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Ethanol free gas FYI
Lately I have been finding out how bad ethanol blend gas is on 2 cycle and boat motors.
I purchased a test kit and started testing premium gas at gas stations including Phillips 66.
Phillips 66 premium that I tested had 3.5% ethanol. quick-trip and others had as high as 10 %.
I did find this link to find ethanol free gas stations by city.
Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada
When I called the station in Lawrence on 6th street I was told the owner will not buy or sell ethanol blended gas so ANY of their grades have NO ethanol in them.
When I go out to put my pontoon in the lake tomorrow I am going to test their gas. If it is truly ethanol free then I will buy gas from them for my pontoon and extra for my other 2 cycle motors.
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Capt. Dan, most fuel injector cleaners are ethanol and that 3.5% premium was probably just that, because it will be about 4% +/-. Will ethanol added will be 10%. But you are right, it's extremely hard on 2-cycle motors. Fuel injector cleaners are alcohol based, and so is Sta-bil.
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FYI...if you need ethanol free gas and your close to this location.....
The only place around here (IOLA and surrounding area) that has ethanol free gas is at Ray's Mini-Mart. I have talked to the guy who supplies the gas (distributor) and the 91 has NO ethanol in it. Asked him last summer and again about 2 weeks ago. He told me you probably should run a couple gallons (in your truck) to clean out the hose...by then you will get the good stuff. Its kind of a pain but I have heard to many horror stories about that stuff. Don't run anything but this in my outboards.
Ray's is just south of the intersections of 54 and state st. (old hiway 169).
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I tested the gasoline at Westside 66 2815 W. 6th Street in Lawrence yesterday after pumping 2 gallons in my van to flush out the hose. It tested 0 ethanol.
All grades of gas there is real ethanol free gas so if you don't need the premium you can buy the lower cost unleaded and get 0 ethanol gas.
I talked with Richard, the owner, and he told me all gasoline is piped into the terminal as pure gas, because ethanol blended gas is too corrosive to the pipelines and pumps.
Makes you question why we have to buy blended gas????????
When the tankers load their trucks at the terminal, by law, they can then add up to 10% ethanol, at a much reduced cost to them.
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Where can you get an ethanol test kit?
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You might find one at a small engine shop. Briggs and Stratton has one available.
You can do a web search and find them there. I got mine off E-bay for $8
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Most auto-parts stores carry them, my buddy got his at O O O'Reilly's.
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No need to buy a kit! Get an empty gatorade bottle, put an inch or two of water in it, mark that level with a sharpie. Ad gas to the water, shake it up, let it settle and if the water line has not raised above the mark it is ethanol free. So if the water line does move above the marked line that is how much ethanol is in it. It will not tell you the exact % but will tell you if it has ethanol in it, and you can figure how much by the amount of gas added vs the rise on the line. The water will remove the ethanol from the gas.
HyVee Gas premium in Independence is Ethanol free, same deal run a couple of gallons in truck first, and Gibson General store at 50 Hwy and 7 Hwy has a premium grade that is ethanol and alcohol free, separate hose for theirs. Those are the only places I know of in KCMO area.