Aviation Fuel/Racing Fuel for Engine Storage

[NeedSpace]

I was watching Chasing Cars with Wayne Carini. They pulled a car out of storage that had been there for many years (over 5?). When they smelled the fuel they said is smelled fine (no vanish smell). He said that the owner probably put racing fuel or aviation fuel.

My question is, if it was aviation fuel, it must be 100LL right? Will airports allow you to fill up with 100LL for your car? Given how long planes sit between flights (general aviation), I am not surprised that the fuel would be so stable. It is pricey, I think it is $6 a gallon at my local airport.

I think I may consider putting racing fuel in my old mercedes, I barely drive it more than 1-2 tanks of fuel a year so the idle is rough and the gas station is only an extra 2 miles down the road. I think it is about $5 a gallon.

Anyone do this? I think it'll be better than StaBil, thoughts?

[gecc]

Our local airport is self serve. I do it all the time!

[Flieger]

Avgas is much purer than normal gasoline and has a lower vapor pressure so it won't boil at high altitude. I would imagine it is more stable than mogas, but racing fuel is just refined crude with some additive so it will turn to varnish the same as 87 octane will, if not quicker due to less alcohol content.

[mikesride]

I had a drum of leaded 112 racing fuel in the shed for a long time.....Yep very unhealthy for sure but that stuff never went bad!!!

[Flieger]

If the drum was sealed that would extend it's lifetime compared to fuel in a car's tank.

[M.D. Holloway]

In order to make varnish (the deposit that is) you need heat and pressure. Fuel (all fuels) will begin to ixidize the minute they are refined - like everything. Fuel oxidizes faster in hotter environs or if water is around. Its a good reason to always have your tank filled if your gonna have it strored for a period of time.

FWIW I have seen fuel work that was 10+ years old...

[NeedSpace]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

In order to make varnish (the deposit that is) you need heat and pressure. Fuel (all fuels) will begin to ixidize the minute they are refined - like everything. Fuel oxidizes faster in hotter environs or if water is around. Its a good reason to always have your tank filled if your gonna have it strored for a period of time.

FWIW I have seen fuel work that was 10+ years old...

Wow, no kidding? Regular autogas?

[Red88Carrera]

I'd like to find racing fuel for $5/gal or Avgas for $6/gal. I'm running 99 octane in my supercharged golf cart and it costs $8/gal.

[afterburn 549]

not sure how it at airports nowadays........but there used to be lots a water in the tanks

[romad]

Any fuel with no alcohol alcohol is hygroscopic and corrosive

[ErVikingo]

Locally you can get what is called "Rec 90" which is 90 octane no ethanol meant for recreational vehicles (great for weedwhackers, gensets, etc).

[cashflyer]

The airports are not supposed to let you dispense into any on-road motor vehicle (no road tax collected) and most will not let you dispense into anything other than an airplane or jerry cans. (Ie: not into boats or racecars)

Some will ask for the "N" number of the airplane that the fuel in jerry cans will be used in.
You can say that it is for an ultralight (no N number) or you can give them an N number.

[ODDJOB UNO]

avgas (101LL) has NTSB MANDATED stabilizer already in fuel.

we run it in everything that DOESNT HAVE A CATALYTIC converter.

if YOU run avgas in a cat equipped vehicle you will KILL CAT and have to spend big bucks to replace.

we stuff it even in 2-stroke anythings with premix belray 50-1 ratio. oil settles over time and all ya have to do is shake the hell out of fuel tank to remix oil with fuel.

straight 101LL is ok. mix 50/50 shell premium w/avgas for highest octane. if storing something...............run ONLY straight avgas and no more worries about fuel turning to varnish clogging injectors and jets and rotting fuel lines and fuel pumps and all the other assorted POO that goes with crap gas and storage.

[NeedSpace]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

not sure how it at airports nowadays........but there used to be lots a water in the tanks

I think this varies by airport. At my current airport, I have NEVER had water in my tanks (for the non-pilots, you have to check all tank sumps before flying during your pre-flight check). However, at my previous airport it was a fairly common occurrence, like once every 10 times. There is a confound with time however as the previous airport was about 10 years ago...not sure.

[Texlexic]

I used to work at an avionics company at the local regional airport.

A couple of colleagues had sportsman cars for the local dirt track.

Common practice was to put pails under the leaky fuel tank sump valves wherever a blue stain was seen.

Another common practice by the FBO was to fill the aircraft after each flight, so they were ready to go the next time. Fresh fuel all the time.

Those pails had to be checked pretty regularly, I understand the boys had plenty of avgas with which to play on Saturday night.