old 50:1 mix in truck

[Thehardway]

I've heard several folks say they put there stale 50:1 mixed chainsaw gas in there truck and it burns fine.  I tried this the other day.  I was out of gas in my '94 ranger. It wouldn't start. All I had was about 1.5 gal  or less of ethanol free gas with stihl 50:1  that had been sitting over a month so I dumped it in.  It ran a little rough for  few seconds and then idled out fine.  Might be my imagination but seemed like it even ran a little quieter than usual.  Got to the gas station  about 20 mi. away and put in 4 gallons of 87 octane.  I ran that 4 gal. 120 mi. before it started to miss.  Put another another 4 gal of 87 in. that only lasted 88 mi. before it ran dry. 

Is it possible that the additives in the mix decreased friction and increased fuel mileage?  I usually average about 20-21mpg.  Can't think of any other explanation for going an extra 30+ mi. on that gas. does it raise octane levels as well?

[tlandrum]

were you driving down hill for first leg of the trip and up hill for the second lol

[Philbert]

I dispose of my mix when it gets to be older than 30 days by adding it to my car (94 Toyota). I don't think it helps. I am more concerned about adverse effects with modern sensors, injectors, etc.

If I have half a gallon at 50:1, and add it to 9.5 gallons of gas in the tank, that dilutes it down to to 1000:1, which should not make a difference.

Philbert

[JohnG28]

were you driving down hill for first leg of the trip and up hill for the second lol

:D :D Thought the same.

[Cut4fun]

I dump my old 32:1 in my 89 plow truck and all 4 of my riding mowers. No problems.  I wouldnt do it on a newer truck or car though. 

[Thehardway]

were you driving down hill for first leg of the trip and up hill for the second lol

:D :D Thought the same.

It was actually up hill both ways 8)  Just the way my dad walked to school.

[Full Chisel]

Alright, hardway. You went thirty miles farther because you put an extra gallon and ½ of gas in the truck out your chainsaw can. And it is higher octane stuff than you are pumping. I always get my money back for using premium. It comes out in mileage. Your mix probably did make it run quieter as it lubed the top end.

Are you fascinated with running out of gas? I must ask. Running out of gas won't always leave ya in a good situation, hard way.

[mmartone]

I dont think it will harm anything, fuel is so dry and needs lubricity like the lead that used to be in fuel. It wont do that injection systen any harm.

[gspren]

  Buying 4 gallon at a time is the hardway.

[Thehardway]

Alright, hardway. You went thirty miles farther because you put an extra gallon and ½ of gas in the truck out your chainsaw can. And it is higher octane stuff than you are pumping. I always get my money back for using premium. It comes out in mileage. Your mix probably did make it run quieter as it lubed the top end.

Are you fascinated with running out of gas? I must ask. Running out of gas won't always leave ya in a good situation, hard way.

Not quite, you missed the part that I had to drive 20 mi. after I put the 1.5 gal in to get to the gas station where I pumped the 4 gal.  Each time the trip odometer was reset. At most I should have got an extra 10-15mi on that batch.  Oh yeah, one more thing, My left front tire was almost flat at 20psi on the first 4 gal run.  On the second 4 gal run I had 36 PSI in it.  That should have increased my fuel mileage by at least 10% on the second run according to our Pres.  ;D  Maybe my truck runs better on high octane and low tire pressure combo? 

4 gal is about what it takes for me to go to town and back round trip.  At 2.99 a gal, it works out to a nice even $12.00 worth of gas.  Since I don't drive the truck that much I don't see the point in filling it up while gas prices are falling and having an extra 30.00 worth of gas sitting in the truck instead of in my pocket.  It has dropped .10 in the last week here so I saved $1.70 by not filling up last week. (17gal tank) If gas prices are rising, I'll fill up all my vehicles and cans.

Is it the "hard way", yeah but I'm used to getting picked on for being cheap.  I don't drive out of my way to get gas and I always manage to coast in to the pump.  I always carry an empty can in case I don't coast far enough.  I never have to worry about someone stealing my truck as they won;t get more than 10 mi. from my house and there is only one way out!  :laugh:

[John Mc]

... I always get my money back for using premium. It comes out in mileage.

I've never been able to measure a significant difference in mileage running premium vs regular gas in any of the cars I've owned. What kind of difference are you seeing?

I have seen a difference in running non-ethanol vs E10 gas:  over three different cars tested on numerous occasions, I get anywhere from 8 to 12% better mileage with non-ethanol gas.  Of course, in my area these days, the only non-ethanol gas you can find is premium gas -- and that's only if you know where to find the stations that have it.

[sawguy21]

Thehardway, it won't be long before you are replacing the fuel pump, they don't like being run dry.I dump left over gas in my wife's vehicle (mine is diesel). A half gallon mixed in the tank won't even be noticed.

[7sleeper]

I regularly add 2 stroke oil (1/3 quart to a tank full) to my diesel. The difference is really audible on my dads diesel car! I have started doing it since I read this article a few years ago.
http://rivrdog.typepad.com/files/copy-of-diesel-fuel-additive-version-3.pdf
Adding mix to your gas engine will be no problem at all for any engine! The added oil burns away just like the gas. It won't miracously pass through the combustion chamber and go out the exhaust! The same happens on two stroke equipment. The only reason one sometimes see's an oily residue on the exhaust is because the carb isn't set right or the choke was left on to long and the saw flooded. Since I don't own a gas car, all my "old" (> 3 months) mix goes into the lawnmower/-tractor. They love it!
The good thing you are doing to your car is lubing the injector pump from the inside!  ;D

7

[kevin19343]

I always put old fuel mix in my Polaris quad, or my truck. Never saw any advantages/disadvantages to doing it.

[Al_Smith]

Once upon a time a guy on another site had a fishing camp in Ont .They bought a new Chevy pick up for the camp that never ran on anything other than 50 to 1 premix marine gas .Never hurt it even a little bit .

Me ,I dump the old saw gas in either my old Ferguson tractor or a lawn mower .They could care less what they burn .I think the tractor could probabley run on kerosine once it was warmed up .

[SPIKER]

I also dump it into truck, or mower which ever is closer....   On my Diesel Tractor (older high sulfur wanting machine) I been adding a quart of ATF or Oil (used stuff) to 5 gall of fuel.   does not smoke and seems to run a bit cooler even.   Not adding any in Winter as it does start a bit harder with the quart to 5 gallon mix.  ~20:1 mix colors the fuel to off road looking with the ATF or looks like #2 fuel oil w the oil in it.   I filter the old oils first thru several of the disposable shop rags clipped together and lowered into my big funnel with screen supporting it.   The tractor is a direct injection china JM284 so it is built for nasty fuel and seems to love the additive nicely.    It would be better if I could run a dual tank setup warm up with pure fuel then add the mix...   Too much trouble I'll just keep the summer use of it.

Mark

[Al_Smith]

As a matter of fact at this very moment I have 5 gallons of 32 to 1mix in an old Jeep CJ5.Rebuilding those little Jeeps was one of my deceased fathers favorite pass times and this one was the last he ever did .

I figured it had sat not started in a barn for 8 or 9 years .On that saw gas it doesn't smoke and I figured a little top cylinder lubrication would do the old IOE engine some good .

[john_bud]

Mixed gas probably helps 4 cycle engines.  I could even see more benefit w new high tech engines than old carb engines.  The worry would be if you had dirt or water in the mix can.

[Philbert]

My concerns would be fuel injector and computer sensors reading something wrong.

Philbert

[sawguy21]

A gallon mixed with 20+ already in the tank won't be noticed. Al's CJ-5 has I believe a ten gallon tank, good thing it has no computers.

[Al_Smith]

 :D Yeah the old little Jeeps were about as basic as you can get .No bells and whistles on those things .Fact I have no doubt they would run on kerosine also if you could keep the temperature up .

[7sleeper]

My concerns would be fuel injector and computer sensors reading something wrong.

Philbert

My Honda scooter hasn't complained sofar, although it is a fuel injector.

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[NH4000]

I had a car that burned a quart of oil every 800-1000 miles for about 180k miles and the oxygen sensors didn't have a problem with it. I know, different oil and different way of mixing. I suspect part of the oil consumption was plugged PCV, so the vapors would be going through the combustion process.

Anyway, no harm noticed in the sensors with many gallons of oil going through the system.

[barbender]

I've never heard of premix causing a problem in any gas engine.

[Thehardway]

Well, my old ranger p'up is rolling over 300k this week with the original fuel pump so if it craps out, I won't feel too terrible.  Gas gauge quit working about 2 years ago.  I beleive the easiest way to replace both is to pull the bed rather than trying to drop the tank.  When the fuel pump goes I'll replace both.

I think my biggest concern about the pre-mix would be the chance it might plug up the catalytic convertor?

I've been reading some articles about how newer oils have lower zinc content (ZDDP additive) as it was causing some issues with 02 sensors and cat convertors so they have reformulated.

As such the lack of ZDDP is leading to cam/lifter failures in some of the older engines that used flat tappet solid lifters as opposed to hyd./roller.

Not sure if the put ZDDP in pre-mix oil or not.  I think all of my o2 sensors are screwed up anyways.  Has idled rough for 5 yrs or more.