Chevron 94 all the way
This - any less = knocking/pinging, any more=wasted money - once it goes "bang" it goes out the exhaustUse the fuel octane percentage recommended by the engine manufacturer.
I should add (just to quote myself) that any motor that has the slightest chance to sit without being used - the lawnmower, the trials bike, the dingy motor - if regular is not clearly labeled as ethanol free (even if marked/coloured) I "waste" extra money and splurge for the high test ethanol free stuff - when you are only talking a few litres, the extra pennies offset the piece of mind.This - any less = knocking/pinging, any more=wasted money - once it goes "bang" it goes out the exhaust
Okay, but if I have choice to use non-ethanol "boat" gas and my Honda kicker wants 87 and my Merc main wants minimum 87, and one boat gas station sells 89 and the other sells 91 and they are the same price but lower than regular car gas, which should I get?
Probably because Chevron 94 has its own pump nozzleFYI i was partially wrong here. i actually did an ethanol test on my vancouver shell 91 which is supposedly ethanol free but it turned out to be contaminated with ethanol 2%. possibly mixing within the station tank or something.
anyway, i now only use chevron 94 which i tested as ethanol free across 2 stations in the lower mainland in richmond and vancouver. that has 0% ethanol. just so you know the shell 91 can be contaminated with ethanol, the chevron 94 isnt. ironically the marked 90 gas at a marina in vancouver also tested positive for ethanol.
To determine if ethanol is in the gas:
- On a test tube or olive bottle six or seven inches long, make a permanent line about two inches from the bottom.
- Fill with water to this line, then fill the tube to the top with gasoline.
- Cover the tube, agitate it, and let it stand.
The ethanol and water will mix and separate out together. If the water level appears to have increased, the fuel contains ethanol and should not be used. Ethanol percentages of less than 5% can sometimes give a reading below the line. Therefore, any deviation in the water line indicates the presence of ethanol and should serve as a basis for rejecting the fuel.
The issue is somewhat unavoidable for the moment, fuel tanker trucks and fuel barges don’t necessarily purge the tanks before refilling, so you may often find that supposedly ethanol free fuel will have been contaminated by a prior load of fuel that did contain ethanol. So until they mandate and that tankers are completely emptied and cleaned out before refilling, and constantly monitor it, this will be an ongoing issue. Most marine stations will carry “ethanol free” fuel, and it is for the most part, but I have found it never hurts to treat any fuel you think will be sitting for more than 30 days unused. Its most detrimental when the boat sits unused for 3 months or more, especially if its not stored indoors where the temperature swings are less dramatic.FYI i was partially wrong here. i actually did an ethanol test on my vancouver shell 91 which is supposedly ethanol free but it turned out to be contaminated with ethanol 2%. possibly mixing within the station tank or something.
anyway, i now only use chevron 94 which i tested as ethanol free across 2 stations in the lower mainland in richmond and vancouver. that has 0% ethanol. just so you know the shell 91 can be contaminated with ethanol, the chevron 94 isnt. ironically the marked 90 gas at a marina in vancouver also tested positive for ethanol.
To determine if ethanol is in the gas:
- On a test tube or olive bottle six or seven inches long, make a permanent line about two inches from the bottom.
- Fill with water to this line, then fill the tube to the top with gasoline.
- Cover the tube, agitate it, and let it stand.
The ethanol and water will mix and separate out together. If the water level appears to have increased, the fuel contains ethanol and should not be used. Ethanol percentages of less than 5% can sometimes give a reading below the line. Therefore, any deviation in the water line indicates the presence of ethanol and should serve as a basis for rejecting the fuel.