Castor oil

[quantum500]

Seems there has been a rash of 2-stroke failure across the country from the ethanol that is in all fuel. Ethanol picks up water that will not mix with 2-stroke oil creating a no lube situation. Will castor stay mixed in watered down ethanol?

[TYSTYX]

From what Ive read castor will mix with ethanol, but you have to mix it vigorously. The real problem with ethanol is that it disinegrates rubber seals and attracts water to itself from the air, which of course causes rust in lower bearings, carb parts, etc.. Ethanol also requires a richer jetting because it causes your motor to run much leaner.

2-stroke aircaft pilots are having problems as well as 2-stroke boaters and the small engine guys ( mowers, weed whackers, etc )

I think I am going to avoid using it. I dont remember seeing it at the pumps here in El Paso when I went riding last weekend......the pump should be labeled right I sure hope so.

Basically it doesnt look good for 2-strokes if thats all thats going to be available in the near future. Better start putting money aside for race gas.

[Exnav]

Are we talking E85 or the 10% blended Gasohol that came around after the 1990 Clean Air Act?

[quantum500]

I'm talking about the blended. 10% is minimum it can be more especially in higher octane fuels. A buddy of mine traveled to south dakota this summer and he said high test fuel was the cheapest at the pumps because it had so much ethanol in it. My dad read a story about 2-stroke failure because the ethanol can pick up water and cause a no lube situation. I assumed the article was fairly recent. As the ethonal content increases I could see the failure rate increase also. So again back to the question will castor fall out of the mix if water is introduced?

[100hp honda]

the "rash" of 2stroke mishaps you may of heard about is operator error and nothing more. 10% ethanol is not enough percent to cause harm to anything. my car still going after 300,000 miles . my '98 cr5 was still running after 9 years

[quantum500]

Did you read my previous post at all?

[100hp honda]

Did you read my previous post at all?

yes i read it, but it didnt make much sense really. watered down ethanol ?....ive read on the pump that some gas uses 10% blend but thats a minimal amount, and honestly im not sure but i think its only the large cities that use ethanol blend for emissions during the summer months. are you wondering if you can buy a jug of pump gas and mix it then let it sit for 6 months and have it still be good ?.....all i can say is this....with water or without water, i know 927 turns to jello after a long period of time, im not sure what klotz or blendzall does because i only leave fuel in my bike for very short periods of time. if you want a good oil that will stay mixed with gas for long periods try bel-ray, i know for fact that stuff will stay mixed for well over 1 year with no problem, of course the gas will be like terpentine though . i dont see how you figure the gas will be watered down to the point it wont burn in the engine or mix with the castor, hell half the gas stations probly have leaky tanks and rain water has gotten in there. all pump gas is garbage when compared to a good race fuel such as VP=you get what you pay for

[JBaze]

I use 927 and just get into the habit of giving the gas can a few good shakes before I fill the bike, wether I just mixed it or if it's a week old. Never hurts just to make sure. I have never had a problem with it seperating.

[MrDude_1]

for over a decade now, gasoline can contain UPTO a maximum of 10% ethanol and still be labeled as gasoline.

its only in the last couple of years that the general public has become aware of ethanol, and the fact that it is in gasoline.

nothings changed there... except peoples perceptions.

[ctatv]

for over a decade now, gasoline can contain UPTO a maximum of 10% ethanol and still be labeled as gasoline.

its only in the last couple of years that the general public has become aware of ethanol, and the fact that it is in gasoline.

nothings changed there... except peoples perceptions.

we didnt used to have it in CT, cause any additives had to be labled on the pump, we used to have MTBE now ethanol but a while back we had neither. my engine builder says he has seen people having a lot of issues with it iin boats with internal tanks taking on moisture over the winter and even stabilized gas going to crap and causing other issues in the spring.. since up north boats sit for a while. thankfully i avoid that cause i take my boat out through october sometimes even november & i get it out in april or may...

[MICK]

It is not mandatory that all fuel across the national contain ANY amount of ethanol. What is required is that a base fuel pass an EPA test with an 8-10% blend. What they are looking for is that the add package performs as advertised.

1.2 Deposit Control Additive Requirements. The deposit control additive used to meet the performance Standards described in 1.3 shall meet the substantially similar definition under Section 211(f) of the Clean Air Act. Also, the additive shall be certified to have met the minimum deposit control requirements established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 40 CFR Part 80. Lastly, the additive shall be registered with the EPA in accordance with 40 CFR Part 79.

1.3.1.2 Base Fuel. The base fuel shall conform to ASTM D 4814 and shall contain commercial fuel grade ethanol conforming to ASTM D 4806. All gasoline blend stocks used to formulate the base fuel shall be representative of normal U.S. refinery operations and shall be derived from conversion units downstream of distillation. Butanes and pentanes are allowed for vapor pressure adjustment. The use of chemical streams is prohibited. The base fuel shall have the following specific properties after the addition of ethanol:

1. Contain enough denatured ethanol such that the actual ethanol content is no less than 8.0 and no more than 10.0 volume percent.
2. Contain no less than 8 volume percent olefins. At least 75% of the olefins shall be derived from FCC gasoline as defined by CARB (advisory letter, April 19, 2001).
3. Contain no less than 28 volume percent aromatics.
4. Contain no less than 48 mg/kg sulfur. At least 60% of the sulfur shall be derived from FCC blend stock.
5. Produce a 90% evaporation distillation temperature no less than 290°F.
6. Produce IVD no less than 500 mg averaged over all intake valves.

Premium blends cannot contain higher amounts of ethanol...they just wouldn't be "premium" blends anymore. In some brand fuels their premium is the same base fuel, to include add package, minus the ethanol.

It is not a law however, but most companies have the etiquette to post stickers indicating the use of ethanol. It's safe to assume a stand alone station has or hasn't got ethanol as indicated. But a local station or quicky mart is anybody's guess as these stations typically blend host fuel with their own potions (cut with ethanol).

Thanks to the Clean Air Act in the early '90s, the minimum level of detergent additive required by the EPA has declined by an estimated 50% due on part to the introduction of widespread use of ethanol. However as I mentioned above, if a company can produce an add package to burn as clean or cleaner without the use of ethanol it's marketed as well.

If you're living in an area that requires the use of E10...sucks to be you I guess. In Oregon's case I would point your finger towards your friend to the south. Californians are probably getting 50% alky at the pump by now and don't know it yet. For many of us, we enjoy straight gas from the pump.

Manufacturers I'm aware of (meaning this is by no means all of them) who produce ethanol free fuel: Shell, Mobile, BP, Amoco and Sunoco. You can find these stations with an E10 blend...but that would just be your shit assed luck. And I'm not saying these are the best either just because you can get them without ethanol. Additive packages play a big part and so does the combination of RON and MON rated fuels. Shell on one hand is my station of choice whereas I'll push my truck before I fill it from BP.

[eyesky2002]

E85 is crap, sell it big time here in Iowa. Average 250 miles on a tank in the mini van on the E85, but run the E10 ethanol and get about 320-350 a tank; yes it is a buck cheaper a gallon for the E85, but the performance BLOWS!!! I have ran the E10 in my rocket and it runs fine, but you can tell the performance difference when you throw in some 92+ corn free premium. That said 92+ premium only for my bikes, save the E10 for the cars and the E85 for govt vehicles who want to pretend they are saving the world!!!!

[JBaze]

All of this is just a joke. Here, I buy my diesel from a grocery store gas station. They brag up how it's bio-diesel, and the station is powered completly by solar and wind energy. Think the fuel is any cheaper? Not a chance. It's all a scam. We took a trip south here a while ago, and the farther south you go the more alcohol they put in the fuel. When we left here, 20 mpg, by the time you get to Nevada, 18 mpg. Pretty wild. But what is a guy suposed to do, you need fuel for the bike, so we are either going to have to run race gas, or take the chance from running the alcohol and become better mechanics.

[ou812]

I can tell you one thing evey time I head down to the USA and fill up there my truck runs like crap till I get home and get some local gas back in it and no I didn't use any E85 gas. Man that would be even worse.

[MICK]

I've got a map of the US that depicts what fuel is required by law in each county. It's an Adobe file so I can't post up...atleast I haven't figured out how to yet? But I'll try to explain it.

As of April 2008:
-All of California uses Ca CBG with several southern counties requiring Ca OXY CBG.
-Only Portland area of Oregon requires OXY w/Ethanol
-From Central Washington south, and east to North Dakota uses GPA - 300 PPM S (whatever that is?)
-Minnesota, Hawaii & Missouri use Oxygenated fuels
-East Texas requires 7.8 RVP, with no increase of MTBE
-And just random counties in the East that use a combination of 7.8 RVP and 7.0 RVP.

The West Coast of Washington, West half of Oregon, South West of Arizona and Navada, Most of Texas, the Bread Basket States and the Eastern Seaboard don't "REQUIRE" anything more than straight petroleum fuel. You're always going to find stations that go beyond the standard, but hopefully those are an exception to the rule and not among the majority. I can add that here in Florida it's not difficult to find pumps with 100% petro.

[Exnav]

-Minnesota, Hawaii & Missouri use Oxygenated fuels

Yup, I will attest to that.

[ctatv]

I've got a map of the US that depicts what fuel is required by law in each county. It's an Adobe file so I can't post up...atleast I haven't figured out how to yet? But I'll try to explain it.

As of April 2008:
-All of California uses Ca CBG with several southern counties requiring Ca OXY CBG.
-Only Portland area of Oregon requires OXY w/Ethanol
-From Central Washington south, and east to North Dakota uses GPA - 300 PPM S (whatever that is?)
-Minnesota, Hawaii & Missouri use Oxygenated fuels
-East Texas requires 7.8 RVP, with no increase of MTBE
-And just random counties in the East that use a combination of 7.8 RVP and 7.0 RVP.

The West Coast of Washington, West half of Oregon, South West of Arizona and Navada, Most of Texas, the Bread Basket States and the Eastern Seaboard don't "REQUIRE" anything more than straight petroleum fuel. You're always going to find stations that go beyond the standard, but hopefully those are an exception to the rule and not among the majority. I can add that here in Florida it's not difficult to find pumps with 100% petro.

any chance you could email me that list, or at least let me know whats going on in Connecticut, NY, RI & Mass? Especially CT since thats where I live

[MICK]

Delaware, New Jersey, Conneticut, Rhode Island, Massachusettes the four Southern most counties in New York (NYC I guess?) and SE New Hampshire use N RFG w/Ethanol.

Apologize for not mentioning this earlier. I had to really zoom in to see that. That area of the US would only make up about three counties in Idaho in terms of land mass.

[ctatv]

Delaware, New Jersey, Conneticut, Rhode Island, Massachusettes the four Southern most counties in New York (NYC I guess?) and SE New Hampshire use N RFG w/Ethanol.

Apologize for not mentioning this earlier. I had to really zoom in to see that. That area of the US would only make up about three counties in Idaho in terms of land mass.

thanks for the info


that sucks for me but I havent had any problems with it... so i guess i cant really complain