87 octane corn free gas

GD23RTF2

GD23RTF2

Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
229
Age
55
Location
Wisconsin
What is everyone's thoughts on running 87 octane corn free gas on a stock 2 stroke?

I fall into the trap of buying the highest octane corn free gas that I can get my hands on, knowing full well an engine doesn't require it, and will actually make less power with the higher octane stuff. I WANT to go for it, but just can't bring myself to do it.

I still go for the 91 octane corn free gas anyway out of sheer paranoia. It's how it's always been done ever since I was a kid. You ALWAYS put the highest octane stuff in your dirt bikes and sleds that you can find.

Science, coupled with the fact these jokers want an arm and a leg for the 91 octane corn free gas around here is making me think harder about the 87 corn free as it's readily available where I live. It's as fresh, or fresher than the 91. I use it in my car every time I fill up. Why not my sled?

Thoughts?

I'd be interested to see what Nosboy has to say about this?

Maybe I should have put this in the Tech section?
 
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If the manufacturer says to run 87-88 octane in yor sled ..run er. Its a waste of money to run high octane if you don't have to, IMO.
 
what you have to ask yourself: "Is the $.20 cents differnt per gallon gonna add up to a savings when I buy the replacement parts for when I burn my engine down from detonation"?

add it up, what maybe $2.00 per fill up differance, are you really saving that much $$$$$ to play with fire ?
 
Would you guys run 90 octane corn-free in a vehicle that calls for 91 octane minimum? That's the best I can find around my area.
 
mrviper700 said:
what you have to ask yourself: "Is the $.20 cents differnt per gallon gonna add up to a savings when I buy the replacement parts for when I burn my engine down from detonation"?

add it up, what maybe $2.00 per fill up differance, are you really saving that much $$$$$ to play with fire ?
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Yea....that's the thing.....The 87 non-ethanol is already $.20-ish more/gal, so that's already pushing $2.50/tank. The cheap bastards are usually $.50 over and above that. I started thinking about that recently. Even if you just say it's $.50 just to keep the math simple. I think I put on 900 miles last year. That's an extra $450. Piece of mind is worth something for sure, and I would only use non-ethanol anyway, but then I start thinking about the bottom line. $180 is a pretty far from $450. 87 vs 91. If the extra octane isn't necessary anyway, that $270 extra could go a long way.

Ponderous.....very ponderous.....
 
900 miles you ride, ok ....you go at least a 100 miles to a fulltank of gas, thats 9 tanks at $2.50 a tank differance, thats $22.50 more for your entire 900 miles.............

a piston is over a $100
rings $25
replate the cylinder-$150
sxr headgasket-$90

ya, i can see where youll be saving a ton of money..............

Hey, its your sled, but you call the shots, good and bad, ride safe!!
 
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mrviper700 said:
900 miles you ride, ok ....you go at least a 100 miles to a fulltank of gas, thats 9 tanks at $2.50 a tank differance, thats $22.50 more for your entire 900 miles.............

a piston is over a $100
rings $25
replate the cylinder-$150
sxr headgasket-$90

ya, i can see where youll be saving a ton of money.......go for it dude .......
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LOL, yea.....oops. Duh.....Good point. Per tank, NOT per mile.
Just one more reason never to try to do math in my head I guess. Probably more like $6 extra per tank though if it's a 12 gallon tank @ $.50/gal extra over 9 fills if bone dry. I usually do better than 10mpg. Still only $54 for the year at the worst case scenario. Not even half the cost of a piston.

I'm willing to pay an extra $50 over a season for piece of mind.

Thanks for pointing that out.
 
GD23RTF2 said:
LOL, yea.....oops. Duh.....Good point. Per tank, NOT per mile.
Just one more reason never to try to do math in my head I guess. Probably more like $6 extra per tank though if it's a 12 gallon tank @ $.50/gal extra over 9 fills if bone dry. I usually do better than 10mpg. Still only $54 for the year at the worst case scenario. Not even half the cost of a piston.

I'm willing to pay an extra $50 over a season for piece of mind.

Thanks for pointing that out.
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That's what I was thinking......How is he going to save $450 on 900 miles worth of gas???? We have 90 E Free here and I run 93 with ethanol. The E free pump has random spurts but sits idle and raises my concerns about it being stale.
 
yammy said:
If the manufacturer says to run 87-88 octane in yor sled ..run er. Its a waste of money to run high octane if you don't have to, IMO.
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Exactly. And e10 is not an issue in 2 strokes, or 4 strokes. Now any more than 10% ethanol and you'll probably run into problems. If you have a problem with e10, then there's something more to the problem then the gas. I've been running e10 in all sorts of motor since the 90's. I've had no burn downs or similar problems due to ethanol in the gas.
 
i have always run 87 e10 in my red head, never a burn down or problem. i actually put some shell v power in last ride and fouled a plug for the first time if that has anything to do with it idk :s they were old plugs. any ways i don't think E10 is bad for our engines, but its not helping anything either. its downfall is moist environments and condensation, and theirs no shortage of that in a snowmobiles life. i think its more of water in fuel problems that's hurting the sleds.
 
I haven't been on here much lately… Octane is the fuel's ability to resist detonation.. Detonation DESTROYS engines RIGHT NOW !!!!… Too much octane ( 1 or 2 ) points does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to your performance..!!! It ONLY gives you MORE INSURANCE against DETONATION.. if you have a NINE SECOND door slammer and run 13 to 14 to 1 compression ratio,,, THEN YOU MAY lose a few HUNDRETHS in a quarter mile… YOU,,,, with the NAKED EYE won't notice a THING,,, ESPECIALLY with fuel injected sleds !!!! Now NOT ENOUGH OCTANE will make your sled faster,,, at the cost of PISTONS and ELEVATED CYLINDER TEMPS,,,,, which KILL the rings and the oil's ability to lubricate the rings and cylinder walls.. SO ,,you see,,, not enough octane WILL do WAY MORE HARM than too much octane.. As far as ALCOHOL, Methanol, Ethanol or Isopropyl alcohol is concerned,, ALCOHOL is a form of OCTANE BOOSTER !!!!! Actually 87 octane fuel with a 10% add of Methanol,, actually makes 91 to 92 octane M+R/2… Alcohol is a GREAT CLEANER ALSO !!!! as far as nitrile rubbers are concerned.. ALCOHOL hates emollients…. Dilutes them and actually ,,,,, I was going to say " if I remember correctly" but got a brain freeze there.. Something about Butyl rubbers and carbon molecules…I don't remember that crap… but,,, Unless you have a sled that's TWENTY years old,,,,,, The MFG's actually use different kinds of hoses and rubber pieces that are much better with alcohol…
 
Too much octane won't hurt,,, TOO LITTLE WILL !!!! NEW sleds can run pretty much JUST FINE with 10% alcohol.. Actually BOOSTS OCTANE.. There you have it… Any MORE questions????
 
In Brazil,, they use a concoction called HYDROUS ETHANOL which is diluted with 5% WATER.. Just wait till the US gets ahold of that stuff !!! Destroys your fuel system ALUMINUM and turns it into a CRUSTY BEARD of CORROSION if you leave it unattended for a MONTH or TWO… EVERY SNOWMOBILE will be JUNK if you leave the fuel in it in the SUMMERTIME !!!! I don't know if you ever read the AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID trick for summer storage,,,,but,,, if you want to be SURE you won't have any GROTH from ALCOHOL in your carb float bowls,, try a trick that racer have been using for YEARS…. It's called VP BLUE…. I've got a 54 gallon drum in my garage…. Run some of that through your sled before you put it away,, NO PROBLEMS come NOVEMBER.. GUARANTEED !!!!
 
when I go to my local gas station of choice i have 2 options.... Regular, or diesel... Regular being "regular" no fancy ethanol, corn, recycled compost bull. This 87oct gas has been run through my sled over 17 years and 23000mi+ with zero engine issues. My wr450f on the other hand will not run on the 87oct without additives.
 
Did you try putting a cupful of DIESEL fuel in your 87 octane???? It will raise the octane probably 5 or 6 points
 
nosboy said:
I haven't been on here much lately… Octane is the fuel's ability to resist detonation.. Detonation DESTROYS engines RIGHT NOW !!!!… Too much octane ( 1 or 2 ) points does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to your performance..!!! It ONLY gives you MORE INSURANCE against DETONATION.. if you have a NINE SECOND door slammer and run 13 to 14 to 1 compression ratio,,, THEN YOU MAY lose a few HUNDRETHS in a quarter mile… YOU,,,, with the NAKED EYE won't notice a THING,,, ESPECIALLY with fuel injected sleds !!!! Now NOT ENOUGH OCTANE will make your sled faster,,, at the cost of PISTONS and ELEVATED CYLINDER TEMPS,,,,, which KILL the rings and the oil's ability to lubricate the rings and cylinder walls.. SO ,,you see,,, not enough octane WILL do WAY MORE HARM than too much octane.. As far as ALCOHOL, Methanol, Ethanol or Isopropyl alcohol is concerned,, ALCOHOL is a form of OCTANE BOOSTER !!!!! Actually 87 octane fuel with a 10% add of Methanol,, actually makes 91 to 92 octane M+R/2… Alcohol is a GREAT CLEANER ALSO !!!! as far as nitrile rubbers are concerned.. ALCOHOL hates emollients…. Dilutes them and actually ,,,,, I was going to say " if I remember correctly" but got a brain freeze there.. Something about Butyl rubbers and carbon molecules…I don't remember that crap… but,,, Unless you have a sled that's TWENTY years old,,,,,, The MFG's actually use different kinds of hoses and rubber pieces that are much better with alcohol…
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Well I do have 20 + year old sleds.....a 1991 Phazer and a 1994 VMAX 600......

Zack
 
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