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Thread: fuel for my straight 8

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
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    fuel for my straight 8

    Hello, hope you all had a good New Year celebration. When i purchased my 53 special i was told not to use ethanol fuel. Short of purchasingAV-gas there aren’t many options. I have been mixing 6 gallons of Av-gas withevery tank of pump gas. This is the only option that i know of. Are there anyother options that i am not aware of? Thanks

  2. #2

    fuel for straight 8

    I have run pump gas in mine for 8 years. IF the carb and fuel pump have not been rebuilt with ethanol resistant parts, they will ultimately fail. When they do, repair with NEW parts, not NOS.

    Which '53 do you have?

    Ben

  3. #3
    some states / station chains still sell 0% ethanol, whether that would be available retail in your area i have no idea.


    you can probably find 'race gas' at stations near a circle track, and you actually have a dirt track local to you who would certainly sell fuel in the pits as well:
    http://www.cocopahspeedway.com/

    a marina will probably sell ethanol free fuel at the boat dock, because ethanol draws moisture out of the air which is obviously REALLY BAD for something that spends all it's time sitting on the water.

    you can almost certainly get pure gas straight from a jobber like McNeece Bros, although they might want you to take a minimum amount like a 55 gal drum or something:
    http://www.mcneecebros.com/products.html



    and, of course, there's always Mexico.
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  4. #4
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    Ethanol fuel

    Thanks for the information. I have a 53 special. I will keep in mind what you said about the carb and fuel pump. Can you suggest where to get the ethanol resistant parts? Thanks

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Have a 52 Super with a 263. Rebuilt the carb in 1983. Have put a little over 100,000 miles on that carb. and never done anything to it. Just got back from nearly a 3,000 mile trip this fall and the engine ran great. I always put cheap gas in it. At 7:1 compression it will run on anything. I had it up to over 10,500 feet elevation and it still ran great. I never do anything special to the gas system during the winter, I just park it and try to drive it as often as possible. I have replaced all the fuel line with the new improved line suitable for the ethanol gas (this is very important for Safety).

  6. #6
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    Ethanol gas

    Thanks much I will replace the fuel lines. That is great news thanks

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by suntreemcanic View Post
    Have a 52 Super with a 263. Rebuilt the carb in 1983. Have put a little over 100,000 miles on that carb. and never done anything to it. Just got back from nearly a 3,000 mile trip this fall and the engine ran great. I always put cheap gas in it. At 7:1 compression it will run on anything. I had it up to over 10,500 feet elevation and it still ran great. I never do anything special to the gas system during the winter, I just park it and try to drive it as often as possible. I have replaced all the fuel line with the new improved line suitable for the ethanol gas (this is very important for Safety).
    Good sensible answer! Not much can wrong inside an assembled carb other than the accelerator pump and if that is leather then ethanol will have no effect.
    I could substitute 55 Century 322 for the 52 Super...same years and miles and mountains.

  8. #8
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    Replace your old rubber fuel line with Gates "Barricade" or equivalent. Get the low pressure hose, it is compatible with Ethanol fuel. If your car is stock there should be a length of rubber hose at the fuel tank then a length going through the frame under the battery and then at your carb. Modern ethanol blended fuel does not hold up well being stored for long periods of time. Just drive your car often, at least once a month and you will not have any fuel problems with modern gas in a old car.

  9. #9
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    The other posts pretty much covered the ethanol thing. I'd like to add that if you store the car for months at a time, and it has ethanol gas, put in stabilizer that is specifically rated to stabilize ethanol gas. Some common brands just stabilize the gas, but during temperature drops, especially if it is humid, the ethanol can go into phase separation, and while it doesn't damage anything, the stuff has to be cleaned out or it will clog up you system and it does not burn in your engine. A lot of auto parts stores don't know about what stabilizer to use for ethanol gas. If in doubt, and you can't find mention of it on the label, ask for "Sta-Bil Marine". It has twice the ethanol-stabilizing chemical that most others have. Below is a good article on ethanol phase separation.
    Dave



  10. #10
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    Ethanol fuel

    Thanks for the information. I have been driving my 53 every week and sometimes to work (50 miles round trip ). Using pump gas all is good. The seals, gaskets, and hoses are so far good. The engine runs good with pump gas.

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