Anyone using some canned premix fuel?

Ethanol itself doesn't gum up carbs. The water that can attract to it does the damage. Sure ethanol will eat certain types of rubber and gaskets, but not really the modern "rubber" like viton and EPDM that these components are made from now. Also, one has to remember that these are wear items and need to be replaced from time to time.

Here's a story o like to tell about e10 when I used it in my ski boat. 1978 ski nautique with a 351 Ford V8 in it. Aluminum fuel tank that you can see into from the fuel neck. I bought it used in 2000. The first couple of years I only got gas that supposedly only had non ethanol gas. The fuel tank inside had a yellowish hue to the bright aluminum tank. It was noticable, but not enough to take the tank out and use some sort of chemical to get the varnish off. Well, I started using e10. And I started to have higher rpm running issues. I swapped the big fuel filter that essentially was the same size as the oil filter. Had to do that fuel filter swap a couple times that first summer of going to e10. Guess what? That e10 cleaned the varnish from 25-30 years of gasoline from the aluminum tank and deposited it on the fuel filter, where it was supposed to go. I have updated the carb internals to use viton or EPDM parts where needed over the years on the Holley 4160 4 barrel carb.

Fuel made now, is a lot cleaner than it used to be, regardless of if it's E free or not.

 

Ski Nautique eh Horkn ? That's the boat I was mentioning in one of my previous posts... My dad had a 1967 Correct Craft Barracuda which was what CC called the 18' inboards before changing the name to Ski Nautique. He bought it new in 67 and had it almost the entire rest of his life. Even sold it once and later bought it back. 318 Chrysler in this one with the rare heal toe throttle. It wasn't a fan of ethanol and was our families first experience with potential issues that it can cause. But a carb rebuild and a couple fuel lines later and it was back to good. Man I miss the sound of that boat. No mufflers back then. Hearing it go across the lake was the sound of summer when I was a kid...

 

Dyno tests prove this on flex fuel capable engines. One of the big mags ( road and track or motor trend) did a test on a 5.3 Silverado that was flex fuel. They did Dyno tests and acceleration tests with e85 and with regular e10. When e85 fueled, it was faster and made more power, but yes, used more fuel. Usually about 20% more fuel on e85 vs e10. I can tell a difference on my 5.0 when I run e85, in both regards to power and lower mpg. But if I buy it at the right stations that have pretty serious e85 discounts (some don't offer enough discount to bother to make up for the loss of mpg), then the cost per mile to run e85 makes sense. For instance a gas station about 10 miles away from me, but on my way to the lake we go to on my boat, regularly has e85 for at least 50 cents less per gallon than any of the 5 stations in my town.

 

Yes, mine is technically a 1978 correct craft Martinique with the 351w. It's the same hull as the ski nautique but with lots of chrome bits, even dual chrome air horns from the factory. I just call it a ski nautique because most know what that is. I'm actually taking it to the storage shed this evening. Season's over.

 

Also, I have a feeling that when gas stations first switch(ed) to e10 from non ethanol, that the exact same thing that happened with my ski boat and the varnish on the inside of the tank getting cleaned off by the ethanol, happened on the gas station large tanks. Just imagine all the vehicles pumping the gas that was in those tanks. I would have to think that there are fuel filters in the gas pumps so that any crud wouldn't go from their tanks and lines and directly into the fuel tanks of people's cars. I think about all the the podunk backwoods stations that could be affected, moreso than stations that run through a lot more gas. Just like you would be more at risk of poor quality premium fuel at an out of the way gas station, vs regular gas that more customers buy.

 

Following up on what Horkn said I have found great place to get e free fuel is marina. Boats up north tend to sit 6 months a year

 

canned fuel is great, I’m getting the same performance and noticed quality for example I’m carbs are staying clean and not noticing any bad gas from sitting with 91 octane ethanol free pump gas from a station about half a hour away. I buy 10 gallons at a time it lasts me months.

 

If you don’t mind me asking where are you getting e free from the pump?

 

winchester NH. I had a app on my phone I think it was called “pure gas” it will show you all the places selling ethanol free. Be warned it includes places like tractor supply that sells can gas.

 

Yup, I used it to find the place I get e free from in Hudson nh didn’t see Winchester on the list I’ll have to look again, Hudson is a bit of a ride for me.

 

A question to others who use ethanol free fuel. Do you pump the first gallon or so in your truck first to flush the hose? I started to do that, but wander if others do the same.

 

The station I use has a separate hose for ethanol free.

 

Blue hose for e free

 

If one likes using e-10 I say good luck.

 

I don't think anyone is saying they like using it. It's simply convenient. I also don't think those that do like myself require any "luck." I've been using it for decades along with stabilizer and haven't had a singe issue in OPE or anything else. If it takes "luck", man... I sure get lucky a lot...

 

Station I go to has a different hose for each grade of gas.

 

25 or so years of using e10 and no real issues isn't luck. It's engineered in.
E10 – Gasohol: Ethanol/Gasoline Fuel Mixture | STIHL

Don't get me wrong, I'll buy e free if possible. But that's pretty much not possible, and not an issue if you don't let the fuel sit for too long for premix use.

 

Really even at marinas?

 

Our boat ran both e10 the years it was a trailer boat and non e fuel the years we left it in the water. I never noticed a difference or had an issue either way.

 

There’s a reason they do it that way