethanol will on rear it's ugly head when you least want it too. I run 91 octane pure in all my bikes and equipment and have zero issues!

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#12 ·
Ethanol has done nothing to help us, and has hurt in more ways than one. A big one being through higher demands for corn, raises the price of corn, raises the price for food. OK well maybe it's been good for the farmer, I'm fine with that, but that'd be the only bright spot.
 
#13 ·
As for the ethanol there is some truth to it I feel. I have had many 2cycle weed-eaters over the years and my current one has had an issue I believe directly related to the fuel. The owners manual recommends premium fuel and I did not use it and in about a year my (clear primer bulb for the carb dry rotted). I have never had this happen in the past until I heard about ethanol. I haven't googled it but does anyone know when they started adding it to low grade fuels.
 
#16 ·
Ethanol is definately bad for an engine not designed for it and it isn't my choice in fuels but I don't always get a choice due to our SH!tty govt and their bright ideas. Making fuel out of corn was asinine as now our staple food source price is drove up because of reduced supply due to consumption for ethanol. Govt Intelligence is an oxymoron. In know some really old engines plastic parts will just about dissolve in ethanol but most modern engines can handle it in low doses. Biggest problem is ethanol absorbs water and doesn't disperse it so you get globs of water in your fuel system which can be bad. Isopropyl alcholol a close relative will absorb water but also disperses it in the fuel so it can run through the fuel system. I use Seafoam for a cleaner and water disperment tool in my fuel. My atv sits outside under a cover and it starts immediately even below zero so my combo works for me. I'm not a chemist so don't start a big argument, I'm just commenting based on my research and experience.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Do all premium fuels contain no ethanol? How do you tell at the pump? The only thing I see is the 10% ethanol placards.

Well, I just looked it up and that's clear as mud...I guess it Russian roulette at the pumps regarding ethanol. Oh well, I have plenty else to worry about.
 
#21 ·
Do all premium fuels contain no ethanol? How do you tell at the pump? The only thing I see is the 10% ethanol placards.
No, chances are it contains ethanol unless it specifically states on the pump that it's ethanol free or "non-oxygenated". In some places, ethanol free gas isn't available at all.

Here in MN, these signs are required on pumps that dispense ethanol free gas. It's also 50 cents to 1 dollar more per gallon than regular gas.




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#18 ·
All our fuel here has Ethanol in it...a few Marinas here sell the NON but at a premium price. I just add marine stabil to each tank...Now on a good note i read that they may stop using ethanol .. read it on one of the news feeds I get...reason being it is making a shortage of feed for meat animals an also raising prices of food containing corn or animals depending on corn as a feed....hope its soon...loll
 
#19 ·
When I had to have my engine rebuilt for the second time, the warranty company as well as the dealer, advised me to either run non-ethanol gasoline in my machine or if it is not available to use the Stabil Marine ethanol treatment in my machine. Dealer advised it to be used in all small engines as that is what he works on and sees all kinds of problems with the ethanol now. In his 2 stroke sleds they all run 110 octane as it is ethanol free. He told me that ethanol will attract moisture and they went to a seminar on the affects of ethanol and it was stated to them that in studies ethanol was attributed to piston rings getting gummed up and causing them to stick and burn oil. After they showed me the pistons that came out of my machine the second time around I am inclined to believe them. I agree with the above posters that while 110 will not harm your engine the higher octane will burn cooler. In a high compression engine this is what you need because as mentioned before it will not pre-detinate like 87 octane will. I have tried 87,91,93 all in my 800 and the mpg and performance differences were very negligable. My 800 is a pig no matter what fuel I run in it.:motz: I am not even sure what high octane goes for now but I remember paying like $6 a gallon for 114 aviation fuel back in 2005-2006.
 
#20 ·
When I had to have my engine rebuilt for the second time, the warranty company as well as the dealer, advised me to either run non-ethanol gasoline in my machine or if it is not available to use the Stabil Marine ethanol treatment in my machine. Dealer advised it to be used in all small engines as that is what he works on and sees all kinds of problems with the ethanol now. In his 2 stroke sleds they all run 110 octane as it is ethanol free. He told me that ethanol will attract moisture and they went to a seminar on the affects of ethanol and it was stated to them that in studies ethanol was attributed to piston rings getting gummed up and causing them to stick and burn oil. After they showed me the pistons that came out of my machine the second time around I am inclined to believe them. I agree with the above posters that while 110 will not harm your engine the higher octane will burn cooler. In a high compression engine this is what you need because as mentioned before it will not pre-detinate like 87 octane will. I have tried 87,91,93 all in my 800 and the mpg and performance differences were very negligable. My 800 is a pig no matter what fuel I run in it.:motz: I am not even sure what high octane goes for now but I remember paying like $6 a gallon for 114 aviation fuel back in 2005-2006.[/QUOTE 110 Octane was going for about $7 a gallon about 4 yr ago. Not sure what it is now.
 
#22 ·
Here in the Ottawa area 87 is reg, 89 mid, 91 supreme, all have 10% ethanol. Then one station has 93 platinum which is ethanol free.


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#23 ·
No choice anymore in AZ unless you can find a specialized race fuel supplier.
Sad in this once land of the free, but now our "leaders" look at kalifonia and say WE CAN DO THAT TOO
 
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